Which Kubota is right?

[rmac802]

Very pretty. That grapple looks massive. Maybe it's just the angle.

I agree. It looks less so in person but still impressive. All I can say for now is that it's the model recommended for the B2601. It may be deceiving because there's a lot of air in the structure of a grapple while things like buckets are solid.
The grapple will be put to the test very soon, as one of its first tasks will be to pluck and relocate rocks. Stay tuned.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

curious as to what that yellow thing is, top,right on grapple ?

 

[rmac802]

Easy --- it's a paper tag with my name on it....

 

[GreensvilleJay]

OK.. and here' I'm thinking some kind of 'fancy grapple level flag' or 'lawyer ordered warning label'....

 

[rmac802]

Fair! I'm just glad the dealer delivers enough tractors that they need a system to keep them straight, even if it's as simple as a paper tag.

 

[PaulL]

Fair! I'm just glad the dealer delivers enough tractors that they need a system to keep them straight, even if it's as simple as a paper tag.

I'm interested in whether you'd taken that tag and put it on a different tractor, they might have delivered that to you instead......

 

[rmac802]

Why didn't I think of that!?

 

[rmac802]

Delivery day today. The dealer did fine by me, as the tractor arrived with a full tank of gas diesel, an extra quart of hydraulic fluid, and spare pins in the toolbox. The driver took his time to show me a few things, and then I was on my own.

After spending some time acquainting myself with the tractor, I took some overall pictures of the tractor, as it will never be this perfect again. I also took detailed pictures of everything I could see without crawling underneath. I've been around the track enough to know I may want to have pictures of the tractor's original condition. I also added the implements to my equipment list on mykubota.com and downloaded the manual. The Kubota app looks rather handy.

The first real job was to rip out an old satellite dish. No problem, despite it being set in a little concrete (which I didn't know).

Next up was to fit the grapple. That was easy, but connecting the hydraulic lines wasn't. One fitting went together without much trouble, but the other took some real work. I look forward to these fittings wearing in a little.

I then used the grapple to pick up part of a dead tree that's been underfoot for awhile. It will take some work to become competent with the grapple, but it certainly did the job on this old, light tree..

...and that was about it for the day, as I took my time and checked the manuals whenever I wasn't sure about something. To wrap things up, here are some pictures.

Logging hitch, which I didn't try out today. You see why I didn't feel I needed a drawbar.

I like its smile.

 

[rmac802]

One final note: The dealer (Champlain Valley Equipment) did a nice job of making me feel valued. In addition to the swag, they threw in a toy of my choice for our unborn grandson. I'm planning to start him early.

 

[fried1765]

Delivery day today. The dealer did fine by me, as the tractor arrived with a full tank of gas, an extra quart of hydraulic fluid, and spare pins in the toolbox. The driver took his time to show me a few things, and then I was on my own.

After spending some time acquainting myself with the tractor, I took some overall pictures of the tractor, as it will never be this perfect again. I also took detailed pictures of everything I could see without crawling underneath. I've been around the track enough to know I may want to have pictures of the tractor's original condition. I also added the implements to my equipment list on mykubota.com and downloaded the manual. The Kubota app looks rather handy.

The first real job was to rip out an old satellite dish. No problem, despite it being set in a little concrete (which I didn't know).
View attachment 138126

Next up was to fit the grapple. That was easy, but connecting the hydraulic lines wasn't. One fitting went together without much trouble, but the other took some real work. I look forward to these fittings wearing in a little.

I then used the grapple to pick up part of a dead tree that's been underfoot for awhile. It will take some work to become competent with the grapple, but it certainly did the job on this old, light tree..

View attachment 138127

...and that was about it for the day, as I took my time and checked the manuals whenever I wasn't sure about something. To wrap things up, here are some pictures.

View attachment 138129


Logging hitch, which I didn't try out today. You see why I didn't feel I needed a drawbar.
View attachment 138130

View attachment 138132

View attachment 138133

I like its smile.

View attachment 138134

Dealer..... "delivered a full tank of "gas"?
I sure hope not!

 

[rmac802]

Dealer..... "delivered a full tank of "gas"?
I sure hope not!

Um, good catch. I’m not used to diesel yet…

 

[fried1765]

Um, good catch. I’m not used to diesel yet…

Be very careful with fuel terminology.
Some have made that grave mistake.
(don't use Vermont maple syrup either)

 

[rmac802]

Be very careful with fuel terminology.
Some have made that grave mistake.
(don't use Vermont maple syrup either)

I made the diesel-gas mistake with a diesel rental car once, but at least I caught myself before starting it. It was bad enough as it was…

 

[jimh406]

Nice tractor.

Fwiw, the three point isn't designed for pulling. You'd be better off using the draw bar for that purpose. Also, if you look at where the leverage is, you'll see the draw bar is below the axle.

 

[PaulL]

Very nice looking machine, you're going to be super happy. I like the chain hook on the bucket - I looked at the chain and went "he's gonna scratch his shiny bucket" then looked closer.....and now I'm jealous.

The hydraulic fittings go together a lot easier if you relieve pressure before disconnecting (work the stick in all directions). Being hard to put on is usually a sign it has pressure in it somewhere. It can also mean you've put it on to the front end loader, and you have it on an angle that is putting load on one of the cylinders, and therefore pressure on that side of the hydraulics. Or it can just mean it was taken off on a cold day and you're trying to fit it on a hot day, so there's increased pressure. On Mum's mini-ex I often find myself relieving pressure by pressing the male side against something hard until it opens. It then sprays hydraulic fluid everywhere, but will go on easily.

On the logging hitch. I agree with @jimh406 that the 3ph isn't really designed for pulling like that - although of course it is designed for pulling plows and the like, you won't break it. The key for me is that it has no downward pressure - if you have a trailer on and that trailer gets load on the back, the 3ph will just lift. I use my similar hitch all the time for pulling my boat so I'm not saying don't do it, but I'm aware that if my drawbar gets light the tractor won't hold it down. My boat has a tandem trailer (unlikely to tip), depending on what you're towing it could be an issue.

 

[Smokeydog]

A grapple sure makes it easy on the back. From brush, limbs, logs or rocks. 54” wicked on our B26 is like an extension of your hand. Tines that touch instead of bypass can pick up a pencil or small rock to logs or small boulders. Ballast and wheel extensions are necessary for our small hillside farm. Wife loves her rock bound flower gardens and rock walls. Hard to beat backhoe and thumb for rock wall work.

Is a close match between bx and b. Besure to checkout BXpanded line of useful upgrades. Local family company that I have dealt favorably with.

 

[rmac802]

Thanks, all. There's lots to learn about this machine.

A few notes:

• Manuals: I'm an electronic-manual guy so downloaded PDF versions of all the manuals. I am impressed by their quality and attention to detail. I read and mark up manuals using Adobe Acrobat, so I appreciate that Kubota provides bookmarks for getting around their PDFs. It goes without saying that these manuals contain actual type, not pictures of pages, which makes search super accurate.
• Grapple: Thanks for those comments. My biggest day-to-day health problem is my back, and I'm sure the grapple will become a good friend. Right now, it's a long way from being an extension of my hand. Practice is needed!
• Re towing using 3PH: Points well taken that I had not considered. Fortunately, I don't have anything big and heavy to tow -- no boats or anything like that. I plan to use it for small trailers that aren't heavily loaded. If my use changes, I can always get a drawbar (or use my truck).
• Other implements: I deliberately didn't go crazy with implements because I won't hesitate to buy more as I learn more. A drawbar might be such a thing, and a boom may prove handy.
• Ballast: I haven't mentioned it because I don't know what I need yet. Tires are filled, but things like a ballast box will wait until I gain experience.
• BXpanded -- thanks for that reference. That's a resource worth knowing about.
• Hydraulic fittings: Great comments about pressurization. I think mine are just new and stiff. When the delivery driver disconnected the grapple, he relieved pressure while telling me to do the same. Temps hadn't changed much since morning, so I don't think there were environmental reasons for things to pressurize. When I disconnect the grapple, I'll connect and reconnect a few times for practice.
• Finally, the hook on the bucket: This dealer automatically adds the hook on the bucket and fills the tires. I never felt I was getting nickel and dimed to death, and they deliver a good, functional machine.

Now, out to pick rocks...

 

[jyoutz]

Nice tractor.

Fwiw, the three point isn't designed for pulling. You'd be better off using the draw bar for that purpose. Also, if you look at where the leverage is, you'll see the draw bar is below the axle.

Yep. Lots of people get in trouble using the 3ph for a drawbar

 

[rmac802]

Yep. Lots of people get in trouble using the 3ph for a drawbar

For my education, is that "trouble" as in it doesn't work well, or the kind of trouble where someone gets hurt?

 

[jyoutz]

For my education, is that "trouble" as in it doesn't work well, or the kind of trouble where someone gets hurt?

People can get hurt. Pulling should be from the drawbar which is attached below the axle. Pulling from above the axle could result in flipping the machine.