What have you done to your Branson today?

ptsg · Sep 5, 2022

LouNY said:
Many of the older tractors had a grease fiting an a hose that went to the throwout bearing holder;
View attachment 761094

The crawler I restored had that feature as well. Neat and simple feature that worked well and the bearings lasted a long time.

ptsg · Sep 5, 2022

K5lwq said:
I knew that and that is what I was thinking these fittings were feeding. But ptsg makes a good point. I guess I need to take the bottom cover off one day and look at the throw out bearing.

While you're at it, spend a little bit of time pulling those splined couplers for the front axle out and apply some grease on the splines. Also, when reassembling, it's a bad idea to use a piece of wire to hold the roller pin in place. It has a tendency to walk its way out.

On mine, the coupler near the transmission wasn't bad, mostly because the transmission input shaft is right on top of it and there is this oil moisture that gathers under the shaft and then drops the drip right on top of the coupler. However, the coupler near the front axle was totally dry.

scoupe · Sep 5, 2022

I have never found any details on turning up the power on the Branson 2515. Is this video pointing in the right direction? I believe I see a similar fitting on my motor. I think its the same motor used in the 3015

ericm979 · Sep 5, 2022

Ours is a clone of the common Bosch VE pump. There's info on how to tune them out there.

kantuckid · Oct 26, 2022

I've got a bit over a hundred hours on my Branson 4820R now, plus what it had when hauled in, so now around 180+ hours. I've had zero issues to date. I use the tractor daily in the past year as I've been either logging, sawmilling, handling lumber or since spring involved with a personal remote log cabin build that sees the tractor toting materials to the site or most days lifting wall logs for joint cutting or wall placement. Fact is, most days since July it doesn't move but a few feet here or there, other than the materials getting replenished via a modified hay wagon I re-built to haul wall logs to the site. FWIW, it's a 10+ minute tow from my pasture log storage site to the build site.
I did my 50 hour service last year myself, no issues other than took a bit to bleed and fill the Hyd fluid to full. Tractor had like 77 hours of haying only use when I bought it in MO from the original owner.
I did add a grab handle to my tractor to assist with mounting the tractor. I saw a bunch of variations used by others in the Branson FB Group. Several were not ergonomic IMO, a couple were very well done or chosen. One VG one is a Mahindra part that sells for ~ $17 plus SH and tax. I opted to use an Amazon sourced, Warehouse return thats an aftermarket Jeep Grab Handle. Use those terms and you'll see them. My buy I got two with bolts and spacers and they work great! I've included a picture. I used the included long spacers on the left side where I mostly mount, and the short spacers on the right side where the FEL lever is in the way of mounting. I drilled two holes and threaded them and used nuts on the back for increased sturdyness.
I'm currently desiring to find a grab handle for the right fender same as came on my left fender. There are two sets of factory holes plugged on the right fender but I've not found a handle that mates either set? One set if on the fender bend and ~ 6.5" hole centers, the other is up top and the best positioned and ~ 9.5" hole centers. I've searched Amazon and Ebay so far but not seen a perfect fit yet. Ideas are welcome.
Another change I added was a heavier gauge battery tender wire to help properly power my HF diesel -re-fueling pump. It's helpful as much faster * less lifting than pouring, even though the Branson fills down low, whereas my Kioti was up top and a nasty lift job.
That pump is one of the best HF products I've seen! Takes maybe two minutes to suck 5 gallons.

Branson Bob · Oct 27, 2022

kantuckid said:
I've got a bit over a hundred hours on my Branson 4820R now, plus what it had when hauled in, so now around 180+ hours. I've had zero issues to date. I use the tractor daily in the past year as I've been either logging, sawmilling, handling lumber or since spring involved with a personal remote log cabin build that sees the tractor toting materials to the site or most days lifting wall logs for joint cutting or wall placement. Fact is, most days since July it doesn't move but a few feet here or there, other than the materials getting replenished via a modified hay wagon I re-built to haul wall logs to the site. FWIW, it's a 10+ minute tow from my pasture log storage site to the build site.
I did my 50 hour service last year myself, no issues other than took a bit to bleed and fill the Hyd fluid to full. Tractor had like 77 hours of haying only use when I bought it in MO from the original owner.
I did add a grab handle to my tractor to assist with mounting the tractor. I saw a bunch of variations used by others in the Branson FB Group. Several were not ergonomic IMO, a couple were very well done or chosen. One VG one is a Mahindra part that sells for ~ $17 plus SH and tax. I opted to use an Amazon sourced, Warehouse return thats an aftermarket Jeep Grab Handle. Use those terms and you'll see them. My buy I got two with bolts and spacers and they work great! I've included a picture. I used the included long spacers on the left side where I mostly mount, and the short spacers on the right side where the FEL lever is in the way of mounting. I drilled two holes and threaded them and used nuts on the back for increased sturdyness.
I'm currently desiring to find a grab handle for the right fender same as came on my left fender. There are two sets of factory holes plugged on the right fender but I've not found a handle that mates either set? One set if on the fender bend and ~ 6.5" hole centers, the other is up top and the best positioned and ~ 9.5" hole centers. I've searched Amazon and Ebay so far but not seen a perfect fit yet. Ideas are welcome.
Another change I added was a heavier gauge battery tender wire to help properly power my HF diesel -re-fueling pump. It's helpful as much faster * less lifting than pouring, even though the Branson fills down low, whereas my Kioti was up top and a nasty lift job.
That pump is one of the best HF products I've seen! Takes maybe two minutes to suck 5 gallons.

Good stuff! I'd love to see photos of your milling operation and also the log cabin. Good luck on the build and have fun too.

I usually use the steering wheel as a grab bar but my arms are fairly long and I'm still more or less limber.

I like where you put the grab handle.

kantuckid · Oct 29, 2022

Mill-it's a commonly seen early model Woodmizer LT15 from ~ 2000 year model & mills setup under a shed roof. The cabin I'll post when it's got a roof. We live in a much larger one I built in 1979-80 when I was much more of a man than whats left now.
I'm on log layer #19 right now which is nearing the walls being done as only a short wall is above the loft floor. Quite a challenge to raise logs from inside as log ceiling joists viloate my lifting space. I work solo. Kinda chilly now but need to go work soon.
My short arms are nowhere near the st wheel when I mount, not to mention that my left knees had 14 steroid shots and the rt one got it first in sept.. My good leg is wearing down carrying the water for the bad one. Not quite to point of a full knee replacement yet.
The handle spot is spot on but I've still not decided on a rt fenders handle version to hold onto in dicey situations. I considered flipping the direction of the grab handle- which can still be done as the hole centers don't change.
FWIW: the most common FB Branson Group post is: what size box blade or bush hog to buy or "see my new grapple" or tractor pictures. I enjoy pissing some folks off now and then by stating that I know not one person locally, where people log for a living as the major work, that owns a grapple-they all use forks, other than one large mill that cleans out the de-barker pile with a grapple.

Branson Bob · Oct 30, 2022

kantuckid said:
I enjoy pissing some folks off now and then by stating that I know not one person locally, where people log for a living as the major work, that owns a grapple-they all use forks, other than one large mill that cleans out the de-barker pile with a grapple.

Yes it's amazing what you can pick up with pallet forks.

LouNY · Oct 30, 2022

Branson Bob said:
Yes it's amazing what you can pick up with pallet forks.

For handling logs in a mill, Yes forks will work nice.
For handling scrap and brush the grapple is nicer,
or cover both bases and get a grapple for forks.