Seat upgrades?

[davep]

Hi folks,

I got my LX a month of so ago. It’s the SU model without the suspension seat.
I bush hogged about 8 acres yesterday over 4 hours. My back is killing me today.
Is the best thing to do just to go slower? I was looking at Grammer seats, and they’re up near $1000. Don’t really want to spend that much money, but I also don’t want my back to hurt when using the tractor for long periods of time.

 

[ctfjr]

I am also looking for a reasonable alternative to my L3800 stock seat. At 75 (as of yesterday) I find myself leaning forward and having no lumbar support from the seat. After even an hour my lower back starts to let me know its not happy
Even in my office I put a pillow behind me in the chair - not too practical on the tractor.

 

[davep]

Wow! Well first congrats on your birthday! I’m less than half your age, so perhaps I just need to toughen up a bit.

I am also looking for a reasonable alternative to my L3800 stock seat. At 75 (as of yesterday) I find myself leaning forward and having no lumbar support from the seat. After even an hour my lower back starts to let me know its not happy
Even in my office I put a pillow behind me in the chair - not too practical on the tractor.

 

[Henro]

Wow! Well first congrats on your birthday! I’m less than half your age, so perhaps I just need to toughen up a bit.

Back issues are no fun, so doing your best to avoid them is wise, especially if you are younger.

I'm six months younger than DaveP. But did have an issue for several years with the back, when in my 60s, that eventually self healed itself. I did go to physical therapy for maybe a year weekly, and the PT guy eventually said don't bother coming back as you are not improving (my interpretation). Eventually I self healed and the issue went totally away after more than two years, probably more like three years.

Perhaps you can toughen up, or perhaps your body will suffer damage as you try to toughen up. A seat improvement that perhaps prevents damage at your relatively young age, may be money well invested. Give it serious thought.

I can say I now bounce around pretty good (actually a LOT) on my BX2200 cutting about the same amount of area as you do. Not always on the same day though, but often at least 2 hours at a time...and fortunately have no back issues. Lucky me I guess...

 

[PaulL]

My back complains at some things. I went to the Physio. What I worked out is that when I go to the Physio, she gives me exercises to do. Then I don't do them, and I'm surprised my back doesn't get better. This time I decided my back was important enough to me to actually do the exercises. What do you know, they work. Funny that.

It may be worth the investment of your time to do the rehab, and keep your core muscles strong. Otherwise you'll spend a chunk of your life favouring your back, and still hurting it when you reach just that bit to much, or sit just wrong.

 

[B737]

you can install the regular LX seat in place of the LX-SU seat. I think it's around $800, there may be less expensive options. I only know because Neil at Messicks mentioned it in a video.

 

[Henro]

One additional thought. It doesn’t take long to use up several hundred dollars in co pays, depending on you insurance. Plus during that time you are suffering as well.

So if you have a hint that a problem exists, it may make sense to do your best to minimize/eliminate it.

If you decide to do the improved seat thing, cheaping out on the seat my not be in your best interest, in the long term.

In my case getting on the tractor was the issue. I don’t recall bouncing around being a major concern. We are all different. What works for one may not work for another.

 

[Deleted member 47704]

you can install the regular LX seat in place of the LX-SU seat. I think it's around $800, there may be less expensive options. I only know because Neil at Messicks mentioned it in a video.

Its pretty spendy but the suspension assembly itself is
$254.98
Probably need some other parts, I'm too tired to study the drawings right now.
I'm going to look into it after I put tilt wheel in. I priced that out today.
Tilt wheel is only 379.94

 

[mikester]

Hi folks,

I got my LX a month of so ago. It’s the SU model without the suspension seat.
I bush hogged about 8 acres yesterday over 4 hours. My back is killing me today.
Is the best thing to do just to go slower? I was looking at Grammer seats, and they’re up near $1000. Don’t really want to spend that much money, but I also don’t want my back to hurt when using the tractor for long periods of time.

Another way to look at it is spend $1000 on a new seat now or pay more in the long term on chiro, RMT and downtime.

OEM Kubota seats really suck unless you are 5 feet tall and weigh 99 lbs.

 

[TomRC]

I'm wondering just how much more cushion the regular LX2610 seat has compared to say a B2601 or the LX2610SU. I've sat on the LX2610 seat and it just doesn't seem like it's that much better. I'm looking for an alternative to mowing instead of my B2601 due to the weekly beating I take. I'm only around 200lbs and the LX2610 seat while again nicer than my B2601 seat still bottoms out and I'm not feeling a whole lot of cushion to absorb the jolts. Just this past week I sat on LX2610 and it wasn't even in the ballpark comfort wise of a Ferris zero turn I sat on.

 

[Deleted member 47704]

Gee I thought the LX2610SU seat was pretty good. Maybe they flatten out after a few hours?

 

[B737]

I'll preface this by saying I dont know what a 'real seat' like on a zero turn, or big tractor feels like. but having owned a BX (200 hours) B2601 (250 hours) and LX (10 hours), I can say comfort was a big reason of getting out of the B2601. The seat on the B2601 killed me, and for all practical purposes felt the same as the seat on my BX. To me, with no other real experience, the seat on the LX is leaps ahead as far as comfort.

The other thing that used to frustrate me about the B2601 seat were the levers for the rear hydraulics. They fall out directly under the metal arm rest bracket. So when your thumb is controlling the rear ports, and at the same time, tractor bounces, seat bottoms out, forcefully mashing your finger between the metal arm rest bracket and the lever few black fingernails from that.

 

[TomRC]

I'll preface this by saying I dont know what a 'real seat' like on a zero turn, or big tractor feels like. but having owned a BX (200 hours) B2601 (250 hours) and LX (10 hours), I can say comfort was a big reason of getting out of the B2601. The seat on the B2601 killed me, and for all practical purposes felt the same as the seat on my BX. To me, with no other real experience, the seat on the LX is leaps ahead as far as comfort.

The other thing that used to frustrate me about the B2601 seat were the levers for the rear hydraulics. They fall out directly under the metal arm rest bracket. So when your thumb is controlling the rear ports, and at the same time, tractor bounces, seat bottoms out, forcefully mashing your finger between the metal arm rest bracket and the lever few black fingernails from that.

That's good to hear that you have experience and can say without a doubt the LX seat is a substantially better "in use" and I agree with your B2601 seat comments. I averaged about 5 hours a week mowing on the B2601 and its just not pleasant. I've been looking at some of the nicer commercial zero turns as an alternative and some have flat out Cadillac seats (i.e Ferris ISX3300), tension / weight adjustments etc. At some point I've got to retire the B2601 from mowing duties. Tractor with a better seat or zero turn. After a couple of back surgeries its a must. Otherwise love the B2601.

Just curious but since you owned the B2601, do you notice a tremdous amount more power going up slopes. The only other issue is my B2601 struggles going up slopes with a 5' finish mower unless I take the loader off. Does fine in low gear but I've got a lot to mow and need to stay in medium gear and this is where she struggles on slopes.

 

[B737]

@TomRC the B2601 was great, I dont have enough seat time on the LX to make a fair comparison between the two just yet. I need a few days of full box blades, buckets of fill, and time on the brush hog to make a good comparison. With only an incremental increase in HP I'm not expecting too much difference, but I'm eager to find out. A slightly more comfortable operator station with just a few extra inches of room was one of the biggest reasons I changed, as the 2601 did everything I asked it to.

 

[Deleted member 47704]

@TomRC the B2601 was great, I dont have enough seat time on the LX to make a fair comparison between the two just yet. I need a few days of full box blades, buckets of fill, and time on the brush hog to make a good comparison. With only an incremental increase in HP I'm not expecting too much difference, but I'm eager to find out. A slightly more comfortable operator station with just a few extra inches of room was one of the biggest reasons I changed, as the 2601 did everything I asked it to.

Torque is up and displacement is larger.
Per Kubota

B2601 1123 cc (68.5 cu.in.) 71 N·m ( 52 lbf·ft)

LX2610 1261cc (77.0 cuin) N⋅m 84.0 (62.0 ft⋅lb)

The LX2610 has 20% more torque.

 

[B737]

LX3310 comes out around 91cu in, 87 ft lbs of torque I believe, and 27HP at the PTO. What that translates to in the real world compared to the B2601, I dont know yet, I'm not even sure if it will be perceivable... I'm not expecting too much, but I am happy my fingers aren't getting squashed anymore, and the seat is a lot more comfortable lol

 

[Tire Biter]

I’ve poked around to find an alternative seat for a 2601 and the problem I can’t get past is there ain’t enough room for anything better. otherwise I kinda like the little tractor.
Does anybody know what the seats are like on competitors same size tractors?

 

[Hillhigh Guy]

I haven't been on the forum much but jumped on today because I spent 4hrs on the 2601 yesterday cutting grass and my back is numb. Came here to research a suspension seat. This thread doesn't bode well that there is a simple solution. I dread cutting the grass now knowing the next day(s) I'll be in pain. I bought a foam pad at a car show the other day that I used on the seat and it helped slightly but it raised me up another 3". My entire 3ac is on a slope and I could feel the center of gravity shift. I bought the 2601 as it has fairly low CG for it's power output but the tires are filled and my yard is an ex-orchard with ruts, holes, etc and it's just a crushing ride. I've considered selling the whole set up (including finish mower and BH) and just getting a Zero turn but those don't do well on slopes.

 

[Tughill Tom]

This is the one I put in my B3200, it's a huge upgrade from the OEM. I picked it up after someone here said RK was almost giving them away, I think I paid less then $100 bucks for it. High Back Cordura Tractor Seat 10004246 (ruralking.com)

 

[MattN03]

This is the one I put in my B3200, it's a huge upgrade from the OEM. I picked it up after someone here said RK was almost giving them away, I think I paid less then $100 bucks for it. High Back Cordura Tractor Seat 10004246 (ruralking.com)

Wow, I wish my B3200 had a cab at times! Is the fabric waterproof? Does this seat have any type of suspension system to it? I have a BH76 backhoe on my B3200, so I'd need to have a suspension seat mount that would also work with the seat swivel mechanism.