That made me feel better.

[Cat_Driver]

I bent both upper hydraulic shafts on my tractor this week and wondered how I did it because I was just loading brush and branches, no dirt work.
I guess I dive in the pile of brush with my tubes extended.
I looked around for a shop that could repair the shafts and found what seemed like a great shot an hour away. I called them and they acted like it wasn't a big deal. They said if they can't straighten the shaft they will simply make another one ( WHAT !!!!! )
I drove up to their shop feeling humiliated that I bent my shafts until the guy at the back dock said don't feel bad look at this.
He walked me over to a shaft that was 10 feel long and as big around as a garbage can, and he said "they bent this one" (AGAIN WHAT !!!!)
That's what made me feel better. He then showed me stacks of hydraulics that people have bent. I stood around for a while watching the "artists" perform their work making new parts for shafts from blocks of aluminum and steel then chroming them.
To watch these guys work in the thousands of an inch.
Both shafts should be done next week. I did learn a lesson, be careful working when the shafts are extended not only in dirt but in anything.

 

[atsah]

We have some talented people in this country, that’s for sure.. Glad they have ya straightened out..

 

[Texasmark]

I had a JD 4010 (70ish hp) with a JD 157 loader. The rams connected directly into the back of the bucket...neat; had 2 rigid and 2 floating pins to capture to mount the bucket to the loader (great sport working alone as I do)....which was also used with a hay fork requiring swapping frequently. I was digging out a pond and was using the bucket in the vertical position to breakup the soil so that I could load and remove it.....bent both shafts.

Fast forward: 2005 and I see and buy a Branson with a loader, quick attachment (Bobcat dimensions) bucket and lo and behold, diversity at work (built in Korea) there is an additional arm between the bucket and the cylinder ram that allows the cylinder to go fully extended while maintain inline pressure on the ram arm. Wink!

 

[nyone]

I sure hope there not making your shafts out of aluminum. Usualy there some form on cromolly

 

[Texasmark]

I sure hope there not making your shafts out of aluminum. Usualy there some form on cromolly

Never saw/heard of such.

 

[Cat_Driver]

Just got them back. Two bent shafts and they had to manufacture a new threaded collar as mine had a hairline crack in it.
Straightened the shafts, repacked them both re chromed the shafts, made a new collar $960.00 and a week down time.

My advice never even move your tractor if the bucket shafts are extended 100%. Seems that is when they are the weakest, and on mine only 1-1/2" Kubota 4060 so no more for me.

I think I figured out what I did. I was loading a dump trailer with brush and a grappler. I tilted the grappler all the way down and used that to "hammer" down the brush in the trailer to condense it. That hammering is what bent the shafts with the grappler 100% extended.

You don't appreciate your tractor till it's not around.

Drive safe out there

 

[1010]

wow that sounds high.

 

[MossRoad]

How much would two new complete cylinders cost?

 

[Texasmark]

ASC is a good source for cylinders. I use their cheap brand and they work just fine for me....the black ones. I know this doesn't help your situation but for others viewing your post, or the next time you have a problem.

 

[Ivan49]

I use to make hyd piston shafts with the head on them where I worked. Some were 15 feet long but most were 8 foot or under. There were for die cast machines and most hyd systems ran 4000 psi or more