B6000 to buy or not?

[coryg]

I have about 2 acers I have to mow, that tends to eat normal riding mowers. I have a local guy here with one of these Kubota B6000 tractors that has a rear white 48 mower on it. I have driven it around his place and mowed with it, everything seems to work just fine, it only smokes at first start.

He's asking 1400 for it. It's got turf tires all the way around, but they are pretty warn. can I even get new tires for it? I have been hearing a lot of information one way or the other about this being a "grey" tractor. Some say they all are, other say no, it was the first one imported yada yada... bottom line, can parts still be gotten if I have an issue?

I see that it has a reverse spinning pto. (which in this case is fine since it already has a mower attached to it) but can you get any other things for it? (a tiller would be nice)

When I went over to the local Kubota dealer to inquire about it, and upon even mentioning the model or the tractor was totally shunned. (Rudely I may add, as if I personally went over to some other country to screw them somehow) Odd. It does make me question buying any thing Kubota...

One more thing to add, everything on this tractor is in english. It has the markings for a 4x4 lever, but is only 2 wheel drive. The hood had even said 4x4 on it. The stickers plates etc all look their age... so I doubt anythings been replaced, heck some of it's so worn it's hart to read.

But back to this orphen. Good deal or not?

 

[eserv]

That B6000 is probably not grey market and most parts are available for it from Kubota. Vic can probably get anything you would need for too, and probably cheaper than the Kubota dealer! My guess though, you will likely get years of faithful service from it with very few parts required. They are almost bulletproof and perform like a much larger tractor.
ed

 

[coryg]

That B6000 is probably not grey market and most parts are available for it from Kubota. Vic can probably get anything you would need for too, and probably cheaper than the Kubota dealer! My guess though, you will likely get years of faithful service from it with very few parts required. They are almost bulletproof and perform like a much larger tractor.
ed

That sounds good. What about the issue of the reversed PTO? In doing some deeper research it sound like the place that had been making them is gone? If that is the case, then what's the chances of being able to get it turing in the correct rotation so I can get some other stuff for it?

What about the tires issue, some people are telling me you can't get them any more? Not going to be much good to me sitting on the rims LOL.

A little more I know about the tractor, The brakes where just replaced last summer. It's got a new fuel filter and a new battery. I've looked at it a couple times, and know that it sat untouched for at least 5 months the first time I looked at it, and it still started right up.

It needs some weights in the front. (if you lift up the woods in the rear the front wheels can come off the ground!) So, where can I get some. I'm not kidding about the Kubota dealer, they are seriously jerks here. I was talking to a friend of mine who happens to have 2 new kubota tractors, one is a full loader job... and he even hates going there. (He told me if the tractors weren't so rock solid he would have told them to bugger off years ago.)

Even if I end up not being able to get anything else for it I'm guessing that as a 1400 mower I really can't go to wrong. heck, I've wasted more than that on the last 2 riding mowers that I tore up in just the last 2 summers.

Does Vic have a phone or? What's the best way to contact him for parts etc? I did find a local place, TAG Equipment Distributors, Inc. located in Chattanooga (about 35 minutes from me) Phone 423-265-0475 he told me he "should" be able to find parts...

 

[coryg]

Well, I went ahead and bought it, heading out to mow...


Edit... Ok done mowing. Worked well. My grass was was about 12 inches high and wet, but it had no issue at all taking it down. So, I hit some weeds and over growth that was about 6 foot high and wet... again. no issue. Nice.

I'll have to read more about it, I noticed that if I pushed the RPMs to high it would overheat? That's what I'm guess and is would spit antifrezze out the overflow, but, as soon as I would thottle down a little it where pur and be fine. Under heavy load (pulling the mower and itself up a 30 dec incline mowing, that it would smoke black. Again, if I let the load up a little it would go away. This is my first diesel anything but I'm guessing that's fine. All in all I spent the better part of 2 hours on it mowing and have to say that is did stuff no other mower I have had would have.

In the pictures you'll notice that all the writing, cautions etc is in english. Where do I look for the serial number to see if it "grey" And where can I get those front weights and that is going to be a must.

I attached pictures of it.

 

[eserv]

The B6000 doesn't have a waterpump. It will overheat if you push it to hard, after all it IS just 12.5 HP! Here is a sourse I found for a reverser but it isn't in the USA http://en.yenibiz.com/achat/produit_details_prod_561.html
I'm sure your tractor is a domestic model from the pictures you posted.
Ed

 

[cappys tractor]

HUGE IMPORTANCE::

The tractor does NOT have a water pump. The cooling method is called THERMOSYPHON. This is a fancy way to say, it cools by convection. For this to work the antifreeze level MUST be above the top hose. The theory is that hot water rises, and cold water sinks, so the top hose is the inlet to the radiator, and the bottom is the cold return. But if you don't have the radiator full it cant just flow, if the top level is not in the top hose.

Regarding the PTO. The reverser IS available. But they usually cost around 900!!!!!!!! You have to decide how much youre going to spend for an attachment for this tractor. How much to spend, knowing that it MAY give up the ghost. I have B6000. I have NOT found the need to buy a reverser. Although I have the original Rotortiller( backwards spinnning and all!)

The 3ph will pull and pull and pull all day long. I have a FEL, so I feel lucky in that respect. If you keep your eye open on ebay and craigslist you may get lucky. I just read about another guy who found one on ebay and snapped it up.

The bush hog doesn't care which way it turns. some implements are convertable to change the way blades are mounted, others are unchangeable. So it depends on what you want to do with the machine. The only thing you have to keep in mind, if you 'reverse engineer' an implement to run backwards (some will, some wont) your PTO shaft must be installed reverse too, so the overrunning clutch will save the gearbox if you hit something with the blade.

HUB CITY sells (although it's custom made) a 25mm, 18 spline to six spline adapter that fits your tractor. Although you should actually count the splines. I have heard of several B6000 having a 10 spline shaft, although most have a 18 spline shaft. The hub city adapter is around 120. you have to find a dealer near you hub city wont sell to the general public :-(

also, if you buy a ROPS (which I highly recommend) the adapter bracket will make the reverser not be able to be mounted! Kubota DOES have these, and they are available (no matter how unprofessional your dealer is) they cost 295 (or at least mine did)

 

[coryg]

Honestly, for as cheap as I found this, it would almost make sense just to find another/something else with any other options I would need (like a FEL) and leave this one setup for the mower.

The only thinks I would really have a use for other than a fel is a tiller. But that's something I'm only going to use one a year. A post hole digger would be really nice. Of course the pto comes into play there.

Right now I'm looking at the weight issue for the front and figuring out the best way to approach it. (been looking around for someone local that might have some weight laying around)

Good tip on the antifreeze. I checked mine and topped it off.

 

[piper73]

I have B6000 4x4 and have been looking for turf tires
can some one tell me where to find or aleast a name brand

Also can you go from a 14 to a 16 inch wheel for the back? and from a 12 to a 14 wheel for the front

 

[cappys tractor]

do a search on this forum. there was about 6 months ago a good informative posting about wheel size, and how the front tires MUST be overrunning, to keepthe gear differential not tearing itself up.

Regarding tires, have you called your local firestone dealer (an actual tire dealer, not a local sale, no name store) and given them your tire sizes. see if they can match them. I know the tires are available becuae I got an almost new set on my 32 yr old tractor. I really want a set of turfs, but I guess I'll have to settle for the Ags I have now.

 

[handyman]

remember coryg that is 50 percent antifreeze and 50 percent water green antifreeze. handy

 

[Will In Tx]

Did you change all the oil and all on it? I mean change everything that can be changed.
Find you a book on that tractor if you don't have one will come in handy.

 

[coryg]

Did you change all the oil and all on it? I mean change everything that can be changed.
Find you a book on that tractor if you don't have one will come in handy.

The guy I bought it from just fully serviced it. It's what he does for a living so I'm pretty confident it all up to snuff. (Just in my simple checking I know that the antifreeze, belts battery and rear brakes are new for sure.)

I have noticed a over heating issue if I push it harder than half throttle with the mower running. I guess I'll have to drain and flush the radiator and see if that helps.

 

[Will In Tx]

Yeah and I would not trust even my Uncles if I bought something from them or others.
So, did you ask him if it was over heating after he sold the tractor to you?

 

[coryg]

Yeah and I would not trust even my Uncles if I bought something from them or others.
So, did you ask him if it was over heating after he sold the tractor to you?

The over heating only seems to happen if I "push" it. I can mow the whole yard (about 2 acers) and if I keep it about half throttle it just purrs right along.

Since, from everything I've read about the cooling system on these, that there is no thermostat or water-pump about the only thing it could be is something blocking the flow somewhat.

The radiator looks great on the outside, and the inside looks clean from what I can tell. Tomorrow I'll flush it and make sure it's flowing unrestricted. For what I have in it (1100 bucks) I'm not above doing some work to it to make it happy. If it flows good, then it kind of points me at the cap itself.


But, ya, I actually do trust this guy. He does all my mower repair for me and just about everyone I know around here. This unit has been back and forth in his family, and was never really used cause it was just to small for the job they had originally gotten it for so they bought a bigger one. I know I have seen it sitting over at his place for a couple years just sitting in the storage shed before I bought it.

 

[coryg]

The B6000 doesn't have a waterpump. It will overheat if you push it to hard, after all it IS just 12.5 HP! Here is a sourse I found for a reverser but it isn't in the USA http://en.yenibiz.com/achat/produit_details_prod_561.html
I'm sure your tractor is a domestic model from the pictures you posted.
Ed

I have learned this!

I have to be honest here, the issues with pushing it and having it over heat might be me. One part of my yard has a 35 degree slope thats about 600 feet long. With the 43" on, it takes my 8 passes to mow it, 4 down and 4 up. It's of course the up's where I need to throttle up to pull the tractor and that RM42 up the hill, and where I see the over heat issue. (I can back it down enough for this not to happen, but I still think I should be able to do it cause I don't think I'm near the RMP limit by any means at that point.)

The other time I had an issue was the day I got it and I had not been able to mow for almost 2 weeks. The grass was thick and high, about 12 inches. Of course it rained right before I mowed and the grass was wet... Again, It did just fine if I kept it around half throttle, and only moving past that point or getting bogged in really high wet stuff did I have the issue.

My 22HP Vtwin Briggs would have not mowed though what I made this tractor do so I'm happy to say the least, I'm just thinking that I could help it do even better.

 

[coryg]

That is most certainly an original North American B6000, 2WD. I would also investigate that Woods RM42 mower you have there, as it probably has blades that turn the correct way for for a B6000.

Thanks for the Info Vic . From he previous owners the RM42 on it was made for it and does indeed spin correctly for the B6000. It seems to be a great mower, with bushhog (breakaway) type blades and give a finish mower result.

Right on the mower it says to use 800-1000 for the PTO speed, which is different from the information I have read on here saying that most these mower should be used at 540... And In my own use I have seen the major difference it makes. I mow with the pto in 3.

Since you have access to parts etc, what the chances of getting a new steering wheel from you for mine? Your blow torch tip is about 5 years to late for mine by the looks of it.

 

[DsBota]

When I was 13 years old I worked on a Christmas tree farm. I used a B6000 with a belly mower to cut the 3 foot+ weeds between the trees. I was amazed with what this thing could do compared to my Dad's Craftsman it handled those weeds but it always had issues with over heating.