I have a new Backhoe ( JCB) I bought it last Fall. It has 45 hours on it. When I know it wont be used for a while, I always store it with the arms all extended to keep much of the Hydraulic Pistons in the closed position. I used the machine last week. I park it on evening with the plan to use it the next morning, I come out to see the Boom piston has bleed down so that the Bucket was resting on the ground. It never did this before when I left it parked this way. No fluid leakage at all. Shoudl I expect this on such a new machine?
I am not quite sure exactly what you mean when you say you leave it with the arms all extended.I am a great fan of JCB and drove them for more than 30 years with few problems
I don't know what the cyl drift specs for a jcb are, but I don't park any equipment, especially overnite or longer without resting the bucket on the ground. Seems to be unsafe to leave it up in the air if that is what you are doing.
I agree with you, all cylinders should be vented before parking up, so all buckets, hammers etc should be on the ground with no hydraulic pressure in the pipes
I would not expect a new machine to have significant cylinder bleed down in ½ day. Is the issue repeatable? If so, on a new machine I would expect a warranty repair. Sounds like you got some type of damaged seal in valve or cylinder, or perhaps debris in the valve. If the problem is that significant at 45 hours, it is only going to get worse overtime. I would get it looked at under warranty by the dealer. If not repeatable, are you sure someone was not in the cab overnight moving controls? Certainly, good practice is to either lock all movements or put on ground for storage, but bleed down that quick seems excessive on a new machine in my opinion.
It's not unusual for cylinders on a backhoe to "bleed down" as they don't have holding valves on the cylinders. However, since it only has 45 hrs, and is less than a year old (bought it last fall), you should be all over your dealer to look for any issues. But I have to ask, you stated "the boom piston has bleed down...", I assume you mean the main backhoe boom, not the stick. If so, doesn't the machine have a boom stow lock?
Yes, the machine does have a Boom lock down. The machine is in my driveway, no one touched the Controls and it happened two days in a row. Since I was using it for several days in a row I didn't Lock the Boom. As I may have mentioned, it sat in the driveway all winter without the Boom lock set and it did not move. Not to mention this Backhoe disconnects from the tractor It sits on the two outriggers and the bucket, if this bleeds down I'm going to have this unit falling over.
Robin, When I leave the machine for weeks, I have the Hoe fully extended as if I'm reaching far. By doing this, it has the pistons in the cylinders instead of having it in the transport position which exposes the pistons to the weather. Did your JCB machines drop in less than 24 hours?
when I park any machine with hydraulics I always curl every ram up as if transporting it.The boom lock should be in position, the jack legs down and all the services should be vented.If everyone parked their machines like you do there would be no spare space!
I have a JD310d backhoe with 7000 hrs . the boom, bucket curl, and extenda hoe will all bleed down over a several day period with no apparent external leakage. Is this normal for an older machine and something I shouldn't be concerned with. I like things to be as they should be but if i'm not harming anything by postponing repairs I will concentrate on other chores first. I only use the machine on my own property.
As I stated previously, yes, most loader/backhoes will bleed down as they don't have holding valves on the cylinders. Is this a problem? Yes and no. Yes as it's a sign that things are worn, and no as something of a 310D vintage will have some wear to components, wear in control valve body and spools, wear in cylinder and seals, etc. For a daily production machine this could be a problem, but for a "use the machine on my own property"? It's like a fellow once asked me about a used machine (for personal use) once asked me, "should I replace all the hoses?", to which I replied "if your wallet is fat enough, sure". My point was, if your wallet is fat enough, sure, go ahead and rebuild the machine. Otherwise, use components until they become a problem and then address them.
Just be glad it was the ground the bucket was resting on and not a kid. You should never leave equipment unattended with buckets or booms in the air.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,well said,,,,,,,,,,,,safety is easy if you think about the consequences
I also have a 310D but with 9000 hrs. I have replaced almost all the cylinder seals and the seals in the loader control valve but not the backhoe control valve. I still have a small external leak at the gland of my backhoe boom cylinder. Like you, all of the backhoe cylinders will bleed down if left long enough but it does not make the machine unsafe so I am comfortable as it is. I have not noticed that the loader drops but I have never actually tested it. I know my stabilizer legs don't move even if left for a month but they have a lock built into the valve.
Thanx for the reply Willie and Deon. I feel comfortable leaving the hydraulics as is now. My main concern with leaving it was that more damage and more cost might occur if I leave it till later. The machine really seems to be a good working unit and other than a few sloppy pins in the backhoe that are in dire need of replacing as well as the return to dig function quitting on me I think it will serve me well.