Free flow return needed on NH 60 series?

[bitwrx]

Hi all,

With all this water falling from the sky over recent months, we've developed quite the quagmire here. So much so, we've had to hook our pig feed trailer up to the 'big' tractor (NH 8260) for the first time ever. The little tractor (Ford 4000) just can't deal with the ruts.

For those unfamiliar with the hi tech Peter Allen feeders, its basically a hydraulic motor attached to a paddle wheel that slings pig nuts out onto the ground.

With the little tractor, we just set the open centre hydraulics to 'pump' and returned the oil to the axle casing via a fitting tapped into the filler plug.

With the big tractor, I've just plugged the feed and return lines into the spool valve, as instructed in the manual:

However, something at the back of my mind is telling me that I should have the motor return pipe connected up to a free flow return, rather than the spool return fitting (or 'feed' as stated in the manual).

Does anyone know if I need to sort myself a free flow return fitting, or will it be ok connected up as per the manual? Does it make a difference if my hydraulics are open centre or closed centre load sensing? (I'm not quite sure what we have, so if it matters I'll have to find out.)

It's used for about 3 hours a day, on and off. Most of the time the wheel just sits there spinning; actually chucking nuts out is probably only 10% of the overall time.

Thanks in advance
Charlie

(PS - not entirely sure why I don't trust the manual. Think it's probably because the chap I worked for as a student had an 8360 with a free flow return, and he's the kind of person who always did right by his machinery.)

 

[fermerboy]

I have a TM140 that we use on a seed drill with a hydrualic driven fan.

I have a return on the big filling bung just above the top link bracket. Works well, we set the fan speed by adjusting the flow on the spool.
That outfit is sometimes running pretty much flat out for 14hrs at a time so we return oil that way to try and avoid heat build up.

If its just a little motor stop start usage I probably wouldn't bother.

I have a bedder trailer on a 7840 that works and returns through the spool and its never any bother.

 

[Kevtherev]

I had a 60 series and it had a free flow return teed into filler neck pipe on back end.

 

[michael N123]

My peter Allen feeder is just 2 pipes into the same spool and works fine but it’s a hydraulic auger so a bit different to yours

 

[Mr Happy]

Set it up as per the manual and it will be fine.

 

[Lincsman]

On a TM there is a plug to return near the spool block, no photo but needs something like a 30mm socket to remove, the thread is something like half inch BSP... but check first!

 

[Cowabunga]

Hi all,

With all this water falling from the sky over recent months, we've developed quite the quagmire here. So much so, we've had to hook our pig feed trailer up to the 'big' tractor (NH 8260) for the first time ever. The little tractor (Ford 4000) just can't deal with the ruts.

For those unfamiliar with the hi tech Peter Allen feeders, its basically a hydraulic motor attached to a paddle wheel that slings pig nuts out onto the ground.
View attachment 860260

With the little tractor, we just set the open centre hydraulics to 'pump' and returned the oil to the axle casing via a fitting tapped into the filler plug.

With the big tractor, I've just plugged the feed and return lines into the spool valve, as instructed in the manual:
View attachment 860256

However, something at the back of my mind is telling me that I should have the motor return pipe connected up to a free flow return, rather than the spool return fitting (or 'feed' as stated in the manual).

Does anyone know if I need to sort myself a free flow return fitting, or will it be ok connected up as per the manual? Does it make a difference if my hydraulics are open centre or closed centre load sensing? (I'm not quite sure what we have, so if it matters I'll have to find out.)

It's used for about 3 hours a day, on and off. Most of the time the wheel just sits there spinning; actually chucking nuts out is probably only 10% of the overall time.

Thanks in advance
Charlie

(PS - not entirely sure why I don't trust the manual. Think it's probably because the chap I worked for as a student had an 8360 with a free flow return, and he's the kind of person who always did right by his machinery.)

The manual is spot on. An alternative is the plug on the side of the oil filler pipe, which is a rather inelegant solution and always makes me think that the expanding rubber filler cap will be blown off by the force of oil splashing upwards. Stick to what the book says and use the lower coupling and use float to stop flow and general driving when flow isn't required. You will need some kind of latch to hold the lever in flow position if there is any back pressure.

It is possible to fashion a wooden filler piece to fit in the slot in front of the leaver to hold it in the flow position but it is not suitable in your case because you need to start and stop flow to the motor so regularly. It is suitable for use with remote spools on mixer wagons or balers or bedder/feeders etc.

 

[Drillman]

The manual is spot on. An alternative is the plug on the side of the oil filler pipe, which is a rather inelegant solution and always makes me think that the expanding rubber filler cap will be blown off by the force of oil splashing upwards. Stick to what the book says and use the lower coupling and use float to stop flow and general driving when flow isn't required. You will need some kind of latch to hold the lever in flow position if there is any back pressure.

It is possible to fashion a wooden filler piece to fit in the slot in front of the leaver to hold it in the flow position but it is not suitable in your case because you need to start and stop flow to the motor so regularly. It is suitable for use with remote spools on mixer wagons or balers or bedder/feeders etc.

Set the spool so pushing it away from you puts it into pump and pushing lever all the way into float stops the oil flow. This prevents dead ending a hyd motor.

its all in the OP manual!

bungee cord round the door frame holds the lever in for ump just fine?

 

[bitwrx]

Thanks all. Just the reassurance I needed.

Also in the manual, it says the strength of the detent can be adjusted by altering a set-screw. Might be worth a fiddle when I have a moment. Last thing we want is the hydraulics going off unexpectedly. It takes about half an hour to un-bung the thing!