New guy with 1835B question

[jrcampbe]

Hi everybody, I just bought an 1835B for use around the house, mostly for snow removal. The machine runs really well, but when I got it home and used it on the driveway, I noticed the following problem: Occasionally, especially when going uphill with the bucket scraping at very slow forward speeds, upon encountering a bump the jarring action causes the controls to back off momentarily, then come back on suddenly, then begin to oscillate which causes the loader to buck violently fore and aft. It's pretty disconcerting. Last time I let go of the controls and it settled down. I was reaching for the kill switch when it settled down. By driving it extremely carefully and sensitively, I am able to keep it driving fairly smoothly, but I don't want to trust anyone else to drive it with this condition. The machine creeps slightly, which tells me the control linkage is out of adjustment. My understanding is that this bucking can be caused by loose control linkage or worn out control shock absorbers. I purchased a service manual for the machine and while it shows the linkage very clearly, it doesn't describe any testing procedures for these components. Can you guys suggest a way for me to diagnose this overly-sensitive control / oscillating control issue? Should I be replacing all the control linkage ball joints or just doing the shock absorbers? Are there other causes of this? Thanks guys! Jim

 

[alarmguy]

Is this your first machine with hydrostatic drive? I had the same issue when I moved from a mechanical machine with belts and clutches to a hydrostatic machine. The biggest difference with hydrostatic is it doesn't coast. When you pull back to neutral it stops quick and when you move the levers lots the machine takes off in a hurry, even doing a "wheelie" if the bucket is empty. The problem comes with you holding onto the controls and getting tossed back and forth. You move the levers as your body moves and unfortunately it's in a fashion that amplifies the effect. Until you get the hang of it, when it starts bucking just let go of the controls and grab the side screens. The machine will settle down in a second as soon as you aren't moving the controls. You have to move the controls gently and it helps to keep your elbows on the armrests if you have them or pulled tight to your body. It limits how far the controls can move when your shoulders move. Go gently. You'll get the hang of it. There's probably nothing wrong with the machine.

 

[jrcampbe]

Is this your first machine with hydrostatic drive? I had the same issue when I moved from a mechanical machine with belts and clutches to a hydrostatic machine. The biggest difference with hydrostatic is it doesn't coast. When you pull back to neutral it stops quick and when you move the levers lots the machine takes off in a hurry, even doing a "wheelie" if the bucket is empty. The problem comes with you holding onto the controls and getting tossed back and forth. You move the levers as your body moves and unfortunately it's in a fashion that amplifies the effect. Until you get the hang of it, when it starts bucking just let go of the controls and grab the side screens. The machine will settle down in a second as soon as you aren't moving the controls. You have to move the controls gently and it helps to keep your elbows on the armrests if you have them or pulled tight to your body. It limits how far the controls can move when your shoulders move. Go gently. You'll get the hang of it. There's probably nothing wrong with the machine.

Thanks for this reply. That's good to hear. I replaced the shock absorbers on the control levers, which was an incredible ordeal, but it's much more controllable. I think you're right on that I just need to learn the machine some. Thanks again! Jim