What's the best loader valve?

[rScotty]

SNIP....... The part that does not make sense is you would think the long throw controls would be more accurate and the short throw controls would be faster. SNIP.....

Yes, I had the exact same thought. I'm just repeating what I was told - and that by only one individual - but that is what he said and he has a similar JD310.

I should add one more piece to the puzzle is that the JD controls really are big levers with noticibly long throws. I had noticed that when buying it.

The Kubota levers are much shorter and have a noticeably shorter throw but still give better control for small motions. Also the Kubota controls are still controllable when there is a load on the bucket. That's a major difference that I should have mentioned before.
rScotty

 

[Roger66]

All of the Kubota fan boys consistently brag on their loader valves. This could be a point for Kubota when tractor shopping, but on the test drive you never have the opportunity to unload a heavy pallet from a truck and bring it safely to earth. A empty bucket is a useless test.

 

[Roger66]

Well my plan is already derailed! The valve I ordered is backordered with a 42 day lead time . Back to the drawing board.

 

[bearthebruce]

Everything seems to be backordered these days. Blame Covid!

 

[rScotty]

All of the Kubota fan boys consistently brag on their loader valves. This could be a point for Kubota when tractor shopping, but on the test drive you never have the opportunity to unload a heavy pallet from a truck and bring it safely to earth. A empty bucket is a useless test.

I didn't know that I've heard other kubota owners rave about the loader valves, and I've been on this forum and others for more than 25 years.

Even if all the "fan boys" agree that Kubota valves really do work better, it might not even be the valve. Do they even make their own control valves?
It could just as easily be that Kubota's hydraulics dept. simply does a better design job matching their control valves to their loader and hoe geometry & cylinders.

Uh...just to set the record straight, I confess to being a fan of Yanmar mostly, and some of the JDs. With Kubota I'm a fan of their TLB line. In our dozen or so tractors we've only had the one Kubota, so I don't know much about Kubota tractors - just the TLBs.

rScotty

 

[oldnslo]

Kubota used to use Husco 9210 valves but Husco stopped making these a few years back. The 9210 was very good valve compared to majority of other loader valves. I suspect the low cost foreign valves was the demise of the Husco 9210.

USA valve makers today are Brand & Prince both in Nebraska. I have been told that Brand LV series have metering notches on the spools, not sure if Prince LV valves do or not.

 

[ptsg]

I scored a valve for my homemade loader from an older Case backhoe or wheel loader, can't quite remember, but it cost me less that $50 and it's a stackable valve with 3 spools. It is in very good shape, little to no wear. Only one spool showed some scratches but still perfectly useable and I put it on the winch circuit as it's not used too much compared to any loader function.

That thing has features like:
- Load check valves for each spool
- Float and anti cavitation valve on the lift/lower circuit
- Work port relief valves with anti cavitation for the dump/curl circuit
- Metering notched on all three spools

This valve is an absolute dream to use. Even though it's a bit too big for my tractor, it's still very easy to feather the controls or do both functions at the same time.

Obviously this is a valve from an industrial machine, hence all the features compared to any valve offered for a compact tractor. It's made by Rexroth-Sicma. Now I'm sure they were bought by someone else.

 

[Roger66]

Problem solved!! I was able to find a Prince LVT Loader Valve 10GPM LVT1GR5AB7 from Dalton Hydraulics I installed it today. It was nearly a direct fit for my Mahindra 1526. All of the stock hydraulic fittings worked without any special adaption. I just needed to drill one hole as the mounting bolt pattern was different. It would have been a super easy install if Mahindra used swivel fittings, but no. I had to loosen the fittings underneath the tractor so the entire hose could rotate while loosing/tightening. The Prince loader valve is a huge upgrade! So much more precise!

 

[rScotty]

Does it seem reasonable to have the swivels on the far end of the hose instead of next to the valve?
Swivel fittings are slightly larger....maybe there wasn't room to put the swivel ends next to the valve...too crowded.
Or maybe hoses were originally put on backwards?

 

[Roger66]

Hoses can't be reversed. Whenever I make hoses I have swivels at both ends as you never know which side you will be working on in the future. There was certainly enough room, but they probably saved a couple of dollars and every dollar counts. I can't blame them, when I build something I build one. So an extra dollar means nothing, but when building thousands of units those dollars add up. I do wish they spent a bit more on a quality valve, but again for dirt work this stock valve is fine.