LS tractor bucket flop problem

[George2615]

I've noticed a lot of LS tractor owners have a bucket flop problem. Raise, lower, and curl functions all seem to work fine. But when you go to dump mode in order to back drag you have to bump the joystick to get pressure to keep the bucket where you want it. If you just go to dump mode and lower the bucket to the ground the bucket will flop around like there is no pressure.

This question is to all the hydraulics experts. Is it possibly a loader joystick valve problem, pump problem, or what. Seems like it gets air bound in dump mode. If I go to dump mode while the loader is raised, get off the tractor and grab the bottom of the bucket I can move it back and forth. Many LS members have complained about this. One member installed an inline flow restrictor valve but I don't know if this is the answer. I'm no hydraulics expert so on behalf of LS owners it would be nice to know why this happens and how to cure it.
Loader valve does not have fast dump position.


Thanks

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I've noticed a lot of LS tractor owners have a bucket flop problem. Raise, lower, and curl functions all seem to work fine. But when you go to dump mode in order to back drag you have to bump the joystick to get pressure to keep the bucket where you want it. If you just go to dump mode and lower the bucket to the ground the bucket will flop around like there is no pressure.

This question is to all the hydraulics experts. Is it possibly a loader joystick valve problem, pump problem, or what. Seems like it gets air bound in dump mode. If I go to dump mode while the loader is raised, get off the tractor and grab the bottom of the bucket I can move it back and forth. Many LS members have complained about this. One member installed an inline flow restrictor valve but I don't know if this is the answer. I'm no hydraulics expert so on behalf of LS owners it would be nice to know why this happens and how to cure it.
Loader valve does not have fast dump position.


Thanks

If you have your loader raised, with the bucket empty, fully cycle the bucket curl circuit a few times, (5?) Then put the bucket so that the lip is hanging down straight towards the ground. Does the lip of the bucket now flop back and forth and if it does, how much does it move, 2-3" more?

 

[Gary Fowler]

Mine also flops when dumping a load. It seem like the load will dump faster than the hydraulic pump can put fluid in behind the cylinder. I don't understand the hydraulics enough to know how it does this without getting air trapped.

 

[Utopia Texas]

Does your loader have a detent valve installed? If so read up and learn how it is used for back dragging loose materials. Years ago a detent was a option on most tractors but has become standard on many units.

 

[Texasmark]

On my tractors with FELs, operated with a joy stick, the joy stick has 5 positions. The 5th is nothing more than the dump lever pushed all the way down and this is called "Float". In essence, the bucket is unhooked from the hydraulic pressure and the the drain ports are open...no hydraulic fluid (under pressure) applied to the bucket.

You may be just pushing too far on the stick. Look on your valve at the cylindrical caps installed and see if you have one considerably longer than the other. If so going to bet that's a floater and as I said, it is activated in the dump mode by pushing the stick all the way to the stop. So the best way to use dump when you want bucket control is just push the lever far enough to get the system to move and push no farther unless you want float.

Float is designed for scraping materials off hard surfaces, or dragging the bucket where it can follow the contour of the ground under it.

HTH,
Mark

 

[whis]

Gary is right most tractors are this way, just hold lever a few seconds and then back drag.

 

[DK35vince]

Gary is right most tractors are this way, just hold lever a few seconds and then back drag.

That's what I have to do to get tension on the bucket for backdragging

 

[Leejohn]

On my tractors with FELs, operated with a joy stick, the joy stick has 5 positions. The 5th is nothing more than the dump lever pushed all the way down and this is called "Float". In essence, the bucket is unhooked from the hydraulic pressure and the the drain ports are open...no hydraulic fluid (under pressure) applied to the bucket.

You may be just pushing too far on the stick. Look on your valve at the cylindrical caps installed and see if you have one considerably longer than the other. If so going to bet that's a floater and as I said, it is activated in the dump mode by pushing the stick all the way to the stop. So the best way to use dump when you want bucket control is just push the lever far enough to get the system to move and push no farther unless you want float.

Float is designed for scraping materials off hard surfaces, or dragging the bucket where it can follow the contour of the ground under it.

HTH,
Mark

Float should be for the boom not the bucket, back dragging works a lot better that way.

 

[Cataclysm]

Every brand of small machine that I test drove had play in the bucket. Usually the smaller the more flop. Our MF 1529 has ridiculous flop. To me its just part of having a small pump.

 

[LD1]

Does the LS have a regen spool on the dump circuit?

When dumping the loader, you are basically opening the rod port to tank, and pumping fluid in the base port by the pump. Well, the only thing keeping gravity from taking over is whatever vacuum the rod seal can hold back, which aint much. So the result is, gravity dumps the bucket and expels the fluid out of the rod side faster than the pump is filling the base end, so the result is air gets sucked in around the gland seal. Now you have a floppy bucket.

In regen mode, it dont open the rod port to tank. Instead, it also gives it pump pressure, so both ends of the cylinder get pressure. This keeps air from getting sucked in and will keep the bucket from getting floppy. In the manual, it would be listed something like fast dump.

The key is to find out if your tractor has regen, and if so, is it the first position of the lever, or second. On my kubota, regen is the first position. I have heard on some others and on aftermarket valves that its the second position. That would be odd for me as I am not used to pushing the dump all the way.