Max28 loader control issues?

linuxman51 · May 11, 2015

This weekend I hit my threshold for 'acceptable inconsistencies' with my max28 :laughing:

Was helping a friend out in his back yard (residential, but he'd done an astronomical amount of damage and then let weeds grow for almost a year.. the poison ivy was 4ft tall!), mostly surface dirt work, just a lot of it in tight spaces, no big deal. Tractor was good for most of the day (as it typically is), I got off of it for ~15 minutes and left it idling in the shade while I went to get some water, when I came back the vertical control on the FEL was suddenly.. extremely difficult to work, and would stick and hang going up or down.. which makes smoothing quite a bit more difficult. Since it'd been sitting still, I cycled everything to the extremes as best possible thinking that perhaps air had gotten in there (although who knows how, but hey, stuff happens), no change. finished what I could, loaded it back up, and took it home and let it sit. The issue remains with the tractor off, unfortunately, so back to the dealer it went today. Anyone else have anything like that happen? all the hydraulic fittings were tight, nothing appeared to be bent up or kinked (not that that would make a difference with the tractor off). Bummer, but eh. The guys at the dealer have been great to talk to and were great to work with in the past, so I don't anticipate any issues there, just kinda.. surprised, I've put a whopping 110 hours on it since I bought it in dec '12.

The other lesser issues (altho one apparently jumped the shark this morning too)--ignition system problem. Thought it was the battery, replaced that, all electronics work, but the starter wont' hit from the key without extensive fiddling with the clutch, pto lever and key. No one item consistently gets it working, so I'm not sure what they're going to find there. Apparently my warranty expired in dec 14, so if that's going to be some giant pita for them I'll figure it out later on my own. can't be too many things in that particular loop.

The least of the issues (and it may not even be an issue, it could be operator error), the diff lock doesn't seem to work. Only ever encountered a couple of occasions where it would have been nice to have, and the few times I even remembered that it was a problem I was busy using the tractor so I couldn't take it in for what may be an extended service layover (really don't have the time to do that now, but it gets me out of extensive landscaping for a little while, so I'm good with that..

)

But after two and a half years, I have to say, it's been one of the best tools I've ever bought, and it's turned a number of large jobs into minor more manageable jobs.

DavesTractor · May 11, 2015

On the diff lock, remove the right rear tire and you will see the adjustment. Shorten the turnbuckle a little and it should engage. As to the fiddley starting, you need to run down with certainty which safety switch is the issue. Often the operator runs over a stick that flips up and slightly bends the HST neutral pedal switch bracket. The other issue is the PTO safety switch, that is up top and easy to see/test/adjust. Not sure what is going on with the loader valve, but there is a cap on the spool at the other end of the valve and it has some little balls and a spring or two in it, if it gets out of adjustment or rusty it will make the spool notchy when you go up or down. It could be that. If you take it apart yourself, you need to make sure you don't lose any parts.

4 foot tall poison ivy? Not for me, I might catch it just reading about it. That's nasty.

linuxman51 · May 11, 2015

hm, hst neutral pedal switch.. that might be it, I didn't fiddle with it this morning. the pto one may need to be adjusted as well, occasionally I've had to push it back (laziness kicks in when you've read about the issue several times and a quick bump is all you need haha)

j wilson · May 11, 2015

hey dave...seen your reply on the diff lock adjustment, i too have had a hard time engaugeing the diff lock, it seems like it is a hit or miss type of thing...so i went to the garage, pulled rt. rear tire and shortened the throw rod...how much play should be in the lever before you feel resistance when trying to lock the diff. its pouring rain here so i cant take it out and try it...thanks

DavesTractor · May 11, 2015

j wilson said:
hey dave...seen your reply on the diff lock adjustment, i too have had a hard time engaugeing the diff lock, it seems like it is a hit or miss type of thing...so i went to the garage, pulled rt. rear tire and shortened the throw rod...how much play should be in the lever before you feel resistance when trying to lock the diff. its pouring rain here so i cant take it out and try it...thanks

I don't have any specs on that handy, but when I did the last one it was pretty evident to me when I had it right. Jack up both sides so you can mess with spinning either side axle to see if you have it locked or not. Make sure the diff lock will fully un-engage itself after you are done adjusting. I suppose if you got it too tight it would stay locked. Please send rain.....

mike69440 · May 11, 2015

j wilson said:
hey dave...seen your reply on the diff lock adjustment, i too have had a hard time engaugeing the diff lock, it seems like it is a hit or miss type of thing...so i went to the garage, pulled rt. rear tire and shortened the throw rod...how much play should be in the lever before you feel resistance when trying to lock the diff. its pouring rain here so i cant take it out and try it...thanks

Something i need to fiddle with also the first time i have a real reason to pull the RT rear tire.

PS, I have about 21 hours on it now.

My least favoite thing on the Max is the jerky loader control.
Wouldn't be nice if Mahindra had a recall to fix these issues. (DREAMING!)

DavesTractor · May 12, 2015

mike69440 said:
Something i need to fiddle with also the first time i have a real reason to pull the RT rear tire.

PS, I have about 21 hours on it now.

My least favoite thing on the Max is the jerky loader control.
Wouldn't be nice if Mahindra had a recall to fix these issues. (DREAMING!)

Recalls are generally for stuff that can result in really big problems or that pose a significant safety risk. Otherwise, just having a warranty works fine. The diff lock adjustment is a 30 minute job, less if you are in a hurry. It is quicker to pull the tire and adjust it then to load it up, tie it down and drive it to the dealer. Plus you get to know your tractor a little better. Squirt a little white grease or something around the shaft on both sides where it goes into (through) the transmission case while you are there.

I wish all compact tractors had more progressive spools in the loader valves where you can feather them more easily with a big load. People like you and I (and pro operators) that operate some high dollar equipment are the ones that notice the controls. The less experienced operator just gets used to the way these controls work and they work fine for them. It is very, very rare for us to hear a customer complaint on the quality of the hydraulic controls on a Mahindra.

As you know, a really nice set of controls/valves will cost more than the entire loader on this Max. I have pilot controls on my Takeuchi and they are superb, but you expect that on a $50k plus machine that is designed to be worked hard 8 hours a day.

You can take almost any brand of compact tractor, with the exception of the commercial units, and test the loader controls with maximum load and you will find that a little input on the joystick results in more than desired drop of the bucket. Do the same test with a normal half load and the joystick feels pretty good. It would seem to me that the spool could be chamfered a little where the grooves are cut in to allow just a little oil to pass with small spool movement, but apparently it isn't that easy. Not sure why. I've been tempted to chuck a spool up in the lathe and test my theory. Anybody else try that?

mike69440 · May 13, 2015

DavesTractor said:
Recalls are generally for stuff that can result in really big problems or that pose a significant safety risk. Otherwise, just having a warranty works fine. The diff lock adjustment is a 30 minute job, less if you are in a hurry. It is quicker to pull the tire and adjust it then to load it up, tie it down and drive it to the dealer. Plus you get to know your tractor a little better. Squirt a little white grease or something around the shaft on both sides where it goes into (through) the transmission case while you are there.

I wish all compact tractors had more progressive spools in the loader valves where you can feather them more easily with a big load. People like you and I (and pro operators) that operate some high dollar equipment are the ones that notice the controls. The less experienced operator just gets used to the way these controls work and they work fine for them. It is very, very rare for us to hear a customer complaint on the quality of the hydraulic controls on a Mahindra.

As you know, a really nice set of controls/valves will cost more than the entire loader on this Max. I have pilot controls on my Takeuchi and they are superb, but you expect that on a $50k plus machine that is designed to be worked hard 8 hours a day.

You can take almost any brand of compact tractor, with the exception of the commercial units, and test the loader controls with maximum load and you will find that a little input on the joystick results in more than desired drop of the bucket. Do the same test with a normal half load and the joystick feels pretty good. It would seem to me that the spool could be chamfered a little where the grooves are cut in to allow just a little oil to pass with small spool movement, but apparently it isn't that easy. Not sure why. I've been tempted to chuck a spool up in the lathe and test my theory. Anybody else try that?

I Fixed (saved) one of my very sticky control valves in my PC75UUS with a little steel wool and some new seals.

I did repair by hand, proably only removed a few atoms of material with a light polish.

These valves are hand lapped for extremely Tight Toleraneces.

One cold day I could not install a feul pump plunger that i warmed in my hand, due to thermal expansion. I had to wait till it got cold. It was smaller than a 5/16" drill bit.

PS watch out for dusty Chicken Poop! My hands actually look like the clean hands of an office sissy, (which I am) as I've been out for the count for 5 days now.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/89163-busy-wife-weekend-19.html

linuxman51 · May 15, 2015

still no word from the dealer yet, reckon they got covered over. glad I didn't plan any landscaping projects for this weekend

linuxman51 · May 19, 2015

well, it had a funny way of getting resolved... Dealer adjusted various things and was apparently almost done with it.....and then it got stolen off their lot last night along with some other stuff :shocked: :thumbdown: