Bucket not level from left to right

[putt_putt_green]

Whenever I put my bucket down, the left side hits the ground first (even in my pole barn, which is level). Is this normal and is there a way to adjust this?

Note this is for a Deere 3520 with a 300CX loader.

 

[SkunkWerX]

Adjust tire pressure in the front tires until it's level? OK, bad joke.

Take measurements from your frame, where it mounts to the tractor, to make sure they are equidistant from the ground.
Then work your way forward, on each side to see if you can detect where the difference begins.

OR, start at the front, with bucket about 12 inches off of the ground, measure from each mount point, where the bucket attaches, this will prove out whether the bucket is bent.

But start with proper tire pressure all the way around.

 

[daTeacha]

I don't know how normal it is, but mine sets the right side down about 1/2 inch before the left. Whether or not you can adjust or want to bother with it will depend on the type of loader and tractor you have.

In any case the first thing to check is tire pressure -- all four corners. Make sure the two sides are equal on both ends. The front should be different from the rear, but left/right should be the same on either axle. Next, if it's a QD loader, make sure it's mounted properly. Then check the loader frame for level when the tractor is sitting level -- use a level or tape measure, don't just eyeball it. If tire pressures are okay, the frame is straight and level, and the frame is square to the center line of the tractor, check the arms just behind the bucket and see if they are level -- again use a level or a tape from a level floor. Finally, check the bucket itself -- the mounting points may be off a little from one side to the other.

All it amounts to is a process of checking everything that might result in one side touching down first. Eliminate possible causes one by one until you find something that isn't square and level. Then you can go about figuring out how to fix it if it still bothers you.

I was pretty concerned about mine at first, but soon figured out that a difference of 1/2 inch over 5 feet of bucket width wasn't going matter one iota when I'm scraping manure out of the barn, hauling brush, moving firewood, moving mulch or whatever else I do with the thing. I don't plan to enter it in anything resembling a concours competition for compact tractors, nor to compete in making a perfectly level surface out of what used to be a pile of manure in the barnyard either, and so decided to just live with it.

I suspect there are very few tractor/loader combinations out there that are perfectly level.

 

[DavesTractor]

Whenever I put my bucket down, the left side hits the ground first (even in my pole barn, which is level). Is this normal and is there a way to adjust this?

Note this is for a Deere 3520 with a 300CX loader.

How far off level is it? 1/2" or less may be acceptible, 1/4" or less is probably good. Over a 1/2" doesn't cut it in my book. Check rear tire pressure, front pressure matters little as the front axle is on a pivot. If all is well there, do the measuring as advised and try to see if it has shifted some on the mounts, or if the mounts have shifted some on the tractor. Worse case scenario is a bent loader, but that generally isn't the case.

 

[SkunkWerX]

Putt Putt,

Dateacha has a point, how much difference are we talking?

1/2" or less, I wouldn't let it bother me. If it was 2 inches, and I'd start wondering why it off by that much.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Assuming you have a quick attach bucket, are both sides fully pushed into the attachment system?

Could the bucket itself be bent?

Look at the loader arms and the curl cylinders - are they equal or is one off? I haven't heard of it before, but I have to think it's possible for the curl cylinders to get out of sync.

 

[putt_putt_green]

I'm guessing 2 inches at most, but of course the tractor is not near me right now. I'll check out all the suggestions. It's been like this since day one. I was assuming there was some type of adjustment to make to the hydraulics, again over analyzing the situation. I'll check it everyone's suggestions out when I get home from work.

 

[MrJimi]

Have you lifted something heavy with the left side? if so, just lift something heavy with the right side and be very careful

 

[RoyJackson]

I'm guessing 2 inches at most, but of course the tractor is not near me right now. I'll check out all the suggestions. It's been like this since day one. I was assuming there was some type of adjustment to make to the hydraulics, again over analyzing the situation. I'll check it everyone's suggestions out when I get home from work.

Since it's been off since day one, this is a good question for your dealer.

I would suggest (as others have) checking all tire pressures (if your rear tires are filled, you'll want to jack the tractor up, rotate so the valve stem is at 12:00 and use an air/liquid tire gage)
When your bucket is down and level (preferably on concrete or other hard level surface), measure to the top of the bucket (to eliminate the bucket being twisted). If those measurements reflect the same twist as the bucket lip (cutting edge), measure to the top of the masts (the vertical members of the loader that fit into the receptacles on the tractor frame) and see what you get there. If those measurements are more then ½" (that's an arbitrary number on my part) different, I would definitely contact the dealer.

Also, Z_Michigan wrote about the bucket being fully seated on the loader frame. This is unlikely as there are spuds welded on the bucket that go into holes in the loader frame. However, one of those spuds could be welded in the wrong location. You can visually compare the spuds one side to the other. Also, when you measure to the top of the bucket, you should see this type discrepancy in the measurements.

I haven't read all the posts in this thread. Have you removed and re-installed the loader yet? If so, are both masts fully seated in the receptacles?

 

[BobG_in_VA]

Lots of good advice here...however, I don't think I've seen the major cause of "bucket droop" listed yet. Take a good 1/2" impact wrench with the correct size sockets and tighten the loader frame on the tractor!! I noticed about a year after I got my tractor/loader that the bucket seemed to "list" a tad one way. After thorough inspection, I couldn't find any problems with the bucket, et al....a friend of mine reached down and hand turned a couple of the bolts holding the loader frame on to the tractor!! Don't know if this will cure your ill, but it sure helped mine. I do a tighten up on the loader frame bolts now about every 6 months. Good luck....BobG in VA

 

[SkunkWerX]

Everyone has added excellent points, but I'll give Roy the #1 spot for this single sentence:

Since it's been off since day one, this is a good question for your dealer.

It's still nice to take th measurements and be informed about what might be the problem, but, if nothing simple shows itself, I'd ask the dealer.

 

[sandman2234]

This may be a little off the wall, but if your tire pressures match and it didn't help, take a few seconds to look at each tire and make sure it matches the one across from it. If you bought it used, someone could have ruined a tire and just put the closest thing they could find on it. My Steiner has had the tires replaced and when I started doing that, the replacement size tires don't match the originals. Same size, same ply rating, they just don't have the same sidewall constuction which makes a tiny bit of difference so I started replacing them two at a time.
David from jax

 

[Ford850]

Check your bucket for twist too. Mine came that way new, off by approximately an inch from left to right. I checked all the measurments and tire pressure as suggested, and then noticed I could see the twist in the bucket while sitting in the tractor seat. Raise/lower the cutting edge of the bucket until you can line it up with the top/back edge of the bucket through line of sight. That's when I can see the twist the twist in mine. I searched this sight for bucket twist and found it to be a common problem for all brands.

 

[putt_putt_green]

Well, all, I looked at it further this morning before coming into work.

The tractor is 3 months old, so all tires should be be new.

Before doing anything, The bucket was 2 inches higher on the right than the left. Measuring from the floor to the grease nipples on the loader arms indicated that the right side of the loader arms were higher than the left side from many nipple locations.

I then checked the tire pressures. The left rear tire was low, so I put air in that tire to match the right tire. This doesn't seem like it would make any difference for this problem. The front tires were identical in tire pressure.

I took the bucket off, and the quick attach points on the loader arms were still offset by 2 inches. So the bucket is straight. The heaviest thing I've lifted is buckets of dry clay. It's a HD bucket with a tooth bar.

When the salesman arrived with the brand new tractor on day one, we took the loader arms off the tractor and put them back on. We had some problems since we weren't on level ground. So I took the loader arms off this morning. With the loader arms off, the mounts hubs for the loader are the same height. I put the arms back on, and now the bucket is 1 1/8 inch higher on the right then the left, which is much better than the 2 inches.

It also looks like the left hydraulic cylinder and right hydraulic cylinder are not extended the same amount. I think there is about 1/2 inch of difference (if I remember correctly). I may be the real problem.

I'll check to make sure the mounts are tight on the tractor. I'll take another look tonight, or tomorrow morning. If it's still off, I'll contact my dealer.

 

[gabby]

A twisted bucket is easily corrected.

Pull the pin from the tilt cylinder on the high side, then put a load on that corner of the bucket until the twist is pulled out. Been there done that.

 

[sandman2234]

With a 3 month old tractor, I agree on you making the call to the dealer.
David from jax

 

[daTeacha]

If the cylinders look to be unequally extended, it might indicate that a cylinder mounting point is a little off. Measure the distance from the pivot point to either end of both cylinders. If these are not even, any difference would be multiplied through the length of the arms.

Regarding the rear tires affecting things -- the tractor has no springs. A low tire in the rear would act like one short leg on a table and have the effect of raising the diagonally opposite front corner. You wouldn't see it in the front tires since the front axle pivots, but the chassis of the tractor will be different. The loader is hanging pretty far out in front and the length of the loader arms would increase the amount of difference it would cause, just as the end of yardstick extended from the corner of that table would be raised more than the table itself.

 

[SPYDERLK]

You have cause for complaint to the dealer. Here is something fairly simple to try before kicking it back.

• 
  Park the tractor on a level flat surface with the low point of bucket just touching.
  Loosen ALL mount bolts to the tractor about 1/2 turn.
  Lower the bucket til it sits flat all across. At most just a little hyd pressure.
  Retighten bolts.

Sometimes, just a little twist at the bolted points will show up big @ the front.
larry

 

[putt_putt_green]

A low tire in the rear would act like one short leg on a table and have the effect of raising the diagonally opposite front corner.

OK this makes sense.

Park the tractor on a level flat surface with the low point of bucket just touching. Loosen ALL mount bolts to the tractor about 1/2 turn.
Lower the bucket til it sits flat all across. At most just a little hyd pressure.
Retighten bolts.

I'll try this, but probably not until Friday.

Further investigation reveals the following. Where the loader arms mount on the tractor, one arm is leaning forward at least an inch more than the other loader arm (measurements taking using a level sitting on the floorboard and measuring using a ruler to the top of the rear part of the loader armsa). I don't have the angle measurement since I currently don't have a way to measure the angle. There is about 1/8 inch difference in the height of the mount posts. Looking at the design, it looks like the arms just float on the mount posts, so it doesn't seem like this would change the angle. Looks like a call to the dealer in is order.

Again, thanks for the suggestions everyone.

 

[SkunkWerX]

You have cause for complaint to the dealer. Here is something fairly simple to try before kicking it back.

• 
  Park the tractor on a level flat surface with the low point of bucket just touching.
  Loosen ALL mount bolts to the tractor about 1/2 turn.
  Lower the bucket til it sits flat all across. At most just a little hyd pressure.
  Retighten bolts.

Sometimes, just a little twist at the bolted points will show up big @ the front.
larry

I'm liking this suggestion from Spyderlk, after checking tires pressure, of course.
Spyderlk's process won't mess anything up, and could easily be the remedy.
When they assemble tractors and FELs at the dealer, I'm guessing they've done it so often, that they may skip some of the finer tuning steps.

i would add, fdepending on how tight the lockwashers are, and the size of the bolts, you may need to loosen a little bit more than 1/2 turn, but, it's certainly the right idea!

Good Luck.