B7100HST New or Old version and service questions

[Whit]

Having grown up on a hilly property with a B6100 geared version that worked so well at maintaining the grass/weeds on the steep hillsides.
I now have a property with steep hills and I have just acquired B7100HSTD 4WD to hopefully help maintain my property. It came with mid mount mower, I think it is RC60-72H from looking at pictures online as there is no identification numbers left on the deck. I need to find a service manual for the mower, but I also want to get a slasher/bush hog to be able to back up banks and over edges.

I am hoping the B7100HST has similar power as the B6100 geared did. There wasn't much the B6100 couldn't handle.

I don't know the history of the tractor and it needs a full service, clean and flush radiator, all filters and fluids changed, grease etc
It also has a couple of things that need fixing and looking at
-Front wheel drive shaft cover spins with the front wheel drive shaft. Rubber boot is not attached and seems to be a lot of friction between the cover and the drive shaft. I have read a post on how to fix it, assuming I can get parts.
- Rear 3 point hitch lift doesn't seem to stay up over longer periods of time and when it drops it pulls the lift lever handle back, then when you start the tractor the hydraulic lift makes all sorts of noise trying to raise the 3 point lift because the handle lever is stuck back. I read this couple be an O ring in the cylinder or is it something else? I find it odd that it pulls the lift handle back?
- Rear PTO seal looks like it might be leaking, I need to investigate

Upgrades I want to do
- It has turf tyres, I need Ag wheels and tyres or put Ag style on the turf wheels/rims, which I read people have done. Not sure which would be better for hills? The B6100 had the skinny Ags but with spacers which worked amazing or do I go for turf wheels with Ag style tires (I don't think the lugs are as big) but they would be wider, Which would have more grip?
- New Seat
- Canopy
- Front grill guard
-Front carry all/platform
- Front end loader (this is a bit of a dream)

I have not driven the tractor much because I don't want to without out giving it a service so I am not sure what other issues it might have, however I don't want to spend money servicing it, if it has too many issue that need repair that make the tractor worth it.
What would you recommend I do?

As my B7100 HST needs some maintenance and repairs etc when looking at parts I have noticed there is a new and old version of the B7100 HST. I have read the forum on how to look up the serial number, 6 stud wheels, B series model year matrix PDF etc but I still can't tell what year mine was made or if it is the new or old version.

Serial Number: B7100HD542XX
Engine Number: D750 AH
1650 hours
6 stud wheels
Number stamped on rear wheel: 6 89

Can anyone tell me if it is the old or new version?

 

[hodge]

Yours is the newer style B7100. It will have more power than a B6100.
I put these on my B7100 turf rims, and they worked very well-
"Well I now have a set on my tractor that meets all the requirements above. They are as follows:
Rear - 29 x 12.50 x 15 (RC = 88 inch @ 15psi) Carlisle TRU POWER
Front - 20 x 8 x 10 (RC = 62 inch @ 25psi) Kenda K378"

 

[Vigo]

I have a 6100 and 7100 and have worked on some for others. I personally can't tell much power difference, but i suspect it's only really noticeable with a large mower deck like yours, or a pto-driven implement. I've run 48" finish mower and bush hog, neither of which i think are stressing the tractor much.

My 6100 has the 29x12.50-15 rear and ~20" tire 10" wheel on front, while the 7100 has the 8-16 rears and 6-12 fronts.

From operating nearly identical tractors on the different wheel/tire setups, i highly prefer the 15 and 10" wheels because the ride quality is FAR better, which is important for me because i like to go 'too fast' for most people where bad ride quality can get pretty jarring.

I've also found that my 6100 with the FEL on it and 'turf' style rears and ATV fronts, still can pull harder than the 7100 with the R1s and 3x55lb weights up front. So adding weight ends up making more traction difference on dry ground than tire style, in my opinion.

The 3pt pulling on the handle is probably pretty simple. There is an adjustable stop on a rod hooked from the 3pt rockshaft lift arm to the actual valve handle you pull on. The stop serves to push the handle from 'raise' to 'hold' when the 3pt raises to the stop. At all other times the rod is supposed to slide freely and not push or pull the handle. Yours is probably binding due to wear or misalignment.

 

[ken erickson]

Congrats on acquiring a late version HST B7100! I think you will enjoy the capabilities of these compact work horses. Your machine has a few interesting additions/changes from what I am used to see. The "box" that is around the exhaust pipe between the exhaust manifold and muffler caught my eye.

You might want to give your turf tires a chance to see how they preform before changing out. I have turfs on mine and constantly impressed with the traction in a wide variety of terrain, conditions and implement use. I use a front 50 inch snowblower on the front, 6 foot back blade, 4 foot box blade, 5 foot landscape rake and did have a 4 foot brush cutter. I never lacked power and it seems as if the tractor is well balanced between HP and weight/traction.

When I purchased the tractor used with 900 hours the front turfs had been replaced with a "trailer" non-turf tires. Last summer I got around to ordering and installing a proper sized turf tire and instantly could feel a increase in front end traction.

 

[ken erickson]

My three point lever started acting up, it seemed to be binding and the lever would be pulled from the center position without hitting the stops.

What I found out was that the "barrel" that the rod with the stops goes thru was not pivoting. The blue arrow is pointing to an oil lubrication hole that I had neglected. The barrel would not rotate and would bind up the adjustment rod, after oiling and freeing up everything was working proper again. You might want to check this on yours along with the adjustment stops.

 

[Vigo]

I think how aggressive your front tire needs to be depends on how much weight you can put on them.

For example, my 7100 with 3x 55lb weights up front, still does not put enough weight on the front to make the 4wd contribute significantly when pulling hard on something at the rear (box blade loaded in dirt, dragging something etc). By comparison, my B6100 with the FEL can pull harder all the time and when the front starts spinning when pulling something at the rear, I can pick up a bucket of dirt just to push down on the front tires and traction goes up further!

So i think without an FEL or very heavy front mounted implement the difference in front traction between tire styles is much narrower and consequently less important. I would focus on turning traction before pulling traction if i had a 6100/7100 and intended to operate heavy rear implements with no FEL. And make sure your steering brakes work!

I have found tire style can make a significant difference in steering effort with the FEL too (no power steering on these machines), but not so much without FEL. I find the R1/AG style easier to steer than turf style(I have actually only run trailer tires but i am lumping turf in with them) or the ATV tires shown on my 6100 above. Unfortunately i think pushing/pulling traction and steering effort go up and down together. IF you can get the front tires to pull hard, they will also be hard to turn while doing so.

 

[torch]

Mower manual here.

As for a FEL, how are your welding skills? Loaders for these are rare as hen's teeth and loaders that are compatible with the mower deck are even rarer. Not much room under there for a subframe when the mower is installed.

Personally, I built my own loader. The decision was real easy once I abandoned the mower deck -- I found it was just too large and clumsy for my property. Too many dips and hills; the mower was always scalping and digging in because of the width and limited clearance available below the tractor. And too many trees and other obstructions to mow around. I went back to a 42" riding mower. But it would be great for large open areas with gentle elevation changes, so your mileage may vary.

The FEL is very, very useful. As is the snowblower.

 

[Whit]

Yours is the newer style B7100. It will have more power than a B6100.
I put these on my B7100 turf rims, and they worked very well-
"Well I now have a set on my tractor that meets all the requirements above. They are as follows:
Rear - 29 x 12.50 x 15 (RC = 88 inch @ 15psi) Carlisle TRU POWER
Front - 20 x 8 x 10 (RC = 62 inch @ 25psi) Kenda K378"

View attachment 85414

Your tractor looks great! Such great condition, thanks for sharing, I think I will end putting these tires like these on

 

[Whit]

Congrats on acquiring a late version HST B7100! I think you will enjoy the capabilities of these compact work horses. Your machine has a few interesting additions/changes from what I am used to see. The "box" that is around the exhaust pipe between the exhaust manifold and muffler caught my eye.

You might want to give your turf tires a chance to see how they preform before changing out. I have turfs on mine and constantly impressed with the traction in a wide variety of terrain, conditions and implement use. I use a front 50 inch snowblower on the front, 6 foot back blade, 4 foot box blade, 5 foot landscape rake and did have a 4 foot brush cutter. I never lacked power and it seems as if the tractor is well balanced between HP and weight/traction.

When I purchased the tractor used with 900 hours the front turfs had been replaced with a "trailer" non-turf tires. Last summer I got around to ordering and installing a proper sized turf tire and instantly could feel a increase in front end traction.



View attachment 85430
View attachment 85431

Thanks for your reply and sharing some great info and pics of your nice looking B7100, the hand controls look great!

The box on the muffler caught my eye too, I think it mast be a mod because I have never seen it on any B7100s

 

[Whit]

I think how aggressive your front tire needs to be depends on how much weight you can put on them.

For example, my 7100 with 3x 55lb weights up front, still does not put enough weight on the front to make the 4wd contribute significantly when pulling hard on something at the rear (box blade loaded in dirt, dragging something etc). By comparison, my B6100 with the FEL can pull harder all the time and when the front starts spinning when pulling something at the rear, I can pick up a bucket of dirt just to push down on the front tires and traction goes up further!

So i think without an FEL or very heavy front mounted implement the difference in front traction between tire styles is much narrower and consequently less important. I would focus on turning traction before pulling traction if i had a 6100/7100 and intended to operate heavy rear implements with no FEL. And make sure your steering brakes work!

I have found tire style can make a significant difference in steering effort with the FEL too (no power steering on these machines), but not so much without FEL. I find the R1/AG style easier to steer than turf style or the ATV tires shown on my 6100 above. Unfortunately i think pushing/pulling traction and steering effort go up and down together. IF you can get the front tires to pull hard, they will also be hard to turn while doing so.

This was very helpful information!! You have exactly the compassion I was hoping for thanks for sharing weight certainly seems to play a huge part. I would love a FEL for the reasons you have listed and everything else it can do. I can see the benefit of the wider turf style tire in terms of traction and stability etc because there is a larger contact surface with the ground however this generally means you need more power, I was also wondering if you lose power to implements with the wider tires compared to the skinnier AG.

 

[Whit]

Mower manual here.

As for a FEL, how are your welding skills? Loaders for these are rare as hen's teeth and loaders that are compatible with the mower deck are even rarer. Not much room under there for a subframe when the mower is installed.

Personally, I built my own loader. The decision was real easy once I abandoned the mower deck -- I found it was just too large and clumsy for my property. Too many dips and hills; the mower was always scalping and digging in because of the width and limited clearance available below the tractor. And too many trees and other obstructions to mow around. I went back to a 42" riding mower. But it would be great for large open areas with gentle elevation changes, so your mileage may vary.

The FEL is very, very useful. As is the snowblower.

Thanks for the link to the mower manual, but mine is slightly different. It seems to be this model with the H on the end. RC60-71H, you can see that it mounts to the side of tractor and not the front and the wheel brackets are welded on not bolted, it looks like the tension system is all different too. You would think the gear oil would be the same though?

Thats awesome you built your loader! I have very basic welding skills not sure I would be up for that challenge.... but I really want a loader so I might have to learn some more.

 

[Muskilunge]

I grabbed a manual for that specific mower from ebay. Around 35-40 bucks plus shipping. Considering I couldnt find one, it was worth it. Just google RC60-71H and ebay should pop up with a few options.

 

[Whit]

Thanks for all the great replies, really helpful information.

Today I disassembled and removed the front driveshaft because the cover and rubber boot were all spinning with the driveshaft and I didn't want it to cause any more problems. The rubber boot is pretty much had it, stiff and falling a part. the seal/bushing at the other end of the drive shaft cover seems in pretty good condition however the rubber is also falling apart where the circular spring goes around the rubber. The brass bushing seems ok, it seems like it is suppose to let the driveshaft spin around it. There is a shiny spot on the drive shaft where it goes, so not sure why the cover started to spin. I will clean drive shaft and see if I can get a new rubber boot and bushing from the dealer then reassemble.

Once I removed the front drive shaft I took the B7100 on my first drive. It did not disappoint, it seems like it has a good amount of power, the wider turf style wheels seem very stable. I went up and down some steep sections (I need more weight on the front) and I was impressed with the HST being able to adjust speed on the fly compared to the geared 6100. Even slowing right down then changing direction, and how it stays at that speed on the slope and does not seem to run away.
One thing I was not sure how it was going to work was the ability to use the split breaks while going up a hill when the front wheels get light. With the HST you cant really press the forward pedal and brakes at the same time compared to to the B6100 geared. However the speed set seems to do this all though I later found out mine is not working correctly, more on this later.

Does Diff lock work in reverse with the B7100 HST? I could only seem to get it working going forward, the diff lock pedal went down in reverse but only one rear wheel was spinning.

Other things I found that need addressing. (I never know if I should start new threads for these things, so please tell me if I should.)

Missing bolt and leaking oil at the clutch housing see pic. It looks like the clutch has been apart because there is a bolt missing at the bottom, a different style of bolt that is in backwards compared to the others. There is also oil leaking, I am hoping it is just because the bolt is missing? I have cleaned the oil so see if it comes back and I will get a new bolt.

Leaking oil out of the rear PTO, I cleaned it before first drive and it came back. Looks like it needs a new seal? I have seen a pos video on this doesn't look too hard assuming I can get the part

Potential leaking oil out of Mid PTO, there was lots of oil around it, I cleaned it so need to see if it comes back. Not sure how hard this is?

Speed set lever, does not line up with the plate see pic, there might be some parts missing? it is hard to tell how it is assembled in the parts diagram, is the head of the bolt supposed to sit in the bracket so the bolt doesn't turn? Can anyone post a pic of Theirs?

Rubber boots on steering linkages are falling apart, do they need to be replaced or can you go without? Do you need to grease these?

3 point hitch dropping, I will do another post about this in this thread.

3 point hitch lift rods seem to be on the wrong sides? I have seen other B7100s with adjustable lift rod on the right and they should be on the inside of the lift arms not the outside?

Rear axles is not level, need to check tire pressures.

As I said in my first post I don't know any history of this tractor and it does not seem to have been taken very good care of. I am not sure how major some of the issues are above. To do a full service, all filters and fluids it is going to cost about $300 (Australian Dollars) then fix all the above issues, I am just not sure if it is a good tractor to be spending more money on or I should look for better maintained B7100 and spend time and money on that one.
What do you guys think?

 

[Whit]

What size rear rotary cutter for B7100? not sure if I should start another thread, so leat me know if I should.

I see most people using 4 foot rotary cutters with the B7100 however when I look at the specs of the cutters most require 18hp or more and weigh over 400 lbs

The B7100 engine is 16 hp and PTO 13 hp and the 3 point can only lift 400 lbs.

Can the B7100 run a rotary cutter that is more than the rated HP and lift more that 400 lbs?

 

[ken erickson]

Thanks for posting the great pictures of the condition and up coming repair work! I do not know what is the "right" thing for you as far as repairing this tractor or looking for one in better condition but I for one will enjoy your progress if you should decide to push forward.


I ran a 4 foot King Kutter brand rotary cutter on my B7100 for 4 years without any issues. I traded it to my buddy, he wanted a small cutter for his BX and I needed a larger cutter for my L2501. I already miss the 4 footer on the B7100 for getting in tight spots around buildings, trees etc.
I ran the cutter into some pretty thick/high cool season grasses but of course would adjust my travel speed to match or take less than a full cut.
I do have some hills on my land and the majority of time I would run this cutter in high range. A few times in the really thick stuff I would mow in low range.

This picture is my son cutting some thick golden rod and grasses.

 

[Vigo]

I was also wondering if you lose power to implements with the wider tires compared to the skinnier AG.

No, it doesn't affect the PTO power sent to implements. 'Driveline losses' can become a large factor on something like a car accelerating rapidly, but on a tractor at low speeds with minimal acceleration, things like rolling resistance and intertia of the wheel/tire assemblies have very little impact.

Generally the main factors people try to weigh when deciding what style of tire to use are traction vs 'ground impact' such as tearing up turf or making ruts, etc. Generally the less weight you have (small machine!) the less tread features you want touching the ground so that what IS touching the ground will have the most weight on it and sink in and 'grab'. But, the more it sinks in and grabs, the more marks/damage it leaves behind.

If you never plan to operate in mud, there is not a strong need for very aggressive tire tread. Turf style tires generate plenty of traction on most other surfaces with enough weight on them. Filling the tires with liquid helps (mostly on rear since fronts are so small here), and in a complementary way the wider turf tires also hold much more fluid than the narrower r1/ag style tires do.

I have not seen it discussed much here, but on garden tractor forums where people operate similar size/weight machines which are ALL 2wd, it is somewhat common to run filled turf tires, put as much weight on them as possible, and then add chains for difficult conditions such as snow and mud.

 

[ken erickson]

The leveling lift arms are on the inside with the adjustable one being on the right hand side as viewing from the rear of the tractor.

 

[Vigo]

What size rear rotary cutter for B7100? not sure if I should start another thread, so leat me know if I should.

I see most people using 4 foot rotary cutters with the B7100 however when I look at the specs of the cutters most require 18hp or more and weigh over 400 lbs

The B7100 engine is 16 hp and PTO 13 hp and the 3 point can only lift 400 lbs.

Can the B7100 run a rotary cutter that is more than the rated HP and lift more that 400 lbs?

I have run a 4ft bush hog on my b7100. I would like to try a 5ft on my 6100, but i don't own one!

As far as the power requirement of the implement, it totally depends on what you are doing with it. If you are trying to cut thick grass or brush at a high travel speed, you will absolutely need more engine power than what a b7100 has. However, you can simply slow down your travel speed to compensate, and if it comes down to it (extremely thick stuff) you can also raise the cutter up a bit to lessen the load on your PTO and simply make a 2nd pass at lower height later.

As far as the 3pt, it WILL lift over 400lbs. I actually haven't maxed out my b7100 specifically but i have maxed out the 6100 multiple times, and I would say the limit, if the implement is held in close to the tractor (like a box blade) is more like 450-500. If the implement is longer or held out further from the tractor, it goes down. I think my 60" box blade with a ~115lb weight bolted to the back of it, is heavier than my 48" rotary cutter, but they 'feel' about as heavy when lifting the 3pt due to the different weight distribution.

The reason i said I would like to try a 5' on my 6100 is that the weight of the 4' on the 7100 with 3x55lb front weight, is already enough to seriously reduce turning traction when the cutter is held up/not sitting down on its tailwheel. I suspect with all the extra FEL weight on the 6100 that if it could lift a 5' at all, it could also travel with it comfortably.

I intend to modify my 6100 for greater 3pt lift. My 7100 is actually for sale, although not for any other reason than it is superfluous to the 6100. I will NOT be totally without a 6100/7100 any time in the forseeable future. Considering how i have hoarded old cars for decades, i wouldn't be surprised if the 6100 stays with me for the rest of my life, even if i stop using it!

 

[Whit]

3 point hitch dropping and pulling lift lever back

As suggested above I checked the link lever was free to move and rotate. It all moves freely.

What seems to happen is after a period of time of the B7100 tractor being off (I am not exactly sure how long) the 3 point hitch drops and it drops so far that the lift arm shaft lock hits the rear limit lock then it pulls the control lever backwards, which is actually the position to raise the lever so when the you start the tractor it tries to raise the hitch but struggles. I have been using the check chain to hold the hitch up so the lever does not get pulled back. See video in link of me removing the check chain and hitch dropping and pulling lever.

Lift dropping video

What I am trying to figure out is if the hitch dropping when the tractor is off over time normal behaviour or do I need to replace the o ring in the lift cylinder? and is the lift dropping and pulling the lever back also normal?

What is confusing me is what it says in the operators manual on page 17

Implement Lock Chain
When transporting on the road or checking the implement in the raised position, be sure to hook one end of the implement lock chain on the chain bracket as shown in the picture so as to prevent the implement from dropping. When the chain is not being used, remove it from the bracket, and fasten it to the hook.

 

[ken erickson]

If I park my tractor with the 6 foot back blade fully raised it will take approximately 3 hours to fully settle. I am not sure if this is "normal" but with the three point working normally otherwise I will not dig into it. I have about 1300 hours total on the tractor and perhaps I am headed for service also?

I THINK your lower limit stop is working as designed. By the time the lower limit stop is reached your lower link arms are much further down than when having an implement on. Its been so long since I have not had a rear implement on the tractor I am not sure if just the weight of the three point parts will engage the lower limit stop and bring the lever to the raise position. I hope I am making sense!