Performance increases by raising pressure. Shimming hydraulics. 

Neil, You have by far one of the best tractor based RU-vid channels out there! Great job explaining the risk vs. the reward here, this is a video that anyone who is thinking about doing a hydraulic pressure increase should watch. You are much better at explaining things clearly than I am! Keep up the great content and I thank you VERY much for the shout out! 👍🏻

I think many are missing the point on how this came about..It was found many tractors had low pressure , not in specs..its about getting the correct pressure they are designed for..if your pressure is low why not correct it...no difference if your tire is low..most are going to put the correct air pressure in.

biff made it big time. way to go Biff. Your channel just got a huge boost from the Kubota king himself Neil.

Bought a used Mahindra Max26XL that seemed to have a pretty weak loader. Dealer implied "that's just the way it is." I mentioned i couldn't even lift the front end pushing down with the bucket....same response. So i bought a guage to attach to the loader control valve and ended up measuring about 1300psi max. I adjusted to loader relief valve to 1950psi (max spec is 2200) and i can fairly certainly say it was not a placebo effect :).

My BX was delivered at 1640psi and it was gutless I brought it to 1950psi and it’s great. I know for a fact it made a difference

When I bought my BX2680, I couldn't lift enough weight in the bucket to lift the back wheels off the ground. I bumped my pressure up to 2000 psi and then I could lift enough weight to lift the back wheels. I then made a 400 pound ballast box, which transfers that extra weight to the rear end, and I can now definitely lift more with the bucket.

Great video. Very informative.Thanks Neal! Love Biff's channel!

Thanks Neil! Thanks Biff! Great explanation all around!

My 2003 bx2230 with 711 loader was set at 1200 psi. It wouldn’t pick up a half bucket of dirt. I shimmed it over 10 years ago to 2100 psi and it’s been great. Other than some hoses eventually failing on a 20 year old machine, there has been no adverse effects. The hoses were all rated for 3500 psi, so everything was still completely safe. The little bx has over 2k hours on it now, and over 1K of that at increased pressure. It absolutely made a huge difference. Most BX tractors came well below factory settings.

Thank you for saying what needed to be said. Far too many people buy these little tractors thinking it'll do anything they tell it to. They don't realize how much practice it takes to, say, load the loader bucket without lifting the front wheels off the ground, or not dig into the ground when trying to grab a pile, or just plain making a surface level, properly (no, back-dragging is not how pros make their work smooth and flat, it's how they hide their tracks, and that's it). When it doesn't work the way they think it should, they instead try to modify the tractor rather than learning the feel of the tractor and really getting to know the machine. This presents a bigger problem as then you have someone that doesn't know the feel of their tractor boosting it beyond specs that are already high enough to be dangerous in inexperienced hands. This makes the tractor much more likely to tip, and when you don't know the feel of the tractor, you won't respond in time to prevent that.

A point worth mentioning, while these machines are incredibly capable, it’s still a tractor. It’s not an excavator, it’s not a track loader, it’s not a bulldozer. While you may have the ability to do the same type of work as those you have to adjust your expectations and come to the realization that a small backhoe attachment or whatever on a tractor is NOT going to be as strong or as fast as the dedicated piece of construction equipment designed to perform that one task. Once you understand that you will learn to love your tractor for what it can do, instead of wishing it can do more.

Thanks for explaining that, Neil, so that even I could understand it!!!👍

Very very well thought out and explained video. I really like the fact you drive the point of how this a) is basically useless b) higher potential of equipment damage. Keep up the great work Mr. Neil!!!!!

Biffs video showed a 14% increase when his gauge read 2000 PSI vs. 1750 PSI. So it wasn't 2 to 4% like you were referring to, so in general a well used tractor that is getting 200+ PSI less than a factory spec will actually greatly improve when a person would purchase the shim kit and bring it back into specs..

You sure picked a good one to test. I am very satisfied with mine

I have a 35hp New Holland tractor that is extremely powerful and capable. I wanted to increase hp, pulling force, traction, hydraulic lift power, and overall capability. So I bought a 70hp New Holland tractor. Leave the engineering to the professional engineers!

My Bobcat CT1021 was at 1650 psi and i bumped it up to 2400 psi and it made a world of difference! It was definitely worth it for me. And i used it hard for 200 hours like that with zero issues. Tractor is now sold as i bought the CT2025!

Thanks Neil I so enjoy watching your videos and have learnt so much from them. If i didnt live in Oz I would be headed your way to buy something from you 😊

Aw, c'mon Neil, it says "Decent" right on the gauge! Not good, not great, but Decent. 😂

I'm glad you posted this video. I have worked in industrial hydraulics for years and I know just how quick one can destroy a pump really fast. Stay with the factory setting. If the factory could advertise more power, they would be doing so. But they know the limits of what they manufactur and set them accordingly.

Wow, more pressure equals more lift capacity equals exceeding manufacturers recommendations equal more chances of equipment failure,, HMMM

My L2501 had a terrible lift capacity for its size! Every other manufactures tractor would lift more in comparison of equal tractor! I checked pressures and was just over 2000 psi..maybe 2200. I added shims..checking pressures with each one…finally got to just under 2600 psi and it did make a noticeable difference! I tested before on something so heavy I know it wouldn’t lift…just dead headed the bypass valve ..after the shim kit I retested the same weight. The back of the tractor came off the ground this time! I know it needs ballast to lift heavier objects! I guessing that’s why kubota limits lift capacity for safety reasons?

BX25D gained 30LBS capacity on the FEL by bumping up about 50PSI. That made up for the Tooth bar added on my bucket.

Hey Neil, dont forget safety glasses when dealing with hydraulics. Dont shake hands with danger.

I work on rotary gear/positive displacement pumps along with many other types of pumps. Gear pumps have very tight clearances which vary depending on viscosity. All pumps have a maximum pressure limit of which it can operate and not fail. Unless you know for a fact what that limit is, don’t mess with it. Gear pumps are specked out closely for the required performance vs the product viscosity the pump will be pumping. I personally have seen many failures because someone cranked up the pressure relief valve to get more pressure/ flow. I just smile and hand nice size repair bill for $$$$$.

Thanks Neil , Like most folks I have kicked around the idea of pressure increasing. I think I am going to opt for larger diameter cylinders but I am concerned about the BX23S hydraulic volume . I really value your videos. You do a great job. Don't let it go to your head.

Not only does it make a difference lifting using 1750 psi vs 2000psi, it also makes a significant difference in downward force on the FEL, like when digging below grade. The available pressure to push down is hampered by the shaft occupying space on the hydraulic piston in the cylinder. At 1750 psi, the FEL could not lift the front end of the stock BX25 off the ground. Not sure what the pressure is now, but I can now elevate the BX25 about 10" off the ground using the FEL and the backhoe stabilizers. When using a tractor model that is already operating in the 2450psi range, does not reflect the number of people who are buying hydraulic pressure gauges and shims for the smaller series.

Do a video on the high end, largest, and most powerful equipment you've currently got on hand.

Easiest way to increase lift, install a larger diameter hydraulic cylinder. Easiest way to damage loader, increase lifting ability. Easiest way to break front axle, lift more weight than it was designed to carry.

My 2650 is reading 2100. Factory spec is 2,400 to 2450. That puts me about 13% below spec. I think a couple shims would be worth it.

Great video Neil. It would really be nice if I could use my BX to replace a skid steer by having the same performance. I guess that is why there is so much difference in their price. I will say I've been impressed with what you can do. We have a few video doing some loader work. Have a happy Thanksgiving.

i lifted a 500 KG load with a tractor rated at 400 KG , wanna know how i done it: i removed the bucket and attached a sling to the loader, to get a delivery off a truck.

I think you can increase it quite a bit on an old BX like mine. Factory spec is like 1750 psi, but after 15 years it's quite a bit lower. If you can increase that from 1650 or so to 1900 psi, you could easily add an extra 200 lbs of ability in lifting something off the ground. Disclaimer is that I didn't shim mine, and have no intention to.

After 900 hrs on my bx25d I have noticed a small drop in lift capacity, not enough to worry about but keeping an eye on things. A mechanic friend suggested the spring may have lost some tone because I use the bucket a lot. He told me the same thing you just said about shimming the pressure regulator, suggested replacing the spring if the loss of lift capacity gets worse. Added that it would probably last another 12 years before that happens. Love my bx.

Outstanding. Science!

Thanks, Neil, for putting it out there for what it is. I think you could have addressed more how such changes can affect the rest of the system, though. Hoses, pumps, etc. all have to be considered in the extra stress being put on the system which includes the FEL and axles. Is that potential 20-140 lbs worth it? Now can you do a video on "if it makes more noise, it must be stronger and faster"? In this area, if everyone isn't deaf within a mile radius from your "mod", it must not be making enough "noise power". (Without regards to people and animals that live in the area).

Everybody's mileage can vary, but raising my pressure from about 2,200 to 2600 on my L3700SU made a huge difference. From my personal testing the tractor lifts roughly 400 pounds more now. I actually had to increase my ballast because it started lifting the rear tires with 1,000lbs ballast box.

I need to pick up one of those gauges because I’ve always thought that my PX should pick up a little bit more I did buy it brand new

Once you know about hydraulic pressure,you know that once you increase pressure you increase break out force.

I am fine with your message. So at what PSI is it time to use shims?

A good does a "reality" comes in handy!

Very Nice Informative Video Sir 👌👌😇😇👍👍🍻🍻

So true

I need to put hydraulic outlets on my old l275 any help would be appreciated

It's all math. I've fixed a lot of components that guys started out with a 500 psi boost. The math also applies to the structure. You're going to do more damage than good over time.

Hey what would make the hydro filter seal blow and thungsbi can check just oit of warranty

My l3301 was 1900psi when I got it I turned it to 2800 psi my 525 loader lifts 1700 pounds of concrete blocks on pallet and forks now mine modification made a big difference

I had always felt that my curl was very weak on my loader. It would lift the front of the tractor off the ground, but just didn’t seem to have power while digging. I tested my pressure at the rear SCV’s that feed my loader and it was 2800psi, but when I tested coming out of the loader control valve, it was only 1200psi (should be 2500psi per loader spec). I took out the pressure relief valve cartridge from the loader valve and the spring inside was broken in two pieces! That’ll do it. Waiting on part to come in, but hoping for a 50% increase in power!

Neil, I disagree with your logic here. If the lift power of the pistons increases by 4%, you get much more than 4% increase in lift capacity. This is because the weight of the loader itself has not changed, and the weight of the loader itself is a significant constant limiting factor in the bucket lift capacity.

If it is not broken dont fix it you want more power get a bigger tractor plain and simple

Granted biff is a little over max pressure 150lbs lift capacity is a pretty substantial improvement for a tractor that can only pick up 500 or 600 lbs it's almost 30% unless I did some math wrong. I figure with these little bx tractors anything helps. when I had a bx when it was new I increased my pressure 150 psi to 1950 psi seems all the bx tractors are set on the lower end of the psi specs anyway.

Relief valves protect the system from the loose nut behind the wheel.

Very informative. However, shims can and do have a significant performance impact on high-hour tractors. I do however agree that exceeding the factory specs is simply not prudent. Engineers are really good at math.

Can you do a video about switching backhoe controls to excavator controls?

more pressure equals more heat, more heat equals shorter seal life, it also equals shorter fluid life and more fluid break down which in turn equals more wear. personally, I'd rather keep the things that i purchase to do work as stock as possible and use high quality filters and fluids as i'd rather they keep working and not have to fix them.

If you want more out of your hydraulics, you probably are going to have to get a bigger tractor that has a better flow in order to use hydraulic attachments that are out of the range of some of the smaller compact tractors. However, you can look at one of the videos and and see how you can safely add hydraulic power to other attachments that need more flow by purchasing trailblazers hydraulic power pack that is PTO driven from the rear shaft. It might be a good video to show how this trailblazer hydraulic power pack can be used on smaller tractors to drive other attachments besides trailblazers articulating front brush hog. For example, Kubota LX and the John Deere 2R series do not have enough hydraulic flow to power some implements that rely on hydraulic power rather than PTO. However, I bet you could hook up that trailblazer hydraulic power pack and make a hydraulic driven auger work on the front end of those two tractors without any really issues. I think I just gave Neil hopefully an idea to demonstrate that. I myself, would like to see how it works. LOL

Look at some of other videos bud. Like lifting a skid full of firewood after shimming or couldn’t lift it before

I bought an M7060 2021, and the 3 pt top and tilt controls are sooooo slow. I've turned the valve, and it doesn't matter. You just have to set there and wait real slow, not like my old L48, which you could set the speed from almost damaging fast to just perfect. Is there something I can do? My dealer didn't have a solution, other than maybe drilling something out.

Hi Neil, my question is regards to a Kubota L3301. 359hrs. Does not the spring in the relief valve weaken over time and cause a loss in useable pressure? I was thinking about shimming mine to put it back into factory spec range. Would this void my warranty? Thanks for all the work you do to educate and inform.

this is a common problem, whether by modifying or not. overloading almost anything is a bad idea (within reason)

Am I the only one thinking that maybe they don't put larger loaders on a tractor for a reason? I wish my LX2610SU lifted more than it does, but even with loaded tires I can already lift enough to get the rear tires off the ground. Front tires and axles I feel are not made for that much more weight.

my l2501 will pick the backs wheels of the ground with a 72 inch box blade as is from the factory.. dont think ill be messing with the pressure.. but i hear you can turn up the injection pump and a few people make turbo kits for it... maybe after my warranty is up ill do that just because.. maybe..

i got an M7 with closed center hydraulics. can i run a hydraulic snow blower attached to the loader arms? what specifications would i need to look for?

Maybe i just have an odd tractor but i have a bx1500 with an la181 loader before shims i was at 1700 psi lift capacity was 410lbs at the pins, i increased psi to 1900 and at the same location it is now 524lbs. I wouldn't say i recommend doing this unless you are experienced and know 100% the risks you take, very easy to blow cylinders, lines, pump, bend loader arms, frame.

I know you are trying to discourage people from doing this mod, you are using the full lift height numbers. Add 4% at the breakout force, and you gain a solid 100#+.

Well I have a BX 23S it’s about four years old and I’m picking up some 4 x 5 round bales from the front end with lightweight spears. And I can get it 4 inches off the ground but I’d really like to get it 8 inches off the ground so I can set it on a pallet would shims help me?

Neil would increasing the diameter of the cylinder increase lift capacity?

My 2005 BX23 has lost pressure. My FEL will no longer easily lift the front of the tractor, nor will the Hoe bucket curl through roots it once easily did. It is no-where near its original pressure. The purpose of the shim kits is to restore pressure to old tractors that have suffered long years of fatigue on the spring in the pressure relief valve that has lead to lower than spec pressure. Playing with a few PSI on a new tractor is virtually meaningless... but for old tractors that have lots of years with hundreds of hours... that spring DOES fatigue. Its not about going way over spec., its about getting back to spec.

The WSM for my bx says 1840psi. Mine was delivered with 200 less than that. it couldn't lift it's own front wheels off the ground. Shimming fixed that quickly and easily versus having to take it back to the dealer.

Yes you have the numbers but real field experience is where it's at

my 3901 can't lift the back end up with the loader and all i have on the 3 point is a quick hitch.

Is there a way to up the total hydraulic gpm to run more front attachments through the 3rd function

A 10% increase will make a significant difference & cause zero issues. I have been running my tractor that way for years.

Thanks for your viewpoint. One of my coworkers did get a massive improvement from using one of these kits because he was a LOT more than 2% below spec. Being a big dealership, I am curious if you could share an estimate of how many Kubotas Messicks has serviced that were significantly below spec?

Don't you need to have the hydraulics doing work to make pressure? What is limiting the flow to cause pressure in your setup there?

There’s nothing placebo afoot i’d say that’s rewriting the story being proven by each & every video. Have no doubt it puts the machine under greater stress & invalidates warranties & so on & so forth but its a 21% increase in lifting ability if u just go from 2230 to 2590 psi on the LA525. Again not good on the machine to juice it but that’s no doubt a significant gain. If u could take a machine that lifts 1100lbs & get it to 1500/1600lbs lift then I could no doubt see the allure there. Prolly break stuff long term & you’d need to work to keep the rear down but having a little tractor that lifts big is mighty handy here & there. It’s not recommended but the gains are there if u really want them.

100 over 1000 PSI on a way overdesigned 8N, no problem. 100 over psi on a modern tightly designed tractor can do damage.

Thank you for this great informational video. I wondered how much the shim kit actually did. Far from worth the effort and money I think. Doing something like this will void the tractor's warranty as well correct?

LOL, Sub Compact and Compact Tractors on lower end like my B2320 are what they are. If you need lift capacity, get a fork lift, skid steer or telehandler.

So Neil as a dealer where is your tester at why did you go to Chinamart and buy one?

Some people have to know that it's not the machine that is the problem. The problem is between the seat and the controls!

Blows my mind that you don't check pressures during a pdi. I work for a heavy equipment dealer and we've found that we have to set the pressures to max spec to make it do what the manufacturer says it should do.

My B2601 can do amazing amount of work & lift INSANE amounts right from the factory; no need to raise the pressure!

600 psi is a good jump. On an LA525 loader. That what 20 percent you are talking 200 pounds of lift.

Go for bigger lift cylinders instead

Oddly enough, the video you mentioned, he gained 150lb of lift by boosting his PSI. And he was playing it safe at 2000 psi. Guys have had no issues boosting his tractor to 2200 PSI, which would have netted him another 120lb of lift, for a total of ~270lbs of additional lift. Thats nothing to scoff at and completely explains why most guys are seeing massive improvements to lift capacity.

My 4701 can't lift and curl at the same time any clue what it might be

You forgot to include the link for this pressure gauge. I would like to check, not increase my pressure. You obviously bought one.

Not sure that buffs results showed what you tried to make them out as. Your talking about a 16lb increase. Biffs looking at 150lbs

Couldn't you go with larger diameter hydraulic cylinders for more lift. I assume you'd sacrifice speed though by doing that. It's most likely the perfect ratio from the factory.

Set it where you want to. Max it out. Just don't overload your front axle. Kubota and other manufacturers should have max lift capacities UNDER the maximum front axle capacity at the max hydraulic pressure. Most damage to FEL's and front axles are due to operator error. A FEL is not a bulldozer.

Before I go out and purchase the shims from my Kubota dealer here is my dilemma. I have a BX24 which I purchased new in 2008. In the 2020 season, the FEL was able to P/U my 60" MMM. This year the loader struggles to lift it more than two feet. What then has happened to the factory settings if not the spring nor shims.

Hello, I don't agree. 2% of increase PSI doesn't at all mean 2% increase at the cilinders (except if your cilinder only has 1 Square Inch). In theorie you get 2 % increase per Square Inch so if your cilinder has a surface of 5 Square Inches you get.... (In theorie). Don't you agree? I do agree, that if a person doesn't fully understand every part that can suffer from the PSI increase it's better to let a pro do it or not to do it at all. I like your videos. Cheers from Belgium. P.S. I talked to fast, I'm wrong.😣

People forget these are tractors, that are built like tractors. They are not construction equipment. A job that a skid steer or small high lift will do without breaking a sweat can easily damage a tractor.

Sounds a lot like the guys that'll tow an 18,000 lb trailer with a Ford Ranger. [I added airbags, it'll be fine]

The lifting force is transmitted into the wheels,bearings ,and transmission housings. Guess these hacks have never seen a transmission case broken by overloading.

Take a B2650, push it to 15% over recommended, hang 700 lbs in the 3 point, or 700 lbs of fluid in the oversized 3350SU tires and it works much much better. 600 hours like this, no issues.

What about adjusting the relief valve on the loader. I have a m7060 and the hydraulics flow through the relief valve every time I have a good bucket full of dirt and does not want to lift it above about 4 feet. Will adjusting the relief valve setting let the loader lift what I need it to

Why are all the videos I see the kubota bx2380 has so much less lifting capacity than the others from factory im really wanting to buy one but all the videos I see are horrible for kubota lifting capacity

How can you talk about hydraulic force and not mention Pascal. PA=f and I'm an electrical engineer