For those of you that run Deere backhoes. My new to me 310 SE brake peddle is a bit spongy with both brakes locked. Is that a normal "feel" for these wet brakes? I have not used a wet brake system before. I have used mechanical brakes on old John Deer Tractors-those stop fast. I have used hydraulic brakes in cars/trucks and they are what they are, but never had a wet brake machine. The peddle feels spongy. If it were a car, I would think I need to bleed those. I can push on the peddle 3 times and it firms up. It does stop, but you have to put some good pressure on the brakes with your leg and the peddle has some travel. Hard to describe a soft peddle, but that is what Im trying to describe. Curious if that is normal?
2300 hours on the machine.
It is normal to travel 1/2 - 3/4 down to the floor and get higher as you pump the brakes because you are pumping oil into the piston cavity faster than it can release the oil back to the reservoir, but it is not normal to be spongy, however they do have a slight soft feel. Even with the "far" travel the pedal should be fairly firm and not reach the floor. As far as needing some pressure on the pedal to stop that is also normal on those machines. It can get worse over time, especially if the machine is roaded rather than moved by trailer which tends to glaze the brake pads and discs. How are the pedals individually?
Thanks for the advice. I actually haven't tried the peddles individually yet. I will try that the next time I get it out of the barn. Its been rainy here and the ground has been very soft so I haven't had a lot of time to use this new machine. I've used it to dig a culvert pipe and back blade the driveway and the brakes just felt softer than anything else I have driven before. I like to keep things in good order. The rest of the machine is in great shape so far, but the brakes just "felt" different. Do you have any suggestions on where to find a repair manual for this machine. I have seen some online going for $350 and up at Deere and Ebay. Sometimes repair manuals and parts diagram help me understand what is going on and how things work.
Here is a link to the operators manual in case you don't have it yet. http://www.moffatpipe.com/Equipment-Manuals/BH 02 - JD310SE/BH 02 - 310SE - English.PDF
Thanks!
Mine are pretty stiff and they grab up top, but they work well. Previous owner roaded it to every job so it probably has a few thousand miles on it...wish I knew. There is a inspection cover on the back axle for the brakes. It's described in the PDF Tinkerer linked. Also this dealer link has been invaluable for parts. https://partscatalog.deere.com/jdrc/navigation/equipment/73186 MG also included a link in my thread on where to get all the factory service manuals. The prices aren't so bad for the PDF downloads.
Here is link for all you want to know about the 319SE. It is a sales brochure. https://www.deere.com/assets/pdfs/common/products/backhoes/backhoe-310se.pdf
The brakes on these machines do have a different feel and it takes a little getting used to. I have the 310E version and I suspect they are the same brake wise. Really don't use the brakes all that much if machine is not idled up too much. When I take my foot off the accelerator, the machine comes to a stop except on hilly terrain. I think these are good backhoes and will last a long time if maintained properly.