Uh-oh! 300CX loader

[browns40]

Oh Dear....

Got a replacement bolt in from JD for the bolt head that came off the 300CX loader (part M 16 grade 12.9), but...

As I began to tap it out with a hammer (only 16oz!), after one hit, I heard something drop, after two heard another drop and saw a green bolt head settling to the floor!

Two more heads had come off with gentle (trust me!) tapping on the damaged bolt beside them... I stopped right there and will contact the dealer tomorrow...

Now the 300CX is powerful, and I have NO complaints with it's performance... it's been astonishing what it can do really...

It's my hope that I got one bad batch of brittle bolts/steel on the 300CX I got, but...

Please exercise a bit of caution 'til I can get some answer on whats happened here... the bolts are only on the bracing running from the main mount to the front of the tractor/parking arms, but I'm wondering how widespread this bolt is being used...

HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS HAPPEN?

I love China, don't get me wrong, but when commercial fishing, the swivels & shackles above our heads ALWAYS read Canada or USA, for this very reason: 5-10 yrs ago we found Chinese steel was brittle steel, esp. at cold temps.

I have no empirical data to support this other than my limited first-hand experience, and I could not tell you where these JD bolts come from, but the cast span was stamped "made in China", and I believe they are now the world's leading steel manufacturer...

Now how the he!! am I going to ballast the front of this thing by Saturday.....

Happy (& SAFE!) Tractoring!

 

[Deere3120]

Can you tell me approx how much the 300cx will lift? I also would like to know what the height it will lift to? I am going to get a 3120 John Deere 4wd. I am hoping it will lift 1300 lbs? and approx 7 to 8 ft high.

 

[rockyridgefarm]

1300 LBs. of What?

 

[RRacing]

John Deere says the 300CX will lift 1598 LBS at full lift height at the pivot pin and full height is 8 1/2 feet.

Jim

 

[browns40]

Hi 3120,

How MUCH it will lift & how high has been quoted...

We used the 3320 to make a float for the 4th of July, and at 6'3" i had to stand on the rails of the bed of my F-150 to attach our "duck's head" (sorry, no pics...) to the mounts where the bucket attaches (at my shoulder height), at "nearly fully extended"

So... quite high!

I have had many buckets loaded full with "man-sized" granite that I've shifted around easily, but never higher than absolutely had to to clear obstacles...

Picked up side of 12000# rated 18 foot equipment trailer to look at undercarriage...

Picked up (levered) 3320's rear wheels with MX-5 "shearing" low-hanging branches that interfered with mowing (OOPS!)

I would not put it above my head, because of facts I mentioned about bolts, and because I wasn't interested in levering the back of the tractor off the ground (again...)!

So far, anything I can fit into the HD 72" bucket, the 300CX hoists without complaint. You will be pleased...

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[jcmseven]

Brown40,

I posted about this problem with my 300cx loader about four months ago. I had the same problem with my bolts, as two of them ultimately sheared off. The integrity of the loader brace was not significantly affected, but I wondered the same thing. I even looked at the bolt head under a microscope to see if there were air pockets in the bolt, and there were none. My opinion is that the bolts have to be seated then tightened once or twice more after use--something that JD does not do. Once they are painted, they are done. With the bracket flex these loaders have they will stress an improperly seated bolt, causing it to shear. When I checked the other bolts (the ones that did not shear) I found two more that were VERY easy to tighten. Rather than metal failure I think it more likely in retrospect to be stress on an improperly seated (in the factory) bolt. My dealer warranted me a new eight pack of bolts for when and if I need them, and JD wanted my bolts back for analysis.

John M

 

[rockyridgefarm]

I am SICK to hear about this. There is no excuse for improper metallurgy in loader hardware. I am glad that we haven't heard of anyone gettiing hurt. Whatever happened to the fine Welland Works stuff we have come to respect?!!

 

[nosualc]

browns40 & jcmseven,

Thanks for the heads-up! I have a 3320 w/300cx with about 80 hours (figure 25-30 hours on the loader). I just went out to the barn and checked. All the bolts on my loader were intact and tight.

I did notice there were wrench marks on the nuts (in the paint) that I did not make. I can only assume that somebody at my dealer re-torqued the bolts before delivery?

-nosualc

 

[KennedyDiesel]

I'll be checking mine...

Are these the button looking head bolts.

 

[BobCurry]

I also have the 300CX on my 3320. Can somneone take a pic to properly identify these bolts?

Bob