LA535 Switch Tach did not work as planned...

[VA10]

First off. I am extremely embarrassed to post this.

I am the proud new owner of a LX3310 with a LA535 swift tach loader. I took delivery approx. 5 days ago. As of yesterday I thought the loader looked like it was bent on one side. My local dealer recommended I dethatch the loader then reattach it.....as it will like straighten out.....long story short while reattaching the loader it did not seat properly and fell with the hydraulics resting on the tractors front axels...How this happen I am not positive. I am sure I did something wrong. However, I was following the manual step by step. Given the weight of the loader I plan on using two floor jacks to lift the loader arms of the axels.

 

[S-G-R]

Did the loader stands collapse? Can you post some pictures?

 

[NCL4701]

Looking at pictures on Google it looks like your LA535 uses the same socket on the bottom, pin on top system my LA765 does. I’ve had mine off and on probably 8 to 10 times because I have to take it off to mow some places. First time, I read the instructions, watched about 5 different videos about 3 times each, and it still took a while mostly because I was kind of nervous doing it. Now it’s 5 minutes off / 5 minutes on at most.

If you don’t have it properly seated in the bottom sockets I’m having a hard time imaging how you’d ever get the pins to line up. Even if it wasn’t in the sockets, if you somehow got the pins in, it might not work right, but it wouldn’t fall.

You wouldn’t raise the stand arms until the pins are in and you have to have the bucket (not the forks, grapple, etc.; the bucket) on it to R/I the loader so with the bucket weight out front and the stand arms down I can’t figure how it would fall all the way down to the axle.

Last thing in the reinstall process is to check both sides to make sure it’s seated in the bottom sockets, pins in and locked, raise the loader and FINAL step; move the stand arms to the closed position.

I could go through the step by step process to take it off and put it back on, but you’ve got the instructions so that probably won’t help you much. What might help is check out a few videos on YouTube of guys taking them off and putting them back on. It will probably make more sense watching someone do it. Do make sure to take it off somewhere level. If the tractor and loader aren’t level it can be a bear getting it back on.

And take your time. Go slow. Don’t put the weight of the tractor on the stand arms and make sure it’s seated in the sockets and pins in and locked before raising it or retracting the stand arms. If it takes you an hour to do it the first time, that’s fine. After you’ve done it a couple of times it starts to get really easy.

Hope you didn’t bend the rams.

 

[VA10]

Did the loader stands collapse? Can you post some pictures?

yes. it appears they did.

 

[VA10]

Looking at pictures on Google it looks like your LA535 uses the same socket on the bottom, pin on top system my LA765 does. I’ve had mine off and on probably 8 to 10 times because I have to take it off to mow some places. First time, I read the instructions, watched about 5 different videos about 3 times each, and it still took a while mostly because I was kind of nervous doing it. Now it’s 5 minutes off / 5 minutes on at most.

If you don’t have it properly seated in the bottom sockets I’m having a hard time imaging how you’d ever get the pins to line up. Even if it wasn’t in the sockets, if you somehow got the pins in, it might not work right, but it wouldn’t fall.

You wouldn’t raise the stand arms until the pins are in and you have to have the bucket (not the forks, grapple, etc.; the bucket) on it to R/I the loader so with the bucket weight out front and the stand arms down I can’t figure how it would fall all the way down to the axle.

Last thing in the reinstall process is to check both sides to make sure it’s seated in the bottom sockets, pins in and locked, raise the loader and FINAL step; move the stand arms to the closed position.

I could go through the step by step process to take it off and put it back on, but you’ve got the instructions so that probably won’t help you much. What might help is check out a few videos on YouTube of guys taking them off and putting them back on. It will probably make more sense watching someone do it. Do make sure to take it off somewhere level. If the tractor and loader aren’t level it can be a bear getting it back on.

And take your time. Go slow. Don’t put the weight of the tractor on the stand arms and make sure it’s seated in the sockets and pins in and locked before raising it or retracting the stand arms. If it takes you an hour to do it the first time, that’s fine. After you’ve done it a couple of times it starts to get really easy.

Hope you didn’t bend the rams.

I hope I did not bend the arms as well......

 

[NCL4701]

Agree with Gallows. If you want opinions on what went wrong and how to avoid, a few pics before you remove it would help a lot. Only two things come to mind without pics:

1) When you put the stand arms down they lock into a pin welded on the loader arm that you put a hairpin in to make sure it doesn’t slip off. If you didn’t lock it onto that pin or didn’t put in the hairpin and it slipped off, that would be a problem. If it fell and the stand arms aren’t severely bent, not having the stand arms properly locked is pretty likely.

2) Of course you hook up the hydraulics to maneuver the loader back onto the frame on the tractor. It is possible to get it bound up such that the weight of the front of the tractor is on the loader before it’s hooked up. The stand arms aren’t designed to take all that weight, their designed just to take the weight of the back half of the loader, so if you did that, it could have caused the stand arms to fail. If it fell and the stand arms are pretty wadded up, you probably got it bound up somehow and started lifting the front of the tractor which squashed the stand arms causing catastrophic failure of the stand arms and collapse.

3) There could be something defective (like a failed weld on a stand arm pin) but a defect on both sides of the loader stand both existing and failing simultaneously is pretty unlikely.

And you probably didn’t bend the loader arms. More likely the hydraulic cylinder rams or tubes that hit the axle would be bent. They aren’t made to take side stress. Once you get it back on the tractor, you’ll find out pretty quickly.

 

[VA10]

here are pictures...

 

[NCL4701]

here are pictures...

Pics are helpful even though they don’t show the stand / bucket end. You have a WAY different system than mine when it comes to comes to the stand arms, so ignore everything I said about stand arms. I did see a video on how yours works:

Someone who has used this newer, fancier than mine style loader will have to take it from here.

 

[SDT]

here are pictures...

Thia cannot happen when the locking pins are installed. Obviously they were not.

SDT

 

[NHSleddog]

I have the same loader. It is all about the pins.

If it is sitting there on the stands;

You pull up to the point where you can attach the hydraulics.

Pull up until the lower part of the mount is seated (you can use the bucket raise/lower tilt forward/back controls minimally to aid in seating in the mount.

Once the bottom is seated, curl the bucket out (to the right) until the top pins can be slid into place. There are two positions in the valve when you curl out that is hard to feel, but to get FULL curl out force you need to go all the way to the right with the control.

 

[SidecarFlip]

........poop happens....

 

[RCW]

VA10 - -

I greatly doubt you bent anything related to the loader proper.

The stand...maybe/could be/probably, but that's not a big deal compared to the loader booms, cylinders, etc.

I had a couple FEL connections not go well too early on. I was in a hurry, maybe had a beer too many, etc....

My stand might be tweaked a little, but it's fine.

The others gave great advice; take your time, be careful with joystick movements, and pay attention.

 

[Russell King]

Can you get any type of floor hoist to it and get it lifted? Perhaps a couple of engine lifts one on each side and two people operating them at the same time.

If you could lift it up and then get it back to starting point or sitting on the pins on tractor the you are golden.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I have to say, I do not care for that arrangement at all.

 

[S-G-R]

Were you able to get the loader lifted and mounted?

 

[VA10]

Fixed!

Long story short a Kubota tech came out and lifted the loader off the axels. His approach to the situation was almost identical to how I planned on attempting to lift the loader. However, he had the great idea to disconnect the upper hydraulics from the top pins. This allowed the loader to lift/raise up while allowing the stand legs to swing back into the lock position. Also, the front wheel had to come off.

This guy was impressive to watch work.

 

[S-G-R]

Fixed!

Long story short a Kubota tech came out and lifted the loader off the axels. His approach to the situation was almost identical to how I planned on attempting to lift the loader. However, he had the great idea to disconnect the upper hydraulics from the top pins. This allowed the loader to lift/raise up while allowing the stand legs to swing back into the lock position. Also, the front wheel had to come off.

This guy was impressive to watch work.

Glad it's back on. So, no damage?

 

[RCW]

Super!!

I was going to suggest trying to mount it with the tractor hydraulics, but probably not a good idea at this point with a brand new tractor and operator.

As you get more experience, you will have a better handle on how to correct the mounting procedure should something go awry.

Glad to hear, and best wishes - - - enjoy your tractor!

 

[VA10]

Glad it's back on. So, no damage?

No damage aside from some chipped paint! The tech mentioned the QA bucket does not behave properly w/ the swift tach system.

 

[NCL4701]

Glad your tractor is functional again with no real damage!