Loader Need help attaching FEL to BX2360 not on concrete

[TripleR]

Glad to hear it is working out for you. As you do this more often it becomes much less intimidating and you will pick up little techniques to help line up pieces and ease the process when things don't quite line up.

 

[Deano]

Let the hydraulics do the work for you!

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I took the FEL off of my BX2660 on concrete and couldn't get it back on. Tried everything but the right thing, obviously. I even used my B3200 FEL and was lifting the bucket for the BX2660 with a lifting strap. OK, I finally got that sucker back on and never took it off again, in fact I just traded that tractor to a BX25.:laughing: Guess how many times I've taken the bucket off of the BX25.......that's right....never and not going to.:laughing::laughing:
My neighbor takes his FEL off of his BX2350 and my nephew takes his off of his BX2360 but not me. I usually have to ponder a lost battle and then come back and attack it till I win or totally give up which is very rare but the FEL off and on deal for me is never again.
I had a L3240 with SSQA and the bucket was a breeze to take off and reinstall BUT one day I was using the SSQA forks and one side of the attach point came loose and I couldn't get it back on. I spent several days attacking the problem and pondering and back for another attack. No deal, one hook point was about 2" off. Took the tractor to Barlows who put a new lift arm assembly on it under warranty (tractor had under 50 hours). I think this was my only significant warranty claim on any Kubota I've owned. Not bad for 13 Kubotas.

 

[snpower]

I, almost exclusively, attach/detach the loader on my BX2360 on gravel.

I raise the bucket, drop the stand, then lower the bucket and put enough pressure on it so that the front wheels just come off the ground. Sometimes during the reinstall I have to giggle to loader valve to get both sides of the loader to seat properly but it's really never been too much of an issue and I am confident you'll figure out the trick soon.

 

[BXpanded]

It's really easy if you have a flat hard surface. Unfortunately, that spot isn't always available.
Try this:
Lower the parking stand. Lower the bucket to the ground until one side touches. Put a wooden block under the side of the bucket and one under the stand so it will be level with the tractor when you remove the loader. Put a slight down pressure to allow the pins to be removed. It is not necessary to raise the front of the tractor. Tilt the bucket toward the curled position and the arms should lift out of the pockets. Use just the "curl" function. Do not use the raise or lower functions (forward or back movement of the control stick) and everything will remain in alignment.
To re-install, just drive back into position making sure you are perfectly square with the loader. Using just the curl, "dump" the bucket and the arms will push back down into the pockets.

 

[CodeSlinger]

Thanks everyone. Like most everything I guess, you need to learn some tricks and do some practice. Yesterday I attached easy once where both pins went right in - no jockeying around which is where I think I caused most of my own problems. Now I'll practice some more over the next couple weeks. Made myself a cheat sheet till I can do this with my eyes closed :laughing:

 

[wrooster]

Thanks for any suggestions, Dave

Dave,
One thing that may help -- when taking the loader off, and putting it back on, only use "bucket roll" and not "loader lift". In practice this means moving the FEL control lever ONLY left-and-right, and NEVER up-and-down.

With the FEL attached, first set the bucket down "flat" using up-and-down -- and then from then on ONLY use "bucket roll" to first release the pressure on the pins (roll down) and then withdraw the FEL out of the mounts (roll back).

Do not raise the front wheels with the bucket roll, just apply a tiny amount of "roll down" to get the pressure off the pins. It does not take much at all, perhaps a quarter inch of bucket travel, to take the load off the pins. If you raise the front wheels with the bucket you are going to have a tougher time getting the FEL back on -- think about it -- how are you going to later raise the front wheels with the FEL disconnected to get the pins realigned again?!?!? If you need the wheels raised off the floor you are doing it wrong; that is, the starting point geometry is incorrect. This is going to make things difficult.

When you go to put the FEL back on, do the same process but in reverse. Only roll the bucket, and no raising/lowering the FEL.

The approach above has worked for me for a couple of years and I must have attached/detached the FEL 50 times by now. I will attach the FEL at the drop of a hat compared to using a wheelbarrow or garden cart. :laughing:

Wrooster

 

[CodeSlinger]

Thanks Wrooster. I call my BX the glorified wheel barrel though use it for more than that...

 

[oldballs]

Old post but apt for me yesterday. I was ready to give this whole darn BX away! Currently I'm using 42 inch pallet forks (without a QA) more than the bucket. But if you can't attach/unattach the FEL ( to mow) without too much trouble then what good is the darn FEL and attachments?

In the frustration of it all, I dropped the FEL arms down behind the front wheels and had to take the loader arms off to get them out. I spent about 6 hours horsing around and still couldn't get back into the saddle. I was on level concrete and scratched up the garage floor big time.

Finally I got the one pin in with the forks off and drove out to a tree and forced the other arm into the saddle. I think I'll either join the "JohnThomas" club or just remove the forks/bucket from now on. I'm too old for this amount of physical hurt/nonsense. Or did I answer my own rant. :laughing:

 

[TripleR]

I have never tried with forks, but you might try putting a little weight on the ends of the forks. On our old BX2200, I have stepped on the front bucket edge to pop it loose.