Down Pressure on L54A Blade

[Matt Kirsch]

Having determined that I will not be doing a major engine overhaul on the Loboy this winter, I put the front blade on it yesterday.

Running the blade up and down to test my setup, I noticed that my new fast hitch is only halfway down when the blade hits on level ground. The only way to get the fast hitch low enough to scoop a trailer up with the ball hitch is to compress the spring on the front blade quite signfigantly.

What I am wondering is, how much down pressure can you put on the blade without blowing the hydraulics? Is it kosher to push down on the blade like that to get it to dig in?

[wvpolekat]

Well, here is my $1.05 on this.

I dont think that the hydraulics will be your worry, the relief valve will take care of that.

I think the bigger concern would be the stress you are putting on the cub depending on where the blade mounts and such.

[gitractorman]

Matt,
I would not put too much down pressure on that blade, as it and the linkage to the cub are really not designed to handle too much. I have the same problem with mine mounted in the grader position. I just put my trailer jacks on blocks of wood, so I can crank them up high enough to get the hitch under it. That is just one of the limitations of the cub. It was never meant to use two implements at once, so there is no way to adjust something mounted on the front, so that it agrees with something mounted on the back.

Bill

[BigBill]

My orginal 154 snowplow setup does have a down pressure spring and adjustment. I figure that the orginal blade was so light in weight it needed a down pressure spring to make it stay on the ground so it wouldn't rise up. You/we know when the snowplow rises all of a sudden when your pushing a large amount of snow you can bet the blade will sink itself right into the deepest spot in the snow. Then your stuck, i had a jeep that would do just that. The main thing is to push snow very slow so that can't happen. When your pushing snow fast it happens that quick, so you can't stop in time to catch it. I don't plan on using the down pressure spring yet unless it does bounce up on its own, but i may add it for leveling the stone driveway and pushing a little dirt.

[jostev]

I'v put mine down all the way before, whether grading dirt/stone or snow, and I have had no problem, have you moved the lift rod above the spring up/down? If i remember right, on mine there are like 3 holes, i move mine all the time for different stuff...

just my 2 cents

Johnny

[TrainsNTractors]

Take out the top lifting A on the blade and replace it with a chain. You wont have any down pressure but now you can move the fast hitch and the front blade. Just be carful to use a long enough section of chain so when you pick up the blade all the way it does not hit the front cross member.