Remote Hydraulics Install

[JohnInCA]

Poman- I had to pay $1000 for the two kits and the two cylinders. The cylinders are not NH, they are from a company called Gearmore. Keep in mind this is southern CA (can you say "rip-off"), your prices are likely MUCH lower.

BColeman - The instructions were so-so. Not alot of pictures, and sometimes a little brief with the description. The most trouble I had was trying to assemble some of the linkage which operates the valves. Other than that, it's really quite simple to install.

Rch - Gearmore, (a west coast tractor equipment manufacture) had a complete kit including valves and cylinders. The NH dealer told me it would be about $1200 installed. I didn't like it because the valves mount on the ROPS, and there are hoses running everywhere. I asked the dealer about getting a factory setup, and he said that the NH kit would be about $200 more installed. For the heck of it, I asked what the parts cost. When he said $1000, I decided to install myself, save $200, and have a factory setup. What gets me the most is that the dealer would have been paid $400 for under 3 hours of labor.

 

[JATO_RaT]

John, very doubtful prices will be much different anywhere else in the country. $1000 is very reasonable for a factory kit. Gearmore makes lots of cylinders for everyone. Gannon was a major supplier but without a doubt Gearmore is digging into their sales. Gearmore cylinders are as good as any and better then most. The spooled valves that come with a Gannon TnT package are not made by Gannon, they are made by Danfoss for any of you considering a non factory TnT package. Again, $1000 for a factory kit, thats a good value. Rat...

 

[webbmeister]

Wow, $1000? I get that this is for 2 valves, but is this the same item that my dealer is installing for $250 (on invoice shown as "Hyd Rear Remote")? I ask, not to gloat about a good price, but to see if I'm missing something and am in for a surprise at delivery time. I have purchased a 25D.

 

[JohnInCA]

Webbmeister,

Good point. I was thinking the same thing. List price for the first kit is $250, and the second (or third for TC35/40/45) is $210. I believe the higher price for the first kit is due to the inclusion of the "special machined spacer". It's my opinion that you will get everything I received in kit #1, just no top link cylinder. There are two morals to this story: #1, buy the remotes when you buy the tractor, and #2, don't ever move to California....

 

[JATO_RaT]

John, ever consider mail order? I was thinking you got the 2 cylinders, 2 spool valve hose/tubing,and rear remotes (4). My single Gannon top link cylinder cost $300.00 alone. If your dealer is listing valves, hoses, tubing, remotes, and hydraulic cylinder for $250.00, its made of something I don't want.

 

[JohnInCA]

Rat,

I had no idea the top link cylinders were so expensive. Here's exactly what I received for $1000.... Two rear remote kits, a top link cylinder, and a side link cylinder. Each remote kit includes the valve, steel tubing, two female quick connects, and the lever/linkage to control the valve from the fender "slot". It was everything except four male quick connects, and the hose required to connect from the cylinders to the quick connects mounted on the tractor.

 

[JATO_RaT]

John, a good Gearmore or Gannon will. For a little less you can get Prince. Mine is a 3" with 20" closed and 29" extended length. It is for a little larger tractor but none the less, check some of the topics on TnT and I think you'll find the prices higher then you might think. The Kubota dealer mentioned to me that add about $500 to my Kubota TnT price for the factory version which is completely concealed and custom compared to the Gannon retrofit version. He also mentioned he likes the Gearmore cylinders brand because they come configured in so many ways to fit various models and makes of tractors, Rat...

 

[webbmeister]

We moved from Santa Barbara, after living in LA for 13 years, to IL to be closer to parents who are growing older. Illinois is mostly nice (*crooked* politicians and a hand in your pocket every time you let your guard down) and can live in a nice place in a reasonably sized home without breaking the bank,
but we miss CA.

So, to make it clear to this newbie, I understand you to say that the $250 factory kit does not include a top cylinder. It doesn't look like any cylinder is included at all then. Do you have to buy the cylinder seperately when you buy an implement? Does a cylinder normally come as a part of (attached to) implements that are hydraulically enabled? Gosh, I am confused! I'm also thinking that if I can't imagine how this gets put together, I might not be sophisticated enough to use it.

Thanks for any light ...

Jim

 

[jinman]

Rat, I am surprised at the $$$ being paid for these cylinders. Last weekend I installed a toplink cylinder on my tractor from parts I assembled myself. The total cost was far less than $200. I should mention that I have a single factory remote valve installed (I'll do the other two at some later time) so all I had to do was to rig the cylinder. Here is a photo of the cylinder.

It is a category 2 cylinder with 3/8 NPTF outlets. The new cylinder was $137 with shipping to my house. I went to Tractor Supply and purchased two 3/8" male to 1/2" female 90º adapters to attach to the cylinder ($14 total). Two 1/2" x 24" hoses ($12 total). Two male 1/2" quick connect adapters to fit the NH factory quick-connect 1/2" female adapters ($12 total). Two category 2 to category 1 bushings ($3). If my math is correct, that's $178. The cat. 2 fittings had to be ground down between 1/8" and 1/4" to fit the width of my cat. 1 implements and tractor. The 2-1/2" cylinder is rated at 2500 psi and the fittings and hoses 4000 psi. The throw is 10" (more than enough). This is all new stuff with a 3-year warranty. It looks like it was factory made and installed. I suppose Gearmore or Prince could make better cylinders, but I tend to think that they are overpricing their kits a little, or maybe I just got one heck of a good deal. What do you think?

JimI

 

[jinman]

Webbmeister, it seems that you are confusing two issues here, and it is easily done. Most midsize and larger compact tractors can be configured with control valves and quick connect fittings at the rear of the tractor for hooking up hydraulic lines to implements or other uses. One popular setup is to remove the toplink and replace it with a hydraulic cylinder and the second is to remove the non-adjustable sidelink to the lift arm and replace it with a hydraulic cylinder. These cylinders are attached to the remote hydraulic quick-connects and controlled by the remote valves at the operator's station on the tractor. This gives you a two-axis dynamic adjustment to any rear implement installed. Think of your loader as being attached to front remote valves and you get the idea. Most implements that have hydraulic cylinders like batwing mowers and post drivers come with those cylinders installed, so you don't have to purchase and rig them yourself. Some manufactures (like gearmore) have a kit for the top and tilt cylinders which does not use your remote connections. These are normally hard-plumbed to the control valve that comes with the kit. Glueguy has a Kubota with this type of setup, I believe. He posts alot in the Kubota forums and even has posted pictures of his setup. You could do a search for top-n-tilt if you like. ...hope this helps.

JimI