# 3 point Hydraulic issue



## Kdp4au (8 mo ago)

Good afternoon. New to the forum, and I found my way due to not being able to figure out the issue anywhere else. With that being said, on to the issue. Tractor is a 2005 m5400 4wd open station. Let's say I have a rotary cutter (bush hog) hooked up to my tractor. It will do it with any attachment, I just feel like the implement makes it easier to paint the picture. If I have the implement all the way up, and want to lower it down to a certain level (lets say 4) even if I stop the lever at the desired setting, it will continue to drop until its bottomed out. Unless I pull back on the lever just enough to stop the drop, then it will stay at that level for some time. Now, lets say I am done cutting, and want to pull the implement all the way up so I can travel down the road. It will raise the implement up, then you can hear the engine go under load (more or less) as if its continuing to try to raise the implement. Similarly, If I push the lever down just enough you can hear it release, and will hold that position for some time. It's incredibly frustrating, due to it making bush hogging a constant game of readjustments and uneven cutting. I took it to my local Kubota dealer at the beginning of the year, and they claim they couldn't find anything. Anybody got any clue what this might be? Thanks for any help in advance!


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## BigT (Sep 15, 2014)

Hello Kdp4au, welcome to the tractor forum.

As tractors age, their lift systems develop quirks as you are seeing with your M5400. You can spend a lot of money trying to fix the problem, or you can exercise your options . My favorite Mower Deck Height Stabilizer is pictured below. Virtually every tractor parts supply shop has some version of this chain system. You set the chain lengths to the cutting height you desire and that's where it will stay till you make another setting. You can lift the mower deck up as far as you wish, no problem. But when you lower the deck, it will go only to the cutting height you set it at. These systems go for less than $50.











Can you put a bolt in your lift control lever guide to prevent you from going full stroke as you describe the pump keeps on running at full lift?


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## Kdp4au (8 mo ago)

BigT said:


> Hello Kdp4au, welcome to the tractor forum.
> 
> As tractors age, their lift systems develop quirks as you are seeing with your M5400. You can spend a lot of money trying to fix the problem, or you can exercise your options . My favorite Mower Deck Height Stabilizer is pictured below. Virtually every tractor parts supply shop has some version of this chain system. You set the chain lengths to the cutting height you desire and that's where it will stay till you make another setting. You can lift the mower deck up as far as you wish, no problem. But when you lower the deck, it will go only to the cutting height you set it at. These systems go for less than $50.
> View attachment 79286
> ...


That's a really good idea. Especially for the rotary cutter, set it and forget it.


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## LouNY (Dec 15, 2016)

It sounds to me like your linkage is misadjusted.
Putting the engine under load at the max lift position tells me that the lift control is still trying to lift
at the ends of the mechanical travel and pressurizing the system till the pressure relief is opening to lower the pressure.
Does your tractor have a draft control as well as position control?
If so they are likely both out of adjustment, you need a good service manual.
Continued operation with the hydraulics running against the relief valve is not good for anything.


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