attachment advice

[Arkansas Dave]

I just picked up a tractor today first one I have ever owned. I have driven all kinds of tractors and equipment but never owned one until today it is a
vintage Kubota a L185 with 669 hours. I wanted something small for around the yard and back land. I plan to use it for blading, mowing, skidding trees and light stuff. My question is what size finish mower, blade, box blade and bush hog would everyone recommend?

thanks
Dave

 

[85Hokie]

Welcome Dave,

as for attachments :

Back blade - get a 5' er , at an angle it will still cover your rear tracks.

as for 3 point mower - a 5' er there too - but with only 15 hp PTO - that 5' may be a little much in thick grass - you might have to go with a 4' er mower, depending on the type of grass and height of grass. Typical wisdom - 5 hp per foot of mower! But sometimes that can be stretched IF certain common sense is applied.

Box blade might be a 4' er - at 5 feet you will lose traction once the box fills with dig/gravel. Being only 2 wheel drive too, traction loss will come quickly once the load is applied.

Very nice looking machine for a 40 year old tractor!

http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/001/2/7/1277-kubota-l185.html

 

[Russell King]

I agree with the recommendations above.

For the brush hog limit it to 4 foot.

The problem will be weight on rear making the front very light. I noticed that your tractor has a rail bolted on front instead of the weight bracket that can carry four 55 pound weights. You may have to figure out how to attach more weight to the front to lift implements or use smaller and lighter implements.

 

[mcfarmall]

That's a nice looking tractor!

 

[Arkansas Dave]

Thanks for the replies everyone I appreciate it. Someone had removed the weight bracket and put a belly
mower bracket in place and the rail onto that. I seen a local salvage has a Kubota like this and maybe if
i'm lucky it will have the bracket I need to put the weights on. Guess I better get shopping for equipment
now that I know what to get. It seems to be a solid tractor it starts within 5 seconds or less and has all 4 of what looks like the original tires. Thanks

Dave

 

[AVierra]

If you cant find a weight kit you can build a box with support hangers off the top of the existing and fill it with cement mix to add weight. Looks odd on a vintage rebuild like that but you can paint the box so it matches and still have a clean look

 

[mcmxi]

I just picked up a tractor today first one I have ever owned. I have driven all kinds of tractors and equipment but never owned one until today it is a
vintage Kubota a L185 with 669 hours.

What a cool tractor! Congratulations.

 

[bucktail]

The preference for the finish mower would be rear discharge especially if you might let the grass get a little longer. I'd also prefer gage wheels at all 4 corners.

 

[Russell King]

Instead of brush hog and finish mower investigate the flail mower and see what you think. Hp limited at pto so limited width.

If you need manuals let me know and I can get them to you. If you want dimensions of the weight bracket I can get them also.

If you see extra front wheels for Ag L185, please let me know I need one.

Love my L185, just keep radiator clean, never overheat it or head cracks and no OEM available. I suggest keeping a filter in front of the radiator.

Does your tractor have the overheat whistle on lower left of radiator or has it been lost?

 

[Arkansas Dave]

Well I have been shopping the local ads and calling around and I found a mower yesterday and bought it
today. It was the best one I found for the price and don't appear to be very old with no rust through and
most of the original paint. It is a Frontier by Woods GM1060R I seen another L185 on this forum was running the same mower. I also bought it because my grass is not very tall and eventually I might go to
a bigger tractor and I didn't want to have to find another mower. I figured this one would work for
most all tractors and places I needed to mow. Now I'm just having problems finding 1 bottom breaking
plows local. They are all 2,3 and larger. Found one so far about 90 miles away and at a dealer so top dollar
and I think I can find one cheaper but some dealers have deals like the mower I bought today was cheaper and nicer than anything online I found for sale.

Dave

 

[Arkansas Dave]

Instead of brush hog and finish mower investigate the flail mower and see what you think. Hp limited at pto so limited width.

If you need manuals let me know and I can get them to you. If you want dimensions of the weight bracket I can get them also.

If you see extra front wheels for Ag L185, please let me know I need one.

Love my L185, just keep radiator clean, never overheat it or head cracks and no OEM available. I suggest keeping a filter in front of the radiator.

Does your tractor have the overheat whistle on lower left of radiator or has it been lost?

I had already bought the mower before I seen this but I have seen the flail mowers and they are cool.
I may need manuals how much are they and yes the weight bracket dimension would help.
I will look for some wheels I think the parts tractor has some, if I get to go by there I will get a price from
him on some. Yes I do need to put screen in front of the radiator I have used them on other tractors
at work and they keep allot of debris out of the radiator but cleaning is key a friend of mine learned
that the hard way he ruined the engine in his MF diesel tractor because he forgot to keep an eye on
the screen and was mowing tall grass and it plugged the screen and overheated it to the point it ruined the engine.

I seen the sticker talking about the whistle but I didn't know where it was located I will look and see
if it's still there.

thanks
Dave

 

[Russell King]

Send an e-mail to me at RussellKing at austin.rr dot com and I will send the manuals I have back

Of course fix the format of the e-mail address

You can as send it to me by “conversation” on this forum

 

[Arkansas Dave]

I hooked up the mower today after unloading it off my trailer that thing was heavy! Anyway the problem
I ran into is it lifted it fine once hooked up and fit good but when I turn my 3 point arms are swinging over
and getting into the tire is that an adjustment issue? if so what do I adjust or where am I needing to look
at? I have never had that issue on other tractors. The arm just swings over into the tire like the weight is
shifting it.

Dave

 

[jimh406]

You should have turnbuckles to tighten the lower links. Do you have a picture of the back?

 

[Arkansas Dave]

You should have turnbuckles to tighten the lower links. Do you have a picture of the back?

I seen those and thought they might be where I needed to check I will get one they were outside the
arms up by the axle. I'll go get a picture.

thanks
Dave

 

[Arkansas Dave]

I seen those and thought they might be where I needed to check I will get one they were outside the
arms up by the axle. I'll go get a picture.

thanks
Dave

I think I see now how it works I couldn't figure earlier how tightening it would help but it controls
the swing to the other side and the other side controls swing the opposite right?

Dave

 

[jimh406]

Right, each turnbuckles keeps the lower link from moving the opposite way. The mower pretty much locks the lower links in and can’t go wider or more narrow, so you only need to prevent the side to side with the turnbuckles.

 

[Arkansas Dave]

Right, each turnbuckles keeps the lower link from moving the opposite way. The mower pretty much locks the lower links in and can’t go wider or more narrow, so you only need to prevent the side to side with the turnbuckles.

Ok makes perfect sense I sure appreciate the help, I will get to adusting! thanks

Dave

 

[Jchonline]

Ok makes perfect sense I sure appreciate the help, I will get to adusting! thanks

Dave

Sometimes they can get pretty rusted...if they don't turn easily put some leverage in the middle and try it...penetrating oil might also help. good luck!

 

[Arkansas Dave]

Sometimes they can get pretty rusted...if they don't turn easily put some leverage in the middle and try it...penetrating oil might also help. good luck!

Will do thanks!

Dave