WaxMan
Veteran Member
You may have seen my Electronic Fel Indicator in another thread, and you may have seen my custom shift control knob also in another thread.
In this thread those two combined with a couple of solenoid controlled hydraulic valves, and a few relays.
I now have what I call Auto Level Stop Control on my Grand L 40
Some pictures and explaining from the beginning in case someone has no idea what I'm talking about.
I made the indicator from a block of aluminum and it is mounted in the loop bracket the factory indicator rod slid through.
My fel indicator light shown above with the green bar in the middle and the two arrow lights does the same exact thing as the Factory Kubota Fel indicator rod. Only instead of indicating bucket level by the bent rod in the loop, mine lights up green when level. The up or down arrows indicate one inch before and after level and let you know which way to curl to find level.
If at any time that factory bent rod on the Kubota is in the center of the loop, the bucket is level when it touches the ground, same with my light indicator if its green, the bucket will be level on the ground.
But,
Whether you have a rod and loop indicator, a steel rod with marks on it, the bent piece of metal on top of the bucket, a light like mine Or use just plain operator skill to find bucket level, (once the bucket is on the ground)
Which ever one that you use, you still have to look and adjust each time you curl your bucket.
We all do it one way or another, but on the larger more expensive loaders the professional operators don't have to look for level, the loader stops at level for them.
Now so does my Grand L 40
Is it necessary? Maybe not, But it makes a nice option and works very well.
The valves are mounted right on the fel quick disconnect so you just unplug when removing the fel. The relays are mounted under the shifter behind the side panel.
This is how it works,
I have a push button and a green light on the base of my Fel control knob, The fel works normally when the green indicator light is off on the control knob.
When the button on the control knob is pressed and released, the green pilot light comes on the control knob and stays on as shown below.
Anytime the green light is on, the system is activated and waiting for the level control signal from my rod sensor. Anytime the bucket is curled and my rod sensor is activated, the curl hydraulics are cut off, stopping and locking the bucket at level position.
Just hit the button again, the light goes out on the fel control knob, the Fel returns to normal operation and will not stop when the level sensor is activated. You now have to manually stop on the indicators.
So you dump the load in your bucket, as you're backing up, lowering the loader arms etc. hit the button once and just curl, the bucket will automatically stop at level, without you having to watch and find the level spot by the indicators.
Then go scoop up your next load, at any time after your bucket stops at level, just hit the button again to disengage the circuit. The green light will go out on the control knob indicating the fel is ready to curl without stopping at level, you're now back to manual control.
So its operation is pretty simple.
Dump it, hit the button, curl it, bucket stops at level, hit the button again, go for another load, Dump it, repeat.
Really, no need for any light, or any other kind of level indicator, the bucket stops at level every time you have it on.
(The curl lever will not work again in either direction once stopped and locked at level, until you hit the button again) so you will never over or under curl the bucket. Unless you want to by hitting the button again.
Now I'm not saying everyone needs this, Or anyone will want this. I'm just showing what I did on my tractor.
The Grand L with HST Plus has a dial that you can adjust the sensitivity of the transmission, 12 different steps, Why not also have a bucket level system to adjust to the job you're doing. Maybe someday they will have this on smaller tractors. How about a digital readout that you could just dial in the degree of level or off level that you wanted for the repetitive job your're doing.
But for now, you can say WaxMan did it, on his tractor.
I still have the two red arrow sensors and I could easily have the option with a three position switch to have it stop on any of the three, Up, Level or Down.
Maybe later,
I know for me before the ground is frozen in the winter on my gravel part of the driveway, I always used the down arrow, which indicates the blade is tipped up 1 inch so I don't dig up the driveway.
Here is a short video showing how it works.
Note
The tractor and Fel are bouncing a lot in the video because I had the RPM's way up high to show how fast it will work and still stop at level.
In this thread those two combined with a couple of solenoid controlled hydraulic valves, and a few relays.
I now have what I call Auto Level Stop Control on my Grand L 40
Some pictures and explaining from the beginning in case someone has no idea what I'm talking about.
I made the indicator from a block of aluminum and it is mounted in the loop bracket the factory indicator rod slid through.
My fel indicator light shown above with the green bar in the middle and the two arrow lights does the same exact thing as the Factory Kubota Fel indicator rod. Only instead of indicating bucket level by the bent rod in the loop, mine lights up green when level. The up or down arrows indicate one inch before and after level and let you know which way to curl to find level.
If at any time that factory bent rod on the Kubota is in the center of the loop, the bucket is level when it touches the ground, same with my light indicator if its green, the bucket will be level on the ground.
But,
Whether you have a rod and loop indicator, a steel rod with marks on it, the bent piece of metal on top of the bucket, a light like mine Or use just plain operator skill to find bucket level, (once the bucket is on the ground)
Which ever one that you use, you still have to look and adjust each time you curl your bucket.
We all do it one way or another, but on the larger more expensive loaders the professional operators don't have to look for level, the loader stops at level for them.
Now so does my Grand L 40
Is it necessary? Maybe not, But it makes a nice option and works very well.
The valves are mounted right on the fel quick disconnect so you just unplug when removing the fel. The relays are mounted under the shifter behind the side panel.
This is how it works,
I have a push button and a green light on the base of my Fel control knob, The fel works normally when the green indicator light is off on the control knob.
When the button on the control knob is pressed and released, the green pilot light comes on the control knob and stays on as shown below.
Anytime the green light is on, the system is activated and waiting for the level control signal from my rod sensor. Anytime the bucket is curled and my rod sensor is activated, the curl hydraulics are cut off, stopping and locking the bucket at level position.
Just hit the button again, the light goes out on the fel control knob, the Fel returns to normal operation and will not stop when the level sensor is activated. You now have to manually stop on the indicators.
So you dump the load in your bucket, as you're backing up, lowering the loader arms etc. hit the button once and just curl, the bucket will automatically stop at level, without you having to watch and find the level spot by the indicators.
Then go scoop up your next load, at any time after your bucket stops at level, just hit the button again to disengage the circuit. The green light will go out on the control knob indicating the fel is ready to curl without stopping at level, you're now back to manual control.
So its operation is pretty simple.
Dump it, hit the button, curl it, bucket stops at level, hit the button again, go for another load, Dump it, repeat.
Really, no need for any light, or any other kind of level indicator, the bucket stops at level every time you have it on.
(The curl lever will not work again in either direction once stopped and locked at level, until you hit the button again) so you will never over or under curl the bucket. Unless you want to by hitting the button again.
Now I'm not saying everyone needs this, Or anyone will want this. I'm just showing what I did on my tractor.
The Grand L with HST Plus has a dial that you can adjust the sensitivity of the transmission, 12 different steps, Why not also have a bucket level system to adjust to the job you're doing. Maybe someday they will have this on smaller tractors. How about a digital readout that you could just dial in the degree of level or off level that you wanted for the repetitive job your're doing.
But for now, you can say WaxMan did it, on his tractor.
I still have the two red arrow sensors and I could easily have the option with a three position switch to have it stop on any of the three, Up, Level or Down.
Maybe later,
I know for me before the ground is frozen in the winter on my gravel part of the driveway, I always used the down arrow, which indicates the blade is tipped up 1 inch so I don't dig up the driveway.
Here is a short video showing how it works.
Note
The tractor and Fel are bouncing a lot in the video because I had the RPM's way up high to show how fast it will work and still stop at level.
Last edited:
Well done. EDIT: I see you covered that...
