Need your help with BX2200 FEL Operation....

[woodenhorse]

Hi Folks,

I read my FEL manual and have some questions that hopefully some of you experienced users will be able to help me with.......

I plan on reconnecting my FEL this weekend and wondered how long you are supposed to sit there and work the joystick to get the air out of the system? The books quickly mentioned that you should work it without a load until it responded properly - whatever that is???

I have the standard valve (3-valve, I guess)and the dealer told me that it only went in 4 directions.....if you are looking down at the joystick, forward would be 12 o'clock, back would be 6, right would be 3 and left would be 9. The picture in the book describing lifting looked as if you could use the joystick like a ninetendo joystick and go angled (say 7:30) to do two functions....is that correct? I was under the impression that you had to go in only the four directions.

When I used my FEL on the clay/gravel, it wouldn't lift a full bucket, but would lift 2/3 bucket extremely slowly. I realize that it is supposed to lift slightly less than 500 pounds, but I don't think that weighed that much. When I pulled back on the joystick all the way to the stop, nothing would happen, but if I stopped pulling at a certain point, it would slowly lift; however, it would lift with me pulling all the way back with nothing in the bucket....is that normal? If not, does that mean I have to keep working the bucket to perhaps get more air out of the system?

As you can tell, I am totally new at this and the hydraulic stuff.....evidently the hydraulic fluid gets pretty hot because when I removed the FEL, the quick couplers were almost too hot to touch....is that normal?

How did you guys learn to use your FEL? Did any of you put measured weights, like cement bags in the bucket to test the max lifting capacity?

Thanks for any help/info you can offer,

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( work it without a load until it responded properly )</font>

Now I've never had a BX so can't say for sure, but I'll bet you'll never notice any air in the lines. By the time you hook it up, try raising and lowering once, curl and dump the bucket once just to see and I'll bet you'll be ready to go to work.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( use the joystick like a ninetendo joystick and go angled (say 7:30) to do two functions )</font>

You won't hurt a thing doing that. However, when you open two valves simultaneously the hydraulic fluid may try to take the path of least resistance first. In other words, if you try to curl the bucket and raise the boom (lower left corner with the joystick or 7:30 position) it may only do one of those functions - the one with the lightest load - until that one reaches it's maximum travel before the other one starts moving. Of course if you're lowering and dumping at the same time (1:30 position) that will work because gravity is assisting.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( When I pulled back on the joystick all the way to the stop, nothing would happen, but if I stopped pulling at a certain point, it would slowly lift )</font>

That one doesn't sound right. If that's the case I think something needs adjusting but can't say for sure because I haven't seen that happen yet.

 

[Wood_Butcher_Dav]

I believe you may have something a miss. Have you checked your fluid level? There is a cooling fan that may not be working. Just guessing! I can lift with my BX2200 a heaping bucket full of wet gravel or dirt with no problems. I have moved lifted off ground some concrete chunks that I know weigh more than 500 pounds. I have also removed my FEL when tractor was fully warmed up and I did not notice that the connectors were very hot, warm maybe.

Dave

 

[jrlichina]

How much throttle are you using? Use at least 3/4 if trying to lift heavy loads(even full if you need to for short periods of time.) Also check to make sure all your quick couplers are fully seated.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( be 6, right would be 3 and left would be 9. The picture in the book describing lifting looked as if you could use the joystick like a ninetendo joystick and go angled (say 7:30) to do two functions....is that correct? I was under the impression that you had to go in only the four directions.)</font>

Mine does not have the standard valve it has the 4 way. It works on the eight points of the compass. North and south are down and up, east and west are curl and dump, and the intermediate points are combinations with the exception of southwest (lift and curl) which doesn't work effectively because of the load on the hydraulics to fill both cylinders at the same time. My understanding is that the standard valve works the same but the 4 position has an additional position for rapid dump to the extreme east similar to the float function in the north position.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( When I used my FEL on the clay/gravel, it wouldn't lift a full bucket, but would lift 2/3 bucket extremely slowly. I realize that it is supposed to lift slightly less than 500 pounds, but I don't think that weighed that much. When I pulled back )</font>

It should certainly lift a full bucket, I just moved 9 yards of damp loam today with mine and it would lift a heaping bucket without slowing down. Make sure you use enough throttle. I run about 2/3 for heavy work.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( hydraulic stuff.....evidently the hydraulic fluid gets pretty hot because when I removed the FEL, the quick couplers were almost too hot to touch....is that normal?)</font>

Mine does not get hot like that!

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( How did you guys learn to use your FEL? Did any of you put measured weights, like cement bags in the bucket to test the max lifting capacity?)</font>

Practice! I think I cleared my whole yard of snow (I mean lawn and all!) in the first couple of days I had it. As far as testing with known weight, no. I just tried it. If it lifted it without tipping the tractor it was okay, if not, it was too much! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[KRECKER]

Bob,
I see you finally got your eqpt. Great....I can't help you with the FEL questions, because my FEL has not come in yet, but I will keep in mind the problems you are having with yours to make sure that mine gets installed correctly, or rather I will be just a little bit more educated about the process.
Good luck, keep us posted.


Don

 

[FamilyFarm]

I can't speak to all your issues, but definitely make sure the throttle is up - for heavy loads I go to full throttle, then back off just a bit (I did keep it down a little more the first 50 hrs as recommended). Also, make sure you are in low (turtle) range. You will have to practice and learn angles to enter and exit with when filling the bucket, when to use the HST to move forward and rearward while lifting or curling the bucket for optimum efficiency and time. But, all that takes a lot of practice. I have about 35-40 hours loader experience and just now find it all seems natural to me without having to stop (or getting in a bind with no loader movement) and think about what to do next. Recently I put the loader to the biggest test to-date. I was digging into a well-packed pile of heavy soil and moving it to a new location and I found it easy to overload the tractor/loader. I just had to slow down and take smaller bites.

Terry

 

[sandyc]

Good Day Mr. Horse:

You might want to check out the tachometer sold by Design Technology out of Illinois. Do a google search for tinytach and you can see what they have to offer. I purchased one and it works great. Also helps me to keep track of my throttle setting so I don't go ballistic. The tach works off a transponder that you put around a fuel line.

 

[jrlichina]

One more thing, make sure your 3-point lift lever is in the neutral position. Sometimes these are out of adjustment so the auto-return doesn't work correctly. If it doesn't, the relief valve will be activated which then causes system pressure loss and excessive heating of the hydraulic fluid.

 

[woodenhorse]

Hi Bird,

Thanks for the comeback! I will re-attach (hopefully) it this evening and sit there for 5 minutes and move the boom up for bucket dump clearance and then work the dump/curl for a while - then the boom up and down for a while and see what's up with it. I'll also try the different quadrant points on the compass with the joystick to see what gives. I've got some sacks of concrete and top soil and will pile them on one at a time to see how the load handles. Then, hopefully, if all is well, I'll go out and attack that clay/gravel pile again. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

If I still run into the same problems, I guess a call to the dealer will be in order.....but I sure do appreciate all on this forum for whatever help they have and will continue to provide!!

Thanks much,