Loader Brand new BX2380 Front End Loader Issue/Damage

[xjl403t]

Hi All,
I've lived through this as well. What happened to me with my FEL was similar, but not near as severe as the OP's experience. Let me explain.
I bought by BX2380 17 Months ago. I have an unconventional habit of actually listening, taking notes and video, and reading the owners/operators manuals on the equipment I own. I know, clip the corner on my man card, but I owe it to my family to keep my name out of the "Unfortunate Agricultural Accidents" column of our local paper.

I was very diligent when getting the sales / operator overview, and recorded the demonstration. I then went home, and matched the demo to the operators manual, and came up with a multi-step checklist designed to fit in the back of the seat, which I could use each and every time I or one of my family members might have to perform this procedure.

The problem in this instance was not a result of the steps to attach the FEL. The problem, at least in my case, was a step deficiency in not only the manual, but the demo when removing the FEL from the tractor. The demo and manual omitted (and may still not include) the final step of EXTENDING THE LOADER SIDE FRAMES REARWARD before disconnecting the hydraulics. The trouble that this caused for me when trying to reattach the FEL was that the side frame was positioned too far forward to properly align with the mount, causing the FEL to miss the u-shaped mount in the boss as it connected. When I took it back to the service department with the "what the heck went wrong here" look on my face, the service manager asked if I had extended the FEL side frames rearward. I told him that I'd not heard, seen, nor read such an instruction or step in the book. I added that step to my checklist and have not had an issue since. I've connected and disconnected another 75 times or so since then, trouble free.

I went back to the books, and the videos to see where was the big gap. As it turns out, I was right, as was the service manager. the FEL lift arms must be extended rearward, either before completing the disconnect, or as an early step of the re-attach procedure.

I was still a bit salty about this and the $150 the dealer charged me for the repair, when the Kubota Satisfaction Survey hit my mailbox. As I have done here, I pointed out the shortcomings in the manual, the dealer education, and sent them a copy of my checklist. In return, Kubota sent me corrections in the form of adhesive labels to insert into the manual, and a hard placard showing steps to detach and reattach the FEL. They even included a wire tie to fasten it to the tractor.

All told, it was a major pain in the neck, but was ultimately made right. I hope my experience might help a few others.

-RJH

 

[jsteinhauer]

I recently had a similar issue with this tractor. After it happened, not being able to get the loader connected or disconnected right away, I consulted the internets, found this thread and decided to stop and think a bit before causing more damage than a few minor scratches. I have a call into the dealership for service, but they are backlogged right now. I disassembled the pivot points on the left side to get the loader completely disconnected from the tractor. I had to use a 2x4 on the right side to keep the loader arm from resting directly on the front tire. Meanwhile, I got the wife to back the tractor out from the loader while I lifted it over the wheel on the right (she also backed over my foot; no injuries other than a sore back from the lifting). I reassembled the left arm of the loader, but the bucket is not flat on the ground after all of this, and the stand won't deploy rigidly, so the loader arms are resting on the floor. As such, I cannot move the tractor close enough to connect the hydraulics, because the the arms rest where the wheels need to be, and I cannot flatten out the bucket such that the connection points will sit high enough to drive under. Any advice? I jinxed myself taking the snowblower off. I wanted to use the loader to move some of the snow piles away from the house while the ground is still frozen.

 

[dodge man]

I'd say you are going to have to lift the back of it up somehow and get the stand setup correctly. A jack or something similar would maybe do it. As you have already read, be careful.

 

[airbiscuit]

I recently had a similar issue with this tractor. After it happened, not being able to get the loader connected or disconnected right away, I consulted the internets, found this thread and decided to stop and think a bit before causing more damage than a few minor scratches. I have a call into the dealership for service, but they are backlogged right now. I disassembled the pivot points on the left side to get the loader completely disconnected from the tractor. I had to use a 2x4 on the right side to keep the loader arm from resting directly on the front tire. Meanwhile, I got the wife to back the tractor out from the loader while I lifted it over the wheel on the right (she also backed over my foot; no injuries other than a sore back from the lifting). I reassembled the left arm of the loader, but the bucket is not flat on the ground after all of this, and the stand won't deploy rigidly, so the loader arms are resting on the floor. As such, I cannot move the tractor close enough to connect the hydraulics, because the the arms rest where the wheels need to be, and I cannot flatten out the bucket such that the connection points will sit high enough to drive under. Any advice? I jinxed myself taking the snowblower off. I wanted to use the loader to move some of the snow piles away from the house while the ground is still frozen.

It would help if you would post some pics.

 

[atitus74]

BX1880 owner here. I think some pics will help as well. What I can tell you is that if you back the tractor up to be along the side of the loader (assuming no other stuff is blocking your path to do so ) the hydraulic hoses are long enough to be connected to the tractor. This should allow you to curl the bucket, etc. and hopefully get the loader re-positioned. FYI I know this because I did it at the beginning of the winter so I could curl up the arms and the bucket so that the cylinders would not be exposed all winter while I was storing it.

 

[aczlan]

BX1880 owner here. I think some pics will help as well. What I can tell you is that if you back the tractor up to be along the side of the loader (assuming no other stuff is blocking your path to do so ) the hydraulic hoses are long enough to be connected to the tractor. This should allow you to curl the bucket, etc. and hopefully get the loader re-positioned. FYI I know this because I did it at the beginning of the winter so I could curl up the arms and the bucket so that the cylinders would not be exposed all winter while I was storing it.

That is what I would do, if you drive up alongside the loader (so that the tractor is heading in one direction and the loader is headed in the other) instead of trying to drive into it like you were trying to attach it to the tractor, you should be able to connect the hoses and move the loader.
If that doesn't work, remove all four quick connects (over an empty bucket) and move the loader arms to where you want them.

Aaron Z

 

[dalola]

Do you have a couple big burly friends? A BX FEL is only about 500lbs.

 

[jsteinhauer]

That is what I would do, if you drive up alongside the loader (so that the tractor is heading in one direction and the loader is headed in the other) instead of trying to drive into it like you were trying to attach it to the tractor, you should be able to connect the hoses and move the loader.
If that doesn't work, remove all four quick connects (over an empty bucket) and move the loader arms to where you want them.

Aaron Z

I thought of that. It's on the wrong side. I'll get some pics tomorrow (3/14) before I leave and try and post them during the day. I have to work all week, and I'm on call, so time is not mine. I'm thinking I need to go back and take both the right and left arms apart, which should lighten it up enough to move, then I can turn it around and/or take the bucket off and really lighten it up. Anything I think I can jack it up onto will just get in the way of the tractor in the current location. I appreciate the input.

 

[JWR]

We are coming up on 2 years since mummer43 had this (looking back on it, terrible) experience.

What was the outcome ? What finally happened and what was done ?

 

[jsteinhauer]

Pictures taken with a Galaxy phone always end up upside down when posted on the webs, for some reason. If you click it to enlarge it, it appears correctly oriented.

 

[airbiscuit]

We are coming up on 2 years since mummer43 had this (looking back on it, terrible) experience.

What was the outcome ? What finally happened and what was done ?

OP hasn't made a single post since June 2017

 

[atitus74]

Pictures taken with a Galaxy phone always end up upside down when posted on the webs, for some reason. If you click it to enlarge it, it appears correctly oriented.

Ok so this helps. You need to curl that bucket, that is for sure. Do you have a furniture dolly, wheel dolly or mechanic's creeper? If you can put it under one side of the loader bucket just so you swing it around a quarter turn then hook the tractor up to it. The whole bucket + loader weights about 500lb but you don't need to lift the whole thing just need a little relief so you can move it. a few pieces of cardboard underneath may even be enough.

 

[TheMadOne]

Ok so this helps. You need to curl that bucket, that is for sure. Do you have a furniture dolly, wheel dolly or mechanic's creeper? If you can put it under one side of the loader bucket just so you swing it around a quarter turn then hook the tractor up to it. The whole bucket + loader weights about 500lb but you don't need to lift the whole thing just need a little relief so you can move it. a few pieces of cardboard underneath may even be enough.

The whole thing is on a mat, I wonder if he could hook it to the 3pt somehow and give it a yank around?

For that matter, would the 3pt have enough range that if he chained a loader arm to it and lifted he could get the whole loader to come up enough to get under it?

 

[aczlan]

View attachment 595815Pictures taken with a Galaxy phone always end up upside down when posted on the webs, for some reason. If you click it to enlarge it, it appears correctly oriented.

That makes it clearer, is there room to back in alongside of it, so that the right side of the tractor is next to the hoses coming off of the loader?
If not, I would rotate the loader so that you can back up next to it. Then you just need to hook up the hoses, curl the bucket and extend the cylinders on the loader towers (where they connect to the tractor side of the loader frame).
If that is not feasible, take off the quick connects for the bucket dump/curl circuit over an empty bucket (or other liquid tight container) and then you should be able to stand in the bucket and curl it so that the part that connects the tractor goes up enough for you to drive the tractor in and get the hydraulics hooked up.

Aaron Z

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Do you have a neighbor with a FEL that can come over, sling lift it, and reposition it for you?

 

[atitus74]

If that is not feasible, take off the quick connects for the bucket dump/curl circuit over an empty bucket (or other liquid tight container) and then you should be able to stand in the bucket and curl it so that the part that connects the tractor goes up enough for you to drive the tractor in and get the hydraulics hooked up.

This came to mind when I saw it had SSQA but I wouldn't do it all by himself, even with the bucket off it may be really difficult to lift those arms I imagine they are still quite heavy. It may also be really difficult to get the loader arms on without the bucket attached, it may throw the geometry all off. Agreed that would be last resort. Slide some cardboard under the bucket and the arms and use the tractor to pull it around a quarter turn. So the hoses can get hooked up. I think this is the safest way.

 

[sixdogs]

I've always wondered how this turned out. Suppose they called it operator error and weren't sympathetic to the owner?

 

[grm61]

I've always wondered how this turned out. Suppose they called it operator error and weren't sympathetic to the owner?

Nothing to do with the op But I like your signature

 

[aczlan]

This came to mind when I saw it had SSQA but I wouldn't do it all by himself, even with the bucket off it may be really difficult to lift those arms I imagine they are still quite heavy. It may also be really difficult to get the loader arms on without the bucket attached, it may throw the geometry all off. Agreed that would be last resort. Slide some cardboard under the bucket and the arms and use the tractor to pull it around a quarter turn. So the hoses can get hooked up. I think this is the safest way.

Sorry, I must not have been clear. I would not remove the bucket at all. I would remove the hydraulic quick disconnects for the bucket. When you do that, the bucket will curl by gravity and that will lift the back where the towers need to go to connect to the loader frame on the tractor.

Aaron Z

 

[jsteinhauer]

Okay, you're probably all still anticipating the outcome. As you may recall, the nearest dealer said they would call me back within a week to let me know when they would come out. The dealer is [REDACTED]. Nobody ever called back, which is pretty par for the course in this armpit of the world, but I was annoyed nonetheless. So I decided to wait until a nice day (today was the first one that I did not have to work). I could have used the snowblower, if I needed it, and I did once. FWIW, it snowed several inches here this past Sunday night. Since it was near 70F and dry today, I could leave the garage doors open, for the space and ventilation, and if I screwed up, I can yield my side of the garage to the wife and just park in the driveway, without having to worry about winter anymore. I used a floor jack to lift it up enough to slide some cardboard underneath the pressure points and just slid it around by brute force and pulled up along side of it. Flattened out the bucket as suggested which gave me enough leverage to life the arms up by myself and deploy the stand. Got the other truck out of the garage and mounted it on the tractor then went and fixed some of the potholes in the private road. It probably took an hour or two, altogether, to get it back on, but if you include all of the time I spent just looking at it and thinking about it, it was a lot more than that. A neighbor would have helped, if I asked, more than likely, but I'm a child in this neighborhood at fifty years old, and I did not want to send anyone to intensive care. I do appreciate all of the genuine helpful suggestions here, and I apologize for my lack of participation, but I was pretty ticked off for a while and needed some time in denial.