Problem with BX1500 3point... Any ideas?

[OlyRick]

I've owned this BX1500 since it was new and it has been a very reliable workhorse. It has lately developed a problem with the 3 point hitch that is annoying at best, but I am more concerned that it is an indication of a larger problem.

When I am using the box blade or the subsoiler, I will move the control lever all the way forward (lowering the 3 point) and as I am the driving forward, the control lever will move toward the center position. I can move it forward again, but it will inch back. With slight pressure, it will stay in the all the way down position. It has never done this before. The control lever would always stay in what ever position I placed it.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Rick

 

[dodge man]

I don't know if your tractor is similar to mine, but the 3 point lever on mine is suppose to return to the middle position. I have to hold the lever down to lower the implement, and when I let go of it, it slips back to the middle. Same thing for raising the 3 point, when I let go of the lever it returns to the middle position.

 

[LBrown59]

I've owned this BX1500 since it was new and it has been a very reliable workhorse. It has lately developed a problem with the 3 point hitch that is annoying at best, but I am more concerned that it is an indication of a larger problem.

When I am using the box blade or the subsoiler, I will move the control lever all the way forward (lowering the 3 point) and as I am the driving forward, the control lever will move toward the center position. I can move it forward again, but it will inch back. With slight pressure, it will stay in the all the way down position. It has never done this before. The control lever would always stay in what ever position I placed it.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Rick

I've owned one BX1500 since I got it new 11/8/2007.
Got anout 65 hours on it by now.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I've owned this BX1500 since it was new and it has been a very reliable workhorse. It has lately developed a problem with the 3 point hitch that is annoying at best, but I am more concerned that it is an indication of a larger problem.

When I am using the box blade or the subsoiler, I will move the control lever all the way forward (lowering the 3 point) and as I am the driving forward, the control lever will move toward the center position. I can move it forward again, but it will inch back. With slight pressure, it will stay in the all the way down position. It has never done this before. The control lever would always stay in what ever position I placed it.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Rick

I have a BX1500 with well over 1000hrs. When raised it trys to go back to mid position when it reaches full height. If prevented you hear the engine load a little. In the down position my lever has always stayed put. If it changed I would study the lever linkage in action. Probably it would be attributable to some debris interfering and changing something. Im sure your problem is external and minor.
larry

 

[schrand]

Try looking in your manual. My manual for the BX 2230 has a discussion about how to adjust the lever linkage so that it returns to the neutral position when the three point reaches the full up and full down position. I prefer mine the way you said yours was, namely that it stays in the down position until I return it to neutral.

 

[OlyRick]

Thanks for the replies everyone. The lever has always stayed put. I used a friend's BX24 and I know what you mean about it always returning to center position. It doesn't work that way on the BX1500.

I'll check the linkage.

Rick

 

[LBrown59]

Thanks for the replies everyone. The lever has always stayed put. I used a friend's BX24 and I know what you mean about it always returning to center position. It doesn't work that way on the BX1500.

I'll check the linkage.
Rick

It should!

 

[OlyRick]

Lbrown,
Are you saying that on your 2003 BX1500, the 3 point lever will return to the center position when you release it? In other words if you have the lever all the way forward (lowering the 3 point) and then remove your hand, that the lever will move to the center position.

Because if that is the case, I can say my 1500 has never done that and I bought it new.

Thank you for your clarification.

 

[cuoffroad]

Also bought my BX1500 new about 4 years ago. The 3 point lever ALWAYS has returned to the center position. Do you have the manual for yours? I'm sure I remember reading in mine that this is the way it is supposed to work.

 

[KeithInSpace]

Mine is a BX2230, but very similar (nay, identical) in operation. My 3PH lever "centers" when it reaches the top on the up-control. If I push mine forward, it says forward and doesn't appear to have any ill-effect. In fact, I forget it like that sometimes when mowing.

If it re-centers, I don't think that is a big deal at all, though. It must be a minor change in the hydraulic pressures in the transmission. Given the level of control you normally want over the 3PH, I wouldn't think it a big deal for it to perform either way.

I guess I'd like to know what was going on if it were my machine (rather, I would want to make sure something wasn't going WRONG), but I wouldn't lose a minute's sleep over it.

 

[tomnky]

I have a BX2200 . It developed the problem of not returning to the center that I couldn't adjust out with the linkage.
My problem proved to be a defective Hydraulic control valve , which at that time was $340.00 , but since My tractor had so few hours on it at the time Kubota agreed to pay for the part and I had to pay half the labor which I think amounted to somewhere around $60.00 at the time. If this lever fails to return to center or is not immediately returned manually over a period of time can damage the hydraulic pump.

 

[mtrain]

They are suppose to return to neutral or center position once all the way down or all the way up. It is an adjustment on the right side under the seat . Alot of these tractors are not adjusted properly even when new. I'm always having to point it out to our shop techs before delivery because they overlook it.

 

[Volfandt]

As mtrain posted, the 3ph level is supposed to automatically return to the middle "neutral" position once the 3ph reaches either the full up or down position. There is a feedback linkage rod that connects between the 3ph and the 3ph lever that is adjustable via locknuts.
The locknuts which reside on the rod where it connects to the 3ph either increase or decrease spring pressure between the 3ph and the linkage rod which forces the lever back to the neutral position.
Ideally the lever should "want" to return to the neutral position anytime you release it.
If the lever stays in the lift position after the hitch reaches full up it will load down the hydraulic system to the point of an audible squeal of the pressure relief valve not being able to release the pressure fast enough.

If the lever stays in the full down position it will keep the oil circulating through the down spool port and 3ph piston & cylinder which over time can prematurely wear out their seals, although this would probably take quite a while.

When the valve is returned to the neutral position, the oil flows through the correct ports and also shuts off flow through the piston cylinder. This decreases some wear and tear of constant oil flow through the spool & piston assemblys.

Theoretically, the 3ph should "hold" in the position it reaches when the 3ph lever is returned to neutral. This constitutes a poor mans position control but it's not accurate and may not even hold on machines with either high hrs or the seals have prematurelly worn.

 

[nh DRAGON]

The 2350 I have returns to center as soon as you release the handle. I cant think of why this would not happen on the older tractors, as it would make it difficult to adjust the 1/4" valve to exactly where you need to have it while you are using a rake or box blade?

 

[OlyRick]

Again,
Thank you everyone for your replies.

I got the manual out and read it carefully. According to the manual the 3 point lever should return to the neutral position when the 3 point reaches the bottom or the top of it's travel. All these years it never has. I suspect that the linkage was not adjusted properly. I will try and adjust according to the manual. Hopefully nothing has been damaged by using it this way all these years.

Rick

 

[EE_Bota]

On my BX2200, If I raise up to full up, once the lift is full up, it will return to center. If I tell it to go down, it will go down, and the control lever does not return to center, except after a good long while, so I ignore it.

I suspect BX**00's are all the same as each other, and BX**50's are all the same as each other.

Looking at the schematic of the control valve, and the description of operation in the service manual, internal pressures will work against the spool to cause it to return. In the down position, these pressures will not be nearly as substantial, and hit the side of the spool lands only obliquely, and so the spool will not return to center unless I either hit some bumps in the road, or run as very high throttle.