4X4 Indicator

[The_Wingnut]

The 80s era M5030 had a 4x4 light. Worked for over 30 years. Had parking brake lamp too.
View attachment 104480
Added parking brake light to B26. Bracket for motorcycle rear switch already built under dash.

Crazy that they discontinued installing on newer machines, thanks for your feedback!

 

[The_Wingnut]

I use the 4WD lever position as my indicator. Hard to miss.

I want to wire a parking brake alarm to sound if I try driving with my brake on. The M59 control panel is on the fender behind the operator station and hard to see the parking brake warning light.

I'm not up on digital dash and the wiring aspects so this comment may be way off base. I think you have a good idea for a audible alarm. Seems to me if you could find the indicator switch and add a signal wire to a buzzer/alarm it could work.

 

[SDT]

My Grand L4060 and from what I can understand most, if not all, 4X4 Orange Tractors don't have an indicator light on the dash for when the 4X4 is engaged. Has anyone been able to add this feature to your tractor? At a minimum is there a medallion that will fit in the 4X4 lever knob that shows direction for engaging the 4X4? Seems to me this is an obvious manufacture missing part.

Larger models do. My M9960 does have a FWA indicator but none of my smaller Kubota tractors do, nor do most (all?) small models made by competitors.

Interestingly, the FWA indicator on my M9960 is designed such that the lamp remains on until the FWA mechanism disengages, regardless of the position of the control. When under load or turning, the FWA mechanism will not disengage until load is at least momentarily removed. This is consusing to some operators.

 

[mcmxi]

Larger models do. My M9960 does have a FWA indicator but none of my smaller Kubota tractors do, nor do most (all?) small models made by competitors.

Interestingly, the FWA indicator on my M9960 is designed such that the lamp remains on until the FWA mechanism disengages, regardless of the position of the control. When under load or turning, the FWA mechanism will not disengage until load is at least momentarily removed. This is consusing to some operators.

I had a thread about this a while back re the MX. As you say, the M6060 has a 4WD light on the dash and I like it. Ironically, the 4WD shift lever on the M6060 is in a really convenient and visible location so it would be easier to live with compared to the MX if it didn't have a light. But then again, the M tractors are probably going to do a lot more work than the smaller stuff so Kubota considered a light to be useful or expected.

No 4WD light on MX tractors .... kind of annoying.

I don't think I've ever owned a vehicle that had 4WD that didn't have a 4WD indicator of some sort on the dash. Current vehicles. '98 Jeep TJ 4.0L ... check '98 M1078 LMTV ... check '02 F250 7.3L ... check '22 M6060 ... check but a '21 MX6000 .... nope! Not a deal breaker but mildly...

www.orangetractortalks.com

@ve9aa, I've had my '98 Jeep TJ for 23 years and it has a 4WD light on the dash. My '02 F250 7.3L has both 4WD LOW and 4WD HIGH indicators on the dash.

 

[GrizBota]

I like the idea of writing in large size for direction and function....Thanks!

I’m right handed and can’t write upside down very well, so it works well for me.

 

[Chanceywd]

That’s the same place my old GrandL has the front axle engagement lever too. The symbols are too small for me to see well. I’m sort of simple, so on my L, the surrounding sheet metal is orange, so I wrote 2WD and 4WD with a black sharpie on either side (above/below) of the lever for an easy confirmation when I look down at my left ankle. On yours either a white paint pen or an adhesive backed pair of labels could do the same thing.

With all the dash lights, it is indeed odd Kubota hasn’t included an “extra” dash light for this function in over 20 years. It’s not like they are trying to economize less than probably $5 or 10 to hit a price point with the GrandL series. View attachment 104517

I find the pictures they use to show actions are not always intuitive to me. I always have to think with this 69yr old brain, what does that mean, where as 2wd and 4wd are instantly obvious to me.
I struggle with similar things with computer and cell phones and auto dash.
The old levers in 4wd vehicles labeled so it took only a glance. Now they are switches on the dash of my 2500hd and I have think and read. Maybe just part of growing old.

I have thought about a light for my L2501 as it isn't but a push pull handle by my left heel.

Bill

 

[Smokeydog]

We pretty much keep our tractors in four wheel drive on our hillside farm. No hard surface roads.

 

[Flintknapper]

I like the idea of writing in large size for direction and function....Thanks!

Any decal shop can print out whatever you like. One for the knob on the shifter...anything you like for elsewhere. Just a thought.

 

[The_Wingnut]

Any decal shop can print out whatever you like. One for the knob on the shifter...anything you like for elsewhere. Just a thought.

Great idea, I had not even thought in that direction. Thanks

 

[Jasonized]

So a Hall effect switch is a good idea… but if I’m going to do that, I’ll use a two color led to show position. Green could show 2w, and working light. Orange (or red) could be 4w…

I mean, as long as I’m going to be wiring anything…. No lights means issues…

And I agree about digikey, they usually ship very quickly and correctly.

 

[The_Wingnut]

So a Hall effect switch is a good idea… but if I’m going to do that, I’ll use a two color led to show position. Green could show 2w, and working light. Orange (or red) could be 4w…

I mean, as long as I’m going to be wiring anything…. No lights means issues…

And I agree about digikey, they usually ship very quickly and correctly.

Great idea! Thanks for the feedback. No light means an issue solves the problem too.