3-Point Hitch No lift in 3-point hitch

[spareparts1]

Copied from another thread I'd latched on to, and then asked if I could put this in new thread? Ok... So here goes, teg...

Post 1) Man.... Really bummed. No lift in FEL (except for rolling back and forth). No 3 point lift, so can't feed the cows. L2400 has been at the dealer for 2 weeks. And another 2 days a month prior to this. The first time they said they found some debris in hydraulic poppit. So picked up better in the FEL, but still no improvement in back lift.

So the bill is up to $4k, and I guess they've ordered parts, more parts, and more parts. The transmission has been opened and new parts put in. Wanted to pick the tractor back up a few days ago (did I happen to mention I can't carry my 1300 pound bermuda bales to my cows??), and they said they broke some spring in the assembly under the seat... So they had to order another spring... Most of the parts I have seen on this tractor are pretty stout, so... how can you break this spring???

Anyway, I'm at a loss. No tractor. At least when I HAD the tractor, I'd back the bale spear under the bale, put the tractor in reverse, and push the bale down the my cows. But at least I had my tractor... Now I've lost my tractor AND $4k. I feel like a real dip-wad...

Next tractor, successful service and domestic parts will be a huge priority. This repair bill is way more than I can afford. I got kubota because I always heard/read it was the BEST. Even my brother-in-law in Ireland had one shipped over to work his orchard with... But... Holy crap...

Suggestions? Please? And please don't laugh. If you hear my cows screamin', you would not be laughing. Thanks!
******************************************************

Post 2) from teg... I would start by creating your own thread instead of piggy-backing in on this one.

Without knowing what the dealers have replaced or what parts they are ordering or even having the tractor there to check stuff for us, I dont think we can help much.

What year is the tractor?
".........there is only one way to find out."
"Ok, hold my beer and watch this.........."

Ford 5500 Backhoe
Kubota L3400GST W/LA463 FEL
2005 Dodge 3500 4x4 Diesel
8N Rebuilt and restored
Bushhog 306
3 Homemade wood hauling trailers
Dolmar 6400 84cc ported
Sachs-Dolmar 120SI Ported
(4) Sachs-Dolmar 116SI Ported
Dolmar PS540
Sachs-Dolmar 115i
Sachs-Dolmar 117
Sachs-Dolmar 112
**********************************************************

Post 3) Today, 04:11 PM #6
New Member
Join DateSep 2013Posts6LocationFort Worth, TexasTractorKubota L3400

year 2008
~ 180 hours
They said they "cracked the transmission open" and replaced some gear assembly... When we had it here at the house, we tested the hydraulic pressure at this t-looking thingy and it read 2000 or so... Can't remember. I have the shop manual, so the pressure was right in the middle of what the shop manual said it should be.

Sometimes I can fumble through problems myself, but recognize that sometimes the "special tools" the shop manual called for, I didn't have or could not "make do".

That's Ok... Thank you anyway. I guess I did it to myself... I mean, everybody always tells me about how dealerships take advantage of girls. I tried on my own first, though. Found and cleaned out 3 other poppits beside the one they cleaned out (the easy one... behind the hydraulic inlet hoses under the step). I got the seat off and got that valve unstuck, and it smoothed what little 3-point movement I had... I learned a lot! I always do when I do stuff myself.

Heavy sigh... Thanks again.
*********************************************************************

Post 4) Today, 04:22 PM #7
teg Elite Member
teg's Avatar Join DateJul 2005Posts4,120LocationRaleigh, NC Hillsville, VATractorL2800.
Default Re: Can a tractor lose it's hydraulic lifting ability?
Quote Originally Posted by spareparts1 View Post

year 2008 ~ 180 hours..... Heavy sigh... Thanks again.
You list a L2400 in the post above, was that just a mistake since your profile says L3400. If it is a L3400, there are MANY MANY people that would love to hear about your problem. Do you know how to start a new thread?? (prefer with in the kubota section)

We would love to hear about it because the L3400 has not had many problems and would love to know HOW it happened too. We could also pass judgement on if the dealer took advantage of you... (right or wrong)
*************************************************************************

Post 5) NOW... From spareparts1

So I don't know if this posting can be followed... I hope so. I just tend to try to include all the information that I can. Thank you! Oh yeah, and it IS the L3400... Sorry! Just worn out. The tractor is HUGE part of my chores, and without, I'm beating myself down, trying to keep up with everything.

 

[teg]

So yea, little bit hard to follow but hopefully we can figure it out. Normally, when the L2800 and the L3400 has hydraulic problems, most of the time it's traced back to the return hose (that LD1 referred to in the other post).

It cracks and allows air into the system making things weak and herky jerky... was your power steering acting up when the lift had problems? The hose has lots of paint on it and sometimes the only way to see the crack is to squeeze it...

Side note: the return hose is by your right foot, bends 90* about 1.5" in diameter... View attachment 412899

What is the status of the tractor now? still at the dealer?

 

[spareparts1]

Oh yeah. I replaced that return hose last year. Thinking... On occasion, the steering got sticky. When the problem wasn't so bad, I started hitting the little RPM pedal when I was activating the lift. Then... I got to where I would activate the lift, lift ALSO the FEL. When the 3-point quit lifting still more, I would activate the lift, lift ALSO the FEL, THEN hit the RPM pedal. I made it work like that for a long time. And then it started clicking around the PTO area (I have to work by myself, so there is no way to video this or get someone to listen to where the click was coming from). Then it quit lifting altogether. Then I just started backing the forks up under the bales and scooting them down backwards to the cows. But at least I could do THAT.

The tractor is in the shop, going on 2 weeks. (shrugging) What do ya do? Like I said before, a girl has to acknowledge her limits.

All that while, I was getting advice from the service department. Mostly, it was to change the hydraulic fluid. I did that and changed the filter until I was blue in the face. And that was pretty costly, but then I got the shop manual. I did get some help from a guy who took a part home, soaked it, loosened it (I guess), and charged me $400. For another $700 and $110/hour after he said he'd START taking the thing apart to see if he could find the problem... I told him "thanks, but no". Heck, I have a bucket of B12 Chemtool with a screen... I do that for my truck parts all the time.

By then, I was ready to pass out from the "bleeding". My accountant was having a COW (not one I could butcher and sell, unfortunately). Anyway, I bought the shop manual and got a bunch of help, fixing a LOT of other stuff (amazing what books can teach you), but NOT the 3-point (lack of) lift.

So here I am (at the place where I've been able to solve a LOT of tractor problems, tiller problems, bush hog problems, drag problems, garden problems...) I love this site. I really do. Where I learned to replace that return hose (and THEN some, as you see above).

Oh yeah... And around the time the 3-point was getting bad, there was a bit of creeping forward and backward when I pressed in the clutch, but I think that's a different problem. Fly wheel or something... Not hydraulics.

Again, many thanks. But, I do a lot of stuff TO myself by taking on stuff bigger than I can handle, so if y'all think that's what I did, then... As you know teg, I'm big enough to own it.

 

[spareparts1]

UPDATE... Just talked to the Kubota dealer. Sounds like they ordered MORE parts and have yet to track them down/receive them. Before when the tractor tires were flat and I needed to get a plug kit to fix them, I tied a rope to the bottom 3rd of the bale. I tied the other end of the rope to the hitch on back of the truck, and dragged it to the pastures. I lose a lot of hay, but I get it done and the animals don't complain.

I sure hope it's fixed when I get it back...

 

[teg]

Holy Cow... seems you got the tractor from he11. (pun intended). Lets hope it's not the pump itself...

 

[spareparts1]

Like I said before... Next time, I get domestic tractor, and research/vet the dealer(s) THOROUGHLY. This guy is kind of the "only game in town" when it comes to Kubota (not gray market). I've been Ok with the advice I've gotten from them. The parts are really steep, and there is no way to "second-source" stuff like the hydraulic filter (housing has that magnet), or the hydraulic fluid (really... seems like it runs a lot better than on the Universal type fluid you get from, like, Tractor Supply).

I've run the dog-poo out of that tractor... But that's why I got it. There's a guy I buy the hay bales from, who has a 70's era blue Ford tractor that is SMALLER THAN MINE, and it does 3 times the work... Sure, when it breaks down, it breaks "good", but man, you should see that thing in action... (head shaking) And he can order parts, takes it to a guy up the road, and it gets fixed in a timely manner... Can't beat that with a stick!

I got a new chain assembly on my Edwards GTO60 tiller. Had to weld a piece that broke off a few years ago. Taught myself... (And it's STILL on there!) Onion sets are at Walmart and everybody's getting their gardens in... (heavy sigh...)

Thank you for hearing me out (sorry to whine-darn it!). That's about all we can do at this point. Sure hope I get a tax refund this year... I'm gonna need it.

 

[LD1]

At this point there inst much I can do to offer help with the tractor in the shop.

But I will say this, and normally I am not one to suggest a lawyer.

But I think it is time to contact a Kubota rep about how you are being treated. And if that goes nowhere, lawyer.

I am not sure what laws there are governing tractors, but with cars, dealers cannot just throw parts at a problem and bill you for them if it doesn't fix the problem.

A trained mechanic should be able to troubleshoot and isolate the issue, then fix it. Not throw parts at it hoping for a miracle on your dime. If that is indeed what is happening, I pretty sure that has to be illegal.

 

[spareparts1]

Thank you for getting back to me LD1! Talked to the dealer who called me yesterday afternoon... I resisted logging on here, and just bawling. I just have too much to do. And I'm tired.

You're right about the lawyer. Last thing you want to do. Everybody knows everybody, and best thing, I guess, is to call the rep and "discuss" it.

But I digress. The guy says they have the thing put together. But now the 3-point hitch goes up, and won't come down (???). We ask the next logical questions, did they put it together right, and did they try adjusting the knobs under the seat (one is for speed... I know about that one, but there's another one...)......... Dead silence on the other end. And then, "We just need to keep it a little longer..."

Well, we've got a little cold front coming through for a couple days starting tomorrow. 15 horses (3 stallions), 10 stalls. Level-headed stallion (is there such a thing?) goes in the single loafing shed stall, and the young ones run the aisle after I fill up the barn. Less snotty noses this way. Everybody has cover. I could use some straw, but OH! I HAVE TO HAVE A TRACTOR TO MOVE THE BALE! (Sorry...) And no, the cows don't have a fresh bale yet. I just was hopin'... ... ...

I do all the watering and last-minute cleaning before I put them in, while the weather's warm (I hate doing that stuff when it's cold). When it goes below 32, I turn off the water to the paddocks so the pipes don't burst and freeze. But that means I fill up every tank I've got, and just break the ice in the mornings.

(Sigh...) You know LD1, if I wasn't an alcoholic, I WOULD hold your beer. I just have to focus on doing the next right thing. Your email was the first saw this morning. I think that's all I'll do for now. Can't do much about the tractor right now, so I'll just go feed the zoo with a smile. Thank you for thinking of me. I sure appreciate it! You too, TEG.

Y'all have a good day.

 

[spareparts1]

Update... Tractor still in shop.

So the 3-point implements still go up and not back down... My impression is that hydraulics are simple. Two opposite-compressing pistons respond to the position changes of the lever. When the lever goes up, one piston moves the fluid , and the fluid goes on the other side to hold the other piston where the lever was set... If the pistons are put in, both in the same direction, this might explain why only up and no down movement.

I don't know... Tractor gone 3 weeks now. It's cold. It's icy. I'm moving the alfalfa around in wheel barrows, where 10 pounds of clay gathers on each wheel. I have to turn them around and pull them to the barn backwards. Does wonders for my triceps, but not my demeanor.

Sure sounds like we're paying for quite the learning curve... Sorry fellas... More whining... 10 years from now, this will all be funny (starting to smile), but why wait?

Blessings.

 

[LD1]

I still think you need to contact a regional rep. Especially if you are paying for the shops trial and errors in throwing parts in that arent fixing the problem.