The Forestry Forum

My spool valve for my timberjack skidder started acting up lately.  Can't get any pressure to the brake cylinder on the herculese winch. I was getting 400 psi for a long time now nothing
It is an old gresen 400 valve and looks like a wood splitter valve. Somebody installed it years ago to replace the factory spool that usually resides conected to the steering and blade controls.  Funny setup I know but it worked fine for 8 years.

I went to a hydraulic shop to get a new one but they can't find a valve with a detent that can reduce the pressure down to 450 psi  The lowest their books say they can be reduced is 1300 psi.   The new valves are only a 200 bucks but no good to me if they run at high  pressure

I have found a few used timberjack factory spools with all three functions (sterring, blade, winch), but they are very pricey and with no warranty.   

Does anyone know or have tried to replace the winch valve for a hercules winch with any luck??  I  need a valve that has a detent and can reduce the pressure to 450 psi for the brake cylinder .

thanks

Just a guess ,have you checked to see if the orifice in the poppet is plugged and if they are in the right way. Bottom spool on winch should be flat side of poppet out and top side should be groove is out. I had problems with the spool valve on my hercules/eaton and the poppets were backwards. this is a simple thing to check and just make sure your blade is on the ground with no pressure or oil will always flow when you undo the lines at the spool valve. good luck.
                                                               Caveman 11

The valve was bench tested at a local shop and nothing was wrong with the valve.  So i reinstalled it then same result 200 psi at brake cylinder then no pressure.  Got frustrated then started taking things apart.  I found a piece of leather or something in the check valve on the winch brake line.  That seem to fix my issue for now.  Don't know where that came from maybe the seal under the hydraulic filter??  At least if that happens again I will know right where to start looking.
I had another fellow tell me that he had taken out the inside of his check valve after similar issues.  I am considering that but it will have to happen a couple more times before I remove it.