CK20hst hill climb

[chelydra]

Only 16 hours, and more fun every minute. Should have bought this beast years ago.

I've been moving a lot of topsoil and wood chips. Really need a tooth bar for the FEL; it's not always practical to break up ground with the hoe. Is the bucket edge strong enough to mount one? Is there anything cheaper than the $300 Kubota or Bobcat jobs?

I was pushing chips around to move some piles, and was suprised to stall out going up-slope. I'm staying below 2500 RPM due to the low hours, but thought that should be enough power in low range to get up any hill. Am I doing something wrong? I didn't think to get into 4WD; will try that next time.

I'm not too worried about the chips, but will soon be going up and down a very steep dirt road. Sure hate to have to leave the tractor in the bottom of a valley because I can't drive it home.

Thanks-

NBB

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Shift to low range, it should climb like a goat.

 

[KiotiJohn]

Next time do think to put it into 4WD. With a loader full of almost anything, and going up a slope in two wheel drive, you're putting a lot of stress on it. I'm a little surprised it stalled out though, actually quit? Another thing. When you start to hear it lug down, come off that treadle pedal a little as this will give you the equivalent of a lower gear, better for pulling. All the way down is like a higher gear in a manual transmission. Same in high range, less pedal = more torque/pulling power. Ease up on the pedal and let the engine recover a bit, then you can ease the pedal down a little at a time. Always try to apply pedal pressure at a rate that doesn't lug the tractor down. Takes just a bit of practice to get used to the idea that that pedal is not a "gas" pedal, but part of the transmission.
Good tractoring to you, and when using the loader, 4X4 it!
John
EDIT: Another thing. Don't worry so much about the RPM for the breakin as you should about lugging the tractor down. You do more damage by putting it into a strain than simply running it out. Besides, 2500 is almost to rated speed anyway. Use the tractor pretty much as you plan to always use it, keeping in mind that dragging that engine way down needlessly does more harm than simple RPM rate. John

 

[mathey]

RE: toothbars...look up in the "attachments" section or do a search, there's at least 3 current toothbar discussions /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[bigtractor]

Tooth bars are cheap a good Woods bar runs about $250.

 

[Ranashi]

As far as hills go I would have to say you must have been in high range or catching on something. I am working on reclaiming a slopped lot now. I would bet you are not working any more slopped than I have with my CK20HST - I cannot climb the hill in high range at all. If I have the backhoe on going up forward my front tires skim the ground if not completely come up. In reverse on some parts I have actually found I have needed to use the front end loader to move me back out of the holes I am working in. Very very rarely do I ever find it running out of power climbing unless I get to the point I am needing the front end loader to push me up a hill. Oh and the first time the front tires come up off the ground and you start rolling back onto the backhoe climbing a hill is a whole thrill of its own! Welcome to the pack!!

 

[dieselchaser]

When the driver dropped off my CK20HST this week, he cautioned me that they find that the engines go thru a breakin period where they dont develop their full power until somewhere between 30 and 50 hours of use. Said to keep it in low range so as not to get discouraged with the power......and to not lug it down. After 50 hours he said it will climb most anything...even in high range!

 

[GerardC]

<font color="blue"> Really need a tooth bar for the FEL </font>

<font color="blue"> Is there anything cheaper than the $300 Kubota or Bobcat jobs? </font>

Yes. Click here.... MarkhamWelding

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Said to keep it in low range so as not to get discouraged with the power......and to not lug it down. After 50 hours he said it will climb most anything...even in high range! )</font>
I wonder what planet that guy was from?
There is no difference in the power between 0 and 50 hours, use the tractor in either range, but keep in mind that high is mostly for transport, not the work. It won't get any stronger after the break in. The advice about not lugging the engine was about the only valid words out of his mouth. The new parts are mating, and lugging can cause problems, but pretty much you can use the tractor as you wish.
John

 

[dieselchaser]

Being the first diesel I've owned I took him at his word....guy looked like he had been born on a tractor for petes sake. I have noticed the same kind of power issue as pointed out in the beginning of the thread, and I have kept it in 4 wheel. Maybe I'm not giving enough RPM's, I probably havent been much above 2000. Where do you normally run when working with the FEL?

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Where do you normally run when working with the FEL? )</font>
Depending on how fast I want the loader to move, between 2200 and 2600 RPM. Go ahead and run it up, just don't load it up so much that it lugs down and you'll be fine. Remember also to change to 2WD if you're working on hard surfaces such as asphalt or concrete.
John

 

[chelydra]

Thanks for the welcome. Great group! This beast is such a blast - if I ever actually catch up on necessities, I think I'll be making up a lot of new projects. Loader is easy when I remember to set aside my Bobcat reflexes. Starting to get smooth with the BH. I notice that some functions can be coordinated, while others are valved so it's one-or-the-other.

On hill climbing: I've tried to stay out of 4WD to avoid wear and strain, as warned in this list. I use high range only for fast transport; normally work on 2WD-low. I keep RPM around 2000 for most work, up to 2500 for heavy lifting. Careful to avoid lugging, so no actual stalls. But it really does slow down going up hills; much worse on wwod chips than on solid ground. maybe I'll get a few more hours (up to 17 now) before running full RPM and trying my main hill. It's about a 1:5 grade, I'm guessing; maybe even 1:4 at one point. But a TLB should be able to climb that when empty, right? When I rented a Bobcat T180, it scrambled right up with half a ton of dirt in the bucket, even at 2/3 power setting. I have not had problems with wheel spin (industrial tires), even in mud. On a couple of occasions when something slipped, pressing down the cross-lock pedal for a second got me right out. Great design!

Thanks again for all the useful tips.

-NBB

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( On hill climbing: I've tried to stay out of 4WD to avoid wear and strain, as warned in this list. )</font>
I think you'd reduce the wear and strain by not trying to go up the hills in 2WD, and you'll go up more safely as well. It's best to use 4 WD when climbing around on hills, and I doubt you'll be doing very much wear really. The only real problem is on hard asphalt or concrete surfaces where the fronts can't spin as they turn at a different rate than the rears. The hard surfaces could cause problems, but in dirt, no problem.
John

 

[RedRocker]

If I'm on dirt, I'm in 4WD, that's what it's made for. I think of it this way, it's more strain to put all the stress on one set of wheels when you have two sets to share the load. As far as wear and tear, I hope I live long enough to wear my tractor out. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif