Cylinder Lockout Devices for Kubota LA844 FEL

[ChiefWebb]

Having investigated many industrial accidental death scenes involving failed equipment, both hydraulic and mechanical caused by both humans and equipment failures, I worry about servicing my Kubota MX5100 tractor with the Front End Loader installed. To service the air cleaner, battery, checking oil and cleaning the radiator screen as well as accessing a couple of the zerk fittings, requires raising the FEL and working underneath it. So as not to have to chain the FEL up every time, I choose to use hydraulic cylinder lockout devices. So I made my own out of heavy walled aluminum pipe. The aluminum prevents scratching the chrome rams. I made two sets, one for each cylinder. I cut the pipes to length then split them lengthwise forming two matching (2) halves. I then place them on the cylinder rams and use pipe/muffler U-Clamps to assemble the two (2) halves back together. I have marked them and painted each set a different color to insure they are assembled correctly. They work great and are very stable. I have included some photos of them unassembled and assembled in place.

 

[GrizBota]

Nice. Good to think about safety. I do. What I do to be sure an FEL can’t squash me is to remove it. Takes all of 4 minutes, maybe twice what it’d take to put in a cylinder lock out device. 2 “extra” minutes to 110% eliminate the hazard.

I like the safety hazard control invented pyramid.

But if I had an TLB where the FEL wasn’t readily removable, a cylinder lock out would be a decent option for me.

 

[NCL4701]

Nice work on the lockouts. Definitely have to remove the loader, use a blocking device such as you made, or chain it up before working under it.

I’ve been under a 1/2 ton truck supported by a hydraulic bottle jack that failed. I was semi-stupid in that I was using a 50 ton screw jack as a jack stand but was in too much of a hurry to find a block of wood to make up the 1” gap between its max extension and the frame. I don’t know what exactly broke in the hydraulic jack. I just know the truck fell 1” in about 1/2 a millisecond (stuff comes down faster than normal when there’s a catastrophic blowout) and but for the screw jack the truck frame would have flailed my rib cage and killed me. That was about 40 years ago and the last time I even semi-trusted hydraulics only.

I subsequently spent the next three decades with part of my job duties including investigation of farm and construction equipment accidents. That very much reinforced the opinion formed in my jack incident.

Most memorable hydraulic failure accident was a heavy equipment mechanic that was replacing teeth on the cutting edge of a drag pan. The 3500lb front door opened straight up via a hydraulic cylinder. He started the machine, opened the door, shut off the machine, sort of half heartedly blocked it up with an 4x4, and went to work removing the old bolt on teeth. Was removing nuts with a large impact (vibration) and beating the bolts out with a sledge (more vibration). On the second tooth, hydraulics had leaked down and were out of the equation. The 4x4 vibrated out of position and the door fell. Hit him in the back just above the pelvis. His son (who was in his 30’s) was working on another piece of equipment nearby and called 911. Guy was awake and talking to his son, but they both knew he wouldn’t survive. He did survive until they extricated him, but he was almost completely cut in half so when the door was raised he bled out immediately. Afterward the son said he didn’t understand the 4x4 as they had discussed how to go about chaining the door up and decided it was a one man job before he went off to service another machine.

So I very much agree. Don’t work under hydraulics without secondary mechanical support.

 

[ChiefWebb]

Amen to that.

 

[GeoHorn]

Do we need another warning-sticker..?

 

[jyoutz]

I simply chain the loader to the truss in my barn and do all of my servicing there.

 

[ChiefWebb]

Probably not, but I have always wondered why tractor manufactures don't at least mention it in their operator manuals. and why lock out devices are not provided with the purchase.

 

[ChiefWebb]

I too used to chain her up to my gantry crane. Effective.

 

[mcfarmall]

Here are mine. Made from a piece of heavy wall rectangular aluminum strucural tubing wit a pair of ball lock pins to hold in place. I made a pair.

 

[ChiefWebb]

mcfarmall, I really like those. Yours look like the go on very quick. My first design was to purchase and use aluminum channel but when I found the aluminum pipe in my scrap pile would fit, I went with that. I still may make a pair out of aluminum channel or tubing.

 

[D2Cat]

I had a Vermeer 605C baler, on of the first models for big round bales. I came with a lockout for each side. It was steel shaped like a C with the tips of the C a bit longer. Had two pins to go through from one side to the other to hold it in place. Had a storage place on each side. Easy to get to and quick to install. Also had a shut off valve for the hyd line.

 

[ChiefWebb]

GeoHorn: As far as warning stickers, my FEL has a sticker warning the user not to position oneself underneath it when raised and a warning not to rely on the hydraulic control valve lockout when servicing.

 

[ChiefWebb]

I have seen a few commercial tractors and skid steers that have lockout devices factory installed so they can be deployed when needed.

 

[barts]

Our yellow 110 TLB has lockouts from the factory. I should have something for our little B5100.

 

[old and tired]

Have not read most of the replies.... I just "park" the loader; unhook it; back out (usually mow for a couple of hours) then do the maintenance.

I'm mowing 13 acres and when I'm done, I will grease and go through everything (without the loader hooked up).

 

[Yooper]

Having investigated many industrial accidental death scenes involving failed equipment, both hydraulic and mechanical caused by both humans and equipment failures, I worry about servicing my Kubota MX5100 tractor with the Front End Loader installed. To service the air cleaner, battery, checking oil and cleaning the radiator screen as well as accessing a couple of the zerk fittings, requires raising the FEL and working underneath it. So as not to have to chain the FEL up every time, I choose to use hydraulic cylinder lockout devices. So I made my own out of heavy walled aluminum pipe. The aluminum prevents scratching the chrome rams. I made two sets, one for each cylinder. I cut the pipes to length then split them lengthwise forming two matching (2) halves. I then place them on the cylinder rams and use pipe/muffler U-Clamps to assemble the two (2) halves back together. I have marked them and painted each set a different color to insure they are assembled correctly. They work great and are very stable. I have included some photos of them unassembled and assembled in place. View attachment 122827 View attachment 122828 View attachment 122829 View attachment 122830

Curious about how you cut those pipes. Very nice job!

 

[ChiefWebb]

Yooper: I used a Deep Cut Milwaukee band saw mounted to a SWAG Off Road Portaband Table. If you have a Portaband of any brand SWAG makes one to fit. Use it weekly.

 

[ChiefWebb]

I wish I could disconnect from my FEL quicker, seems to take me more than an hour to do it on my M5100. I'm just too slow and trying to be careful, as well as not doing it often enough to become quicker.

 

[fried1765]

Here are mine. Made from a piece of heavy wall rectangular aluminum strucural tubing wit a pair of ball lock pins to hold in place. I made a pair. View attachment 122850

NICE!

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Here are mine. Made from a piece of heavy wall rectangular aluminum strucural tubing wit a pair of ball lock pins to hold in place. I made a pair. View attachment 122850

I like your "ball lock pin" concept.

Do you have pics of the other side?