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My old tires were Titans. Photo taken yesterday. Never had a puncture in nearly 1200h. Rating is 2000# each, at 50psi. Other photo is older, from my JD 4300 restoration. I had a rusty wheel, so I had to dismount and paint it. Mounting was not the easiest, but doable with manual mounter.

Yes, my Frontier fiber is symmetrical, and I verified that: 500/500M. I thought fiber was generally symmetrical, but apparently not with Spectrum. Good thing most customers don't upload videos.

Yes, confusing. What if you asked the seller to send a photo of the sidewall? That has the load capacity and pressure info. A 40-50psi tire of that size is going to have plenty of capacity.

Yeah, Kubotas and Yanmars are excellent engines. I suspect your machine was designed for another engine. There has been a lot of pressure on the makers to use CARB-certified engines, so shoe-horning a Kub into your machine is likely what they did. Maybe some sort of access tray needs to be...

I plan to go with a different smaller battery, too, but my 7yo original is still going strong. I plan to use a smaller U1 riding mower battery, and I will have to change terminals, too.

The OEM R4s on my Kioti handle 40 psi, and a load cap of something like 2000 lbs each. But I also have 1500# of counter-weight. My loader is only rated at about 1150#, but that's at full height. I can lift a full ton a few inches off the ground, and do so regularly. The JD 420 or 430 loaders...

I got them on using my modified HF manual tire mounter, which is mounted to the forks of my tractor. The JD wheels did not have bead-retention lips that ATV and some car tires have. ATVs are the hardest to do. Need a special tool for those.

Nice. Looks like yours is direct-drive. Very interesting mount. My Super Tomahawk has the maker name on it, WW Grinder. These units are great. Mine is probably from the 80s, and came with a 7 or 8hp flathead Breaks & Scrapum. I upgraded to a Honda GX340 from a dead generator. I made a...

These are BKT brand, from Preston's tire in NE. I have never heard of the brand. I imagine that these tires last a Long Time if kept off pavement and in 2WD. 1600 hrs is great. I mounted my own, but these tires are STIFF. "14 BKT Skid Power Skid Steer R4 6 ply Tubeless 25x8.50-14"

I use that size on my 20yo Kioti, and I am considering new ones, too. They are original, with nearly 1150 hours on them. Tread is down by half, and traction is suffering. Never had a puncture. As for what to buy, I saw them for $105 each on eBay, shipped, but before sales tax. Years ago, I...

I know a guy who did that: paid a climber to install antenna over 100' up a redwood tree. That was for WISP (Etheric, Surfnet, or Ridge Wireless). Good to know the antenna for Starlink can tolerate some movement. I got my fiber now (Frontier). 500M for $47/mo. Replaced my old DSL (28/2M...

Are you ready to try an all-new fitting yet?

Motor Trend did a comparison article, testing the CT, the Ford Lightning, and the Rivian R1T. The R1T won. Interesting that the CT was the lightest by 200 lb, but all were near 7000 lb. The Ford was cheapest, at just under $100K, and the other 2, just over $100K. Before taxes and...

Well, I am in that school, too. Or I usually wait until they actually leak. Both ozone and UV are not your hoses' friends. I remember getting some new hoses made for my hoe attachment years ago from DHH, and they failed in 5 years! Crappy rubber. Surplus Center hoses have been excellent...

I just paid a climber to help me remove 2 more douglas firs. One that I measured looks to be about 175' tall and 80y old. Cleanup will take more than 6 mo. at my pace. There is a Starlink app for cellphones that shows you the moving Starlink satellite paths and calculates if you have enough...

The other pilot-controlled Chinese minis I have operated and opened up use a safety solenoid valve only for the pilot controls, which is on or next to the main valve stack. Since blade, AUX, and drive are not pilot-controlled, they don't have safety interlocks (on the ones I have looked at). I...

How about when you were driving down those truck ramps...did you have to do a lot of start-stop to keep from going too fast? No planetaries in those final drives. What does the importer give you for docs? Electrical or hyd schematics?

I see what looks like a solenoid valve on your hydraulic pump. Is that a manual-controlled valve, or some kind of load-sensing? Maybe 2-speed track drive? Also, did you get the thicker bucket(s), or the same kind you had with the old machine? Interesting delivery.

Quite common, actually. Watch out when back-grading with FEL bucket at full dump. Especially if you have a loader with only 1" rods. All of my JDs were former rental tractors, and several had bent bucket cylinder rods. Mostly that was the 420 loader attachment with the skinny 25mm rods. They...

I bought a bunch of Worksaver attachments, shipped from Il to CA. Even with shipping, they were a better deal than other brands here. All seemed fine to me. 5' 3-pt rotary cutter, landscape rake, 3-pt angle blade, hydraulic PHD, other implements. Still have the 6-ft landscape rake, but only...

Looks like a female pipe swivel (NPSM). You need to look at a table of sizes and get out your caliper and thread gauge to see what size it is.

The owner does not use his equipment much. Both of us tried the Diggit after the spring mod, and liked the new feel. Neither of use dug any holes, then and since. The skidsteer is very hard to operate with precision. It is a bit better now, but it mostly just sits. Impulsive auction purchase.

As a famous economist once said, "there are no 'solutions', only trade-offs". This is your thread, and those of us with small Chinese mini-X experience know that almost everything under 2T has poorly protected direct-drive wheel motors. Conversely, branded minis use proper planetary gearboxes...

For me, I wish they were widely available back in 2018. Amazing what I got done with my mountain trails in the first 2 years. And I am into my mini for north of $7500. Love it. The improvements keep rolling in: I see Rippa is voluntarily adding proper wheel motors with braking action...

Well, both are correct in certain circumstances. Super-light machines are very different than minis that way tons: you can easily drag a 1-ton-ish excavator around with the dipper, so anchoring with the blade is more important than ever. Sometimes in front is best, which also keeps rocks off...

The 420cc gas engines idle at about 2000 RPM, and produce full rated power at 3600 RPM. I find you are making decent power at 3000 RPM; much slower, and the engine stalls quite easily. So for me, I am at 3000 RPM almost all of the time. The cushion valves I installed on the house rotation...

Yeah, the crawl speed is slow, and would be even slower. These machines are extremely light, and have very powerful hydraulics. I operated a new 1-ton-ish Chinese skidsteer last week, and it was so jerky on pavement, it was almost undriveable. Very slick V-twin gas engine, however.

The single pumps are a very common configuration: shaft size, mounting, volume. I got a smaller one (not installed yet) from the manufacturer when we imported our 6 machines from Ouke. 5.5cc, instead of 6.8. Newer machines, like yours use the Lovejoy-style couplers from what I have seen. I...

Done and painted. I still need to get a new fuel cap (old one eaten in half by rats), plus a new carb.

I picked up a free old mower, with a flathead Tecumseh engine. Runs fine. It is a deluxe big wheel lawnmower with 5hp engine that has pressurized lube system. Huge rear-discharge, which I placed in the forward direction. I would love to see someone chop up a battery-powered mower for this...

I recently finished adapting a gasoline-powered push mower to my 7yo mini-X. Video here:

If you go to 12:15 in this video, you will see why a flow restrictor is not a good way to cut down on the jerkiness. Heat. These machines get really hot, even if you are fortunate enough to have a hydraulic radiator. Flow restrictors make this problem worse. I have adjustable flow...

That is the third different boot retention system I have seen. And probably the best. But don't forget to grease the spools, and oil the central U-joint. That QNT30 guy is gonna hook his boom cylinder hoses and have a Bad Day.

No. But everyone should do a pressure test when they first get their machine and set the main RV to 2400-2500psi. Most are set way too low.

Just looking at the spare metric O-ring fittings I have, and the DHH catalog, it seems the fittings that need to be "clocked" have to have a backup washer in addition to the retaining ring. So, in comparing a straight fitting to a 90-degree fitting (e.g. 6068 vs. 6069), the straight one has no...

More on the Rippa machines: Mike Festiva recently posted great video discussing features and modifications of his Rippa R13, which is about $15K or so in the US. Of particular note is the wheel motors, which are piston motors with 2-speed swash plate. It is about time some makers starting...

OK, after watching the video, I see what's going on. This is a fitting problem and not a pump seal problem. I have not had this happen with any of my metric (DIN) o-ring fittings. I have had problems with SAE ORB (O-ring boss) O-rings and back-up washers, but they work a little differently...

I was doing the spring upgrade to a Diggit EM15 the other day, and I noticed this problem with the engine speed control lever. This is the same unit seen on virtually all of the 1-ton-ish Chinese minis, with the push button in the middle. I see that water easily gets in, and pools inside...

Any photos?

The grease we used for the spools is the reddish lithium-based stuff in the grease gun. Silicone grease would be fine, too. The oil for the U-joint is a thick motor oil in a pump oil can. You need something liquid for that. Thanks for your positive feedback.

Here is another pilot control that needs help: an AGT Industrial KRW232 skidsteer. This joystick is slightly different than the above, with only one boot, and a different way of retaining it. You can see the rubber lips and the plate that secures the boot, but it was loose. Greasing the...

OK, James, I installed the springs into my friend's Diggit EM15, and we both like the improved feel. Adding more resistance to the the joystick motions is a plus. Worth trying, IMO. Here are some pix. The install is very easy, but there are issues with how this joystick is made. The inner...

Yeah, it is hard to trust the factory or distributor when it comes to a lot of specs, especially weight. I like to see owners who report what they get themselves, after having their new machine weighed.

Yes! Some of those early Kubotas have only suction filtration, and water contamination can turn the oil into a booger-like substance. Priming the pump thru a clogged inlet screen may be difficult. Photo is inlet screen from a mid-80s B8200. Ugh.

Yeah the rears are over 200 clams each. 12" wide and very high load capacity.

I think these 3-cyl Mitsubishi engines are also found in Kei trucks, so parts should be available.

I will bet top speed, on the level or downhill is maybe 35MPH in 6th gear.

Just got my Frontier fiber working this week. 500Mbps up and down, $48/mo. Replaces dual-bonded copper DSL, 28M/2M for $90/mo. Does not really seem any faster, tho I only run one device at a time, using web browsers or streaming with Roku. The real test is when I upload another video to...

My 3200 is for sale locally (San Jose), but no interest at $4500. I was driving it around yesterday and the master cylinder started leaking, so I will have to fix that. It was parked for a few months, but started up immediately. There is another 3200 for sale locally, with engine and shifter...

This is one of the reasons I have never been a fan of the old flatheads. To get some clearance for the valves to seal, the OP will have to grind a bit off the ends of the valves. I much prefer the OHV engines, where valve clearance is super easy to check and adjust. But these adjustments are...

...and the Tecumseh engines mostly have an oil pump for better lubrication of engine bearings. Just landed a free 5hp mower for my latest project. I would try to repair the old flathead engine on that tiller if the bore is good. Aftermarket electronic ignition upgrades are cheap.

I have had some coated steel tanks on ATVs, and the coatings did not hold up well with 10% ethanol gas. If one is more fortunate, the rust (and the first pinholes) are mostly at the bottom of the tank and it can be patched and welded. Some early machines had soldered-in bungs in the fuel...

Interesting experience with the T8 32W electronic ballast lights. I also bought them when I was building my house and workshop back in the 90s. My workshop was first in about 1996. All 8 four-footers are still working fine, and some of the the bulbs are still original! No flicker down to...

....and #3: duty cycle. I remember some hoe boom cracking on a Case 580 TLB used here to dig my house foundation. I had a local welder fix it for the owner-operator. That machine had 30,000 hours on it. Our compact tractors are not for industrial use, and would likely have stress failures in...

Yes, indeed. My homemade forks and frame weigh in at about 200#. I can lift a one-ton log with my Kioti, if I keep it low. I max out the loader all the time, carefully. I coulda bought an off-the-shelf fork frame, but they are quite heavy, esp with QA coupling. Life, and a tractor, is all...

I agree to a point, and I am very critical of bad engineering design, too. "...the goal of the design engineer should be a loader that can never be broken by the operator..." Dynamic forces due to excessive speed, e.g. driving the loader too fast into immovable objects, are hard to design for...

Yeah, that is a rear-tine tiller worth saving. You don't need any special tools to set the points. Getting the flywheel off to get at them is easy on some machines, and harder on others. You can get an upgrade electronic ignition, as RANDY suggests, but it is often quite easy to check the...

Best-selling car in the world (by units) in 2024 was the Model Y, at over a million. Gross margin estimates seem to be 20-25%. And, as the model is maturing, margins get better and prices will drop. Tho past promises were not met, the Tesla taxi may really be inexpensive since so many...

So, you were a customer/member of the predecessor company, Auction Web? They became eBay in 1997. That's impressive.

Yes, counterfeit batteries for DeWalt, Milwaukee, etc are often externally indistinguishable from genuine. Even the packaging. Scary. But, if sold on eBay, you will get your money back if you complain within 30 days, and I expect the seller to be stopped very quickly. Note that listings for...

Good reference. Ford got his economy of scale down so that he could sell cars profitably for under $300 at the end of the Model T life. Same for Tesla. He is able to make his current best-seller for better and better margins. And new products are on the horizon. I imagine the...

For those who want their stuff even faster, try Walmart.com or target.com. Both operate warehouses in nearly every metro area, so they often beat Amazon for speed.

Sellers complain that eBay is TOO buyer-biased. Protection of the buyer is paramount. Note that often, if you are buying something new, the eBay seller is the same as one on Amazon. Their eBay price is usually a bit lower. Longtime eBay buyer here (since 1998), and infrequent seller. Bought...

That would explain a breakage. Primary distribution (12KV) around the Bay Area is mostly aluminum AFAIK, but copper secondaries (240V). Were both Al and Cu direct-buried for both primaries and secondaries?

What do you suppose caused the break inside the conduit? I assume copper and not aluminum.

My MIL (RIP) was in the WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service), the women's US Navy. She was recruited to be a "code-breaker", and was billeted to Washington, DC. Her cover story was that she was an "Aerographer's Mate" (weather forecaster).

Some will have to design, build, sell, and service those robots. Maybe they will be offered in cool matte stainless steel CyberTruck finish.

Nice too see there are some colors available. I like the red, blue, and even the green metallic. I have seen only one in color (blue). There is another interesting compact hybrid 4x4 PU that is similar to the Maverick, but it is built of unobtanium: the BYD Shark. Why did it take so long to...

The Maverick 4x4 HEV PU is supposed to do better than 35, but that is their real-world all-around calculation. I don't know the Ford lineup, but I do not think there is a similar SUV, but one of the 2 owners here also has a Toyota Highlander HEV, and it is supposed to get over 30. It is...

Long story, but the original Volt was promoted by GM to the auto press as a series hybrid, but it never was. There IS an ICE mechanical connection to the drive wheels. Chevy obfuscated about how the engine drove the wheels thru the transmission, in concert with the electric motors. A friend...

Hulu Live TV is like Utube TV. Expensive, but "recording" is on the cloud, as you say. You pay extra to avoid some commercials. Watched the new movie, A Complete Unknown on Hulu at my SIL's last week. It had commercials, cuz she had the cheaper option. My version has no commercials, but I...

Most of us have been there. Most often it is a guy thing, and sometimes it affects both sexes, where you don't want to be embarrassed in front of your peers.

I agree. This is part of the reason that I have always been more comfortable in a tutoring situation over instructing a group. I limit my groups to 5 or 6 kids, give them some instruction that might include demonstration, then let them work until I see someone needs individual help. I am...

Interesting observation. Generalizations are notable and sometimes useful, tho many folks insist on pointing out an exception they have met. Anyway, I have volunteered for 10 years now in a middle school "maker space", showing 6-8 graders how to make things with tools. Often power tools. It...

I don't know how the mid-PTO is geared internally, but you should explore how to take load off the drivetrain while pushing on the shifter lever. This includes trans in neutral, tractor on level ground with engine and pkg brake off in 2wd. Try rocking tractor back and forth while putting...

I highly recommend the Rosie the Riveter Historical Park and museum in Richmond, CA. It has been a few years since the wife and I last went, but we did get to talk to some bona fide nonagenarian Rosies. https://www.nps.gov/rori/index.htm In the East Bay, Rosies were actually not riveters...

Yes, Sarah is a treasure. I have not seen that one, but I will watch, esp since the subject is a rare and valuable 1st gen Celica (my first car). No rubber gloves for Sarah. How does one wrench with such long nails?

I love them! Not heard of that logger. I will check her out. Hundreds of Utube vids of women building engines. Can't get enough.

I guess those are technical terms. :) Don't break those axle housings! BTDT. $$$$$

Probably "torque-to-yield" head bolts, which can not be reused. To get loader out of the way, my first choice is to remove it, which is QA on most CUTs. Second choice is to run the starter with the FEL joystick activated. Only takes 10-20 seconds of cranking.

I have done 4 similar Yanmar engines from other Deere tractors. Camshaft removal was pretty straight forward. The plain bearings (sleeve bearings) were pressed in. For JD, you often have to get a separate manual for the engine. Or aftermarket, like I & T. Can you post some pix?

wow, that's impressive. You must be pretty close to the tower to get 2-bar 5G. I had 1-bar 3/4G VZ home internet for a short time a few years ago and I got less than 1Mbps for $100 a month. I normally have 28Mbps with copper from Frontier for $85/mo. FTR brought fiber to the mountains where...

Both your original pump and the eBay pump are Cassappa brand? Since you have taken your original apart, look at the seals and pressure chambers really closely to evaluate condition. Even if you have signs of cavitation, your pump may be rebuildable. When the outer O-rings get damaged, then no...

The tougher choice is once you have a tractor, do you add a backhoe attachment or get an small mini-X? If you have no tractor yet, then a mini-X should not be the first choice. It does not tow or move dirt around like a loader does. I still love my tractor's backhoe attachment: it digs...

Back in the mid-90s, I built the CADDigger 728 towable mini-X to help with building my house. It was quite useful with some trenches I dug, plus digging a water tank notch on my 70% hillside. With free labor, it still cost about $3K. (Sold it on eBay for $3K a few years later.) Today, in...

I welded in my own fitting. Go to post #31. Make sure that fluid return does not aerate the oil, by being placed too high on the reservoir.

I see the listing. No pump brand given. Right above it is a seal kit, also about $300, and you do not know which pump it is for. There were no such pumps listed for sale back when I needed to replace and rebuild the 2 on CK30s I did years ago. You should test to see if pump gets hot quickly...

Your RV is just like mine, accessible under right floor board. You can operate your FEL with your hand on the RV. It will vibrate if activated. As you say, you prob have a bad pump, with worn out body, or damaged seals. You have either the Cassappa or Joyang, if it is like mine. I could not...

It helps if you heat the piston a bit as well. I like to use a hose clamp (with protection) around the newly installed piston ring to compress it into the groove from it's slightly stretched state. Otherwise, it can hang up when putting it back together. Never tried an exhaust pipe expander...

Good suggestions. Both RV and pump are quite accessible. My experience is that if the RV is bypassing, you can also feel it vibrate while it is doing so.

I have had a cylinder where the retaining wire breaks off at the dogleg. What you suggest is what I did, but I had to clear the dogleg hole first. To do that, I suggest a small drill, and if concerned about drill bit breakage, drill a small hole next to the original hole.

Interesting. Can you post photos of the RV, esp its guts? Your tractor is an M27 and should be the same as mine, except for the engine, and possibly the trans. Dunno what a new RV costs. Some of Kioti's prices are nuts.

It could be either. Rule out the RV first. I assume your oil quantity and condition is OK. You can take apart the implement pump RV, unlike the 2 main HST RVs, which are welded. I have seen where some dirt gets into the RV and it leaks internally. Hope it is that.

So true. I carry a lot of crap on my ATV, but rarely have the "right" tool for when I need one. I try to bring a pint or so of gasoline with me. Lasts a long time. I park my mini in the forest and go to it in the ATV, but not when I drive it anywhere. Then ya have to walk.

I have used air before, but I am very careful, doing it outside, and giving the rod a clear path, and covered with a tarp. I worked on one of those Chinese logspitter cylinders years ago, and it was also a 5-incher, the biggest cylinder I have ever taken apart. The gland was retained a...

Another possibility. You may be right, O&S.

That socket head bolt may be a way of grabbing the gland to unscrew it, as you suspect. Also look for a small slot in the side of the outside of the cylinder barrel, a half inch or so from the top to see if there is a wire lock. Once off, it is easy to find the wiper and gland seal by size. I...

I have never had a tractor with synchro trannie. But I have worked on several 4 and 5-sp auto trannies back when I was into 240Zs. When the trannies get tons of miles on them, the shifter detent slots on the rods would get some wear. New shifter rods and balls cleared up this problem for me...

A pressure test setup is not expensive. You need a 3000psi gauge and some adapters to connect to one of your loader hoses.

You could also have an internally-leaking relief valve. Some of those older gear tractors only have suction filtration. A pressure test is called for. If you don't want to do that, you can check to see if another function seems to have the usual force. Does the 3pt lift also seem weak? A...

So...clean it all up. Get some clean cardboard and set it out overnight. Do a sniff/color test. Or skip the cleaning. Hope you use red diesel.

If no visible fluid leaking, it is the valve. You don't say how fast your loader bleeds down. If you can not see it moving, then it is OK.

Looks like high up, maybe valve cover. Do you have a pressure-washer?

That is similar to what I did. I built two partitions that go inside the bed of my trailer. They bolt to the sides from the outside. I used an angle-iron frame and some plywood. The reason for 2 partitions is that way, I can pick up gravel at the quarry and the load is centered where I...

when I was communicating with China directly, I asked that question, but never got any answers. That was using Alibaba messenger emails, plus some direct emails with 3 or 4 different makers. I suspect that the earliest designs got shared (or copied) and modified so many times, the first person...

I went to look at that. I was hoping to see that he had opened up the main hydraulic filter so we could see the element. I like that the maker has gone to conventionally retained pins. I looked up the Parker pump, but did not find a 510 type (PGP51063GLP). The 2-cylinder 479cc Kubotas are...

Interesting update on the runaway "feature" of the track drive motors on virtually all of the 1-2T Chinese mini-excavators. It seems a few people have been successful getting their Chinese mini-X supplier to replace both drive motors with new ones that have have an added valve block with...

Pretty much all of the majors do that now, as far as I hear. Multiple DI events, variable valve timing and lift, and super high compression ratios have made small 4-cylinder gasoline engines produce very high horsepower at relatively low RPM. Adding turbochargers allows for 150hp+ per liter...

Sure, you could do that. I probably would. Looking at your last photo, the 2 controller boxes seem to be for the diesel engine's intake heater or glow plugs (QHS controller), and possibly the fuel solenoid. An electrical schematic sure would be nice.

Sometimes, it is to cover up the lousy paint, or the stainless steel in this case. If it is $5K for a paint job, and $1200 for a wrap that lasts for a few years, some have made the trade-off. Dunno what ever happened to those $99 Maaco paint jobs. I got one of those in the 70s, and it was...

Yeah, that's it. Cheaper than a paint job, too. What I don't get is for the matte-finish wraps: how do you keep it clean, plus how many years do you get before intense heat and UV from the sun destroys it? As for oogly, the same was said of the Prius, but after years of seeing thousands of...

I use RTV silicone like that. Even if you are too generous with the sealant, dry chunks will just fall into the sump and not cause problems.

I looked thru all 120+ pages. They DO talk about the various filters in the DM200, with photos. An inline filter for the pilot controls is shown, but does not tell where it is. I suspect inside one of the covers near one of the joysticks. The procedure to adjust the main system RV is...

Low pressure return filters should be $10-ish for a cartridge-style 10u unit, e.g. the Zinga filters from SurplusCenter. An HST filter for your tractor from the maker could certainly run $40 or more. Kymron charging $40 is outrageous, and who knows how long this importer will still be around...

The battery cutoff switch is a legacy of the first Chinese minis, which came with a 1-cyl diesel engine that had to be shut off mechanically. The starter switch did not have an electrical OFF position to kill the engine. That has all changed with the advent of the 3-cyl Yanmars and Kubotas...

Yeah, replace that fluid and filter ASAP. Did they have any specs on that filter? Did you look for another source that will be around for a while? How much are the filters, and does it make sense to get a lifetime supply? On tractors, the replacement interval after the first one is usually...

Well, there is your answer. I can see the paper element thru the holes in the outer casing. That is a fine filter, not a simple steel 100u mesh filter that is usually on the pump intake part of the reservoir. Maybe even 10-microns. But where do you get replacements? KYMRON had better have...

...and just to really mess with you, there are now engines that feature both compression-ignition and spark-ignition. Notably the Mazda Skyactiv-X technology, which has gasoline compression ratios as high as 16, instead of the 13-14 ratios in their sparky gas engines (Skyactiv-G). Plus...

Yes, I think that's the best way, too. I have driven the Model X, the one with the gullwing back doors. It is even more bulky feeling than the Model S. Quick, but not as quick as the S or the Roadster. The Model S is a good-looking car, unlike any of the other Teslas. Of course, that's just...

The whole hyd system is very vulnerable to dirty fluid, but variable piston motors (and pumps) are especially so. Worn-out gear pumps and leaky gearoller wheel motor seals have been reported for Chinese minis with no pressure-return filtration. I would be surprised if the ZX22 has no return...

yeah, the diaphragm fuel pumps are probably the same as on your lawn tractor. They go out or get weak rapidly as the diaphragm gets stiff from the 10% ethanol fuel. $10 on eBay, and regular replacement item. I use the $15 electric pump on my Samurai, and have already had one fail. There are...

OK, I get it. EV resale value has been horrible for years here, but we have more than plenty of them in N. California. You don't have to look hard to find a 5yo Tesla for under $20K, and a 5yo Leaf for under $10K. My neighbor was smart to lease his Kia Niro. It seems like a nice car, and it...

I see a trend in the 3-5T excavators towards selling them with V-twin gas engines, and without the better wheel motors that have braking action. I also see that bizarre hydraulic thumb design that is doomed to fail. AgroTek had several units like that in the $7-8K range at last Saturday's...

You are saying that in Holland, the govt forbids you from selling your EV for its first 5 years? Is that even enforceable? Nuts. What is the reason for that?

I have no doubts that you can find replacement motors that have the same bolt pattern. My own motors, which lost their maker-plates, have the same pattern as the 2 spares I have. Those spares are also Chinese motors, but not from the same maker, and the unused ports are in different locations...

I think it would not be hard to just add the RVs, if I could find out how. If this were a White or Eaton or Parker motor, the docs are great and I would have a source. Maybe someone besides yours truly will figure this out for all our benefit.

That's a tough one. I briefly looked into replacing my gearoller drive motors with the similar ones from another maker, but gave up on that idea. The ones I wanted were also gearoller motors, but had dual work-port RVs that serve as hydraulic brakes. Just adding the RVs to my motors could...

That's even better. 1.27-liter. What was your cost? Get some inside photos before it gets dusty.

I use less than 300 KWh per month now, but I now live alone. I also heat with wood and don't need air conditioning, due to my concrete house. I averaged $100 a month for electricity in 2024.

Wow, looks like you have the piston motor drives in the wheels. That's great. The machine goes downhill without any feeling of being out of control? What hyd pumps do you have? Did you get a hydraulic schematic? Been inside yet? Nice you have the 1-liter Yannie diesel (3TN74).

I was up in San Francisco last weekend (about 60 miles away), visiting niece/nephew who just bought a house there. Saw 3 CTs on the way; one wrapped. Lotsa EVs in the state, yes, but they make little economic sense unless you can charge at home with solar panels. I would probably have one if...

Wow, nearly 16y ago. I remember when that happened....

Was it Willie Brown's phone? Ew. I buy cheapo Android phones (Currently a low-end Galaxy). You are really missing out on massive improvements if you don't get a new phone every few years, Android or Apple.

I don't know what you expect to get from the maker. Since these units use a simple gear pump, and use no piston motors or wet brakes, standard hydraulic fluids are fine. Your new, clean generic ISO fluid from Walmart is fine. Just get the original fluid (and manufacturing swarf) out while the...

You may be onto something....

My first guess would be a low fluid warning, cuz that is important, and you do report leaks. Also, your tractor has the GST transmission, which is an electronically controlled gear trans. I have driven them, but never worked on one. I wonder how the controller works... BTW, your L39 is...

Wow, that was like Top Gear, but with a bigger budget.

Very strange offset upper pivot for the OEM hyd thumb on the DMC-12. It looks like they did not remove the mechanical thumb brackets (as I did) to install a hydraulic thumb. The geometries are totally different.

You will need to get fork support body (16) off of shaft (21). I do not recall how that shaft can be slid out the side of the gearbox. I would have to look in the manual to see how. If you can, then no tractor splitting, even if you have to remove wheel, fender, and other stuff in the way...

If you look at my post #11, you can see the infamous range shift rod. If you look down inside the gearbox once you have removed the cover, you can see how the shifter fork is connected with a roll pin. You can then use a long drift to pound out the roll pin. The shaft then slides out of the...

I see your thumb shares the bucket pin on the B21. That makes it tougher to change buckets. For what it is worth, changing buckets or my ripper tooth on my XN08 is super-easy, even without a QA. Much easier than any of my many backhoe attachments. The ripper tooth is awesome.

Dunno if you said earlier: have you tried to fit your B21 bucket on the mini-X? Pin sizes are also 25mm, as I recall. I don't recall the dipper stick width.

Pin sizes do vary a bit among the 1-2T machines. The second and third units I had (same batch) had 30mm boom cylinder pins, but the cyl diameter was the same as the boom cyl on my first machine (Xiniu XN08). Both used the same pressure hyd systems, too, so there was no additional force on the...

The forks may be repairable. You may want to contact a skilled TIG weldor/machinist. On eBay right now is a listing in OH with most of the gearbox for sale. You might ask them to list the forks separately, as they have offered.

Another case that demonstrates that bigger is not always better.

Two reasons for jerkiness: Low weight, and flow rate too fast. Most gas 1-2T minis have too much flow at 3000 RPM, so reducing flow rate would help, yes. Crappy valves without good "feathering ramps" could exacerbate jerkiness, but I have found (by taking them apart) that the valves are good...

Good point. The hp numbers I quoted above are off a Kubota engine spec chart. I have harped on this point, but it bears repeating: Any of the Diesels (1, 2, or 3-cyl) seem happiest to operate at about 2000-2200 RPM, and the makers have usually sized the pumps to work at that speed (6.8cc/rev...

You are going to have to remove the Power Beyond tube, but you do not need to take all the hoses off the AUX valve. With the problems you have, I suspect you will need to change the plain bearing inserts inside the rockshaft pivots, too. When I bought these parts, they were available and...

I love those 2 Kubota DI diesel engines, even made in China. But, both the D722 (719cc) and D902 (898cc) 3-cyl engines may be specced for those outputs, but that's at 3600RPM (crazy-fast). I don't know if the engine speed controls on these minis even LET you go that fast. More likely, they...

Nothing in the listing revealed you were buying from a Chinese seller? I have seen what looks like a US-based seller that was selling goods direct-shipped from China. Not good. eBay has some protections for pricey goods be careful out there, mate

Let us know if they make it right. I also like to see how these machines age. BTW, the maker of my unit honored their 1y warranty, even tho I installed my own engine. As I recall, there was one bad hyd hose crimp, and a bad seal on one of the main hyd valve sections. Got replacements in a...

As you may know, I tossed my OEM teeth right away and welded on my own. They have worked flawlessly, and are far easier to make than drilling holes in the bucket. Teeth do not have to be long, as you see on most backhoe buckets. Plus, it would take hundreds of hours to wear out the ones I...

Yeah, the 16" is too big, but also the 8" is too small. And both are poorly made and won't last. Folks should try to get the buckets made for some of the 2T and bigger machines. 12-13" wide would be optimal, from my experience. Even that width bucket will get clogged at times.

I have essentially the same tractor, almost 20y now. I never take off the backhoe, as it takes a while, plus I really need the ballast for serious lifting with the loader. I have 2 seasons: mud (winter), and forklift (spring. summer, fall), and that requires changing the forks to my 4n1...

I checked out that link, and it says 149-micron is finest filter on suction side for a high-pressure gear pump, which is what applies here. They also say, for a high-pressure piston pump, minimum suction filter size is 74u. My mini came with a large suction in-tank mesh filter, which looked...

Please cite a source for that. Makers of hydraulic components (valves, motors, etc) use the ISO Cleanliness Code 4406. A quick check of an Eaton catalog uses a contaminant level limit of 20/18/13. Filtration to achieve that cleanliness is specced by filter suppliers at 10u. Furthermore...

You should be concerned. However, a $10 HF multimeter has a 10A DC setting. My fancy Fluke does not. You probably have less than 10A, and I think the HF has a fuse. Curious what you get, and which engine you have. Anyway, if you ever get the gumption to pull the engine, there are numerous...

I am no FB fan here. Joined first in 2009, and never posted or set up a profile. Shut it down a few months later, due to privacy issues. I was not able to re-join, so my only access now is with a new ID and email address. Even public groups have to be joined before you can post any...

I encourage everyone who has something to add to contribute to TBN, including starting a new thread. I read them all. Tho there are certainly similarities among the many 1-2T units out there, there are key differences, too. And, there are trends toward improvements, like oil filtration. One...

Yeah, that website still does not come up using a search engine (I use Brave Search). And, when I go to it directly, it is very slow-loading.

You beat me to it. Tho lots have been sold, I have never seen a Jinma tractor up close.

Start tractor. Set engine speed control to idle. If you have a foot clutch, press it. Then shift PTO selector to 540. Then release clutch slowly. Increase speed after engaged to 540 PTO speed, often noted on tachometer. Can't say by looking if the PTO driveshaft is properly locked onto...

My thread is long, but it IS searchable and I do get notified if anyone adds to it. In the US, hundreds of these 1-2T minis are sold every year thru live auction sites. Given the low sales prices (under $4K net cost, incl fees and sales taxes), I gotta wonder if many are imported directly by...

If that fitting circled in white is indeed a port on the tractor that goes into the sump, then that IS a better way to hook up the return line. I would do it that way. I wish my tractor had an easy return port like this. Some machines have them and some don't. Good suggestion, Lou.

I agree that Denso alternators are great. But an easier fix to the OEM setup is to replace the bearings, brushes, or regulator/rectifier inside your unit. I have been able to buy them separately for other alternators. What does yours look like?

First, the AUX valve on the tractor. Since you have found out which ports are the IN and OUT when the lever is in a particular position, then you can reverse the flow by just using the other lever position. Or switch the hoses around, as you say. Just don't get it wrong. You do not want to...

Universal Bolt Pattern. Is there such a thing? My 2005 CK30 seat now has one vinyl repair and I an not thinking of replacing it yet. When I do buy new seats for other equipment, they usually have multiple hole patterns. I do have a new Grammar seat I have not installed yet, but it has no arm...

Yeah, seals were a LOT cheaper back then. I often used Hercules Fluid Power back then and purchased by size. Recently I repaired some old Kubota cylinders and the maker wanted $200ea for the seal kits. Even Hercules was expensive, tho I got what I needed for $100ea.

Based on your pressure test, your pump is fine. For now. Besides a suction hose leak, or water in the oil, there is another way to get air entrainment on these tractors. When going forward up a slope, the implement pump likes to suck air. That's due to an oil pickup near the front of the...

What does the oil look like? Any cloudiness due to air entrainment or water contamination? Do you have the same FEL symptoms with hot oil? My guess is you are sucking air, as mentioned above, or have some water contamination. In the latter case, and with your Cold Temps, I can imagine some...

Hard to see the scale of that mixer. Much smaller than mine, apparently. Also mine has 2 receiver holes for pipes that act as stands that keep the mixer from tipping over when dismounted. Long gone. Poured and grouted new footers and blocks for replacement steel tractor-port last winter.

Interesting approach! Can you post a photo of the mounting onto your bucket? How much weight can your mini-X lift at that extension? I figure my mixer weighs 200#, and I have put as much as 700-800# of concrete in it. I do prefer smaller loads, however, since I can spin the drum more...

Missed that thread. Nice work. I already have a Milwaukee M12 battery socket. Very cheap aftermarket.

That's what I was asking about. Show us your monitor/display. I have a friend who installed a wireless aftermarket camera in his pickup for a backing up display that is monitored with his cellphone in a holder on the dash. Works pretty well. Anyone with a newer vehicle has a built-in backup...

I strongly recommend you do it if you have interest. I would be surprised if I had more than 10-12 hours in making the changes, but I am slow, plus I jump around among my active projects. And, thinking about it, designing it, and acquiring the materials took time. If I did it again, I would...

My improvement was to weld plates on the outer part of the paddle frames to help retain and eject the mud. Much like a commercial mixer, I rotate one way to mix, and the other way to dump. The first photo shows the prior setup. The paddle frame extended from the back of the drum to the...

Well, it has been over 15y since I first started this thread, and I still use my mixer. This is the first implement I bought for my first tractor, back about 1997 or 1998. A Kubota L2550DT. I just did an upgrade that I threatened to do years ago. It works well. I was recently pouring...

Interesting design. How well does it work for you? Has anyone tried a wired or Bluetooth backup camera, with their cell phone? For me, the best solution would allow me to see the ends of my fork tines as I lift loads.

Yeah, pretty much. I am sure there are some better companies to deal with. The price of theses units, selling every month in the hundreds around the US at auction yards are as low as only $3000 + taxes and fees. That is half of what I paid 6 years ago, dealing directly with a factory in...

You also can not get any Kubota industrial TLB (B26, L47. M62) with Ag tires (R1 or similar). You would need to buy different wheels, and get the right sizes to preserve the lead/lag ratio. The R4 industrial tires are a real compromise tread design.

OK, to me it looks like blue is the supply from the tractor, and pink is the return. Blue goes into the flow divider valve, with excess fluid going to the return port of the spool valve (yellow). I think that the spool valve has two return ports, where pink and yellow are connected, which acts...

I can't see from your pix: is one hose from the flow control valve connected with a TEE at bottom of the spool valve? Maybe you can annotate your photo with letters or numbers on each hose. If your AUX valve is not detented, you will have to use a bungee cord or something like it to hold it...

I suspect your feeder drum is powered by a reversible motor, so your spool valve has 3 positions. It should be marked with the IN and OUT (Tank) ports. You want to make sure your AUX supplies fluid to the IN, and the tank fitting returns via the other work port on you AUX valve. You will...

Glad you found metric adapters. I see your chipper has a detented spool valve and flow control valve for feed rate. Probably a safety lever, too. Connect the IN and OUT on your chipper to your detented AUX valve on your tractor, and make sure that you set the lever for the right direction...

Why not? The nicest coolant hoses I have ever bought and installed were blue silicone. Same for soft air hoses on turbochargers.

For coolant pipe plugs, I would use a pipe dope rated for 250F or better. I like RTV silicone, even tho it is not a thread lube. Head gaskets, nothing. Other paper gaskets, either nothing or any automotive gasket sealer. In some cases (no clearance issues), replacing a paper gasket with...

Opposite here. I need the fall/winter/spring moisture to properly dig and compact. My machine is way up the creek, preparing to grab/pull/cut a bunch of fallen trees and branches for a winter burn pile.

That's great. I am still waiting on new glasses so I can make better use of my new peeper. I don't like this "mono-vision" stuff.

It is amazing that Kubota has any moving part that is only $150. Interesting that the roller wheels will wear out before the bearings fail. I wonder if that is pretty universal on extra-small excavators.

Oops. You are right. I got them backwards. I was thinking of the intake heating element used instead of glow plugs. Sometimes, memory fails. Good catch.

My old John Deere 955s (Yanmar 3-cyl port injected) were only 18:1 compression ratio. If I recall, all of my 3-cylinder Kubotas were DI and in the low 20s CR.

You know that your old Yanmar engine is probably port injection (not DI), right? As those of us who have many JDs with the Yanmar port injection and heated air intake engines. Relatively low compression vs. DI engines, too. Combustion speed is what I have also read differentiates lean burning...

In my neck of the woods, a half of a ton is still only 1000 pounds. Payload for my small Tacoma and a gigantic modern F150 is listed at about the same number: about 1500 or so pounds, or 3/4 of a ton. A "3/4 ton" PU these days does fine with 1.5 tons payload, from experience. Back in the...

Using the above KBB towing capacity link, I see the traditional big-3 half ton PUs can tow 12-14K pounds, properly configured. That's crazy. And what does "1/2 ton" even mean?

Can you now order a brake controller in a new Tacoma? I installed one in my '04 V6 Taco, to pull as much as 5000# gross trailer weight. Brakes on leading axle only. Toyota sure makes it hard to add a brake controller. The state sez you must have brakes on at least one trailer axle if over...

All three of my 8x7 Clopay doors have the side springs with safety cables, but my older workshop 8x8 door has torsion springs. I also had a side spring fail 40+ years ago in a different house with a 7x16 wooden sectional door. The safety cable broke, too. I came out to the garage one day...

Yeah, someone in the recent wildfire in Paradise, CA died as a result of being caught inside his/her garage when the power was off. Burned up. No one knows why he/she didn't just pull the release cord or drive thru the door. Now, no retailer will sell you an opener without battery B/U, or...

I just went thru this with one of my three 25yo Genie screw drive openers. Bad receiver in the control board like you seem to have. I considered a replacement external receiver, as others posted, but my new opener only cost a bit more. Can't find a replacement OEM receiver. Here in CA, we...

Yeah, ATV and wide golf cart tires are difficult. I never tried a bead blaster, but I hear good things about them. These kind of tires are often strapped together and shipped where the carcass is distorted and Very Difficult to seat. Letting them get warm in the sun helps a bit. I...

Yes, I looked it up right after the OP's post. My guess, it sold for $700-800, which would be what I guess you could get for it here in California.