L3301 Feeling Top Heavy / Tippy

FrankBauer

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Jun 28, 2017
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I just bought the Kubota L3301 and love the tractor so far. I bought it for maintaining our hunting land. I will be using it to plant our land in native grasses this winter and for mowing and maintaining food plots. The only thing I have come across that I don't like about it so far is on slanted hills and revines, it feels very tippy, like if I'm not careful could tip the tractor over. It has puckered me up a few times and has caused me to almost be scared to use it. Is there anything that can be done to this machine to remedy this issue I am having? Your thoughts and recommendations will be greatly appreciated!
 

sheepfarmer

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Fear is a useful feeling around tractors. They ARE tippy because of the design of the pivot point for the front axle relative to the body of the tractor. To minimize the problem where it is hilly people add wheel spacers to set the rear wheels further apart, and load the rear tires with fluid. Choose a path that puts the nose of the tractor straight down or up a hill, not sideways. And have the rops up and your seat belt buckled.

There are lots of threads on here about buying wheel spacers and loading tires, what to buy etc. Click on the Search tab to find some, and ask more questions.. welcome to the forum!
 
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North Idaho Wolfman

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Get the tires filled with ballast, if using a FEL keep it low to the ground when doing a hill work, move the rear tires out to the widest position.

Like sheepfarmer said, Seat Belt and ROPS up are two of the best things you can do to help from getting hurt if you push it too far!
 

Yooper

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These tractors love weight on the back end. I have my tires filled plus I packed 500 lbs in each wheel. You'll notice the difference lowering the front end loader also. Much smoother without the back end doing the 'hop'.

And Mary (sheepfarmer) couldn't have said it better. A little fear is your best friend when operating any machinery.
 

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mickeyd

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Welcome to the OTT forum Frank. You came to the right place for answers.

I have the older model and yes they are easy to tip over but as everyone has said, use every thing possible to have plenty of low weight. Also, do use your ROPS and seat belt.

Even though I put mine on its side once, and it wasn't even on a hill, the back wheel dropped into a hole as I was backing up, I am surprised how well it does stay upright on moderate hills.
 

Yooper

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Yooper, nice weights. Designed and built by Yooper Industries! How thick are the plates?
I've got eight 1"thick plates plus the 'spud' plate and shaft that the weights bolt to. The spud plate is 1-3/4" thick.
 

Tooljunkie

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Looks like they are spaced out as far as they can go. Saw somewhere someone made concrete wheel weights. A ballast box would be the easiest but not most effective.
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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Thanks for the advise!! Please look at the attached photo. Is this as wide as my tires will go?
Nope, they are not all the way out, in fact they are far from it.

Jack up the entire rear of the tractor, and block it.
Take the outer bolts off connecting the rim center and rim outer ring, and swap the rim and tire right to left keeping the tread running the same direction as they are now. ;)
 

KennedyFarmer

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I have an L3901, Once i spaced out the rear's 2 inches each and got rimguard filed rears. It changed the whole tippy factor.
 

Newlyme

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Yooper, Super Cool wheel weights.
Do you have any info posted on your spud plates in the fabrication threads?
 

Bluegill

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Nope, they are not all the way out, in fact they are far from it.

Jack up the entire rear of the tractor, and block it.
Take the outer bolts off connecting the rim center and rim outer ring, and swap the rim and tire right to left keeping the tread running the same direction as they are now. ;)
^^^This^^^

Then add fluid &/or wheel weights & three pt counter weight if using loader much.
 

Treckerzeug

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This is from the Operators Manual, it looks like yours are set for 51.2", you can set them to 60.8".

Hello,

You dont need spacers,
Leave the inner part of the rims as they are and turn the outer rim ring part with zhe tyres by 180 degrees, the swap left and right wheel,
Got it?
With this you get a tram width of 1500 mm or 60 "

Fear is basically good,
I turned once a tractor to its side a Steyr 8070,
When i realised something was wrong one rear wheel was in the air already too far, half a second later the tractor with front loader and rear fork lift mast lay on its right side.

I called a guy with an excavator,
He lifted the tractor up again,



But


His chain broke and the trctor ran free towards the excavator,



Poor guy became quite a pale face.

Rgds

Robert