First Time owner questions (NS4710)

[PatriotOutdoors]

Hey guys. Enjoying owning my first tractor (NS 4710 HST CAB) but don't have too much idea of what I'm doing yet so a few questions. I know some of these are probably really lame questions so I apologize.

Hardware/Equipment

1. The third function valve leaks fluid. Pretty badly if I accidently press the button. So it doesn't seem to be capped off right or tightened down? Is something like that generally an issue with just tightening that joint nut?

2. I assume my new joystick was OEM (dealer installed) but I don't know for sure. I can't figure out how to engage float or if the functionality still exists with new joystick?

3. I had an additional rear remote installed in preparation for top and tilt. I was told that I only need hydraulic cylinders to finish that which makes sense. and that seemed straight forward at the time but I don't know what length I need for either and it seems like buying a top n tilt cylinder kit is like going down the dark webz to all these obscure sites. lol. Anyone know the proper length for that model and where I can buy them?

Operating

1. I'm still very timid when operating (about 2 hours under my belt). Are there any tips as far as not bending loader? Seems getting the bucket level and then pointing it slightly down, pushing bucket down to ground level and slowly driving into a pile is the trick? Like how careful do I need to be? is it pretty tough to damage?

2. Should I generally be raising and lowering brush cutter/3pt as seen fit when driving over uneven terrain? Maybe, especially in reverse? or can you typically just leave it at a certain level and go to town? is there much danger in putting rearward pressure on it... As in pushing down small trees to hit with the cutter? And in that same vein... is there a better way to chop up those flattened "trees?" I seem to only skim the top side and it never "grabs."

3. When engaging/disengaging PTO should the throttle be lower or does it not really matter?

4. Dumb one - What is the other lever next to 3pt raise/lower?


General question....
Does anyone have suggestions for a good tree clearing implement/solution? I've got a TON of trash trees that I need to get rid of. Mainly 2-4". I was originally thinking a tree/post ripper but I'm not sure I'll have the power for that in a lot of cases. Then I was thinking a tree shear front end paired with stump grinder back end, but that's another 10k.



Sorry to inundate. But TIA for any input!

 

[Chewwy]

If you have a large enough property, your best tree clearing solution would be renting a dozier. A dozier can easily out perform a tractor for land clearing.

 

[Dave Canfield]

Question 1. Probably only need to tighten up the nut or fitting that is leaking.
Do be cautious about fluids that are under lots of pressure!!! Make sure that the pressure is gone before messing around where it is leaking.

 

[RandyT]

Third function leaking shouldn't happen so something is loose or not correct with the fittings or connections. Float should be a detent either forward or up depending on how the joystick is mounted. Move the loader joystick to the down position and then keep pushing past that point and it should lock into the position for float. As far as loader it will take practice and what you are doing sounds reasonable. The main thing is take it slow until you get more familiar with the loader and how it works. the main thing is just don't ram into things that is what will bend the loader, as well as trying to pry things up or load to one side of the bucket which can twist the loader arms.

Brush cutters can be mainly just set at the level you want and leave it there. Changing height can be dictated by terrain to some degree. Backing over small trees and brush can be hit and miss. Sometimes you are better leaving it down and sometimes you are better raising it up and then lower onto the tree to be chopped. Just be careful while backing because it can also cause the front of the cutter to raise up and cause bent linkages and damaged the pto shaft.

Pto is best to be engaged at idle or slightly over idle if needed to reduce the amount of things getting slammed into gear. Electric/hydraulic pto engagement can be quite violent. And the lever next to the three point lever is the draft control. Mostly used with ground engagement attachments like a plow or disc. Idea is to cause an even amount of engine load and will cause the implement to raise and lower to help create that effect.

 

[Dave Canfield]

Send a picture of the joystick. Or, did you order the 3rd function as part of the tractor purchase from the dealer? The float function should be there. Lower the Loader to the ground. Push the joystick toward the front of the tractor with the heel of your hand - harder and harder until you hear/feel a snap
The detent is a bit too stiff and loud for my taste! But, float is really handy for smoothing the place where you just made a mess of the surface of the planet. Keep in mind that the rear axle controls the roll attitude of the bucket when back dragging in float mode.

 

[Dave Canfield]

4. Does the NX have "draft control"? That may be what the extra lever does. I've never had draft control, but I think it lifts an implement on the 3pt hitch when the implement is pulling too hard.
On my DK4710SE cab there's an empty slot next to the 3 pt hitch adjustment lever that would have been for draft control on a different tractor.

 

[PatriotOutdoors]

Question 1. Probably only need to tighten up the nut or fitting that is leaking.
Do be cautious about fluids that are under lots of pressure!!! Make sure that the pressure is gone before messing around where it is leaking.

Good tip! how is this typically done?

 

[Dave Canfield]

Regarding tree removal - It depends on the species of tree and size (2 to 4 inches dia.), and soil conditions. I use a grapple and it doesn't work as well for trees as it does for brush. Small 1" dia. trees tend to slip through. The trees I have that I want to pull are aliantha. Sometimes they pull just fine and when they are larger than about 8" diameter the size of the tractor is sometimes not enough to push them over. Generally I try to use the grapple teeth to catch the roots of the small trees and rip them out.
Do consider proper ballast such as a heavy implement on the back of the tractor whenever using the loader.

 

[PatriotOutdoors]

Third function leaking shouldn't happen so something is loose or not correct with the fittings or connections. Float should be a detent either forward or up depending on how the joystick is mounted. Move the loader joystick to the down position and then keep pushing past that point and it should lock into the position for float. As far as loader it will take practice and what you are doing sounds reasonable. The main thing is take it slow until you get more familiar with the loader and how it works. the main thing is just don't ram into things that is what will bend the loader, as well as trying to pry things up or load to one side of the bucket which can twist the loader arms.

Brush cutters can be mainly just set at the level you want and leave it there. Changing height can be dictated by terrain to some degree. Backing over small trees and brush can be hit and miss. Sometimes you are better leaving it down and sometimes you are better raising it up and then lower onto the tree to be chopped. Just be careful while backing because it can also cause the front of the cutter to raise up and cause bent linkages and damaged the pto shaft.

Pto is best to be engaged at idle or slightly over idle if needed to reduce the amount of things getting slammed into gear. Electric/hydraulic pto engagement can be quite violent. And the lever next to the three point lever is the draft control. Mostly used with ground engagement attachments like a plow or disc. Idea is to cause an even amount of engine load and will cause the implement to raise and lower to help create that effect.

Awesome! that's some good info!

so the draft control is probably going to be unused in my applications (not really doing any "farming").

Regarding the throttle..... I know PTO should be at that 540 level does that apply to loader use too? As I understand it, you'll cause more Regen cycles if you idle or operate at low RPMs often? is there a use case where I wouldn't want to be at higher throttle or is it just generally a good idea to keep it high (minus PTO engage)?

I believe I had read or seen (in one of the 1000 videos I watched before purchase - which apparently taught me nothing lol) that a generally rule of thumb is that if your loader can push it over so can your rear implement? is that generally true?

in terms of the 3pt adjustment. if the cutter bottoms out on a mound of dirt or something it's not really a problem? more so harder objects I would assume? the 3 PT is not "floating" correct? Like if I back into a mound of dirt with a cutter (with wheel) it will (try to) go through it rather than roll over top?

Is it a bad idea to activate valves that don't have anything attached? Not like I'd continually do this on purpose but I did actuate one of the rear remotes (which goes no where) when I first sat down. Does that build pressure that is bad? or does it just dissipate?

Do I need to worry about the fluid already lost in the leaking assuming I get it fixed? if I had to estimate I would think it's been like 10-15 ounces. It was definitely worse on my second outing where it seemed to drip a few drops from the capped valves when just using the loader. The first time it seemed to only leak when I hit the button. WHICH IS SUPER EASY TO DO ON Accident!! (IMO). That probably (hopefully?) points to a loose connection that's slowly working it's way "looser."

Are there any weird caveats with diesel engines? diesel type? starting when cold (glow plugs? do those auto engage?) I guess I can Google this too but degradation of the fuel? similar in terms of duration to gasoline? I was surprised how quickly I used the fuel last time so it may not be an issue but this tractor lives on some undeveloped land that I am only able to visit 20 ish times a year. so I'll probably use mine less than most folks.

How do y'all typically store it? I bought a 20 ft high cube in preparation to store it mainly because I'm terrified of mice tearing it up. buuuuuut. I REALLY like the container for other purposes. so I'm rolling the dice by parking this in a nice clear open sunny spot with a couple rodent repellent balls strategically placed.

THanks again folks. seems like tractor ownership (and a billion other things) would have been a lot more difficult and expensive before the internet.

 

[Dave Canfield]

To remove any potential energy prior to working on the tractor hydraulics, I suggest parking on a clear flat area. Lower the loader and the 3pt hitch so they are resting on the ground. Set the parking brake and turn off the tractor. Then wiggle the loader joystick to make sure that the loader has no pressure remaining in the hydraulic system. Next, consult the owner's manual for any other steps necessary to ensure your safety. If you are going to slide under the tractor I think some blocks around the wheels are in order to prevent the tractor from rolling.
If you have kids running around it might be a good idea to lock the doors of the cab.
Finally put on a pair of safety glasses and gloves, take a rag and try to determine what fittings are leaking. Clean the mess and look for loose fittings. Try tightening the fittings and if they have not been run loose for too long they may seal just by tightening.

 

[PatriotOutdoors]

Regarding tree removal - It depends on the species of tree and size (2 to 4 inches dia.), and soil conditions. I use a grapple and it doesn't work as well for trees as it does for brush. Small 1" dia. trees tend to slip through. The trees I have that I want to pull are aliantha. Sometimes they pull just fine and when they are larger than about 8" diameter the size of the tractor is sometimes not enough to push them over. Generally I try to use the grapple teeth to catch the roots of the small trees and rip them out.
Do consider proper ballast such as a heavy implement on the back of the tractor whenever using the loader.

good point. I was going to ask about grapples too as I had considered getting a grapple first and just trying my hand with the that to see if I could replace a tree/post puller with it. but yes. the designs I've seen make it look like it'd be difficult if not impossible to grab straight trees. But you're able to do it if the trees are larger than an inch or so? or am I misunderstanding? what kind do you use?

THANKS!!

 

[PatriotOutdoors]

To remove any potential energy prior to working on the tractor hydraulics, I suggest parking on a clear flat area. Lower the loader and the 3pt hitch so they are resting on the ground. Set the parking brake and turn off the tractor. Then wiggle the loader joystick to make sure that the loader has no pressure remaining in the hydraulic system. Next, consult the owner's manual for any other steps necessary to ensure your safety. If you are going to slide under the tractor I think some blocks around the wheels are in order to prevent the tractor from rolling.
If you have kids running around it might be a good idea to lock the doors of the cab.
Finally put on a pair of safety glasses and gloves, take a rag and try to determine what fittings are leaking. Clean the mess and look for loose fittings. Try tightening the fittings and if they have not been run loose for too long they may seal just by tightening.

perfect. thank you sir! lots to try next time I get out there!

 

[RjCorazza]

I bought a 40' container 25 years ago, and stored my previous tractor in there for many years. A high cube was a good choice.
You have a lot of questions... Most have been addressed, so I'll just reiterate that taking your time is the way to start out. Compact tractors are not bulldozers, and can be damaged if abused. Don't ram piles, and don't put pressure on one side of the bucket. Also, while carrying a full bucket load slow and easy wins the race.
Read up on rear ballast for loader work, fuel handling, DPF regens, and avoiding excessive idling. Enjoy your new machine!

 

[PatriotOutdoors]

Send a picture of the joystick. Or, did you order the 3rd function as part of the tractor purchase from the dealer? The float function should be there. Lower the Loader to the ground. Push the joystick toward the front of the tractor with the heel of your hand - harder and harder until you hear/feel a snap
The detent is a bit too stiff and loud for my taste! But, float is really handy for smoothing the place where you just made a mess of the surface of the planet. Keep in mind that the rear axle controls the roll attitude of the bucket when back dragging in float mode.

man I'd love to send you a picture or even just explain it to you but I don't have a picture (and it's an hour and a half away) and I don't remember EXACTLY what it looks like as I haven't studied it and only been around it 2-3 times. After scrolling through the internet for 20 minutes trying to find one that looked close I gave up. I know the tractor loader has a directional diagram including float. I'm not sure about the joystick but I think it goes as well. I don't think I've tried getting to it by lowering the bucket all the way down and then pushing more. I think I was stupidly interpreting the diagram to mean push it further forward whilst in any position. another "fix" hopefully! You're killing it Dave! so far more helpful than my dealer. lol

 

[Dave Canfield]

Regarding videos I recommend Tractor Time with Tim and Good Works Tractors. They do a great job of showing you how to operate your tractor and generally show a safe way of handling various situations. Another great video series is by Tractor Mike. Then there's Messick's and Outdoors with the Morgans.
There are many others but those generally are doing a good job of explaining why they are doing something and doing it safely.
As far as tractor and tool storage when you not there I have heard from neighbors who had issues with theft even though they stored the stuff in containers. Probably a good idea to get to know the neighbors and not flash anything around.

 

[PatriotOutdoors]

I bought a 40' container 25 years ago, and stored my previous tractor in there for many years. A high cube was a good choice.
You have a lot of questions... Most have been addressed, so I'll just reiterate that taking your time is the way to start out. Compact tractors are not bulldozers, and can be damaged if abused. Don't ram piles, and don't put pressure on one side of the bucket. Also, while carrying a full bucket load slow and easy wins the race.
Read up on rear ballast for loader work, fuel handling, DPF regens, and avoiding excessive idling. Enjoy your new machine!

You have a lot of questions..

I know. I do apologize and appreciate the patience. I'm sure most/all of this will come with experience. I'm just terrified of destroying my most expensive vehicle ever (by far) by doing something that seems normal to me but somehow ends up being the absolute worst thing you can do to a tractor.

 

[PatriotOutdoors]

oh. hey. one other question if there is anyone left. what's the situation with ordering implements online? especially in terms of delivery. my initial concern was that they were expecting equipment to be onsite so that the (heavy) implement could be unloaded but I guess they use lift gates and pallet jacks which seems obvious now. dont have much experience with such things so Im curious if they could typically unload it directly into the bed of a truck?

 

[Dave Canfield]

I couldn't find a good picture of the joystick. The grapple I still like is from Everything Attachments. Wicked 60. Be sure to size the grapple to your tractor. They are noticeably heavy, so don't go too big. The first picture is how I connected the hydraulic lines to the 3rd function.
Pallet forks are a must. Kioti sells a good pair. View attachment 832114View attachment 832115

 

[Dave Canfield]

oh. hey. one other question if there is anyone left. what's the situation with ordering implements online? especially in terms of delivery. my initial concern was that they were expecting equipment to be onsite so that the (heavy) implement could be unloaded but I guess they use lift gates and pallet jacks which seems obvious now. dont have much experience with such things so Im curious if they could typically unload it directly into the bed of a truck?

I had the dealer receive the grapple. Everything Attachments does not ship to rural.
Big Tool Rack was lift gate.
Get some slings to lift implements off of trailers and store them in the torque tube of the loader.
The pallet forks are really handy for this kind of stuff.

 

[RandyT]

Awesome! that's some good info!

so the draft control is probably going to be unused in my applications (not really doing any "farming").

Regarding the throttle..... I know PTO should be at that 540 level does that apply to loader use too? As I understand it, you'll cause more Regen cycles if you idle or operate at low RPMs often? is there a use case where I wouldn't want to be at higher throttle or is it just generally a good idea to keep it high (minus PTO engage)?

I believe I had read or seen (in one of the 1000 videos I watched before purchase - which apparently taught me nothing lol) that a generally rule of thumb is that if your loader can push it over so can your rear implement? is that generally true?

in terms of the 3pt adjustment. if the cutter bottoms out on a mound of dirt or something it's not really a problem? more so harder objects I would assume? the 3 PT is not "floating" correct? Like if I back into a mound of dirt with a cutter (with wheel) it will (try to) go through it rather than roll over top?

Is it a bad idea to activate valves that don't have anything attached? Not like I'd continually do this on purpose but I did actuate one of the rear remotes (which goes no where) when I first sat down. Does that build pressure that is bad? or does it just dissipate?

Do I need to worry about the fluid already lost in the leaking assuming I get it fixed? if I had to estimate I would think it's been like 10-15 ounces. It was definitely worse on my second outing where it seemed to drip a few drops from the capped valves when just using the loader. The first time it seemed to only leak when I hit the button. WHICH IS SUPER EASY TO DO ON Accident!! (IMO). That probably (hopefully?) points to a loose connection that's slowly working it's way "looser."

Are there any weird caveats with diesel engines? diesel type? starting when cold (glow plugs? do those auto engage?) I guess I can Google this too but degradation of the fuel? similar in terms of duration to gasoline? I was surprised how quickly I used the fuel last time so it may not be an issue but this tractor lives on some undeveloped land that I am only able to visit 20 ish times a year. so I'll probably use mine less than most folks.

How do y'all typically store it? I bought a 20 ft high cube in preparation to store it mainly because I'm terrified of mice tearing it up. buuuuuut. I REALLY like the container for other purposes. so I'm rolling the dice by parking this in a nice clear open sunny spot with a couple rodent repellent balls strategically placed.

THanks again folks. seems like tractor ownership (and a billion other things) would have been a lot more difficult and expensive before the internet.

You will most likely never use draft control. It will be set on Heavy and never moved. I think I have used mine twice since 2005.

Being hydrostat you will need to run at higher rpm's both because of the regen but the main issue is to provide enough oil flow to the hydrostat pump, or more specifically the charge pump to prevent transmission hydrostat cavitation which is bad.

Need to keep an eye on the hydraulic fluid level but you won't miss a pint of oil missing from a 10 gallon container. And temporary engagement of a hydraulic fitting without something connected to it will cause it to deadhead and go into bypass. for the short duration it is fine, but if you don't catch it can cause the hydraulic oil to overheat.

The main issue with diesel fuel is avoiding water contamination. that is what will cause you major headaches. Water is the catalyst for the being of microbial growth aka algae, but not real algae. The stuff will plug fuel filters, injectors and just cause major headaches and can get expensive. Diesel that is properly stored can and will last much longer than gas. Diesel can potentially stay usable for years. I think the diesel I am using right now is 4 years old. It is stored in an overhead tank with a 3psi pressure cap so the tank holds pressure when it warms up but doesn't expel all the air like a vented cap would therefore has limited air exchange to draw in air and moisture/water. when it cools off.