Loader Need help attaching FEL to BX2360 not on concrete

[CodeSlinger]

I sure could use some help. I like the BX2360 over all but am totally frustrated with attaching the Kubota FEL and feel the connection brackets are poorly designed. I've managed to connect the FEL maybe 3x over the last couple years. Last night I got the right side pin in all the way and the left side pin in only half way. Presumably the brackets mounted on the tractor are still bent and out of alignment, but it took me a long time to even get that far. I was told that it was impossible to bend them, yet Kubota came out and agreed, said they would replace them, kept my tractor for 2 months, and in the end just straightened one instead of replacing. I probably originally bent them trying to mount the FEL while not on a concrete slab. The Kubota dealer said I had to have a concrete slab. While that may be true, I don't have one, and I think unreasonable to demand a tractor have to have a piece of concrete to take the FEL on and off. Seems this would reek havoc on the concrete as much flailing around as happens on the dirt or gravel trying to connect it. That said, I can see where it would probably help but think the design poor as I have always struggled for a long time trying to get the FEL on even when it did go on, and now can get it connected only partially, so can't use the darn thing. Certainly there is some way to connect even on gravel or dirt. I have watched the video, read the manual, and just can never get the second pin in all the way anymore. I even made a gantry crane of sort to hoist the FEL up and down since the stand does not work on the dirt road. From day one it was very difficult as well and while trying, the bucket probably swung too far on one pin that was in and bent that bracket.

Is there some sort of easy mount attachment for this FEL and the BX2360?

Some trick for gravel and dirt if no concrete slab?

Thanks for any suggestions, Dave

 

[TripleR]

Something must not be lined up as we often take our loader of in gravel and have done so on dirt. I don't have concrete in my barn and have laid down a piece of plywood or sheet of metal or just use a thin board to run under an edge to line things up.

Since the front axle pivots, you may need to run a back wheel up on something.

It is easier to R&R on concrete, but most of the time I am on gravel with my BX or L5030.

 

[uglyboywith11fingers]

If you can get the second pin in but not all the way thru, then I agree, something is bent... you need to figure out what is bent & fix that, or you're always gonna be frustrated, and it ain't the BX's fault.
I've had my BX24 FEL off many times on gravel, on the lawn, etc...
If you can pull the pins out easily when removing the FEL, then there is no abnormal stress on the mount, meaning the surface must be level enough.
my opinion, anyhow.

Pete

 

[CodeSlinger]

How do you prop up the loader especially when on dirt or grass? The stand certainly seems inadequate for anything but concrete. Do you put a piece of wood under it? I have tried that without any success. It normally came off Ok, it was the getting on part that I struggled with.

Also, when putting back on, do you always put both pins in at once, or if you get one pin in, do you use the hydraulics to jockey the loader to then get the other one in? I'm thinking that was my original problem - I was on uneven ground so could only get one pin in then tried moving the loader arms trying to line up the second pin, and the loader went too far to the side and bent the bracket.

I wonder if new brackets are under warrantee even if they were bent due to operator error?

Thanks for the responses...Dave

 

[uglyboywith11fingers]

on soft grass, I'll toss a plank or piece of 2x4 under the H bracket...
on gravel, nothing... it seldom digs in more than half an inch.
Even if you're on en-even ground, the lower pin rests will level things up before you get around to trying the upper pins.
when one pin is loose, they are both loose... that's how my BX has always been.
and probably the way it's supposed to be.
I just can't figure out how you could have exerted enough force to bend anything just in removing or installing the loader. If I'm not watching carefully and let the hydraulics go too far, it just pushes the loader along the ground.
As I said before, I would find somebody with the facility to measure up what's out of whack and fix it. Until you do that, you're just gonna be frustrated.
The BX was designed for quick & easy loader on and off, there's a thread here on TBN lately with a video showing how quick & easy it is when things aren't bent.

Pete

 

[TripleR]

In agreement with uglyboywith11fingers and can't imagine the hydraulics being strong enough to bend the frame though I guess from your experience I am.

My son has taken ours off in some pretty uneven stuff and just "horsed" it around by hand enough to line it up a bit and when the pockets are set, everything pulls into alignment.

 

[radioman]

I have no problems putting fel on when out taken off on grass. I just pick the flattest spot I find. When I watched the messicks videos,i can see certain tricks that helps on pouring fel on.

 

[BotaBigot]

It's a learned skill...harder on uneven surfaces. Only times I've been able to install both pins together is on perfectly flat surface...usually it's one side at a time with one hand on pin, other on lever. Simultaneously pushing on pin and finessing lever until pin slips in...you just need to practice with controls until familiar with how bucket and boom cylinders affect arm movement...with practice, pin "feel" will tell you which way to move arm...

 

[MoreCowbell]

I have a very simlar problem when I need to remove the FEL from my BX2350 on dirt rather than a flat concrete slab. Even if I pick as flat a spot as I can, I always have a problem getting the FEL back on because the ground the bucket is on is almost never on the exact same plane as the ground under the rear tires.

What I do is get the FEL brackets sitting in their mates on the tractor as best I can, then go to the front edge of the FEL opposite of which bracket is higher at the tractor, then use a 1x4 or a crowbar to lift that edge up and ease the brackets into allignment.

For instance, if the left side bracket is sitting nicely in its cradle but the right side is a little high, go to the left front edge of the bucket and lever it up until the right bracket drops down and seats properly. This works for me as long as one of the brackets is seated.

Everything may very well be straight on your tractor, but if the ground is uneven, it won't line up.

 

[CodeSlinger]

Thanks everyone - that gave me the determination to try again. After also watching a YouTube video, I think what I was not doing when trying to attach was using the loader to lift the front of the tractor to force the loader arms back into the saddles and aligning the pin holes properly and so when I did that I had much better luck. Of course I was on a slight downward incline and popped the arms up over the saddle connections once and had to lift the FEL off and try again. So from now I'm only doing this on a level surface and I will put a small but thick piece of plywood under the stand to help pivot the FEL arms up and away from the BX when curling the bucket. That should help getting back underneath as well. Thanks again.

 

[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.