Jerky Rear Hydros

[Ossekeag Orange]

I have a 2015 Kubota L6060 with attached Kubota 80 inch rear snow blower equipped with hydraulics for both Chute deflection and rotation. Whenever I activate the levers from the tractor for either chute rotation or deflection, rather than getting a smooth operation for deflection and rotation what I get is a very quick partial motion and then a lockup.
For example if I use the lever to rotate the chute it will extremely rapidly rotate an 1/8th to 1/4 turn and then abruptly stop and lock up. I need to back off the level and very slowly try again. Sometimes the chute will rotate a bit further and yet finding a solution. All hydros for the FEL work as expected. Could this be an airlock, could this be too much hydraulic fluid trying to push through to the chute cylinders? Do I need inline fluid restrictors? Seeking wisdom.

 

[Diydave]

Check your suction filter screen. Could be a big chunk of crap being sucked up against it, blocking the flow. Could be other things, too, but it's a good place to start, anyway...

 

[Ossekeag Orange]

Thanks Diydave. Hopefully you are correct. I will find a manual to download to get me through finding and cleaning that screen. Fingers crossed here that it is a simple fix that corrects this.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I'm not sure what the problem is, but I can tell you for certain that you will be much happier with restrictors in those lines.

You can get orifice fittings here. Get the ones with an .031 hole. Part # 1201206 and install at hose end with the male coupler.

 

[sheepfarmer]

Thanks Diydave. Hopefully you are correct. I will find a manual to download to get me through finding and cleaning that screen. Fingers crossed here that it is a simple fix that corrects this.

Hi, Ossekeag, you will not be able to find manuals for the new 60 series tractors online. The owners manual, which comes free with the tractor, does have pictures of the locations of the various filters and how to change them. If the dealer didn't hand it to you, it is possible that he tucked it in the flat compartment in the seatback. To get a workshop manual, you will have to order it from your dealer or Messick's. Not cheap, very big. Let me know if you can't find yours and are desperate this weekend. It is tucked up under the frame rails on mine at an oblique angle near the fuel tank. Not conveniently located. Is your an HST? Do you have extra SUDT-2?

 

[Tooljunkie]

This isnt a situation of hoses being coupled incorrectly, as in the lines are crossed. Had someone connect one cyl to both top connectors instead of both to left or right pairs. Makes hydros misbehave.

 

[sheepfarmer]

Check your suction filter screen. Could be a big chunk of crap being sucked up against it, blocking the flow. Could be other things, too, but it's a good place to start, anyway...

Figured out thanks to Service Dept Vic's article that suction screen has been replaced in these models by what Kubota is calling the hydraulic oil filter, which consists of a canister and a magnetic ring. Didn't want to send OP to the wrong part of the tractor...

 

[Bulldog]

Some have a screen instead of filters, I'd say this tractor doesn't have a screen.

If you feather the controls will it work as it should or does it still lock up?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Three things as others have said.

Very possible that you have the lines crossed, one line on one valve port and another line on another valve port will make the hydraulics work very very weird.

To slow down the controls use regulators or restricters will really help with rotation and movement speeds.

That new of a tractor does not have filter screens only spin on filters, but very unlikely that is your issue since the FEL and 3 point are working fine.

 

[Diydave]

OK, I stand corrected, Didn't realize how new the tractor was, from the OP. Here's a tip re the mismatched hoses. Once you have them figured out, take colored wire ties, and mark both halves of multiple fittings, by putting a green tie on one, a red tie, on another, etc. You could also use paint, but either way, you have to make sure you keep them identified, as paint peels or dissolves, and (most) wire ties aren't UV protected...

 

[Grouse Feathers]

On my BX2370 fel the protective caps for the fel hoses and tractor hydraulic connectors are are attached and color coded. For the Kubota snowblower there are colored rings attached to the snowblower hoses and tractor connectors. The color coding for the fel and snowblower use some of the same colors, but not on the same connections. The first time I hooked up the snowblower the hydraulics didn't work right and I had to go back and reconnect per the correct indicators.

 

[Ossekeag Orange]

OK. Hi Everyone. Here is where I am at with resolving the issues associated with the herky jerky hydros on my L6060 (HSTCC) Tractor/2880 Snowblower combo.

Hydro Filter: Dealer had just replaced that for me as I had them do the 50 hour service on the tractor to ensure any subsequent warranty claims would more likely be honoured. Upon further discussion with them, they indicated that when it was changed the filter was compromised/somewhat clogged with silicon gasket material. Perhaps some of that is in the lines but I am hopeful the filter caught most of the material.

Manual: Operator manual that was provided with the tractor has been found.

Crossed Hydro Lines: I purposely tried a couple of combinations and intentionally crossed them. The result of that was a complete non working system so I reconnected them back to the original way I had them connected. The original problem returned. I did have them labelled with a Permanent marker but will be adding some colored zip ties as suggested or possibly additionally use some colored electrical tape which I have an abundance of.

Flow Restrictors: None of the local hydraulic shops in the local industrial park are open this weekend but I will check with them early next week. Alternatively I will investigate a purchase online from the web ref provided above. However, to simulate low flow, I cut the tractor to idle speed and voila...both rotation and deflection worked perfectly 10 out of 10 times each in both directions. The blower will not blow snow at this speed but this tells me there is a definite need for restriction. When back at operating rpm's the original problem returned. I will post again once I try this.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions to date. First time I posted to this forum....great suggestions

 

[Ossekeag Orange]

Bulldog: I am not sure what you mean by feathering but if feathering the controls means a gentle touch on them I still get the same undesired result at tractor rated rpm speed for the snow blower. However, both deflection and rotation work fine at idle speeds.

 

[Ossekeag Orange]

MtnViewRanch: The pn you provided is for a .062in orifice. You are suggesting the .031 in orifice though, correct? My hoses are 3/8in hoses. If I understand you correctly you are suggesting unthreading the current male quick-disconnect connector coming from the blower and inserting the restrictor between the threaded hose end and the qd connector. Correct?

 

[Diydave]

My guess is that perhaps you have some gasket silicone caught up in the valve bank. when you first crack the valve, full pressure and flow occurs, till the blockage hits the valve, then flow and pressure stops. I'd have the dealer make it good...

 

[MtnViewRanch]

MtnViewRanch: The pn you provided is for a .062in orifice. You are suggesting the .031 in orifice though, correct? My hoses are 3/8in hoses. If I understand you correctly you are suggesting unthreading the current male quick-disconnect connector coming from the blower and inserting the restrictor between the threaded hose end and the qd connector. Correct?

Sorry about the wrong part number, trying to do to many things at once.

Yes, just install between the end of the hose and the male quick coupler end.

I sort of doubt that your local shops will have the restrictors and if by chance they do, I doubt that they will be the same cost, although once shipping costs of $5 are added it may be close.

Good luck and let us know how it works out for you.

 

[RCW]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions to date. First time I posted to this forum....great suggestions

While it sounds you are getting zeroed in on the probable cause, also make sure that nothing is binding, etc. on the chute when operating at the fast speed.

Just seems odd to me that it would lock up like it did at higher RPM's, but be fine when going slow and easy, unless something is jamming up with the chute itself. Unless, of course, the theory of the silicon locking it up is in fact correct. That could be the case as well.

 

[Ossekeag Orange]

Hi Everyone

Here is the status update on the jerky rear hydraulics on the L2880 3ph snow blower attached to my L6060HST tractor.

The local Kubota dealer has encountered this problem on occasion in the past and it was sometimes associated with a slight mismatch in the quick disconnect hydraulics (male) supplied with the blower not perfectly matching the quick disconnect (female) connectors on the tractor. In my case the match is ok and as expected, however, the internal workings of the old male QD connectors and the new male QD "Pioneer Brand" connectors are completely different.
The dealer provided me with 4 new male qd connectors for the blower and after I installed the new "Pioneer brand" connectors all is working fine and at all throttle speeds things are working as expected. I can now deflect and rotate at feathering speed or very quickly.

I still have flow restrictors on order and once they arrive will install those to improve things even further.

Thanks again everyone for all of the helpful suggestions.