A 'bota in Allis Chalmers clothing

Kubota Newbie

Active member

Equipment
M4500, New Idea Cut-Ditioner, JD 14T Baler, IH "Plow Chief" plows, Oliver Rake
Dec 28, 2010
533
81
28
Mount Vernon, Ohio
Made an interesting discovery this week. My M4500 Kubota wears identical tin to the Allis Chalmers 5040 and 5050 tractors. I mean it is exactly the same, could take it off the AC and bolt it to the 'bota, actually the whole tractor layout is very similar including the transmission speed options.
This brings up the age old question of which came first the chicken or the egg (or in this case AC or the Kubota)? to which the answer seems to be the AC.
According to TractorData.com the AC 5040 was introduced in 1976, the AC 5050 in 1977, and the Kubota M4500 in 1978.
the 5040 was made in Romania by UTB Universal, the 5050 in Italy by Fiat and of course the 'bota in Japan by Kubota.
A person has to wonder if the machines share any other parts from the bellhousing back besides just the sheet metal.
 

eserv

Well-known member

Equipment
BX24, A1000 Kubota Generator
May 27, 2009
2,140
139
63
Hardisty, Alberta
Made an interesting discovery this week. My M4500 Kubota wears identical tin to the Allis Chalmers 5040 and 5050 tractors. I mean it is exactly the same, could take it off the AC and bolt it to the 'bota, actually the whole tractor layout is very similar including the transmission speed options.
This brings up the age old question of which came first the chicken or the egg (or in this case AC or the Kubota)? to which the answer seems to be the AC.
According to TractorData.com the AC 5040 was introduced in 1976, the AC 5050 in 1977, and the Kubota M4500 in 1978.
the 5040 was made in Romania by UTB Universal, the 5050 in Italy by Fiat and of course the 'bota in Japan by Kubota.
A person has to wonder if the machines share any other parts from the bellhousing back besides just the sheet metal.
The M4500 series tractors were built by Kubota under a license from Fiat, I guess it was a fast way for Kubota to get into the 40- 60 hp bracket.
The AC 5040 and 5050 were built by Fiat and marketed by AC as were the 411R, 1250, 1350, 1365 and 2-65 series (plus a few other models) Cockshutt and White tractors. Hesston also imported and sold Fiat tractors under their brand name. UTB ( univeral) built tractors in Romania under a license to Fiat but they were a somewhat inferior machine. The Fiat tractor was a very good machine in it's time, I worked at a dealership in Ontario in those days and we sold a large number of the Cockshutt White variety!
ED
 
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Kubota Newbie

Active member

Equipment
M4500, New Idea Cut-Ditioner, JD 14T Baler, IH "Plow Chief" plows, Oliver Rake
Dec 28, 2010
533
81
28
Mount Vernon, Ohio
So... How many of the parts interchange??? (exept for the engine of course, which seems to be solidly Kubota - S2600 -)
 

eserv

Well-known member

Equipment
BX24, A1000 Kubota Generator
May 27, 2009
2,140
139
63
Hardisty, Alberta
So... How many of the parts interchange??? (exept for the engine of course, which seems to be solidly Kubota - S2600 -)
The Engine is Fiat design as well. As far as what parts interchange, It would appear most of them but I've never had occasion to try it so don't take my word for it!
Ed
 

Kubota Newbie

Active member

Equipment
M4500, New Idea Cut-Ditioner, JD 14T Baler, IH "Plow Chief" plows, Oliver Rake
Dec 28, 2010
533
81
28
Mount Vernon, Ohio
Hmm... looks like Fiat was building tractors for quite a few different manufacturers. Suppose I shouldn't be surprised, same thing is going on today. Interesting that Fiat actually built some of the tractors and other companies (like Kubota) seemed to build (or at least assemble) tractors under license from Fiat in their own country. I suppose that was to get around some sort of import/export duty that related to the "country of origin". I don't see that any of the other manufacturers opted to use the 6 cyl engine, most used a 3 or 4 cyl of the same or larger displacement.
 

Kytim

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B6000DT, B7100DT,Snowplow, RM360, Scoop, Cultivator, Carryall,Disk, plow
Aug 14, 2009
848
12
0
Western Ky
When I first saw this thread title I thought it was about this tractor. where a late model kubota engine in an early Allis.

I kinda like this type of conversion. many of these types tractors have straight frame rails and usually completely enclosed trannys. makes for fairly straight forward conversions.

kytim
 

Orange Tractors

Member

Equipment
L175 w/Woods L59, Allis Chalmers WD
Jul 19, 2009
323
4
18
Butler, MO
When I first saw this thread title I thought it was about this tractor. where a late model kubota engine in an early Allis.

I kinda like this type of conversion. many of these types tractors have straight frame rails and usually completely enclosed trannys. makes for fairly straight forward conversions.

kytim
What was that, a D12 or D14?

It makes more sense thatn transplanting an automobile engine in that is cammed to run at about three times the RPM of the original engine. In fact that is the only problem I see with using ths Kubota diesel to replace a gasoline tractor engine. The AC gasoline tractors that I am aware of operated at less than 2000 RPM's, the Kubota diesels tend to run in the upper 2000's.

Robert
 

joninva

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Equipment
M7030su plus too much else to list. Mostly IH and Agco
Aug 8, 2024
2
0
1
Lexington, VA
The M4500 series tractors were built by Kubota under a license from Fiat, I guess it was a fast way for Kubota to get into the 40- 60 hp bracket.
The AC 5040 and 5050 were built by Fiat and marketed by AC as were the 411R, 1250, 1350, 1365 and 2-65

Actually the 2-65 was built by Iseki in Japan, with an Isuzu engine, for White Farm Equipment. I have one and its been a great tractor. The 2-60 is different, probably is Fiat