1980 Kubota B6100D 4x4 - Restortation with UpGrades

[Swede1962]

I purchased this tractor about 3 weeks ago and finally got her home last weekend. Mostly in very good condition for sitting outside unused for the last couple years. Like so many of these it was replaced with a newer and bigger tractor and left forgotten on the edge of the property watching the world go by. Last weekend whil browsing localities within driving range I found a B219 loader nearly complete in excellent condition. Secured the deal and picked it up yesterday. A 780 mile round trip. I drained the old fuel and replaced the fuel filter. With a little bit of coaxing I had the engine running and idling smooth. I'll be changing all fluids and filters very soon. Ordered new tires all around. Increased the width on front and rear by a few inches but diameter is pretty much stock. My list is as follows and subject to change several times before I'm finished to be sure!

1. Remove old tires and clean up wheels with sandblaster. Prime and paint wheels inside and out. Mount new tires and have ready to reinstall onto tractor.

2. Remove fenders and tread for better access to sides of tractor for making a cardboard template for subframe pieces. Will use 3/8" plate steel for side pieces. 3x5" rectangle tube will tie into these plates to provide main mast support at the rear of the loader which should be adjacent or just ahead of the steering wheel. A gusset style support coming off the top of the 3x5" will have a plated face to bolt onto the side of the tractor near the bell housing/transmission area. Heavy wall tube style supports will extend from the rear masts to the front corners of the frame on the tractor tying into the subframe plates. (I haven't really done anything outside the Kubota design I see from pictures of other tractors with this same loader. No need to reinvent the wheel in my opinion.)

I will post photos along the way as I make progress. I'm grateful for any and all contributions of ideas or information
that will provide assistance with this. Maybe my experience here will be helpful for someone else to restore their tractor and add their own loader or other implement.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Russell King]

Not sure why but the left front tire is mounted backwards to the other three - so don’t copy that unless you have a reason to do so.

And good luck with the restoration.

 

[Swede1962]

Not sure why but the left front tire is mounted backwards to the other three - so don’t copy that unless you have a reason to do so.

And good luck with the restoration.

I noticed that right away. The guy I bought the tractor from had it for 22 years. I didn’t ask and he didn’t offer anything about it.

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

I purchased this tractor about 3 weeks ago and finally got her home last weekend. Mostly in very good condition for sitting outside unused for the last couple years. Like so many of these it was replaced with a newer and bigger tractor and left forgotten on the edge of the property watching the world go by. Last weekend whil browsing localities within driving range I found a B219 loader nearly complete in excellent condition. Secured the deal and picked it up yesterday. A 780 mile round trip. I drained the old fuel and replaced the fuel filter. With a little bit of coaxing I had the engine running and idling smooth. I'll be changing all fluids and filters very soon. Ordered new tires all around. Increased the width on front and rear by a few inches but diameter is pretty much stock. My list is as follows and subject to change several times before I'm finished to be sure!

1. Remove old tires and clean up wheels with sandblaster. Prime and paint wheels inside and out. Mount new tires and have ready to reinstall onto tractor.

2. Remove fenders and tread for better access to sides of tractor for making a cardboard template for subframe pieces. Will use 3/8" plate steel for side pieces. 3x5" rectangle tube will tie into these plates to provide main mast support at the rear of the loader which should be adjacent or just ahead of the steering wheel. A gusset style support coming off the top of the 3x5" will have a plated face to bolt onto the side of the tractor near the bell housing/transmission area. Heavy wall tube style supports will extend from the rear masts to the front corners of the frame on the tractor tying into the subframe plates. (I haven't really done anything outside the Kubota design I see from pictures of other tractors with this same loader. No need to reinvent the wheel in my opinion.)

I will post photos along the way as I make progress. I'm grateful for any and all contributions of ideas or information
that will provide assistance with this. Maybe my experience here will be helpful for someone else to restore their tractor and add their own loader or other implement.

Thanks for reading.

I love what you are doing. Do it. Awesome.

I wish that I had that much time....

Be well. Tractor on.

Eric

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

What size tires are you putting on it?

 

[Swede1962]

I love what you are doing. Do it. Awesome.

I wish that I had that much time....

Be well. Tractor on.

Eric

Thanks! An hour here, an hour there. Try and give it a little time each week and before you know it, project complete! I write out everything I intend to do and assign it to a timeline/schedule. Otherwise, I’m all over the place getting nothing done.

 

[Hoserman]

That is definitely a worthy project for sure. I love the style of those older Kubota's. Looking forward to seeing the progress along the way. As Eric said, Tractor On.

 

[Swede1962]

That is definitely a worthy project for sure. I love the style of those older Kubota's. Looking forward to seeing the progress along the way. As Eric said, Tractor On.

I like them as well. Better built in my opinion.

 

[Hoserman]

Pretty much bullet proof IMHO.

 

[Swede1962]

Pretty much bullet proof IMHO.

Agreed!!

 

[Swede1962]

What size tires are you putting on it?

8 - 16’s on the rear and 6.00 - 12’s on the front. The rears are just a tad wider than stock. The fronts are stock size.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Width is not the issue height can be the issue.
The front gears are really small and it doesn't take the gear ratio to be off much to break them.
Put your tires on it, put it on flat hard ground and put it in 4wd, not running, try and push it.
if it rolls without binding your fine, if it's wrong it will roll hard and fight you.

 

[Swede1962]

Width is not the issue height can be the issue.
The front gears are really small and it doesn't take the gear ratio to be off much to break them.
Put your tires on it, put it on flat hard ground and put it in 4wd, not running, try and push it.
if it rolls without binding your fine, if it's wrong it will roll hard and fight you.

Yes you are 100% correct! This is exactly why I choose to stay with the same height on tires. The pretty chevron style skid steer tires look good and do less sod damage but the height is not close enough unless you purchase the correct rim combination so you can run them. I elected to stay stock for now. Maybe I’ll just buy another tractor that uses them. Never can tell what tomorrow may bring.

 

[Survivor]

What is the hp of that model? I'm not really sure of the size without some other vehicle in sight to compare it to.

Anyway, I sure as heck wish that I had bought something like that with a factory loader brand new back in 1980. If I had known how good and capable they are then I would have made some different financial decisions. Something about equivalent to my L2501 would have made a heck of a good little logging tractor since I was mostly doing prop and pole logging and a few houselogs (dry 12" x 20' logs) and rough logs for people to cut into firewood.

Swap the bucket for some forks, and a basic three point grader blade, and some chain chokers over the top of the rear blade.

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

What is the hp of that model? I'm not really sure of the size without some other vehicle in sight to compare it to.

Anyway, I sure as heck wish that I had bought something like that with a factory loader brand new back in 1980. If I had known how good and capable they are then I would have made some different financial decisions. Something about equivalent to my L2501 would have made a heck of a good little logging tractor since I was mostly doing prop and pole logging and a few houselogs (dry 12" x 20' logs) and rough logs for people to cut into firewood.

Swap the bucket for some forks, and a basic three point grader blade, and some chain chokers over the top of the rear blade.

The Kubota B7000 and B6000 series of the 1970's and 80's were more commercially rated than many of Kubota's offerings today. They were, and are, tough commercial machines. But you probably wouldn't want forks on them. They are very small machines. 14 to barely 20ish HP. They are comparable in size to a current BX or smaller B. But the commercial durability aspect of the old B6 and B7 series blows the current BX's and B's out of the water. The old girls are durable like a current L series.

The closest thing to them now, durability and strength wise, is the L series. Like your L2501.

Kubota built a niche market of affluent tractor hobbyists and small land owners, to eventually create the Grand L and many other tractor series. John Deere and others played catch -up back then.

The closest new Kubota you can get to those old 70 and 80 Kubota machines are the L series: Not the current BX, B, LX or Grand L, but the L or MX and M series. But all of those are huge in comparison to B6100 or B7100 or similar.

Or go full commercial with Kubota's TLB line.

Your L2501 has way more HP and lift capacity than those early Kubota's. And the L is just as robust of a tractor. Except for the electronics and emissions additions.

Be well. Tractor on.

Eric

Those old Kubota series are strong, commercial, and capable... but very very small. If your primary job is pulling logs a big ATV or SXS is a good choice. Or your L2501!

 

[Survivor]

The Kubota B7000 and B6000 series of the 1970's and 80's were more commercially rated than many of Kubota's offerings today. They were, and are, tough commercial machines. But you probably wouldn't want forks on them. They are very small machines. 14 to 20ish HP. They are comparable in size to a current BX or smaller B. But the commercial durability aspect of the old B6 and B7 series blows the current BX's and B's out of the water. The old girls are durable like a current L series.

The closest thing to them now, durability and strength wise, is the L series. Like your L2501.

Kubota built a niche market of affluent tractor hobbyists and small land owners, to eventually create the Grand L and many other tractor series. John Deere and others played catch -up back then.

The closest new Kubota you can get to those old 70 and 80 Kubota machines are the L series: Not the current BX, B, LX or Grand L, but the L or MX and M series. But all of those are huge in comparison to B6100 or B7100 or similar.

Or go full commercial with Kubota's TLB line.

Your L2501 has way more HP and lift capacity than those early Kubota's. And the L is just as robust of a tractor. Except for the electronics and emissions additions.

Be well. Tractor on.

Eric

Those old Kubota series are strong, commercial, and capable... but very very small. If your primary job is pulling logs a big ATV or SXS is a good choice.

I'm just nostalgic dreaming about what I could have or should have done back then.

My L2501 today is the perfect machine along with the big heavy brush blade on the loader, and the RamSplitter hydraulic skidding grapple on the three point hitch. I could also quickly change over to the pallet forks if I needed to load some logs on a trailer to haul down the road somewhere. And there's no electronics or emissions additions.

 

[Swede1962]

The Kubota B7000 and B6000 series of the 1970's and 80's were more commercially rated than many of Kubota's offerings today. They were, and are, tough commercial machines. But you probably wouldn't want forks on them. They are very small machines. 14 to barely 20ish HP. They are comparable in size to a current BX or smaller B. But the commercial durability aspect of the old B6 and B7 series blows the current BX's and B's out of the water. The old girls are durable like a current L series.

The closest thing to them now, durability and strength wise, is the L series. Like your L2501.

Kubota built a niche market of affluent tractor hobbyists and small land owners, to eventually create the Grand L and many other tractor series. John Deere and others played catch -up back then.

The closest new Kubota you can get to those old 70 and 80 Kubota machines are the L series: Not the current BX, B, LX or Grand L, but the L or MX and M series. But all of those are huge in comparison to B6100 or B7100 or similar.

Or go full commercial with Kubota's TLB line.

Your L2501 has way more HP and lift capacity than those early Kubota's. And the L is just as robust of a tractor. Except for the electronics and emissions additions.

Be well. Tractor on.

Eric

Those old Kubota series are strong, commercial, and capable... but very very small. If your primary job is pulling logs a big ATV or SXS is a good choice. Or your L2501!

Great answer! Thanks for sharing all of that. Very helpful info that I will reference in the future, count on that!

 

[ken erickson]

I own both a L2501 and late model B7100 hst. No doubt the L2501 is a much more capable machine. That being said in my opinion the build quality of the B7100 is head and shoulders above.

Case in point, all B7100 control levers are fabricated from beefy round stock with substantial control knobs fitted, such as the 3pt lift lever, the four wheel drive selector lever and the range selector lever. Versus the flat stamped sheet metal levers with the slip on plastic lever ends that the L2501 uses.

My B7100 just has a higher quality feel about it. It would have been something to see these older B series tractors sitting in the dealer show rooms or lots brand new!

And to be clear, I enjoy both tractors and use them regularly and with decent maintenance feel the L2501 will give just as long and useful service life as the B7100

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

It would have been something to see these older B series tractors sitting in the dealer show rooms or lots brand new!

I lived it, Ken. It was awesome!! Even at 15 years old!! Dad's money then, of course.

It was miniature full bore commercial tractors that could fit thru a typical suburban backyard gate and rototill, finish grade, and dig swimming pools. I dug a full size pool with our B7100 in my 1970's time.... as a kid in high school! They had backhoe attachments too!

Bobcat kinda ended a lot of it with their skid steer. It is a much better machine for tight spaces and speed.

Be well. Tractor on.

Eric

Thank you, Ken. You brought back some memories of Cook Tractor Company and me and my dad walking the lot. My current LX2610 is an emotional reach back to those times.

I live in a very different place now and it is a very different time. But I own a LX2610 now, only because of my history with Kubota. and that B7100.

 

[Swede1962]

Finally got my tires mounted and on the tractor. Rolls freely in netural and drives great up and done our street.