Bx23 3 point thitch lever

[gerford]

My 3 point hitch lever has started to stay in the "up" position when I raise the mower deck. Usually when the deck reaches the top of it's range the lever would automatically return to center. It now stays in the raise position and you can hear the hydraulics straining. I took it to the dealer and the mechanic says its about a 6 hour job to get at something inside that rusted and its not worth fixing because it will happen again. He also said it happens when you keep the backhoe on the BX a lot.
It doesn't sound quite right.
A couple of questions are:
Any idea what would keep the lever from going back to neutral?
If this happens to BX's and even fixing it doesn't help since it comes back, there must be a bunch of BX's with the same problem. Anybody else have the same problem?
Does it hurt to keep the handle in the "up" position since you can hear the hydraulics strain. My nephews sometimes mow the grass and hate to have them damage the machine by accident.
Thanks

 

[oldnslo]

Yes, if the lever stays in the raise position you will cook the oil since it is going over the relief valve and creating heat. If some thing is rusting or sticking i would expect penetrating oil should loosen it back up but do not know where the linkage is binding.

 

[Earl Ohl]

I took it to the dealer and the mechanic says its about a 6 hour job to get at something inside that rusted and its not worth fixing because it will happen again. He also said it happens when you keep the backhoe on the BX a lot.
It doesn't sound quite right.

I'd get myself to another dealer. Any mechanic that tells you something like that is not someone that you want anywhere near your tractor, in my opinion.

 

[gerford]

I was thinking that what he said did'nt make sense and since I've never heard about it on here it can't be a common problem.

 

[rlsmith]

My BX23 will do the same thing if not used, ie over winter time when I have the BH and FEL on and don't use the lever. All I have done is spray lubricant at all the joints before winter and then again in the spring and right after pressure washing mud that gets up in there. Spray and move the lever back and forth and give it a test with half throttle. If it don't go back to the natural repeat until it does.

 

[bellweather]

Mine has done that since new, and I have no idea how to fix it. I move the lever back manually.

 

[ibnxe]

Mine has gotten stiff multiple times over the years. I spray down the linkage with WD40 and work the lever back and forth until it loosens up.

 

[gerford]

The tractor was in the shop already and I asked them to look at it so maybe I'll have to live with it if some lube doesn't free it up. Maybe I'll keep spraying lube and hope it frees up. The local dealer, SouthWest AG,has always done me well so I trust what they say.