Hydraulic Valve Converter Kit:
Add Implements to Your Tractor

A hydraulic valve converter kit is a must if you’re planning to add attachments to your tractor but lack the hydraulic ports to power their cylinders.

Our hydraulic diverter valve kit allows you to easily add implements like a front loader grapple or tree shear. And that means greater work versatility around your acreage.

How Does a Hydraulic Diverter Valve Kit Work?

The diverter takes the oil flow from the motion of the loader bucket and moves power to your front mounted hydraulic implements. A switch mounted on the tractor joystick powers our premium hydraulic kit. Plus, you can easily install the the Xtra Valve Kit in a few hours with basic tools and a knowledge of hydraulics.*

Hydraulics are often measured as PSI, or ‘Pounds per Square Inch’ of pressure. When talking about tractors, this is the amount of force a hydraulic pump can create to move fluid.  GPM or ‘Gallons Per Minute,’ is scale of measurement used to determine how much hydraulic fluid a tractor will flow in a given amount of time. Our hydraulic valve converter kits describe hydraulic flow in GPM.

How to Assemble a Hydraulic Diverter Valve

The valve mounts on the side of the loader. To get hydraulic flow, disconnect the hoses that lead to the front bucket tilt and curl circuit and connect them to the valve. Out of the valve will come two circuits. One will connect back to the bucket tilt and curl. The other leads to quick attach connectors on the front of the tractor. Then, an electrical circuit taps into the tractor’s wiring to provide power to a switch on the joystick that diverts the flow of oil.

Here’s an example how the system functions on a grapple. The tractor driver would first drive into the brush pile. He’d push and hold the button on the joystick-mounted switch. That diverts the flow of oil from the bucket’s tilt and curl to the auxiliary circuit, which would be attached to the grapple. By moving the joystick to one side, the grapple clamps down on the brush pile. Releasing the button keeps the grapple clamped on the load. However, it changes hydraulic flow back to the bucket tilt and curl so the load can be raised and tilted as normal. Move to the desired location,  and tilt the bucket forward. With the button pushed and the joystick moved in the opposite direction from when clamping down, the grapple will raise and the load will be released. In other words, any time the second, auxiliary circuit is required, just push in the button. When you release it, everything functions as normal.

Here’s an installation guide for your use. 

 

*  A Very Basic Explanation of How a Hydraulic System Works

1.     Pumps transfer the fluid from the system’s reservoir to the tractor’s hydraulic system, raising the fluid’s level of energy by increasing the pressure. (The tractor’s motor acts as the main power source for the pump.)

2.     Each stroke of the cylinder converts the increased pressure into mechanical force as the fluid, under high pressure, acts upon the rod and piston in the hydraulic cylinder.

3.     The oil level in the reservoir falls when the rod and piston are extending and returns to fill the reservoir when they retract. The cool metal walls of the reservoir drop the temperature of the fluid, the pressure is reduced in the reservoir, and trapped air escapes from the fluid itself.

4.      Most hydraulic fluid is under an enormous amount of pressure, sometimes exceeding 2,000 pounds per square inch, or even 3,000 psi for bigger pieces of farm machinery. As a comparison, your home tap water runs at about 40 psi, so you can see how strong hydraulic pressure is.