Good or Gimmick?

[Nicksacco]

I received the Christmas sale email from Messicks and saw this "Comfort Ride" kit.

What do you all think? Good or Gimmick?

WR Long #CR10 Comfort Ride Accumulator Kit - 20-60HP

The Long Comfort Ride is designed to reduce the up and down jolting motion of your loader when riding over uneven surfaces. Two nitrogen charged accumulators are connected to the lift cylinders of your loader which helps dampen the ride. This also helps to reduce the stress imposed on your...

messicks.com

 

[DustyRusty]

It is a good gimmick that is supposed to smooth out the bumps. Now, you have to ask yourself "did I buy a tractor or an automobile that looks like a tractor that I would like to drive like an automobile?".

 

[NCL4701]

Most large loaders I’ve ever been around have them. Variable height hydraulic suspension on large tractors have them. I have considered putting one on my loader for grappling logs out of rough areas but I don’t do a lot of that so driving slow is probably a better option for me unless my usage changes.

So, yes they do what they say they’ll do, which is put a sort of cushion in the hydraulic circuit. That can make things easier on the operator and the machine.

Is it needed or useful on a relatively small machine?

Probably depends on what you do with your loader and where you do it. If you’re often dealing with heavy loads on rough terrain and find you and your machine are getting beat about enough that it’s a problem worthy of putting $ into solving: an accumulator is the most likely solution. They do work and are a rather standard item, just not common on CUTS and SCUTS.

 

[lynnmor]

Here is a video:

 

[mikester]

I want one for my M59, it makes a huge difference in ride comfort. If you enjoy riding a pogo-stick and using a kidney belt then an accumulator isn't for you.

 

[mcfarmall]

As an owner of the Kubota Shockless Ride system on my M5660 with LA1154 loader I can attest that it is NOT a gimmick.

As a matter of fact, it was probably the best $800 option I bought on my tractor.

 

[Thunder chicken]

I have one on a 7060, and as stated by others, it's not a gimmick!! I drive on highway a lot, and can see it working. One place it I find I shut it off for is precise pallet loading, say into a truck bed, as you don't want it bouncing any.

 

[mdhughes]

When I saw the video when it first came out I was thinking about getting one for my L3901DT's loader, I use my tractor in the woods a lot and bouncing thru the woods it would really help. I use the tractor a lot to carry logs from where I fell trees to where I split and stack the firewood. Then I saw the cost. Not sure I'm ready to spend that much. If I used the tractor every day I would get one.

 

[Captain13]

Before retiring, I worked for a major hydraulic component manufacturer for aircraft components. Most military aircraft, especially transports, use accumulators. They keep a constant pressure in the system for high demand applications such as landing gear flaps, rudder, etc., thus giving near instantaneous response to hydraulic subsystem demand and also providing stability and elimination of shock load to the system when demand ceases. Not a gimmic and actually help lengthen service life of pumps and seals.

 

[Vigo]

Ive been planning to DIY it using some old ABS accumulators and see what happens.

One thing the kit doesnt mention is what pressure they are precharging the assumulators to. Unfortunately you can’t have it do the same thing at all times because the pressure in the base end of the lift cylinders depends on how much weight you are holding. The accumulator won’t do anything until the pressure in the curcuit is the same as the precharge pressure in the accumulator. So if you set it at a pressure above your relief pressure it may not do anything when you are not lifting heavy. If you set it lower it will already be ‘maxed out’ by the time you hit your lift capacity. I think they are generally set to be above your relief pressure, so i wouldnt be surprised if it doesnt do much of anything when youre not lifting heavy unless you hit a pretty sever bump.

 

[Nicksacco]

Ive been planning to DIY it using some old ABS accumulators and see what happens.

One thing the kit doesnt mention is what pressure they are precharging the assumulators to. Unfortunately you can’t have it do the same thing at all times because the pressure in the base end of the lift cylinders depends on how much weight you are holding. The accumulator won’t do anything until the pressure in the curcuit is the same as the precharge pressure in the accumulator. So if you set it at a pressure above your relief pressure it may not do anything when you are not lifting heavy. If you set it lower it will already be ‘maxed out’ by the time you hit your lift capacity. I think they are generally set to be above your relief pressure, so i wouldnt be surprised if it doesnt do much of anything when youre not lifting heavy unless you hit a pretty sever bump.

Actually I wondered about that. Thanks for the confirmation.

 

[leveraddict]

Unless you drive around all day with full bucket over bumpy terrane then just save your money! Especially if you just use your tractor for an expensive wheelbarrow!

 

[woodman55]

Compared to the cost of all the other attachments we buy to make our tractors more useful/enjoyable, they're probably not a bad idea.

 

[mdhughes]

Ive been planning to DIY it using some old ABS accumulators and see what happens.

One thing the kit doesn't mention is what pressure they are precharging the accumulators to. Unfortunately you can’t have it do the same thing at all times because the pressure in the base end of the lift cylinders depends on how much weight you are holding. The accumulator won’t do anything until the pressure in the circuit is the same as the precharge pressure in the accumulator. So if you set it at a pressure above your relief pressure it may not do anything when you are not lifting heavy. If you set it lower it will already be ‘maxed out’ by the time you hit your lift capacity. I think they are generally set to be above your relief pressure, so i wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't do much of anything when you're not lifting heavy unless you hit a pretty sever bump.

If I remember right, there are two accumulators set to different pre-charged pressures, one for light loads and one for heavy loads.

 

[Vigo]

If I remember right, there are two accumulators set to different pre-charged pressures, one for light loads and one for heavy loads.

Thanks for pointing that out. That’s what i get for skimming.