GRIPES about my TSG-50 Stump Grinder GRRRRR!!!!

[MossflowerWoods]

I am covered in hyd fluid from head to toe.
I probably need to burn my clothes.

I got so furious I could feel my stomach disintergrating.

Why you ask?

Simply because I could NOT get the HYD return line that raises and lowers the grinding head to connect. NOTHING I could do would relieve the pressure, I simply could NOT get it connected.:mur:

I tried popping the connector against the 3pt until I got a little squirt of fluid. Works with my grapple. No way. NOTHING would relieve the pressure.

My dealer told me to hook up the arms and then the hyd lines, and use the grinder wheel to stand up the frame until the top link lined up. I could not do that, so I got my wife to drive and I stood on the frame as she pulled forward at a creep until I cold hook up the top link.

Now I thought I could relieve the pressure.

NOPE.

NOTHING I tried until finally in desperate fit of rage I pressed the hyd connector agains the frame and used my body weight and got a huge splash of fluid. but still not enough to connect the line.:mur:

I had to hold the connector open until the ram for the grinder was ALL THE WAY DOWN and hanging before I could get the @#$%^ thing to connect.

I am not sure I have ever been that mad.
I know I've never worn that much hyd fluid.

There HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I am sure this is all because I am a silly n00b and making stupid mistakes, but good grief, it needs to make enough sense a reletively smart fella like myself can figure it out.

I have a meeting tonight, but I'm all ears if you have any ideas.

I have a second gripe, but I'll write it up tomorrow.

Good night TBN.
David

 

[Gordon Gould]

I am just guessing here. I have never seen a grinder so I might be wrong.
I would say the weight of the head and gravity was the pressure source you had to fight with. Next time you remove it set it down so that it is resting on something and there is no gravitational forces on the ram. Leave the hose on until the 3ph is all disconnected. Then turn off tractor. Move hydraulic controls to release pressure. Then disconnect hoses. When hooking up connect hoses first before you move it to connect the 3ph. Like you would for your loader.
At least now you know what to do.

 

[devildog1]

Gordon is right on I believe. Once your through with your grinder do cycle all hydro controls and make sure there is no pressure on any thing that is hydro run. Then disconnect, just like FEL or Backhoe removal you can't have any pressure on equipment when hooking up.
DevilDog

 

[Sawdustsmb]

Would putting a ball valve in that line work - turning it off so it doesn't have to be lowered?

 

[derek01]

I may be missing with the numerous threads I have read about not being able to relieve the pressure but when I run into this problem I put a pair of wrenches on the quick release and hose and loosen slightly holding the threaded area over a pail and a loosen slightly allowing the oil to drain into the pail loosen ONLY SLIGHTLY! It works I have been pulling wrenches a long time and have done this to relieve the pressure on many different systems.

 

[catdozer]

Hydraulics can be very strange at times. But On the Deere 2700 ripper there's ball valves by the couplers so pressure can be on the valves instead of couplers. And if you do forget to close a Valve close it then press the ball so your not emptying all the Fluid from the cylinders just that maybe 2 inch gap between the ball and valve. And with a valve it gives you more of a handle to hook up.

 

[foggy1111]

Yep.....I have a grinder such as caused you the issues here. You do need to let all the cylinders down and let all the pressure off the system BEFORE you disconnect the hoses.

If you mess up (BTDT) and the easy solutions don't work......the best way is to crack open one of the connectors with wrenches to releive the pressure. Then hooking up is easy.

I can remember being upset at my grapple under similar conditions. Next time you will remember. :thumbsup: Schmidt happens.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Yep.....I have a grinder such as caused you the issues here. You do need to let all the cylinders down and let all the pressure off the system BEFORE you disconnect the hoses.

If you mess up (BTDT) and the easy solutions don't work......the best way is to crack open one of the connectors with wrenches to releive the pressure. Then hooking up is easy.

I can remember being upset at my grapple under similar conditions. Next time you will remember. :thumbsup: Schmidt happens.

Foggy I was hoping you'd show up here.

I am POSITIVE I did not unhook the lines until all pressure was released and only when tractor was off, but it was maybe a month ago too...

I was storing the grinder on the pallet it arrived on, and I would set the 3pt down, remove top-link, let the grinder depth cyclinder ease the unit back by slowly raising it (I'm sure you under stand what I'm trying to say), When done and 3pt arms disconnected, all the rams (up/down & swing) were fully retracted.

Of the 4 hyd lines, only one had any real pressure, and it had amazing pressure...

I was wondering if somehow the pressure had built up due to the temp changes and sunlight, etc... Nothing was making sense to me...

It does not help that one hand is still weak from surgery, and on the other hand my thumb was injured in the motorcycle crash and I have compromised grip in both hands because of that. I had a heck of a time getting the PTO shaft to lock on also...

I am going to make another post in this thread, hoping you have some advise for me on it (it is an operational issue).

Thanks,
David

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Gripe #2 about my TSG-50...

This thing is TOO LIGHT!

I have already complained about how ineffective it is as ballast, so that is not what I am specifically griping about.

Here is the deal... I was grinding a couple of the black walnut stumps that I need to remove from the pasture I am building (Horses arrive TOMORROW!). and the TSG-50 will go something like 16" deep, but I cannot get it to do even close to that. My method with hardwood stumps so far has been to make smaller cuts each pass, and only in the 'push' direction not the 'pull' on the swing.

The reason is the entire unit and the 3pt bounce around like mad on the 'pull' and when I get past a few inches depth, the frame and the 3pt raise up, the whole unit is destabilized and the tractor shakes and shimmies like a go-go dancer, and I get scared I'm gonna break something so I back off.

It seems to me the unit itself needs more weight to anchor it to the spot and allow the grinding head to stay in contact with the stump. but instead of the head going deeper, it raises the frame & 3pt up! Similarly, on the 'push' swing it feels like it is pushing against the tractor and the frame and it cuts much more smoothly, but if I cut on the 'pull' (which is what the manual says to do!) the frame twists, and it is like the only "anchor" is the 3pt arms and the hyd pressure pulling the ram closed.

I seems to me the frame of the grinder should sit solidly on the ground and be stable, and not twist and buck like an animal trying to escape a trap. I have only once, on a softwood Pawlonia tree, gotten it to grind down 10" or so below grade.

I am trying to think if I can add weight to the frame somehow to better anchor it to the ground (and be better ballast) If only I could add as little as 250 or 300 lbs somehow... I would think not only would I get better "ballast" use, but also I would get better grinder performance.

I have HUNDREDS of stumps to grind... And this is a very expensive attachment, I NEED it to work as best as possible.

Maybe yet again I am just a n00b and doing something wrong (it won't be the first nor the last time I am certain).

Thanks in advance,
David

 

[flusher]

Set the implement down. Turn off the tractor. Cycle the hydraulic valve back and forth to relieve pressure in the lines. Always works for me on my 10-ft grain drill and on the big wheel disc.