adding more Hydraulics to an SC2400

[gordyy]

I have been contemplating adding more Hydro availablity to my lil unit for various reasons.
A grapple for the loader ( don't laugh even a 4' bucket needs help holding in large loose loads) top link for the 3pt (its a pain to unhook dump cylinder to do this)
not sure if and where I could add another valve so looking into putting an electric divertor valve and mounting it on loader support or somewhere easy to get at.
I just don't want to invent the wheel if somebody has already done it on one of these, my dealer doesn't think they make a power beyond kit for this tractor so I am just looking for ideas
found some really good ideas in the hydro forums but thought if somebody did the work already on an SC2400 why make it harder
thanks

gordy

 

[gtrippleb]

I don't know if anyone else has done this yet or not gordyy. Like you if someone has, I hope they share what they did.

I've been thinking about it for awhile now too, well actually since I bought my SC2400. I've been kickin myself for not paying the extra money for the unit my dealer had setup when I bought mine. It had a 4-n-1 bucket with a long valve kit already installed. My dealer didn't want to give me a price at the time so I didn't think about it much until after I purchased my SC2400. Like I said, now I'm kicking myself for passing up the opportunity. At 60 months and 0% interest, it might have raised my payments $20 a month.

Here are a few options I've been looking at that seem fairly simple.

One is to go the route of how the backhoe is plumbed on the 2450. The line comes out of the pump that runs the 3pt if I remember correctly. If you look at the 2450 parts manual you can get an idea of how this works. I think you can still get the parts manual from the Cub Cadet site. If not, I can throw it up on my website and put a link to it.

The other option is the route that Woods uses to hook up their backhoe on the SC2400 They use the power beyond port from the tractor valve and run a line to the back of the tractor. I'm not sure what the "Tractor" valve is by looking at the pictures. I'll have to look at my tractor to figure that out. Here's the link to the woods 4-point mounting kit installation instructions to give you an idea of how to plumb the lines.

http://www.woodsequipment.com/workarea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=17552

Page 12 is where the plumbing starts.

My thought is to get a 3 spool or 4 spool valve and plumb it in like others I've read on numerous posts.

 

[gordyy]

I have thought of this too but with a cab on there is just almost no place to put a valve other than another joystick back in the cupholder and I doubt that gives it enough room over the tire
kind of leaning to just putting in either one or two solonoid operated selector valves (about $150 each from suplus or other online hydro suppliers) and then i figured mount one down below using the lift cylinder circuit too add one then either put one on the curl circuit for the other. find a joystick handle with a pair of switches to select with and add hoses from there not sure where to fit the valves but they are not all that large in size might fit both down below and either use hoses to move the quick couplers or build a bigger block to fit them.

the fit it all inside the cab thing is crucial to me also the room I just built a new back for my cab and threw the vinyl crap away I have put 500 hrs on in the last yr so I sepend a lot of time in it. And to make matters worse I am a fairly large guy with a knee thats been opened and closed so many times it really needs to be babied a lot I have installed a suspension seat thats higher and back a couple inches farther than the original so space in there is a premium
I am looking into the woods data there and looking the cost of a valve etc.
definetly going to do something but not in the next 2 or 3 months so I have time to plan and figure things out first.
I had thought there was a pby port on the loader valve that could be used and there is my dealer was not real certain but I had checked on my own and figured it could be done just the way that woods did it take the power from the pby and loop it back to 3pt valve

 

[gordyy]

I've been thinking about it for awhile now too, well actually since I bought my SC2400. I've been kickin myself for not paying the extra money for the unit my dealer had setup when I bought mine. It had a 4-n-1 bucket with a long valve kit already installed. My dealer didn't want to give me a price at the time so I didn't think about it much until after I purchased my SC2400. Like I said, now I'm kicking myself for passing up the opportunity. At 60 months and 0% interest, it might have raised my payments $20 a month.

isnt that the truth the things you think of afterwards the little cost over the 60 months at 0% versus finding a grand later (specially when the lil woman is looking over your shoulder when you write the tractor payment check out) the could of should of's are amazing LOL

 

[gtrippleb]

I don't have a cab so I have plenty of room to figure out where I'll attach my valves. With the cab, you would probably need to go with one of those one or two solonoid operated selector valves to save room. It all depends on the funds as to when I'll hook it up. I'm thinking of buying the pieces a few at a time to trick myself into thinking I'm not spending as much.:shocked:

I know that having the cab is crucial in ND. I grew up in IA on a farm and we had a few tractors that didn't have cabs on them. It sure sucked in the winter. My mom and stepdad, before he died in 2004, live in ND and for the longest time they didn't have a cab. My stepdad would grow out his beard for the winter to help combat the cold. They finally bought a old IH cab tractor in 2003. To bad my stepdad didn't get to use it much before he died. My mom bought a new 45hp NH back in 2007 I think it was and there was no way she wasn't getting a cab.

My wife is from North Carolina and I brought her to ND in 2000. We lived in Buxton, just south of GF. It took 4 yrs of winters and she had enough. So we moved back down to NC in 2004. I keep teasing her that we are going to move back. :laughing:

 

[dts1449]

I'll throw my hat in the ring too on this subject, unfortunately I don't have allot to add yet. I've been thinking about more hydraulics for my 2400 as well, a grapple being one of the projects toward the top of my list but I've had several ideas that would work out great if there were just more places to hook some hoses. Another idea that came to mind would be a "tilt" circuit for a blade, either front or back mount. I would have found this useful this winter when my ditch was filled with snow and the water had no place to run except down the middle of the driveway when the snow started to melt. I was able to take care of it with the blower but it was allot of back and forth across the driveway with the tractor. If I could have tilted a blade down on one side I could have channeled the water off the driveway much easier. Thanks for starting the thread Gordyy. -DTS-

 

[gtrippleb]

I stopped by the dealer today to look over the connections on the Sc2450 to start my rear remote project. After looking it over and taking some pictures to compare to my Sc2400 when I got home, this addition seems pretty simple. Much easier then when I first looked at adding remotes.

Looking at the loader valve, the top left port is the power beyond port.
Currently on the Sc2400 this line runs to the rear port on the control valve, the one under the seat which controls the 3-point.

On the Sc2450, this line goes to the backhoe coupler bracket under the seat that holds the coupler for the backhoe, which then is connected to the "IN Port" on the backhoe valve. This is Line 5 in the picture on page 126. The return line from the backhoe valve then connects to the rear port on the control valve. This would be the equivalent to line 7 in the picture on page 126. Since the parts manual doesn't show the lines from the backhoe in picture 126, line 7 completes the circuit. The backhoe valve is located in another section in the parts manual.

My intention is run both lines to the backhoe coupler bracket. Then from there run a line to the 3 or 4 spool valve, I'm still deciding on which to get, and back to the coupler bracket. I feel this would be the easiest way to allow me to unhook the remote valve if I decide to remove it from the tractor at some point instead of running lines directly to the remote valve.

I have to call the dealer back on Monday and have him order some differernt parts as some of the stuff I ordered I don't need now that I know how things are routed/connected. I told the parts guy I would probably need to order some other parts so he wasn't going to place the order yet. It looks to be around $100 or so for the hoses, coupler bracket, and other items. Then depending on which valve I get along with all of the couplers needed, it will probably be another $200 to $300. I picked up a JD rear remote kit for $75 off of ebay so I can use the hoses and couplers in it to hook up to the valve. Otherwise it would probably be another $300 to $400.

The picture of the valves is from the Sc2400. The other picture is the backhoe coupler bracket which is about $12 from the dealer.

 

[gtrippleb]

I got a call from the dealer yesterday that my parts are in. So I'll be picking them up tomorrow. I don't know if I'll get a chance to hook up things this weekend or not.

I was wondering if anyone might know if I'll need to drain the hydro fluid when I swap out the hoses? I need to do my 50 hours service as I'm a little behind, 69 hours on it, so I might just drain the fluid and replace the hoses at the same time.

I haven't picked up a valve yet so I'm just running lines to the back of the tractor for now.

 

[gtrippleb]

I thought I would give an update. It's been a slow process since starting a new job in September and working out of town 4 days a week.

I ordered a 4 spool valve from surplus center, which came today.

Friday I'm heading over to WildKat/Mid State Equipment to have them build a 36" grapple to go on the CL100 loader. I live about an hour away and since I work out of town during the week, I figure I can drop the tractor off and let them build the grapple and the attachment points and then pick it up at the end of next week.

I figured this would also allow them to take measurements to have on hand incase anyone else with a sc2400/2450 would want them to build a grapple for their machine. Talking with Connie, she thinks it will still cost $599 but I'm hoping it will be less as the 48" is $599.

I have to pick up a few more parts to complete the plumbing and build a mount to put the valve on, but I probably won't get to it for a few more weeks. Maybe by christmas I'll have everything hooked up. I could have used a grapple last week when I cleaned up a dead tree that fell over.

 

[CubCadetGuy]

Did you guys ever complete these projects? I'm thinking of doing the same sort of thing, for two main reasons: a down pressure kit on a post hole digger and a wood splitter.