# Auxiliary Hydraulics - rear and/or front for FEL use?



## Steve Prather (Aug 18, 2018)

Hey folks - would like your opinions and or corrections if my assumption is wrong:
Kioti DK45SE with rear auxiliary hydra and has a detent lever (has a "lock" position A and B)
Do I need to invest in front hydra or am I fine having hoses made to run from the back to the FEL to use for my front hydra?
If I just need to run hoses to the front is that something I can measure and order on line and install myself?
Do I want to install/attach as a "permanent" fixture or keep them temporary so only attach when needed?
For now my use will be for grapple. I know there are several implements to run on the FEL but right now can't see me getting anything else but want to have the option for other implements in the future.

What do you all think - since I have the detent lever, use the rear or invest in dedicated front?

Thanks,
Steve


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## Redlands Okie (Nov 5, 2017)

To operate a grapple you just need to activate it to close it and open it. This can be done with a hydraulic system set up on the front end loader or by extending the rear connections up to the front. Personally I would not want to reinstall the hoses whenever I wanted to use the grapple. I would measure the length of hoses I needed to run them in a route that keeps them out of your way and also out of the way of brush trapping the hoses. Then its simply a matter of plugging the hoses in when needed and disconnect when you need the connection at the rear for some other tool. 
Once you have the length you can purchase hoses at a tractor supply or automotive store near you. You have a chance of finding the right length off the shelf but that seems unlikely to me. Will probably require two or three hoses connected together. Places like my local Napa will make hoses and can cut them to the length you need and put on the fittings you need. 

Seems to me the hardest part will be making sure the hose ends fit what you have. Fittings come in a variety of styles as well as sizes. Be sure to remove the fitting from the grapple and take it with you so they can match it or you can match it at the supply store. 

You will need to know the fitting type for sure if you are going to attempt a online order. 

Seems to me a pair of hoses cut to long would be way better than coming up short. The excess hose can be coiled up at the rear or somewhere out of the way. I would recommend the end of the hose at the front end of the loader not have a lot extra coiled up. To much of a chance of the slack getting hung up. 

Personally if the finances allow it I really like the dedicated front end loader hose.


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

Dad's YT359r has 2 rear remotes. 1 with a detent float position and the other is more traditional. I snagged a couple hoses from work that happened to be fine to use, but too damaged to stick on a new product. I got lucky. they were the size I would have picked had I been buying them myself (I might have gone cheap and went a size down though) and close to the length I'd have picked as well. The ends weren't what I'd have picked, but a couple oddball fittings is cheaper than "normal" fittings and new hoses. I plumbed them to the rear remote without detents (they'd have still functioned on the side with detents, but this is not where detents are normally used for), using the tractor style quick connects. For the grapple, I used the skid-steer quick style connects for the front. They are way oversized for the application, but are what came on the grapple. Had I done it again, the only thing I would change is I'd have picked out a smaller grapple, and a smaller grapple might have come with tractor fittings on the hoses.

The hoses stay on the FEL (zip tied them to the FEL tubes on the FEL, and to where-ever between the rear remotes and the FEL) and plumbed into the rear remotes. I could unhook them from the rear remotes, but I have no reason to.

for shopping for hydraulic hose lengths, I would start with an old garden hose and run it were you would run the hydraulic hose, remembering that a hydraulic hose won't bend as tight. Once you have what you think is right, move everything (including the 3-point, and any levers and foot peddles that might have linkages near were you ran the hoses) and see where if anything got damaged or pulled tight, once its all sitting right, cut it to length, then measure what you have. Way better to waste a cheap garden hose than to waste a hydraulic hose.

The quick connects, I ordered from amazon. the hydraulic fittings, I ordered to match the quick connects, and the hoses. only 1 of the hoses had a 90 on the one end, so I got a 90 for 1 of the fittings (the 90 degree fitting cost about 5x what the straight fitting did). the others were straight fittings. I got them from Zorro. I got the fitting numbers from Parker's "fitting finder" web app or phone app. The hoses like I said I grabbed from a garbage pile.

If you are buying hoses, you speck what ends you want. You can probably get them with Male NPT ends and screw them right into the quick connects. I don't like NPT for pressure connections, but it is common and tractors hydraulic systems aren't that high of pressures.


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