Is that what the "switch" I see talked about on here does? The switch activates the diverter valve? I appreciate everyone's patience for me, this hydraulic stuff is a new horse for me. I am use to the old Ford 8N where I could just hit it with the spurs and it would take off in what ever direction it was pointed..lol. :laughing:
Welcome to the club. Dad & I went from the 8N (now affectionately known as "The little tractor") to a Kioti CK35 (which to a lot of folks is *still* the little tractor LOL).
Big learning curve but boy is it nice!
To recap what Carhartt Cowboy said,
You currently have 2 functions on the loader control
1 Up & Down (Lift / Lower the loader arms)
2 Load & Dump (Curl Back / Dump the bucket)
The switches you see are either single Push Buttons for a Diverter valve or they are Rocker Switches for true 3rd function valves.
A diverter valve will Divert the fluid from one function to another.
In a grapple application it typically diverts the Curl/Dump function to Open/Close the grapple lid(s). In simplest term you move the stick to dump the bucket w/ the button off - the grapple will dump, with the button on the grapple doesn't move but the lids close.
A true 3rd function valve works with a rocker type switch that if you press one side of the switch, the grapple lids open, other side of the switch the lids close. This set up is a true 3rd function because you still have the ability to move/control the other 2 functions simultaneously.
There is a "catch" though - all your hydraulic functions are "stacked" - think of it like having 3 sink faucets plumbed on 3 floors of an apartment building. Guy on first floor opens a faucet - it gets full flow, second floor faucet opens and it has not so much flow, third floor faucet opens and nothing comes out because the other 2 guys are using it all.
The hydraulic system works similarly, the only fluid / pressure available to valve 2 (and 3) is what 1 isn't using, Valve 3 then gets what 1 & 2 aren't using if there is anything left.
So in reality on the majority of smaller tractors, the hydraulic pump doesn't have the fluid output capacity to supply all three functions at once.
As a real world example you can play with now; try raising your loader and dumping it at the same time. If you're like me and still learning and "ham handed" on the stick you'll see that the more you pull back on the lift function, the faster the loader goes up & the slower the bucket dumps, may even stop dumping. But if you're easy with it and feather your way into both functions, they will both move at once, just slowly. That's because they are sharing the pump output. The more the lift function demands, the less the bucket function gets.
Therefore you have to ask, do you really need/want a full 3rd function or will a diverter be enough (and there are cost & complexity issues also).
Here's a link to one of many threads here discussing the Pro & Cons of each by folks with a lot more knowledge and actual hands on time than me. It might help answer more questions you have.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/311703-diverter-valve-vs-true-third.html
Now - for your Pin On question - Everything Attachments offers some Pin On set-ups for their 50" grapple so you could check with them. Also there are Adapters to add a Quick Attach set-up to a Pin On loader. Might be another option for you.
Hope that helps.
