Another new guy with questions.

[Fro65]

Hello folks. Long time listener, first time caller here. Well, I finally went and did it. I am officially an orange tractor owner. Been needing to replace my '92 Case 1140 and after much research, including the helpful posts here, Santa showed up with his Dodge dually and gooseneck loaded with toys for me.

My new toys are listed under my username.

First question is: are any of you aware of any quirks etc. involving the L3301? I've read all about the DPF, EGR and so on. I know there is a lot of speculation about them but I guess time will tell...eventually we will probably all have to commit.

Second question: does anyone know a way to protect the finish to keep the chalking and fading to a minimum? The dealer said Kubotas are now powder coated and should not be waxed (yes, I wax my tractors). If there is any product out there to protect powder coat, I can't find it.

Thanks to all whom unknowingly affected my decision to go orange.

 

[RIDETOEAT]

Always fun to see new orange tractors Arriving. Hello from the southern end of the Hoosier state. Your paint question has plenty of merit, I see a lot of Kubotas with two tone, hood/fenders and then wheels that have paled over time. Kubota does not use all powder coat as I know of a plant that recently put in a class A wet paint line for some parts. Not sure what parts or what models.

 

[mdhughes]

Santa was a lot nicer to you than he was to me, I would have liked to have gotten a BH77, but I didn't really think Santa would have gone for that.

As for your first question: As a new owner of a L3901DT I have been trying to keep the idling to a minimum and keep the RPM up when using the tractor. I have figured out the gear settings for most of the stuff I do to keep the RPM up. I have a little over 10 hours on the tractor and I am very happy with it so far. It has been raining around here and it is really muddy, so I haven't done to much loader work.

As for your second question: Are you going to be keeping the tractor inside or out? I would think keeping inside will help with the fading, not sure about the type of finish and what will protect it.

Hope you will be happy with your L3301HST.

 

[Fro65]

Santa was a lot nicer to you than he was to me, I would have liked to have gotten a BH77, but I didn't really think Santa would have gone for that.

As for your first question: As a new owner of a L3901DT I have been trying to keep the idling to a minimum and keep the RPM up when using the tractor. I have figured out the gear settings for most of the stuff I do to keep the RPM up. I have a little over 10 hours on the tractor and I am very happy with it so far. It has been raining around here and it is really muddy, so I haven't done to much loader work.

As for your second question: Are you going to be keeping the tractor inside or out? I would think keeping inside will help with the fading, not sure about the type of finish and what will protect it.

Hope you will be happy with your L3301HST.

I think we all know a tolerant wife gets more credit than Santa.

Thanks for confirming about keeping idling to a minimum. I was told to always turn at least 1500 rpm so it will regenerate properly when the time comes. We went from a mud hole to a deep freeze overnight so I haven't been able to play either.

This tractor is kept in a pole building when not in use. I would still like to know for sure which parts are powder coated and which are painted...I keep coming up empty on this though.

I'm sure it will fit my needs perfectly. I just like to keep things looking as nice as they work

 

[Burt]

Hello folks. Long time listener, first time caller here. Well, I finally went and did it. I am officially an orange tractor owner. Been needing to replace my '92 Case 1140 and after much research, including the helpful posts here, Santa showed up with his Dodge dually and gooseneck loaded with toys for me.

My new toys are listed under my username.

First question is: are any of you aware of any quirks etc. involving the L3301? I've read all about the DPF, EGR and so on. I know there is a lot of speculation about them but I guess time will tell...eventually we will probably all have to commit.

Second question: does anyone know a way to protect the finish to keep the chalking and fading to a minimum? The dealer said Kubotas are now powder coated and should not be waxed (yes, I wax my tractors). If there is any product out there to protect powder coat, I can't find it.

Thanks to all whom unknowingly affected my decision to go orange.

Fro65

Shed is best paint protection, plus it protects the seat and the tires as well.

Burt

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Fro,

New Finish is a silicone-based paint sealant that should have zero negative effects on powder coating. Two coats, within 30 days seals in the paint surface for about a year. If your tractor is shaded under a pole barn, you'll be set. Consumer Reports has consistently rated New Finish at the top of the "protection" category. It is also one of the best "cleaner" finishes available. It is also FANTASTIC on plastic, as in the instrument bezel and the light lenses and housings on the rear. Plus, it comes in an ORANGE bottle!

Note: While your tractor is new, wash the instrument gauge clear plastic and use a weedie blower to blast off excess water. That will blow a wet bezel bone dry after washing, especially one that is waxed once a year. An alternative is flannel, or clean T-shirt material. Then, using VERY light pressure, and turning the rag, polish it with New Finish. Gently buff it off after a few minutes with a microfiber towel and then DO NOT TOUCH THE BEZEL WITH ANYTHING, including fingers. If it gets wet, the New Finish will help it keep from spotting. If you want to dry it and don't have a blower handy, pat it with clean T-shirt material but keep your wiping to a minimum. That will keep it looking brand new for decades.

Kubota Japan manufactures the grey part of the tractor (drive train) including the off-orange instrument bezel (Kubota Orange I -that is why they do not match). All the nice orangy fenders and hood and wheels (Kubota Orange II) are manufactured and installed on the drive train here in the US of A, primarily in Georgia, though some parts are made all over the US. One supplier of roofs to Kubota is here in Phoenix.

The Kubota spray paint is great for touch ups. It matches nearly perfectly. It runs about $12 a can.

As I mentioned to another new owner, I blow a can of WD-40 on the underside of mine and around the 3-pt. The wax residue in WD helps protect against corrosion and staining. Mud doesn't stick on nearly as well. If you are really nutso (like me) you can wax what you can get to with New Finish and then apply the WD a month or two later. I would have if my tractor had been new. I got mine after the previous owner left the thing sit out in the elements for 9 months. Now, I just give it a bath of WD on the drive train (grey areas) after washing and then I wipe off the excess. Looks awesome.

Lots of folks think getting your tractor dirty is a right of passage. My tractor has been super dirty on several occasions. But, before each trip to the dealer, it gets a detail. That kind of effort makes the case for you that you are trying to take the best possible care of your machine. I was told by my service facility that mine was the cleanest one in private ownership they had seen back. Second only to keeping all the copies of your filters and oil purchases, this can go a long way toward getting your dealer to help you resolve warranty problems with your machine.

Sorry to run on there...

Congrats.

Ray

 

[tcrote5516]

For the record, I waxed mine on the day of delivery and once a year since. Both the body and the frame. It not only protects the finish but makes it easy to keep clean.

Wax will not harm powder coat.

Waxing is generally not recommended for powder coated finishes because if the part does get scratched and it is contaminated with wax then the entire finish will need to be removed in order to re-coat the part. Since I don't think anyone would re-powdercoat a tractor due to a scratch (they would just use touch up paint) there's no reason not to wax it!

 

[Fro65]

Ray,

Wow, thank you for such a comprehensive answer/explanation. This is what I was hoping for. I have never heard of New Finish but it is now number one on my shopping list. If it works for you in the Arizona sun, I am sure it will work here in Indiana. I'm guessing I will probably have to wait for warmer weather to use it though.

Even though I will use my tractor for its intended purpose and am not afraid of getting it dirty, I am "nutso" about care and maintenance. They are too expensive to not take care of

I like your idea of the WD-40 on the undercarriage also. Makes sense because the solvents flash off and leaves a relatively dry protective layer that won't attract dust and dirt like petroleum based products would. I'll have to stock up on it as well.

tcrote5516,

I would be interested in knowing how many years you have been waxing your tractor and if there is any visible difference in color occurring on any parts. My dealers' explanation of his 'no wax' policy was because hard coat waxes can essentially magnify the suns intensity. I'm no chemist and maybe I just worry too much, but I believed him. May be a case of much ado about nothing

Thanks again guys!

 

[D2Cat]

Ray, you mention the first generation Orange paint from Japan and second generation from US.

"Kubota Japan manufactures the grey part of the tractor (drive train) including the off-orange instrument bezel (Kubota Orange I -that is why they do not match). All the nice orangy fenders and hood and wheels (Kubota Orange II) are manufactured and installed on the drive train here in the US of A, primarily in Georgia, though some parts are made all over the US. One supplier of roofs to Kubota is here in Phoenix.

The reason there are two different tints of the orange paint (called Orange 1 and Orange 2) is because when the lead was removed from paints the tint could not be matched with un-leaded paint. Therefore, two different colors.

 

[tcrote5516]

No offense, your dealer is a bit of a meathead I am no chemist myself but I do have a basic understanding of physics which is all that's needed to solve this.

Let's work through the logic of magnification and the similarity of powdercoat to paint for a second. If wax coat magnification was the case wouldn't the same negative effect be had on all finishes, from powder coat to multistage paint and even single stage acrylic? Yet all other finishes right down to wood flooring use this layer to protect finishes from both sun and scratch damage. Powder coating is simply a dry version of paint binder and a filler that is electrostatically attracted to the piece and heat treated. The end material is really no different from a painted surface with the exeception of it being "harder". That is great for heavy equipment but does nothing to prevent fading hence it can be treated the same way as all other painted surfaces.

Secondly the magnification factor is rulled out by simple logic. A flat layer of anything will not in itself magnify. In fact, its physically impossible for it to do so. You cannot increase the overall absorbtion of light under a fixed dimentional surface. If you could I would be in the business of waxing solar panels to increase panel productivity and be a retired billionaire by now with my laws of physics bending wax.

There is no beam concentration because there is no focus to the layer. In fact, that layer isn't perfectly clear and that's part of the reason its an effective protector. It diffuses incoming radiation (by reflecting and absorbing a small fraction(which is why you have to apply it regularly, it burns off)) protecting the finish below it.

Again, the ONLY reason not to wax powdercoated finishes is it will not allow you to spot fix a problem in the future by re-powder coating a particular area. But with tractors (and most other items) the end user will most likely never do anything more than touch up paint.

Hope this helps.

 

[sheepfarmer]

I'm glad I am not the only one with an OCD streak! I am thinking to make a dust cover out of a couple of old sheets because my new tractor is in the horse/hay barn and gets dusty. Had to take a soft cloth out and dust it last week before taking it out in case the drizzle made spots on it ! Wouldn't have admitted it ordinarily

I missed the chance to wax it though, the polar vortex has arrived, and way too cold for any washing and waxing for a while.

I came home from O'Reilly's yesterday with a new grease gun, new grease (lithium for the loader zerks because I wasn't sure and the dealer that dropped my tractor off said grease is grease), spray cans of WD-40, silicone spray to coat the bucket because the manure was freezing to it yesterday, and Sea Foam Deep Creep. Going to order a LockNLube for the grease gun thanks to some other posts on the forum. Every 10 hrs will come around pretty fast, so I am all in favor of making greasing easier.

Got a couple of questions...there is a label on my loader that says to lubricate the pivot points ever 10 hrs. They don't have zerks, and it doesn't seem like grease on the outside is gonna do much, and something like WD40 would be too thin, so what lubricant is recommended? The manual says something about grease with molybdenum, but the way it is written I couldn't tell if it was supposed to go in the pivot points or in the places served by zerk fittings. Or if it is a grease how you would get it where it would do some good.

Same question for back blade for the parts which are supposed to swivel and rotate. Tried grease but seems to be sticky.

Ray, If you use WD on the assorted parts on the underside, is there anything you shouldn't get it on?

Thanks everyone!

 

[coachgeo]

WD40 stands for WATER DISPLACEMENT formula 40. It is the formula out of the lot tested shown to serve best for water displacement. It is not a lubricant per say. It does attract dust real well though

Use something designed to be a lubricant. Silicone lubricant's work but WD40 formulation is questionable for that purpose.

 

[RIDETOEAT]

I just went out to check mine since I am on day two and did not know myself. I found each to have a zerk but hidden a little, look on the link ends and not the loader frame all of mine greased into the link end or pin and then flowed from the inner middle out toward the ends of the link pins so it looks like a perfect system !!! Note: on my front bottom bucket pin, it was greased through the actual end of the pin itself as it was countersunk on the outer end and had a zerk down inside the recess but still greased the same middle to outer path.

 

[sheepfarmer]

WD40 stands for WATER DISPLACEMENT formula 40. It is the formula out of the lot tested shown to serve best for water displacement. It is not a lubricant per say. It does attract dust real well though

Thanks Coach, I didn't know that. I had the impression it was helpful to keep things from rusting for a little while.

 

[sheepfarmer]

Ridetoeat, now I am curious too, but it is too cold and dark to check mine out until tomorrow. Very likely I didn't look carefully enough. Thanks! I'll take photo if I don't find them.

 

[D2Cat]

A loader should be greased at the end of each cylinder where it attaches to the loader framework. There will be a grease fitting somewhere there. Sometimes on the end (horizontal to the ground), or on the perpendicular piece at the end of the cyl. Search all around the described area, there is a fitting there!!

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Wax protects from oxidation which results from UV damage.

My tractor sat in the high country Arizona sun for 9 mos and the loader arms upper surfaces are noticeably faded. The paint on our tractors is a one-coat process, unlike a car which has a base color coat and then a clear coat to seal in the color and give it a shine. Arizona is a testing ground for paint products. I can't tell you how many nice pick-ups, barely five years old, I see with shiny fenders and rotted flaky roof paint. I guess waxing the roof was too hard. Seal the paint in with New Finish and you are well protected. Its not the shiniest wax but it seals the longest -IF you double-treat the surface in 30 days from initial application.

Neat explanation on the color change. Wish the picky Japanese plastic people would update their instrument bezels to match the USA color. How hard would that be?

WD-40 was initially created to meet the needs of the Atlas missile. The skin was chemically milled and very thin. While SAC tried to keep the missile airframe dry, it would occasionally get exposed to the elements. To prevent corrosion, they let a contract for a product to displace water, and to prevent corrosion. WD-40 may stop squeeks but it is NOT a lubricant.

While the formula is a well kept secret, there is a tiny amount of parafin wax and fish oil in the formula which serves to prevent corrosion. Its this same oil that attracts dust if left on wet. Wipe it dry and you get much less dust attraction. By the way, WD-40 makes automotive plastic like unpainted bumpers or mud flaps look really nice. Doesn't last forever but it sure improves the look for a week or two. I haven't found anything to date that WD will damage (except fabric but it will wash off). The manufacturer says "there's nothing in the formula that will hurt you." Some say its a great arthritis balm but I cannot comment on that use.

One use I find handy is using it to clean up after zerking the loader arms. The solvent and fish oil safely melts the stray grease and makes cleaning up the "spooge" very easy. Leave it on for six months and its a lot harder to get off.

My mom used to tell me "Cleanliness is next to Godliness."
My corollary to that is, "God, these are EXPENSIVE!!! Thanks for allowing me to have one and please help me make it last a long time!!!"

 

[Tooljunkie]

The wd will wick into all the little nooks and crannys where paint isn't. Helping prevent rustand siezing. I dont like trailering anything in winter up here,highways loads the roads with too much salt even if we only get 3 snowflakes. Anything you do to protect your machine now will pay off in years to come.

 

[Fro65]

Thanks to everyone for the great info. I'm certainly getting an education

Came home tonight with some New Finish, WD40, microfiber towels and a few other 'care" items. Now I just have to wait, and wait, and wait for good weather to return so I can put them to use

Also, just realized that I somehow double posted this thread. I looked for a way to delete one of them but could not find a way to do it. My apologies. I am not a regular computer user and in cases like this, my ignorance shows. It took me a couple hours the other night to figure out how to put a picture in the post and I'm guessing I zigged when I should have zagged or something like that. I'm slow but I'll get there

 

[sheepfarmer]

Fro65 first let me apologize for drifting the main topic of your post a bit with the questions about lubing the loader, but somehow in my mind they fit with new owner questions. I will be collecting some New Finish and hoping for decent weather, but since we are north of you it might be a while. Glad you asked about the paint. I learned a lot.

Cave Creek Ray's comment about using the WD to clean up the finish after greasing was right on. It works! I think greasing the loader zerks is like giving horses paste wormer. You calculate the right dose, then add about 20% to take care of the amount that will go on the outside of the horse, be spit out, or wiped off on you. I got 17 out of 18 zerks before it got too dark. My tractor has grease all over it.

The question about the pivot points not having zerks arose because the sticker that says to lube them was placed next to the big pin that holds the loader to the tractor, and so I assumed that Kubota was naming that junction a pivot point. Had no idea what they were calling the other joints. A case of not engaging brain before opening mouth I need a glossary of Kubota terms for the anatomy of a tractor! And a few more diagrams.

And for another question, can anyone tell me where the "joints of control lever linkage" are and what it/they look like? Nothing looks very accessible between the valve joystick and the hydraulic hoses. I have an 805 loader and it says to lube them in the manual, but no picture.

Thanks everyone