# John Deere Backhoe Cylinder failure



## Robert S Beach (Jan 1, 2021)

I bought a brand new 4044 tractor with a 485A Backhoe attachment I used the attachment for about 3 hours and the Bucket Cylinder Ram Bent, Took it to the Dealer and they replaced the Cylinder, brought it home dug up two small tree stumps and it bent again. Now I find out that JD has not warrantied the first ram and is refusing to say if they will warranty any of the work at all. They are doing their best to blame the failures on me, but they have not been able to identify exactly what I may have done to cause the failures. Has anyone ever seen a ram bend like this, if so what caused it?


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## Robert S Beach (Jan 1, 2021)

Unit was operating with Stabilizers down, 1300 rpm, and digging the roots on a 6" dia. tree.


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## HarveyW (Sep 15, 2014)

Hello Robert, welcome to the tractor forum.

Yours is not the first problem JD has had with the 485 backhoe:

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...ting/313275-brand-new-485-backhoe-horror.html

OK, yours is a 485A model, which obviously has not been improved, but JD has been dealing with basically this same problem 7 years or more. 

I would INSIST that JD take the backhoe back, so you can get a different brand. They can always sell it where soil is easier to deal with.


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## Robert S Beach (Jan 1, 2021)

Sounds similar only my rods never broke they just bent, it seems to me that the product should be designed to operate at the highest pressure the tractor can place upon it?


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## HarveyW (Sep 15, 2014)

Exactly. The product should be designed to operate or refuse at the highest pressure the tractor can place upon it, without rod bending or breaking.


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## mwjohnson (Mar 30, 2021)

EXACT Same thing happened to my bucket cylinder rod (485A) Using to dig out tree stump. Sounds like a design flaw to me. I know digging out stumps is hard on equipment, but a bent rod should not happen, especially at the high cost of JD repair parts. Does anyone know if there is a place (Surplus Supply) or somewhere to get a cheaper replacement cylinder and rod? Thanks.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Maybe research a machine / hydraulic or cylinder repair shop. Had many cylinders repaired at a local machine shop in my working days.


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## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

WOW!!! I wouldn't have believed it without seeing the photo. That sucker is BENT as in a 90 degree BENT!


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## mwjohnson (Mar 30, 2021)

pogobill said:


> Maybe research a machine / hydraulic or cylinder repair shop. Had many cylinders repaired at a local machine shop in my working days.





pogobill said:


> Maybe research a machine / hydraulic or cylinder repair shop. Had many cylinders repaired at a local machine shop in my working days.


Thats exactly what I did. The rod can't be fixed, but they are giving me a cheaper alternative, to replace the rod, and rebuild the cylinder. Thank you pogobill!


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Looks like bad heat treat to me. Should have broken, not bent like that. I won't buy anything green.


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## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

The more I look at that photo, the more amazed I am. I mean, if you *wanted* to try and bend a steel rod that size as perfectly as that one is bent, I doubt you could do it. Gotta be something wrong with the steel that rod is made of, plus something wrong with the geometry of the linkages.


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## mwjohnson (Mar 30, 2021)

Joe, I agree with you, something has got to be wrong with the design, and should be a recall. For Robert and myself to have a cylinder rod bend the exact same way, is not a coincidence. If we're reporting it, I bet there are others that have had the same thing happen.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

I wonder if the problem is with the backhoe control valves, the ones the levers are connected to. Valve not working properly, or the valve pressure may be wrong. I don't know much about hydraulics, (Read nothing at all) but seems there should be a relief setting on the valves that would prevent this, as HarveyW mentioned.


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## mwjohnson (Mar 30, 2021)

pogobill said:


> I wonder if the problem is with the backhoe control valves, the ones the levers are connected to. Valve not working properly, or the valve pressure may be wrong. I don't know much about hydraulics, (Read nothing at all) but seems there should be a relief setting on the valves that would prevent this, as HarveyW mentioned.


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## mwjohnson (Mar 30, 2021)

Agree pogobill. There should be something there to protect the more expensive cylinders. Quote I got from John Deere was 700 for replacement rod only, and 2300 for the complete cylinder assembly. When the whole backhoe only cost me 8500, somethings wrong! Makes me not want to buy another John Deere just for this reason. (Price of repair parts are unreasonable)


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Deere parts are all overpriced. Why I don't run green. Think I'd measure the cylinder and stroke and check Surplus Center for a complete cylinder assembly. You might have to replace the rod end with yours, simple welding job.


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