Tractorpoint Login

print < Tractorpoint Login

Search for =

Topic

In the 50's when dad bought our first TV, it cost more than $300 which is over $3,000 in todays money while using 280 watts. I now have this computer, a 30" monitor, scanner, phone charging, and 6 disk drives on this circuit drawing 53.2 watts. We used 100 watt bulbs while my LED equivalents now use 7.5 watts for equivalent lighting. Our '57 Chev V-8 got less than 15 mpg while our current car averages over 35. Back then we got by with fewer items but they used a lot more energy than today's equivalents.

No Plastic Bags at the Grocery Store
Everything and Anything
Replies 10 Post by MHarryE

Its more due to your physical and mental abilities. I know people who at 60 are no longer able to function safely with equipment. One of my neighbors passed away 2 years ago at 93 - he last put up his hay crop at 93 although he did need help for the more physically demanding repairs. I retired from my engineering job early at 63 with no intention of farming but found other things too boring, began helping relatives and now have my own operation - at 75 - and keep growing every year. Half of my engineering career was design and management at Gleaner and CaseIH combines - I can't seem to get away. Yet my brother-in-law, 2 years younger, needs help with everything - can no longer service including fueling his tractors, and depends on his cell phone to call his son or hired man for help in case of any problem - which may involve sitting in the field until the cows are milked.

At what point or age should you stop Tractoring
Everything and Anything
Replies 16 Post by MHarryE

I had studded snows on my '68 Mustang and '70 Nova. Then the highway departments noticed the severe damage happening to the roadways and banned them. Along with that we saw the shift to front wheel drive, then four wheel drive, but most of all the tire companies improved the stickiness of their tires. I had a 2000 BMW rwd that absolutely needed winter tires in winter (I live in Minnesota) but it was important to change for summer as tread wear was not very good, a sacrifice made for snow and ice traction. It was replaced with a 2008 awd BMW and the need to change tires went away.

So they were banned in northern states like MN due to highway damage, replaced by improved tires, traction control, 4wd, front wheel drive.

My studded tire experience was nice for icy roads but horrible once winter was over as the carbide studs on asphalt spun easier than a broad full rubber contact.

Does anyone use studded tires anymore
Autos SUV Trucks
Replies 3 Post by MHarryE

Quick search found many TC40D owners have had the same problem but I didn't find one solution. May be time to get the service manual that describes how to correct neutral creep. Creep can be resolved by linkage adjustment or it may be the result of wear. Considering the hours on your tractor, I would not rule out wear. I infer from a comment that creep resulted in an accident so I suggest getting a copy of the service manual or maybe your dealer can give advice.

TC40D wants to keep moving
Parts and Repair
Replies 11 Post by MHarryE

For CUT my landscape rake has ended up getting used more for my driveway and yard than anything else. Next would be tiller, then rotary cutter. Rear blade got used in conjunction with front snowplow during winter until I got my CTL - now the tractor mostly sits idle during winter as the CTL clears snow so much faster.

What Rear Tractor Implement Do You Use Most Survey
Operating and Attachments
Replies 22 Post by MHarryE

I was going to add it should be a sight glass on the rear like the L3710 I once owned, difficult to see level because of fluid color, but its there.

Kubota Tranny dip stick location
Kubota Tractors
Replies 5 Post by MHarryE

Have you verified for yourself the problem is the splines? I mentioned having repaired a driveshaft problem a couple times. One was damaged splines - the tractor would clunk as you drove along on loose gravel as the spline coupler would jump from one set of splines on the shaft to the other. The other one had the roll pin that holds the coupler in place shear and the coupler walked off. This is a problem I have read about from many users of multiple tractor brands. I had this happen on one of my tractors, one with electric front wheel engage. I was in heavy tillage, got stuck in what I should have easily gone through, looked at my fronts and they were not turning. This tractor had a drive shaft cover like our 2 large John Deeres. Slid the cover back and found the coupler had walked back. Problem is when I tried to slide the coupler forward I could not get the splines to align - there was a 1/4" offset. Turns out it was a factory assembly error so the dealer took it back, replaced all the driveline parts, and its been trouble free ever since. We had that happen on one of our John Deeres, I can't remember which one but larger than CUT, and it just needed reassembly. No axle removal or anything.

John Deere 4310 4DW not working
Parts and Repair
Replies 8 Post by MHarryE

If you have steering, you have shift oil. There is a pressure reducer valve that maintains 356 psi to the Glide Shift even when the steering pressure is much higher. If you have 6 distinct shifts, that means shift pistons 1, 2, and 3 are working properly and only 4, the shift piston for high & low range, is not working.

L4330 GST won t shift into upper gears
Kubota Tractors
Replies 8 Post by MHarryE

Known issue on all diesels and can be scary when it happens. One recent post on a tractor forum - the runaway happened when the hydraulic pump seal leaked pumping a bit of hydraulic fluid into the crankcase. When it got to where the fluid was sloshed good by the crank, it fed back through the breather and the engine took off uncontrolled. As an OEM manufacturer, had this same thing happen many years ago. So frightening for the operator they reported getting out of the machine and running because of feared explosion, but fortunately the engines seized and we replaced under warranty and relocated the hydraulic pump off the engine. Working at my second and last manufacturer, I needed to come up with an emergency shutdown procedure when all else fails. I wanted to write in the OMM that the operator must take the cap the dealer gave him upon delivery and put it over the air intake. It didn't fly. Believe it or not we have both power to run and power to shut down systems so if you lose all power you can't shut down. Those engines have a mechanical plunger but who wants to hold a mechanical plunger on a running diesel? I like this idea.

Emergency Shut Down Valves
Parts and Repair
Replies 27 Post by MHarryE

I have a larger one, actually the largest, M135GX. Not a 60 series as it isn't in the number but with all the same emissions updates. Based on one year's results, I wish that people who swear by the 40 series and say they would pay a premium for them would put their money where their mouth is and buy my L5740 for an above what I paid for it price so I could get myself a new L6060. DPF - non-issue but of course I am not at the 3,000 hour warranty yet. On my tractor there has been only 1 item worse than the previous model - they raised the height 6 inches so I interfere with my machine shed by 5 inches. It was designed with the previous model in mind. So my wife and I built a new shed just for the tractor.

Kubota L3560 L4060 L4760 L5060 L5460 L6060 Tractor Reviews
Kubota Tractors
Replies 4 Post by MHarryE

Dad - Brainstorming here. I am not sure of your system's schematic. You mentioned it has a screen from the transmission housing that blocked numerous rubber particles that apparently entered the system from the replumb job. Does it also have a suction filter prior to the pump? You said the filter in the system was changed, but I am unsure whether this is a suction filter or pressure filter. Past experience - the company for which I worked bought a company that had a product line including a machine with a suction filter. When we started producing that machine in Minneapolis we began having problems in the winter because thick oil in cold weather was partially obstructed by the filter and the main pump couldn't get enough oil. We had to start bringing those machines into the shop to warm up the day before shipping. As that particular design needed a very fine filtration, we could not change to a higher micron rating filter so we redesigned the system. Your tractor, not being a hydro, can withstand more fluid contamination. Is it possible the filter installed is a very low micron rating filter that is restricting oil too much at low temperatures? I remember you saying the Kubota dealer changed the fluid but I didn't remember saying if they made sure to change the filter and use the proper filter. My Kubota hydro has a coarse hydraulic suction filter but the hydro system, much more sensitive to contamination, is filtered with a pressure filter that will feed the piston pump and precision controls with finely filtered oil.

Kubota B8200 after Hose and Fluid change no Hydraulics
Kubota Tractors
Replies 46 Post by MHarryE

Surprising because I have been involved with uprighting several machines after rollover and have never had a problem despite several people speculating on tractor forums. Speculation is that oil gets into the combustion chamber so the engine won't turn over due to hydraulic lock and this sounds like what you have and removing glow plugs will allow oil to squirt out when you crank it over. My experience, however, has been that good cylinder sealing from the piston rings prevents oil from getting into the combustion chamber side. Rolling a tractor - when I was chiding a co-worker for having rolled his tractor (his uncle told me because he wouldn't admit to it) he told me there are 2 types of tractor owners - those who have rolled and those who don't do anything. Guess he told me.

Engine fix after rollover
Kubota Tractors
Replies 18 Post by MHarryE

Reading through the description of what happened, the forks were down when you backed up, and they were still partially in the bushes. You were not moving the control lever at the time. The relief valve in your hydraulic system only comes into play when you are moving the control lever. Once the lever is moved back to neutral, there is no relief valve. Long forks fitted to the bucket create a feedback - if they hit an immoveable object or difficult to move object, the cylinder piston compresses the hydraulic fluid and can reach extremely high pressures until the weakest point in the system fails. Sometimes this is a hose but it appears from your description this is something in your control valve. However it could be as simple as the hose burst where it attaches to the valve and the fix will be replacing the hose. A burst hose at the valve would result in the symptoms you describe - when you try the dump function in either direction oil is going to flow out of the burst hose because it is a double acting system - there is either oil being pumped to the extend or to the retract end of the cylinder so you will always end up with oil flowing no matter whether you are dumping of leveling the bucket. Hopefully this is your problem and it can be fixed by replacing a hose. It could get more expensive if the failure occurred in the valve itself.

kubota hydraulic control valve problem
Kubota Tractors
Replies 13 Post by MHarryE

The Tier 4 final engine would be interesting to me. I looked into numbers after buying and using the company's engine numbers, my L5740 uses 25% more fuel at full power than the equivalent Deere. Looking at engine design, the numbers made sense (indirect injection vs. direct injection). At a $4,000 difference and looking at how much I spent on diesel for this tractor this year, it would be a 5 year payback if I could get that kind of fuel economy difference. Some people say an air suspension seat will be available but nobody can confirm that. Air suspension like all of our farm tractors have would help my aching back.

Kubota Grand L40 Replacement
Kubota Tractors
Replies 12 Post by MHarryE