# Repairing Air Seats



## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

The beat up old Kubota M120 I brought home has an air seat in it but its flat against the floor. I've never had an air seat in anything and I can't really see how they work.

Inside the skirt I found a compressor which isn't getting power, and there is some kind of pull knob control on the front left corner. I don't see any kind of controls outside for setting the pressure or height? Ive read Grammar's website a bit but they don't discuss either.

If I find the pinched wire does it just do its thing on its own and look after the pressure/height? What does that pull knob do?

Edit for spelling mistakes


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Slow I ain't real sure on the kubota seat as all I have experience with is JD, both made by grammar but not the same.....
The only switch for activation is on the left side of the seat. It provides power to the compressor, the compressor power wire runs through a switch that is N/C while deflated. This switch is built into a pressure switch assembly so as to make or break depending on the weight of the operator. Therefore, the compressor will shut off depending on the weight of the operator when it gets to operation position. Operator position is different depending on the weight of the operator.....
Hth


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

My kubotas both have air ride grammar seats. Both have a paddle (handle) on the left side. Pull paddle up, seat inflates. Push paddle down and seat deflates. There is no dedicated on/off switch on mine. It's always "hot". You sit in the seat and pull paddle on left side up, it should inflate.

My JCB air ride seat inflates once you sit in it, but it's set very light and bottoms out easily. I can't find any weight adjustment. 
I'd really like to fix it as well, Ken. So let us know what you find.


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

Many air ride seats have a push/pull knob that powers the compressor (momentary) when the knob is pushed, and dumps air (momentary) when the knob is pulled.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Gearclash said:


> Many air ride seats have a push/pull knob that powers the compressor (momentary) when the knob is pushed, and dumps air (momentary) when the knob is pulled.


Most of ours works like described above, we had one automatic seat, thats in the MF4880, never could keep it working right so bypassed al the automatic stuff and installed a momentary on toggle switch in the right had console to run the compressor, the deflate function still works on the seat,


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Well the inflate deflate is not working at the moment, I'll track down the fuse first. Someone has done a bit of wiring "upgrades" on this tractor. I turn the master disconnect off every time I park it until I've finished fixing all their repairs.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

The knob/button as discussed.


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## jeff outwest (Sep 13, 2009)

My neighbor bought a M125 a year ago or so. Had 2 issues when he bought seat was not operating and died when put under a load. I took the seat out and found the bladder or air air bag was off the cylinder. Took two guys to get the seat out the back window, a heavy bugger. Easy fix was putting a hose clamp over the rubber. The dying issue was that the return line fuel and the supply were switched between the filter and the fuel pump. Been running great ever since. I bleed green but sure like that 125.


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## Wethay (Jul 17, 2015)

My air seat is in a Deere so it's bound to be different. It has a round green knob that you push to inflate and pull to let air out. it is tucked up under the seat so when the seat is clear down it's a bit hard to find.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

mlappin said:


> Most of ours works like described above, we had one automatic seat, thats in the MF4880, never could keep it working right so bypassed al the automatic stuff and installed a momentary on toggle switch in the right had console to run the compressor, the deflate function still works on the seat,


Hmmmm, sounds like thats what I have. Is it kind of like you sit in it and at first its bottomed out on the floor, then it quickly senses your weight and inflates?

I hate it. Bottoms out on bad bumps.


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## Tater Salad (Jan 31, 2016)

It could be a Fart release lever....


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Lol......now that's funny, don't ask me why, it just is........


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## Thorim (Jan 19, 2015)

somedevildawg said:


> Lol......now that's funny, don't ask me why, it just is........


You are one twisted sick puppy and I am jealous you beat me to it lmao


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## Tater Salad (Jan 31, 2016)

somedevildawg said:


> Lol......now that's funny, don't ask me why, it just is........


I couldn't resist Dawg !!!! The stars aligned for that one !!!!


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Got power to seat last night and she pumped right up! Nice and cushy. I'll see if it leaked down overnight.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

slowzuki said:


> Got power to seat last night and she pumped right up! Nice and cushy. I'll see if it leaked down overnight.


It may, one of mine does but it holds enuf for a day's work......occasionally I reach down and give it a flip of the switch, but not often......


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

After lifting that thing a bit the picture in Kubota literature with the seat out and the floor pan of the cab removed for easy access doesn't impress me! Like mentioned, one guy ain't getting that seat out of the cab without breaking something.


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## Three44s (May 21, 2016)

slowzuki said:


> After lifting that thing a bit the picture in Kubota literature with the seat out and the floor pan of the cab removed for easy access doesn't impress me! Like mentioned, one guy ain't getting that seat out of the cab without breaking something.


Perhaps they put the seat up there and built the rest of the machine around it?

Three 44s


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I missed a word there, not getting it out alone without breaking something!


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

Sounds like me when I'm running the bobtail grain truck for my BIL. Air ride seat is TERRIFIC-- always being "screwed up by the young-uns", not so much...

Now, I'm a big boy... 350-ish or so. Chuck's boys are both young and skinny. Fortunately they don't drive the tandem often, but if they do... 

I get in the truck, and my @ss hits the floor-- they let all the air out of the seat so they can go "supertruckin'", with their skinny butts on the floor and elbow out the window up by their ear, all you see is a nose and eyes above the steering wheel. (WTF is that about? STUPID IMHO... must be a kid thing). I have to get 90 pounds in the air system before the seat will "air up" off the floor so I can drive.

Course, they complain when they get in that it about catapults them through the roof when they hit a bump, because I have the seat aired up to hold me up with my legs level and so I don't bottom out on the bumps coming out of the field.

Cest les vis... at any rate, I still love the six-way air suspension on the Deere 4850 the best... rides like a new Cadillac...

Later! OL J R


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Tu-parles français Luke? I know there is a lot of French in the south of the US.



luke strawwalker said:


> Cest les vis... at any rate, I still love the six-way air suspension


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## Thorim (Jan 19, 2015)

slowzuki said:


> Tu-parles français Luke? I know there is a lot of French in the south of the US.


 The only French word I learned I can not repeat here. I learned it when I was in the city of Montreal in Quebec province helping restore power in the ice storm of 98


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I can just imagine! Thanks for your work, i have family that lived in the montreal area during that mess.



Thorim said:


> The only French word I learned I can not repeat here. I learned it when I was in the city of Montreal in Quebec province helping restore power in the ice storm of 98


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

slowzuki said:


> Tu-parles français Luke? I know there is a lot of French in the south of the US.


I know dirty words in six languages, including Klingon... LOL

But I've just about spent my Francais... LOL

More German/Bohemian and Mexican around here... and of course YANKEE...

Later! OL J R


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

If Yankee is a bad word, there's a lot of Yankees out there.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

I've always fought a war with air ride seats on tractors I am short and someone on the skinny ass side as well. So when I am running something like a planter in a way I prefer to have the seat pumped up pretty high so I said hi and can see around a lot better. It seems when I put enough air in the left them I don't have enough weight and then they're just like sitting on a Buckboard. Our old IH 86 series tractors have hydraulic seats you can raise or lower the seat 2 any height you want hydraulically and wherever you stop you have the full level of suspension.,


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I grew up on broken spring suspension seats, we would wedge a plastic pop bottle under the seat for some cushion so I'm not terribly picky now.


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## Wethay (Jul 17, 2015)

My first farming was on a steel wheeled John Deere AR, one size fits all metal seat and any suspension took a hundred or so more pounds of lead then I had to get benefit from. I still don't mind a cab, A/C and an air ride seat, but I do most of my work on open station tractors, they even have lights.


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## Three44s (May 21, 2016)

What I like about this web site is there are not any prema donna's on it .......... you folks speak your minds without being vulgar!

My experience has been with chunks of wood jammed into the worn out workings of spring/ rubber shock seats.

My 1283 NH SP baler I am running has a seat cover that has a big crack in the upholstery such that I have to stuff a grease rag into it because every time I bounce it takes another bite out of my you know what ........... if the rag ain't there!

The frame work of the seat is worn enough that it leans forward. That is ok going up hill but what goes up ............. well you know, you gotta come down on the next row and do it all over again. With all that bouncing on those 14.9X28" rears those self propelled balers run with ....... and going down hill and the seat leaning forward ........ and a baby alligator chompin' on your backside if you misplace that confounded grease rag .....

.............. it gets old after while.

My employee and I were talking about this thread yesterday .......... and I informed him I was contemplating an upgrade to an AIR SEAT for that SP baler ...........

............ He laughs and informs me he will LET me have the old air seat in our Mack we haul cows with that he does not like very much .........

................. I am thinking .................. WHO WRITES THE CHECKS AROUND HERE?

Give me the poor seat ........... IN DEED!

He might regret that snide remark ........... what I bale ......... is his job to pick up ........... te heeeeee!

Best regards

Three 44s


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Three44s said:


> What I like about this web site is there are not any prema donna's on it .......... you folks speak your minds without being vulgar!
> 
> Best regards
> 
> Three 44s


The vast majority of us work at this.....it does show a higher level of intelligence and that is the thing that makes this site so much more appealing.

Regards, Mike


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