bjcsc said:And the only thing I would add to that is you will find it a cumbersome hindrance vs. may if it is designed anything like the 542 MSL...
I found some pictures I took when I went through this ordeal with my loader.
This one is a comparison on the 542 (on the left) and my 542 MSL on the right. The green lines are the distance from the cross tube to the seam on the curl/dump cylinders, and the red lines are the resulting strokes:
This one shows the bucket fully curled and the star marks the weld or top of the cylinder to show the stroke:
This one shows the 4in1 open and fully dumped:
And finally this one shows how far from the dump stop the linkage is when at full dump as the MSL does not have the stroke to dump the bucket:
If all you intend to do is move hay or pallets, the MSL might be nice. But, it is no good for a bucket, grapple, 4in1, or dirt work. Once mine was replaced with the regular 542, I found that since my loader valve is infinitely variable between positions, once I find just the right spot I can make it move just like it is self-leveling (and I can dump the bucket!). Be sure to check it out...
At first it looks like longer stroke curl/dump cylinders would be the answer, but if you were fully dumped at ground level and raised the loader boom the mechanical linkage would try and further dump (level) the bucket. If the bucket linkage was at it's stops, or reached them, the the loader would not raise or something would give (break).
I think what's needed is either a relief valve (plumbed to sump), or an accumulator on the dump cylinder lines to allow full boom movement without loader damage. And longer stroke curl/dump cylinders.
I think cost was the reason Deere did not include this. If sales drop they will either have to redesign or discontinue the SL Loader.
