L3410HST --Dumping all hydro fluid - 3rd time...

[john_bud]

Hi,

Had the L3410 out this morning to skid logs. Loaded it on the trailer yesterday. Drove to the woods and started up the tractor. As I looked over my shoulder and started backing up, my buddy comes running over yelling to shut er down!. Well, there is a spreading puddle of 8 month old Amsoil fluid on my trailer... Jumped off and looked, yup the yellow filter under the left foot is spewing oil.

This is the THIRD TIME this has happened. First time, it was a couple months old and I started it at -20F. Dealer "fixed" it and told me there was a new and improved filter that wouldn't leak. Next time, I was moving snow at -10F. Dealer sold me a new and improved filter that wouldn't leak. This time, the temp was +15F! What gives??

I bought both left and right filters and a gallon jug of SUDT at the closest dealer --$105. I did notice that the new filter has a machined aluminum base, where the leaker had stamped steel. Is this annual ritual of emergency in field repairs due to Kubota's Piddling Poor Quality ever going to stop? When will Kubota get it right? Can anyone from Kubota or a tech tell me what is going on here? Is this last filter update going to correct it?

Also, I would like a number or email address for Kubota no service to "inform" them of my happiness. Thanks!

Still hopping mad,
John Bud

 

[ccsial]

Don't blame you for being mad. Just curious, do you let it warm up at idle for any length of time?

 

[john_bud]

Yes, I usually do let it warm up -- after it is taken off of the trailer. Saws, chain, cable, fuel oil, lunch and "stuff" is loaded into the bucket, the trailer is put back together (ramps in, tie down cables and binders put away etc) -- all done while the tractor idles at 1200-1400. I set the idle at 1400 when it is shut off, then when started it usually comes in less than that and increases until it is warmed up. It will drop as low as 1200 when it is cold. This time, it wasn't hardly down from the 1400 at all. The instant the clutch was let out, puke!

jb

 

[CT_Tree_Guy]

John -

I am so sorry to hear about your VERY annoying experience(s), and really have little to offer other than my heartfelt sympathy, and an equally useless observation that in 570 hours with my HST I've never had that happen, nor have I ever heard of it happening.

In the interest of try to be at least SOME help, I will say that the the hydraulic filter on my chipper used to sometimes loosen up a bit all on its own, and accordingly gets a little tweak from yours truly whenever I think of it. It doesn't seem to happen so much any more, as I've taken to twisting it on with all the strength I've got (just by hand, never with a tool).

I'm just having a tough time believing that the filters themselves are faulty, but I've heard of stranger things, for sure. Maybe just add (increasingly vigorous) hand-tightening of the little bugger(s) to your morning routine until they get the idea?

Also, I'm wondering what you're using for skidding your logs - a Farmi 501 skidding winch maybe, or a Fransgaard? And what species do you mainly harvest, and how are your markets doing? We have a heck of a lot of red/black oak around here (Connecticut), which as I'm sure you know is down in price quite a bit from a few years ago. Still pays OK with the right buyer, and at least there's less competition for it now - as they say, every cloud has a silver lining. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Take care, John

 

[kingoflawns]

Hello john, ask your dealer if baldwin makes a filter for that machine. good luck & post the fix here when you find it.

 

[slowzuki]

Never heard of it happening before. The hydrofilter on mine if heavy with a machined base as well.

 

[john_bud]

CT (and others)

Thanks for the sympathy. It might be because I bought a case of filters when the "fix" came out initially. Have been using them for the past 3-4 years and still have a couple left. The filters have always been tightened down hard, requiring a stout filter wrench to get off. I bought a 3 buck wrench from Wally world on the way back from the dealer. It's now got about a 15 degree bend in it from the tug needed to get the filter off...don't think it was too loose!

I think the pressure this filter see is in the range of 350 psi. It ain't your standard engine oil , nor hydraulic return filter. I can only guess what the surge pressure is when the clutch is let out. In all fairness, the newest filter with the machined base is a much nicer unit, hopefully this will be the last time my tractor "pees" on the ground unexpectedly!

I don't use the 3410 for heavy skidding and haven't gone for a winch (yet). We were just cherry picking a wood that is going to get cut. We could pull out what we wanted (buddy has a saw mill), but we have to provide fire wood to the owner. We dropped 3 hard maple 24-30 inch diameter and one biggy that was about 42 at the base. We would hitch up 1-2 of the 100 inch logs and pull them up the snow covered hill to the back of his shop, so it wasn't hard. BUT, the owner had been making noises about how a "little tractor wouldn't be able to do any real work" and how his Oliver was having a tough time and he didn't see a "little tractor" getting anything up the hill. It's actually a steep hill raising about 50 feet at about 25 degrees where the field drops down to the river. Well, when we dropped the last tree, the biggy - we left the base and 26 or so feet in one piece. The small end was about 30", so it was a hunk of wood. I drug it up and that left an impression of what these "little tractors" can do! I was glad for the custom chains on the R4's as the hill and everything down by the river still had 5-8" of snow with pebbly ice in it. Not much traction for the tires, but not much drag on the logs either.

jb

 

[ccsial]

I don't know if it matters but I start my L3400 and let the engine run for about a minute, then go to full idle and very slowly let the clutch out to avoid any surge. after a couple minutes at idle I run it to 1500 and let it run about 5 minutes. I've never done it any other way.

You may also have got a bad batch of filters. Not likely but possible.

I wonder if you (or dealer) can measure the pressure on your HST. Maybe it is adjusted too high. I assume the HST has to have a relief valve in there.

It is amazing what these little 4WD tractors can do.

 

[john_bud]

Here is a picture of the old filter next to a new style filter. Oddly enough, the new style one shown is from the lot I bought a while ago. The box has the old number on it, the filter has the new number. Lucky me, I get the cross over inventory!

Oh, the installation directions are changed on the new style. I tried to snap a pic, but it is too fuzzy to read. The old one says to hand tighten till contact, then 2/3 more rotation. It is specific to not tighten with a tool. The new one says to tighted to a specific torque (34-39 IIRC) then give it 3/5 more rotation! That can only be done by use of a tool. Quite a change...as much or more than the construction of the filter it self.

jb

 

[JerryG]

That is some filter. Looks like one like that would be expensive to make.

Has anyone checked the pressure in that line?