FEL Control Lever Thingy

[Jay4200]

Stupid question, but I an reveling in my ignorance:

My LA680 FEL control has a flip-down piece of slotted metal right at the bottom of the lever. What's that thing do? I've always wondered if it is useful in some way...

JayC

 

[Reg]

It is a guard.
It is meant to help you NOT put the lever there by accident or inattention.
Of course, you have to be attentive enough to leave it in the blocking position (-:

 

[Jay4200]

It is a guard.
It is meant to help you NOT put the lever there by accident or inattention.
Of course, you have to be attentive enough to leave it in the blocking position (-:

Sure, but it doesn't seem to prevent anything. I originally thought that it prevented the bucket from being dropped, as a safety measure. However, I seem to remember doing an experiment once, but it didn't prevent the bucket from dropping. I don't remember if it was a power down or float though - maybe it prevents the bucket from going into float?

JayC

 

[radioman]

I have the same thing on my BX. Its to prevent the FEL from being used. It will not prevent leak downs due to leaky valve or seals. I use it when I take the FEL off to prevent accidental deadheading. Another use would if I have the FEL in the air for any reason and I need to get off the tractor, I flip the lever for safety.

 

[JTPass]

I believe it is to be used when you are removing and installing the loader to the tractor. If it is what I am thinking, it is put down so that the control lever is in the slot. That way the loader will only operate very slowly to aid in removing and installing. I had an older L2550 with the same thing and that is what it was for on that tractor. It will prevent you from abrupt movements of the loader.

 

[brandoro]

Something similar is on my current tractor and on the B7610 I had before. When I asked the dealer about it he said it was to prevent accidental movement of the joystick. He mentioned a "for instance". A customer was transporting the tractor, as fast as it would go under its own power, and had his som riding along, the son bumped or grabbed the joystick and dropped the bucket to the ground. They were both bruised up some and significant damage done to the FEL bucket and arms. Could have been worse, nothing that money couldn't fix.
In case you feel too safe when you have the joystick locked, the lock only prevents accidental movement of the joystick, it will not prevent the FEL from falling on you in the event of a burst hose or other similar event.

 

[Reg]

I only looked at it a long time ago when test playing, it seemed like a fair idea at the time.
For whatever all other reasons I didn't buy that loader or the tractor that it was on.
I think I've seen something similar on the smaller Kubotas as well.

I do NOT remember which function it inhibited, slowed, or it might even have locked the lever into.

 

[Jay4200]

I have the same thing on my BX. Its to prevent the FEL from being used. It will not prevent leak downs due to leaky valve or seals. I use it when I take the FEL off to prevent accidental deadheading. Another use would if I have the FEL in the air for any reason and I need to get off the tractor, I flip the lever for safety.

Have you tried pushing the control lever forward with the thingy flipped down? My control still engages the 'down' position, and the bucket still drops, so no safety feature there...

JayC

 

[radioman]

my BX FEL doesnt move once I flip lock to right.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Pretty certain it's to keep the FEL thingy from being used accidentally or on purpose. That's what dealer told me and I believe him. I do transport my Grands from time to time and would lock it if I didn't want them moving the FEL.

 

[jb62901]

Per my KA203 - LA243 Kubota Front Loader Manual It ia valve lock to prevent accidental actuation when implement is not in use or during transport. The lock is not intended and will not prevent a leak down of implement during the period of storage.

 

[Jay4200]

Per my KA203 - LA243 Kubota Front Loader Manual It ia valve lock to prevent accidental actuation when implement is not in use or during transport. The lock is not intended and will not prevent a leak down of implement during the period of storage.

Mine is a slot that goes front to back (flips from the front), so it will prevent the bucket curl function. It does not, however, have any effect on the up-down function of the loader arms.

I am going to be working with my tractor tonight - I'll try to remember to play with it and see if I can figure out exactly what it does/doesn't inhibit.

JayC

 

[taborekle]

I've used mine only once. My neighboor needed her driving mower blades sharpened. I picked it up with straps under her mower and over the FEL bucket. I could lift it a few feet off the ground. Before I crawled under the suspended mower, I locked the FEL and then tested the joystick to make sure it wouldn't move. Only then did I get under her mower to sharpen the blades.

 

[rdsaustintx]

Last time I flipped mine, the president got a Nobel prize.

Go figure.

 

[kennyd]

Last time I flipped mine, the president got a Nobel prize.

Go figure.

Holy Crap! Please do not do that again In fact, please remove it and destroy it.

 

[kennyd]

I've used mine only once. My neighboor needed her driving mower blades sharpened. I picked it up with straps under her mower and over the FEL bucket. I could lift it a few feet off the ground. Before I crawled under the suspended mower, I locked the FEL and then tested the joystick to make sure it wouldn't move. Only then did I get under her mower to sharpen the blades.

You got under there with just the loader holding it up You are a brave man.

 

[Jay4200]

I've used mine only once. My neighboor needed her driving mower blades sharpened. I picked it up with straps under her mower and over the FEL bucket. I could lift it a few feet off the ground. Before I crawled under the suspended mower, I locked the FEL and then tested the joystick to make sure it wouldn't move. Only then did I get under her mower to sharpen the blades.

OK - I was wrong all along, and I apologize. I checked out my flippy-thing yesterday, and sure enough, it prevents all actuation except 'up' - tractor is 40 miles away, so it sometimes takes some time to get these experiments completed. I don't know what I remembered, but I'm convinced that the bucket dropped with the thingy flipped - it's pretty old and sloppy though, so maybe if I push real hard it'll still drop - don't know.

I quoted the above post simply because I was doing the same thing during this little test. I use a lawn tractor w/ snowblower to clear the 750' driveway at my camp/house (in theory - both are new). The little tractor had a drivetrain failure 2 minutes before it had it's first use. I brought the little tractor home yesterday, and used my L4200 to hoist it up into my pickup. I only dropped it once before I got it in (it was ugly).

Good news is that I fixed the lil' guy last night, so it's ready to blow snow. Bad news is that I used my big tractor w/ FEL to push snow yesterday since the little guy was down - and a FEL does such a horrible job (about the worst snow-removal tool there is for a long and narrow drive) that it's going to take me twice as long as it took me to clear to fix the mess it made.

JayC