B7100HST New or Old version and service questions

[Vigo]

In my opinion there is usually a very large space between 'perfect' and 'problem', such that something is not perfect, but it's also not a problem. Having a 3pt drift down over the course of hours is in that range to me.

 

[Kenonf]

Ok,
Think the lift lever question has been answered, on to your other pictures.
The front drive shaft universal spins in a grease/oil bath, you might want to replace the seal between the axle and metal shield.
The oil leak between the clutch and engine, find that leak. Could be oil pressure switch up on the side of the engine, mine was.
Answered your cruse control on another post.
There are 4 boots on the front steering of that tractor yes they need to be replaced if broken, and need some lubricant, oil to break free and grease for long term.
Oil seals can be bought from other vendors, I can usually bring them the old seal and get the part numbers from it or the measurements.
Parts for B7100 tractors are still available here in the US, Hope you have a dealer nearby.
I posted the links for the parts pages but did not realize you were in Australia. Try Kubota's main website, and see if you can access a parts page. Makes life much easier.

HST is a bullet proof unit if you keep oil in it.
There are two hydraulic oil suction screens that probably could use a good cleaning by the rear fenders, along with the spin on filter by the seat. search "b71oo suction screen"
Use Kubota UDT "HST" fluid if you can.

If you cannot get name brand replacement parts, like bosch injectors, ngk glow plugs, NTN bearings, then stick to kubota parts. yes I have learned the hard way.
Wash it down, watch for leaks, and work it!

ken

 

[Whit]

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.
View attachment 85503

Thanks for that information, really helpful, it makes sense about slowing down in the tough stuff, and I sort of doing that with the B6100 all those years ago, I cant remember what size slasher it was though. I was amazed what it would cut back then.
Great picture of your son, I have also just noticed your canopy did you make it? Looks great

 

[Whit]

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.

Got you, that makes sense about the driveline losses when relating too tractors, thanks for explaining that.
My property is pretty steep and has loose rocks. I have slowly been clearing the brush and moving the rocks and the grass grows back.

Here is a pic of an area that was overgrown with brush.

Here is the same area (slightly different angle) after it being cleared and regular cut to keep the weeds down and allow the grass to grow back. I pay someone to cut it with a huge John Deer 4WD Tractor which is why it has ruts. I am not concerned about ruts at this stage where the property is at.

This is what it was like when it was being cleared.

I know the B6100 with skinny Ags could have handle the slope and surface just fine. I am thinking that standard turfs might not have enough grip and I am thinking maybe maybe the turf wheels with the Ag style tires like @hodge posted above. What do you think would be the best wheel tire set up for me?

 

[Whit]

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!

Thanks for all this great information, I think I will be looking for 4 foot cutters now I like your style not being without a B6100/B7100 I can see that in my future too haha

 

[Whit]

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!

Thanks for confirming yours drops after a few hours. Yes this makes sense now! I believe you are correct! that because there is no implement on it is dropping very low, then the stop gets pulled on by the lever to raise it back up, which it sounds like that is how it is supposed to work, and when no implement is on you use the chain to stop it going that low. The thing that was scaring me was the squealing of the hydraulics when's tarting the tractor because the lift was trying to raise straight away.

 

[Whit]

Ok,
Think the lift lever question has been answered, on to your other pictures.
The front drive shaft universal spins in a grease/oil bath, you might want to replace the seal between the axle and metal shield.
The oil leak between the clutch and engine, find that leak. Could be oil pressure switch up on the side of the engine, mine was.
Answered your cruse control on another post.
There are 4 boots on the front steering of that tractor yes they need to be replaced if broken, and need some lubricant, oil to break free and grease for long term.
Oil seals can be bought from other vendors, I can usually bring them the old seal and get the part numbers from it or the measurements.
Parts for B7100 tractors are still available here in the US, Hope you have a dealer nearby.
I posted the links for the parts pages but did not realize you were in Australia. Try Kubota's main website, and see if you can access a parts page. Makes life much easier.

HST is a bullet proof unit if you keep oil in it.
There are two hydraulic oil suction screens that probably could use a good cleaning by the rear fenders, along with the spin on filter by the seat. search "b71oo suction screen"
Use Kubota UDT "HST" fluid if you can.

If you cannot get name brand replacement parts, like bosch injectors, ngk glow plugs, NTN bearings, then stick to kubota parts. yes I have learned the hard way.
Wash it down, watch for leaks, and work it!

ken

This is really great info, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. You have also given me confidence to keep putting time and money into this tractor. I will keep working through the issues. I have a Kubota dealer in my town and they seem to be able to get some parts. I have asked them about the new version of the wheel hubs, they have 9 in country! I will probably get them even though they are about $450 AUD each but I can see the axles are already worn from the old ones.

I am going to give it a bath this weekend, and as you suggested check for leaks after.

Another thing I forgot to mention in my other post is the oil pressure light is not lighting up when turning the key on/glow plugs/starting. So I need to look into that, I imagine it is a bit tricky too diagnose because it could be a few different things?

 

[Kenonf]

Check the light bulb and see if it works.
There is a rubber boot that holds the light bulb in front of the red lens, that might be the culprit, It looks like there should be 12v going to the switch (normally open) and then when oil pressure hits it it closes the switch turning off the light. I have replaced all 3 of my oil pressure switches here in the past two years, due to leaking oil and not staying closed with good oil pressure.
I have even have replaced a key switch when one point was not out putting 12v anymore.
Does your hourmeter work?
And, check the fuses in the dash, they are the glass tube type. There used to be two spares in a bag stapled around a wire in the dash

Leave the turf tires on and try the hill, then you will know.

Can you a better picture of the shield that is around your exhaust. It looks interesting, and something I might make for mine.

 

[ken erickson]

Thanks for that information, really helpful, it makes sense about slowing down in the tough stuff, and I sort of doing that with the B6100 all those years ago, I cant remember what size slasher it was though. I was amazed what it would cut back then.
Great picture of your son, I have also just noticed your canopy did you make it? Looks great

Thank you , yes I did make the canopy. I was fortunate that I had a few shops in the area that did the square tube bending and the top which is 3/16 plate(overkill yes but the plate is what I had on hand). I had a "slight bend" put on the top to shed water. One of the biggest reason that I put a canopy on was that I needed a hand hold up high that I could pull myself from my wheelchair up onto the seat. For two years before the canopy I was twisting in my chair and using the steering wheel and the hand hold on the fender to push myself up. Long story short, this twisting motion caused a rotator cuff injury. I must say after having the canopy on those hot sunny days it was nice!

In this picture you can see how the square tubing bends match up great with the bends on the ROPS. The slight bend in the top plate is also visible. Besides the hand hold it also gave me a place to mount a rear view mirror. This picture was taken at a buddies land. At the time he did not have a way of mowing the driving trails on his 80 acre property.

 

[Vigo]

I know the B6100 with skinny Ags could have handle the slope and surface just fine. I am thinking that standard turfs might not have enough grip and I am thinking maybe maybe the turf wheels with the Ag style tires like @hodge posted above. What do you think would be the best wheel tire set up for me?

Seeing the slopes you're talking about, i agree with you. One of the things that's going to be different between turfs and ags is what car people would call 'breakaway' of the tire, or how quickly traction fades as the tire begins to slip.

On an ag tire which has some tread partially 'sunk into the ground' (if ground is not super hard), when you begin sliding the tires basically have to continuously dig new ruts for the tires to slide in (sort of like a plow being drug through the ground). Traction doesn't exactly go from 100 to 0.

On a turf tire which is 99% just 'sitting on top of the ground', once you begin sliding down a hill you might as well be on skis. The traction does something more like going from 100 to 0, making recovery much more difficult.

There is a term called 'stiction' which refers to this difference in friction based on the relative speed of two surfaces. I didn't know that until recently..

If operating on steep slopes I would prefer skinny ag tires, but set to the widest setting to avoid tipping sideways. The rear 'drive hubs' can be moved to different positions on the axle to widen or narrow the rear width, and the wheels can be flipped inside out to stick out further. The front wheels can also be flipped inside out to make the front stance wider. However, AG tires are directional so if you already had ag tires on it and wanted to flip the wheels to the wider setup, you would also have to dismount and flip the tires on the wheels. If you don't have ags and would be installing them facing the direction you intended in the first place, that is not an issue.

The downside of course is you will leave marks, but i'd rather have my tires leave marks on the ground, than for my face to..

 

[hodge]

Got you, that makes sense about the driveline losses when relating too tractors, thanks for explaining that.
My property is pretty steep and has loose rocks. I have slowly been clearing the brush and moving the rocks and the grass grows back.

Here is a pic of an area that was overgrown with brush.
View attachment 85612

Here is the same area (slightly different angle) after it being cleared and regular cut to keep the weeds down and allow the grass to grow back. I pay someone to cut it with a huge John Deer 4WD Tractor which is why it has ruts. I am not concerned about ruts at this stage where the property is at.

View attachment 85613

This is what it was like when it was being cleared.
View attachment 85614

I know the B6100 with skinny Ags could have handle the slope and surface just fine. I am thinking that standard turfs might not have enough grip and I am thinking maybe maybe the turf wheels with the Ag style tires like @hodge posted above. What do you think would be the best wheel tire set up for me?

I mowed two different steep banks with my B7100, staight up and down. I now use a Deere 790, with R1's. Both tractors handled/handle the banks very well. I was very impressed with the tires on my B7100.
I had turfs previously, and the ags performed much better in all circumstances.

 

[hodge]

I mowed two different steep banks with my B7100, staight up and down. I now use a Deere 790, with R1's. Both tractors handled/handle the banks very well. I was very impressed with the tires on my B7100. I had turfs previously, and the ags performed much better in all circumstances.

 

[Whit]

Check the light bulb and see if it works.
There is a rubber boot that holds the light bulb in front of the red lens, that might be the culprit, It looks like there should be 12v going to the switch (normally open) and then when oil pressure hits it it closes the switch turning off the light. I have replaced all 3 of my oil pressure switches here in the past two years, due to leaking oil and not staying closed with good oil pressure.
I have even have replaced a key switch when one point was not out putting 12v anymore.
Does your hourmeter work?
And, check the fuses in the dash, they are the glass tube type. There used to be two spares in a bag stapled around a wire in the dash

Leave the turf tires on and try the hill, then you will know.

Can you a better picture of the shield that is around your exhaust. It looks interesting, and something I might make for mine.

My hour meter does work. Clicks over both on glow warm up and while the tractor is running.

I found the oil pressure bulb dangling down behind the dash, confirmed it didn't work. I then opened the three fuses, all were OK but very dirty, I cleaned the best I could then reseated. Then the oil light started working the problem is, it is behind the dash haha

The rubber boot seems to be at a right angle? and degrading badly. Is there a way to get the globe in there without the rubber boot? or do I need to try and get a replacement?

All the wires are super dirty behind the dash, any clue what the best way to clean them would be? or is it safer just to leave them alone?

The exhaust shield is interesting something I have not seen before. I asked the guy I bought it off about it and he acted like it was standard.
Pics of the exhaust shield, certainly interesting

 

[Whit]

Thank you , yes I did make the canopy. I was fortunate that I had a few shops in the area that did the square tube bending and the top which is 3/16 plate(overkill yes but the plate is what I had on hand). I had a "slight bend" put on the top to shed water. One of the biggest reason that I put a canopy on was that I needed a hand hold up high that I could pull myself from my wheelchair up onto the seat. For two years before the canopy I was twisting in my chair and using the steering wheel and the hand hold on the fender to push myself up. Long story short, this twisting motion caused a rotator cuff injury. I must say after having the canopy on those hot sunny days it was nice!

In this picture you can see how the square tubing bends match up great with the bends on the ROPS. The slight bend in the top plate is also visible. Besides the hand hold it also gave me a place to mount a rear view mirror. This picture was taken at a buddies land. At the time he did not have a way of mowing the driving trails on his 80 acre property.

View attachment 85627

Thats awesome you were able to build the canopy and have it serve multiple purposes and stop you from hurting your shoulder getting on and off, I did see the hand controls on your B7100. I like the idea of hand controls. I am still getting used to the foot pedal speed control, it seems really touchy. The mirror is such a good idea! I had not thought of that.

Thats a lot of trails too clear! It looks like your B7100 is doing a great job clearing them with the 4 foot cutter. Do you have to clean the front shield often when mowing?

 

[Whit]

Seeing the slopes you're talking about, i agree with you. One of the things that's going to be different between turfs and ags is what car people would call 'breakaway' of the tire, or how quickly traction fades as the tire begins to slip.

On an ag tire which has some tread partially 'sunk into the ground' (if ground is not super hard), when you begin sliding the tires basically have to continuously dig new ruts for the tires to slide in (sort of like a plow being drug through the ground). Traction doesn't exactly go from 100 to 0.

On a turf tire which is 99% just 'sitting on top of the ground', once you begin sliding down a hill you might as well be on skis. The traction does something more like going from 100 to 0, making recovery much more difficult.

There is a term called 'stiction' which refers to this difference in friction based on the relative speed of two surfaces. I didn't know that until recently..

If operating on steep slopes I would prefer skinny ag tires, but set to the widest setting to avoid tipping sideways. The rear 'drive hubs' can be moved to different positions on the axle to widen or narrow the rear width, and the wheels can be flipped inside out to stick out further. The front wheels can also be flipped inside out to make the front stance wider. However, AG tires are directional so if you already had ag tires on it and wanted to flip the wheels to the wider setup, you would also have to dismount and flip the tires on the wheels. If you don't have ags and would be installing them facing the direction you intended in the first place, that is not an issue.

The downside of course is you will leave marks, but i'd rather have my tires leave marks on the ground, than for my face to..

I think I agree with you, the skinny Ags seem to make sense in my head because as you said they can dig down, as opposed to the wider tyres which I don't thing would dig down as much and more just have a larger traction area on the surfers, but as you said once they start sliding on the surface they keep slipping.

I don't have Ags yet but I would like to try both the skinny Ags and the wider Ags, if I can find the skinny ag wheels and larger ag tires to go on my turf wheels. They also seem too be very expensive so I will see if I can find something that works

 

[Whit]

I mowed two different steep banks with my B7100, staight up and down. I now use a Deere 790, with R1's. Both tractors handled/handle the banks very well. I was very impressed with the tires on my B7100.
I had turfs previously, and the ags performed much better in all circumstances.

This is great to know, your tires look like a great upgrade and I really want to try them! How come you use the Deere now over the B7100?

 

[Whit]

I didnt get to do much with the B7100 today, I did manage to get the oil pressure light working as described in post 33 above.

I cleaned the oil leak area a few days ago and today there is a definite oil leak that seems to be coming fro between the mating surfaces where the missing bolt is. if you zoom in you can see an oil drop under the missing bolt. I am still hoping putting a bolt there will fix the leak.

I also found this rubber boot in the tool kit tunnel, Does anyone know what it is for?

 

[Whit]

Can you guys tell me if my B7100 sounds like it should for an old tractor? It is very loud?
Here is a video I took today of the engine at idle then going to max revs and back to idle.
My B7100 Engine sound video

 

[Lil Foot]

Sounds just like mine.

 

[hodge]

This is great to know, your tires look like a great upgrade and I really want to try them! How come you use the Deere now over the B7100?

Umm... uhh... I sold the B7100, and bought the 790. I wanted a tractor with power steering and position control, and found the 790. Nothing against Kubota's, I'd own one again. But, I do like my 790.