Hydraulic Leakdown Bad??

[DMax2210]

I've always followed the theory of if your tractor is parked then it's best to lower all attachments to the ground. Other than it being safer to have attachments at rest, I've also always had in my mind that it is easier on valves, hydraulic seals, etc to not have that pressure on them if it isn't necessary. So after mowing today I started wondering, what is everyone else's theory on this (either scientific or just opinion)? I'm thinking of the 3-point hitch holding the mower deck up on my 2520 in particular - should the deck always be dropped completely to the ground or does it cause any longterm, unnecessary wear to leave it up?

 

[sailorman]

I don 't know about the valves and seals, but I lower all of mine so as not to crush my mouser yard cats under an implement in the middle of the night due to bleed down. Cats love to sleep under brush hogs and such .

 

[North Country]

I always drop everything as a safety measure if I leave it unattended. If you get two neighborhood kids wandering by and one is poking his head under the (insert implement here) while the other jumps up on the seat and makes tractor noises and moves levers, one can drop it on the other.

 

[texasjohn]

I subscribe to the idea that lowering implements is better for the seals/etc. as well as safer. I KNOW it's safer and the seals/etc argument makes sense to me but I haven't got engineering proof. I always lower...unless having a senior moment:laughing:

 

[rd_macgregor]

Well, if we can agree that it is safer to lower everything, unless there is some seriously harmful effect from having them lowered (which I seriously doubt!), then I think it should be routine for every tractor user to lower FEL and implements when parking.
BOB

 

[DMax2210]

I agree and am enjoying reading that everyone else that has posted feels the same way that I do! Everything, and everyone, is much safer when attachments are resting on the ground when not in use.

A situation that this reminds me of, is about a local guy that I know that has a snowplow on his truck, and I really believe the only time the plow EVER goes down is while he is pushing snow and when he takes it off the first of May. Other than that, it goes on in November and it never is dropped to the ground when parked, nor does it ever come off the truck! It is an early 2000's year F-250 for anyone interested in knowing what truck has a front suspension that has so far survived this type of abuse

I'm still interested in hearing from someone that doesn't lower attachments, (if there are any folks like that on here) to see if the bleed-down worsens as time goes on as a result??

 

[texasjohn]

I'll just tell you a story I heard first hand from a fellow who's buddy was killed because of hydraulic leak down. Buddy was alone working on the tractor using the hydraulics to lift it... fellow was doing something under it and it leaked down and crushed him. I'm told that the buddy knew hydraulics were leaky and used them alone without any block or support anyway.

Stay safe out there.

 

[RoyJackson]

I'm still interested in hearing from someone that doesn't lower attachments, (if there are any folks like that on here) to see if the bleed-down worsens as time goes on as a result??

I leave my ballast box raised slightly (maybe 4-6 inches off the ground) most of the time and haven't noticed any worsening (or any bleed-down, in fact).
I always drop the loader...but as an experiment, I did leave it raised on my 790 and 4400 (full height). It took all night to bleed down and neither loader was on the ground in the morning.

BTW, for the first 6 years I owned a tractor, I never even considered bleed down since I'd always lowered the loader and 3PH. I found out about it on TBN.

 

[chopped]

I always lower them also. Always have for 30 years now. Not sure if it helped things or not but I think of it as a person ,You wouldnt want your arms up for days on end lol

 

[bigbull338]

i lower all 3pt attachments as well as the fel.dont want to bust the cylinders an have to over haul them.use the fel as the parking break.