I've got a JCB Midi CX tractor/backhoe back in 2009 - solid machine. I ordered a hydraulic brush mower a little over a year ago and have slaughtered many acres of blackberries and 8-10ft scotch broom with it. I just used the auxiliary hydraulic connector on the front of the loader to run it (this would be the same connector that would run the pincher on a grapple, etc. 1/2" Parker style couplings). I just bungied the lever when I was mowing. Recently, the valve has started restricting flow and pulling the tractor down if I bungie it. I changed the fittings around and if I bungie it forward instead of backwards like I had been, things still work fine, but I fear I have damaged the valve and will probably damage it going the other way if I continue. A few questions come to mind:
1. Anyone heard of something similar - those hydraulic mowers move a lot of fluid, and even with the large oil cooler my tractor has, I'm wondering if the heat/flow damaged the valve over time?
2. How hard are valves like that to replace - costs, etc? I could take it to the dealer, but I think they kind of sold JCB as fad, and are no longer too keen/knowledgable enough to work on them or mess with getting parts from England.
3. A better solution might be - on the back of the tractor, once you remove the hoe, is a 25HP hydraulic PTO motor that secures with just two bolts - you turn it on and off with a toggle switch. Frankly, I'd like to move/replumb that to the front because it is already 3/4" or equivalent metric size hoses and it is probably rated for the heat, because the flow on that PTO motor is probably similar to the flow on the mower motor (correct me if you think I'm wrong on that). I could mount the PTO motor on my existing PTO skidsteer plate by welding a bracket for it on, and be off to the races - no more having to remove the backhoe to use my tiller! Only downsides I see are:
a) to do it right, you'd probably want to bend some steel tubing and route it down the loader arms - that is how the existing auxiliary is done - who does this sort of thing?
b) the fittings on everything JCB are metric and usually weird - which might present a challenge extending the existing hoses and/or buying new hoses.
c) I might have to take the cab off to get at the hoses to turn them from running to the back of the tractor to the front although I think the hole under the floor boards may be big enough to get in their with the requisite amount of cussing and busted knuckles.
Anyone have good advice how to proceed? Option 3 will probably be more trouble - but is appealing to me because it would probably be the "right" solution and I'd never have to take the hoe off/on again.
1. Anyone heard of something similar - those hydraulic mowers move a lot of fluid, and even with the large oil cooler my tractor has, I'm wondering if the heat/flow damaged the valve over time?
2. How hard are valves like that to replace - costs, etc? I could take it to the dealer, but I think they kind of sold JCB as fad, and are no longer too keen/knowledgable enough to work on them or mess with getting parts from England.
3. A better solution might be - on the back of the tractor, once you remove the hoe, is a 25HP hydraulic PTO motor that secures with just two bolts - you turn it on and off with a toggle switch. Frankly, I'd like to move/replumb that to the front because it is already 3/4" or equivalent metric size hoses and it is probably rated for the heat, because the flow on that PTO motor is probably similar to the flow on the mower motor (correct me if you think I'm wrong on that). I could mount the PTO motor on my existing PTO skidsteer plate by welding a bracket for it on, and be off to the races - no more having to remove the backhoe to use my tiller! Only downsides I see are:
a) to do it right, you'd probably want to bend some steel tubing and route it down the loader arms - that is how the existing auxiliary is done - who does this sort of thing?
b) the fittings on everything JCB are metric and usually weird - which might present a challenge extending the existing hoses and/or buying new hoses.
c) I might have to take the cab off to get at the hoses to turn them from running to the back of the tractor to the front although I think the hole under the floor boards may be big enough to get in their with the requisite amount of cussing and busted knuckles.
Anyone have good advice how to proceed? Option 3 will probably be more trouble - but is appealing to me because it would probably be the "right" solution and I'd never have to take the hoe off/on again.
