Question for L2900, L3000 and L3010 Owners: 3 point hitch

[jeconn]

How do I tell which valve is in his L3000?

 

[Harvest Moon]

Check his serial number.

If his serial number is before 52790 then he's got valve 31391-39000.

If it's after serial number 52791 then he's probably got valve 31391-39002, the original L3400/2800 valve for non-draft controlled tractors. Assuming there were no further valve upgrades that were not recorded in the parts book.

If he's got draft control he's got valve 31351-39603 before serial number 52790 or valve 31351-39604 after serial number 52791, so far 31351-39604 is the only valve reported to work smoothly within 1/4 increments in the L3400/L2800.

All of this assumes his valve is the original equipment and he's got the L3000DT

 

[daBear]

Well I have an almost 2 year old L2800HST-F, serial 61290. Does that mean I have the 31-391-39002 control valve? Mine is a bit jerky at best with a heavy attachment and I do not think I could raise anything quite as smoothly as the JD comparison on you-tube. I have about 2 months of warranty left. Wonder what would encourage the dealer to change the valve out?

 

[Harvest Moon]

daBear, the L2800's break out differently. According to an old post by Messicks, "L2800DT/HST 57745 and up" have valve 31351-39604, the one most people describe like this:

a bit jerky at best with a heavy attachment and I do not think I could raise anything quite as smoothly as the JD comparison on you-tube.

It sounds like you have the good valve. The one I'm pretty sure we all want.

The people with the bad valve are usually more angry and tend to feel their three point is just shy of useless.

I still ask, what other component allows these valves to provide smooth performance in the L2900, L3000 and L3010 but is lacking in the L3400 and L2800 and can we get it to fit our tractors?

 

[daBear]

Thanks Harvest Moon. I understand and agree I have the best of a somewhat less than ideal situation. My valve is just ok, but since this is my first tractor I do not have anything but you tube videos to compare to. Even before I read about the valve problems I was wondering to myself if this was the way it is supposed to be.

 

[Harvest Moon]

Well, best of luck to you daBear. If we gather enough input, maybe someone, possibly even me will take an $80 shot at replacing the lowering speed control valve with the similar version from the other L models that use compatible position control valves.

I'm sure it's a long shot but one day we may find that a simple upgrade of an exposed part will give us the performance we all long for.

The little bit of info. that's come in is building on my suspicion that it's more than just the position control valve, what is else it may be is still not clear.

 

[Harvest Moon]

There was one more valve in the L3400 L2800 before it went off radar with no complaints... valve YR909-00100... it's a much more similar in number format with the latest L3400 L2800 valve YR908-00102 thats generating renewed complaints. Unfortunately, I'm now left wondering if the earliest L3400s were generating complaints or if the most severe problems were all related to YR valves.

Just noticed that early posts on this site indicate that the L3400's availability to the public was about January 2004. And here is the first post I could find concerning the lousy control valve.... only four months into out. Six since the "new" L model numbers were first posted:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/36585-3-pt-lift-adjustment.html

Anyway.. it just shows that the L3400 and L2800 valves were trouble from the beginning. It wasn't just the YR valves and as soon as we hear from jeconn we may know if the same early L3400 junk valve is the one he's just reported works smoothly in his father in laws L3000DT

 

[canoetrpr]

Great research folks. I enjoyed reading that thread you linked to Harvest. Boy Kubota has been screwing around with this valve thing forever now.

 

[rxk9394]

L3010 owner checking in here...

My L3010's 3-point operates up and down just like the "green standard" (basically just like a 3-point is supposed to work).

Hopefully that will help with the research...

 

[Harvest Moon]

Thanks rxk9394! Now I think were finally starting to gain some momentum here.

With a little extra motivation from rxk9394, jeconn and JDeerekid's reports, I've become somewhat obsessed with solving this mystery and after spending a few minutes studying the hydraulic schematic in my WSM I've concluded with about an 96% certainty (don't know what all those symbols mean) that the hydraulic flow to the 3 point cylinder passes through the lowering speed valve... now, common sense dictates it does on lowering down but it appears to on raising up too.

And after studying the lowering speed valve for the L2900, L3000 and L3010 I've determined that the only significant parts of this valve without identical part numbers to the one in L3400/L2800's are a shaft that is shorter, and an extra spring, washer and o-ring.

A spring.... could that absorb some of the "jerky????" Maybe smooth out the pulses? A shorter shaft... to allow room for the spring maybe??? They appear to use the same housing.

One of these days I'm going to try to price out these three tiny parts and see what it would cost to do an experiment if I were so ambitious...

Noting that we now have 3 reports of tractors that use a compatible or identical valve to our L3400 and L2800's... one possibly even using the original jerky L3400/L2800 valve (jeconn) but still have smooth hitches...