Plow protection

[Coyote machine]

CM- that's good to know. The valve, a Prince from Surplus Center, was only $70. They had told me the same thing about lightening the release pressure setting at S.C.

I don't want to cause trouble for the tech. I spoke with, so we'll let Daryl sort this out at their next group meeting. They aren't THAT big a company.

If we never get any snow, I will never know about the plow and the valve. I think the cylinder on the 2000 plow may be the same size, which means it should work for me, too? Mine's a 78 blade.

I'm ok with not relaying the tech's name back to Daryl, and I don't think it was about getting anyone in trouble - I had mentioned I would see who spoke to whom. No big deal- I also asked Daryl to let those who need to know what the informative answers are.
Your blade is 7.5'? You have a DA single cylinder on the center to left side of your model 1000?

It will only work when trying to extend the cylinder. There is no way for it to be effective when trying to compress the cylinder unless they are using a different setup. Possibly a PRV that has its own dump back to tank?

I believe it to be a crossover only valve. They use two cylinders on the next model up, the 3000 series, also with a crossover, and because of the extra size and weight, and what you and others have stated about the 'push me, pull you', (my words) type of forces on a blade I can see how the crossover would be more effective, with one cylinder on each side of the blade.

Hey folks.
A crossover valve ONLY protects the extended corner of the blade.
You hit a curb and the oil dumps over to the other side, but who plows snow away from the curb to the center of the street?
We plow to the ditch side (right side) and when doing so the right corner is retracted so the crossover offers no protection.
It ONLY protects the extended plow corner and when is there a curb in the middle of the street (or the drive)?
OK, so your drive has lots of roots or rocks in the middle so then a crossover can serve you.
On a truck plow at 30-40 MPG a crossover will be an asset but on out slow tractors I am of the opinion that the $$ is better invested elsewhere.
Rely instead on a good trip mechanism with well adjusted trip springs.

Here's what comes to mind for me, from my personal experience with the single cylinder DA and crossover mounted on the center to left side of the blade. Yes the blade is most often retracted when plowing a drive/roadway, toward the tractor's right side. This means my single cylinder is fully extended on the left side and that corner of the blade is farthest in the middle of the drive/road, so the crossover can't help me if I hit an immovable object with my right corner. The springs would have to make the mouldboard trip forward to keep from extreme forces being sent to the blade or the loader arms.
However, when I push dead on into an existing snowband of several feet of depth or more and there is too much force at the bottom of the blade the springs may also trip. Sometimes when I go to push the snow real high and the tractor's front wheels climb the bank, if the blade is angled, either the blade will slide in the direction it's angled to, OR the crossover will make the blade release and it will automatically angle toward the opposite direction. Trucks can't do what a loader can with a FEL mounted blade; and that is where I think the crossover does the most good for protecting the FEL arms. Think about that the truck plow is connected to the chassis of the truck. The FEL mounted blade is only connected to the QA plate and thus to the FEL. The loader can/will experience extremes the truck doesn't encounter because the chassis moves with the plow of a truck. If a FEL torques because of angles/pressures not seen by a truck plows limited ability to raise off the ground like a FEL, the tractor can suffer serious damage to it's FEL and it's connection to the tractor frame.IMHO. Please give feedback if you feel I'm in error on these points.
Thanks,
CM

 

[LD1]

Hey folks.
A crossover valve ONLY protects the extended corner of the blade.
You hit a curb and the oil dumps over to the other side, but who plows snow away from the curb to the center of the street?
We plow to the ditch side (right side) and when doing so the right corner is retracted so the crossover offers no protection.
It ONLY protects the extended plow corner and when is there a curb in the middle of the street (or the drive)?
OK, so your drive has lots of roots or rocks in the middle so then a crossover can serve you.
On a truck plow at 30-40 MPG a crossover will be an asset but on out slow tractors I am of the opinion that the $$ is better invested elsewhere.
Rely instead on a good trip mechanism with well adjusted trip springs.

A crossover is not designed to protect the blade. It is designed to protect the hydraulics.

The retracted side is against a mechanical stop. If you hit something with that side, there is no danger to the hydraulics.

When plowing a street or drive, sure you may not plow towards the curbs, but in parking lots and such, usually there is a sidewalk attached to that curb, so you plow away. And its for more than just curbs. Light posts, unknown storm drain. I have even had mine "relieve" when pushing a huge windrow into a pile. And when piling more snow onto a frozen pile from last storm, if the blade isnt perfectly aligned with the pile, the relief protects the hydraulics.

And if you hit something solid at 30-40 MPH, a crossover is of little good. You will still blow a hose or bend a cylinder. That is just too much fluid trying to move too fast to be possible.

 

[LD1]

I believe it to be a crossover only valve. They use two cylinders on the next model up, the 3000 series, also with a crossover, and because of the extra size and weight, and what you and others have stated about the 'push me, pull you', (my words) type of forces on a blade I can see how the crossover would be more effective, with one cylinder on each side of the blade.

2 cylinders is the only way for a crossover to be effective in BOTH directions. That is the only way for fluid entering the circuit to be the same as fluid exiting.

It flat out wont work trying to collapse a cylinder. You would be trying to put MORE fluid on the rod side than it can hold. So without the excess fluid having somewhere to go, it wont move.

Under extension, it can suck air/pull a vacuum. And will work, but not as effective as 2 cylinders

 

[varmint]

Well, I am all for good discussion, and learning. Looks like I blew the money, but if it can't hurt, might help in certain conditions, and is there for future use if I need it with another piece of equipment (?) then what the heck. In any event, I won't be plowing anything (it might snow in the future??) at more than a walking pace, and the blade angle will be determined by the situation. And, CM, I see in HLA's literature that they offer a two cylinder version of the 2000 plow- check the parts diagrams.

 

[Coyote machine]

Well, I am all for good discussion, and learning. Looks like I blew the money, but if it can't hurt, might help in certain conditions, and is there for future use if I need it with another piece of equipment (?) then what the heck. In any event, I won't be plowing anything (it might snow in the future??) at more than a walking pace, and the blade angle will be determined by the situation. And, CM, I see in HLA's literature that they offer a two cylinder version of the 2000 plow- check the parts diagrams.

Varmit, I can't locate the parts diagrams section. Do you have a link?

Thanks,

CM:thumbsup:

 

[varmint]

CM- go to the 2000 series plow, and click on "support" on the left side. Here's the twin cylinder parts diagram...

SB2000 HLA2DM |

 

[Coyote machine]

Varmit,
Thanks. I found it on my own, but thanks for the link. I haven't figured out if that is an actual available model or something that used to be available.
There is no reference to it in the breakdown of the 2000 series plows elsewhere. I may give them a call to see what's what.

I don't think you blew the money buying the valve, but I wonder how much snow you'll encounter where you live? I also think if one properly stakes their drive, and gets used to what it takes to avoid obstacles, along with not rushing, that good outcomes are usually possible. Good luck.

 

[varmint]

CM- as for snow, we never know. So far this year, almost nothing to worry about. But, in the 15 years we've been here, we had over 24" of snow maybe 4-5 times. I have about a 1000' of gravel lane to deal with, and until recently, a 90+ year old neighbor living at the end of the lane, and I felt responsible for him being accessible. The lane is a bit sunken, with banks, big rocks buried underneath, and ruts, so plowing is a tedious process. No parking bumpers or man-made obstacles. Our private drive/parking area is easier, being pretty flat and smooth. Someday, maybe it'll all get paved?

 

[srs]

Varmint, off topic a little bit but if it helps maybe you should take some photos of the driveway, gravel lane and have them available to avoid any obstructions, etc. I plow about 7 neighbors but they all have asphalt driveways with no obstructions or things to hit. I wish we would get a few good snow storms, depressing. Stanley

 

[varmint]

I sort of chuckled when I thought about trying to check photos, in blinding wet snow in the dark. If and when we get another blizzard, I will just be going slow, and since I have spent so much time traveling on, spreading gravel on, and otherwise maintaining that lane, I pretty much know where the trouble would lie. Someday, when it's paved...