Johnny Bucket

[MattA]

This is the control pattern I'm presently using on my joystick. I swapped raise and lower last weekend since I kept getting it backwards. I'm not sure if a standard control pattern exists. The labels are not attached so that I can still swap controls which is as easy as swapping two relay control wires around. This joystick only allows for one function to be used at a time.

Hopefully I got the terminology correct...

[DavidBarkey]

@MattA Don't know ,but looks good to me . What ever works for you.

[Toolslinger]

The pattern only matters for the user. If you had multiple machines, you'd want them to run the same, but for a one-off, whatever works.

More typical would be raise/lower moving forward, and back, and the dump/rollback being side to side. I don't even really think about it when I sit down on the 646 I'm so used to it. On my JD310, I don't have enough seat time yet to really be comfortable with it, even though it's the same. I'm still confirming which way to move every time.

[Harry]

I agree what ever works for you and you get use to. I was using my 644 lbh the other day digging dirt and moving it. I haven’t used the hie in a while but after a short time it was like on auto pilot. Great job Matt Harry

[MattA]

I switched up the joystick control pattern for the 3rd truckload of dirt. Took some getting used to.

I'm done moving dirt for the season. I'll get some voltage drop measurements with the lift actuator running.

I did see Johnny products has a quick lift kit which I assume boosts the voltage to the lift actuator.
https://johnnyproducts.com/products/quick-lift

[DavidBarkey]

Under resourses there is a pdf on the quick lift modual and yes you are correct . it ups the voltage to 24 volts .

[MattA]

Under resourses there is a pdf on the quick lift modual and yes you are correct . it ups the voltage to 24 volts .

Thanks David. I didn't realize they had this documentation on the website.

[MattA]

Today I measured 3.2V to 3.3V drop in the wiring due to the current flow while lifting me in the bucket. This does not include the voltage drop on the battery/charging system. With the engine at 2200RPM's where I was running it while working in my yard, battery voltage is 13.8V. Voltage drops to about 12.5V by the time the buckets picked me up all the way. Lower the bucket and repeat 2x more times and the voltage is mid to high 11's. I don't normally do this when using the bucket. The voltage returns to 13.8V in probably 15 seconds. I didn't have a current probe at my house for testing.

The JB mule has significant space under the tractor for a remote relay box. At some point I'll rebuild the control harness.

[MattA]

I worked on revising my Johnny Bucket wiring harness over winter break. Project goal was to build a remote relay box down in the mule drive cavity, shorten up the amount of wiring carrying 30Amps and change rhe 14AWG wiring to 10AWG.

New relay box mounted in the mule drive. This is secured with magnets.

Pair of 60Amp integrated relay reversing modules. These are about $20 on Amazon.

All wired up.

Fits well in the mule drive.

At this point I realized I can't remove the relay box from the tractor without removing the steering rod

Now that the relays are out of the joystick box, I was able to put the joystick in a much smaller box. I forgot to take pictures of the joystick box.

I'm having trouble finding decent ingress protection rated 10AWG connectors for the linear actuators. For now I've left the relay box to linear actuators wired with 14AWG. I may make more updates in the spring.

[DavidBarkey]

Looks good @MattA . Should work very well for you .