Buying an L4701DT shuttle?

[Joisey]

I pored over all of the Kubota info and finally settled on the L4701DT, shuttle shift,R4 tires with front end loader and backhoe. I sold my Case 680CK a few years back and am moving from NJ to WV within a month or three. Bought the house in WV last March. I have a bit over 10 acres, 36x48 barn with electricity and floor, house (of course, keeps the wife happy), about 60% pasture, river runs thru the bottom land and the rest is sloping ground.

My Husqvarna ZTR will take care of the "lawn" area, and I'll buy a 6 foot Woods brushhog for the pasture area to keep saplings at bay.

So my basic question would be is there anything to watch out for with this tractor? Any weak points, etc?

Thanks for the advice.

 

[NCL4701]

I have a 4701 but don’t have a backhoe and mine is a HST so quite a few differences. One thing that does come to mind with the hilly property you describe is that the rear wheels are width adjustable if it has R4’s or R1’s. Unless you have width restricted areas you have to take it, set the wheels as wide as you can for stability. If you’re buying from a dealer, have them do it as part of the setup.

 

[Joisey]

I have a 4701 but don’t have a backhoe and mine is a HST so quite a few differences. One thing that does come to mind with the hilly property you describe is that the rear wheels are width adjustable if it has R4’s or R1’s. Unless you have width restricted areas you have to take it, set the wheels as wide as you can for stability. If you’re buying from a dealer, have them do it as part of the setup.

Thank you for the reply. Without a doubt the tractor will have R4 tires. The ag tires are OK, but they would chew up the lawn. I'm not going to plow or disc, so the R4 tires will provide sufficient grip for my needs.

I will have plenty of room for setting the tires at maximum width. Any help keeping the tractor stable on the hilly sections. WV usually has three types of land. Up, down and sideways.

If you could, would you please measure from the ground to the step to climb onto your tractor? There isn't a dealer near me that has a L4701DT in stock for me to check. I assume that the tractor fender is set up for a grab handle to allow getting on or off from either side?

Thank you for your help.

Roy

 

[jyoutz]

Get your tires filled or get wheel weights.

 

[TomGT350]

Thank you for the reply. Without a doubt the tractor will have R4 tires. The ag tires are OK, but they would chew up the lawn. I'm not going to plow or disc, so the R4 tires will provide sufficient grip for my needs.

I will have plenty of room for setting the tires at maximum width. Any help keeping the tractor stable on the hilly sections. WV usually has three types of land. Up, down and sideways.

If you could, would you please measure from the ground to the step to climb onto your tractor? There isn't a dealer near me that has a L4701DT in stock for me to check. I assume that the tractor fender is set up for a grab handle to allow getting on or off from either side?

Thank you for your help.

Roy

I was waiting for a 4701 to come in and changed my mind and bought a mx6000. I have a rightside grab handle that I bought, (they come with the handle on the left side). You can have the handle if you want, just cover the shipping from Maryland.
Tom

 

[jyoutz]

I was waiting for a 4701 to come in and changed my mind and bought a mx6000. I have a rightside grab handle that I bought, (they come with the handle on the left side). You can have the handle if you want, just cover the shipping from Maryland.
Tom

You will enjoy the MX. I did the same: went shopping for a L4701 and bought the MX6000. A very nice tractor.

 

[steveh]

i have the 4701 and hilly terrain. I had the dealer set the rear wheels at their widest option [there are several options on this tractor]. I am glad I did. I set the width on my other tractors when I bought them, but the wheels and tires on this one are very heavy. Yep, I could do them, very carefully, but the dealer was happy to do it in his shop. Glad I don't have to.

 

[Joisey]

I was waiting for a 4701 to come in and changed my mind and bought a mx6000. I have a rightside grab handle that I bought, (they come with the handle on the left side). You can have the handle if you want, just cover the shipping from Maryland.
Tom

I looked at the MX, but IIRC, a bolt on edge for the loader bucket isn't available, and the tractor is a bit higher than the L. I'd like to keep things lower due to sloping conditions. I appreciate the handle offer.

 

[Joisey]

Get your tires filled or get wheel weights.

Wheel weights. Never leave home without them.

 

[MOOTS]

I looked at the MX, but IIRC, a bolt on edge for the loader bucket isn't available, and the tractor is a bit higher than the L. I'd like to keep things lower due to sloping conditions. I appreciate the handle offer.

This is the only bolt on edge you need.

Kubota makes a smooth option also. It bolts to the holes in bucket.

 

[NCL4701]

Thank you for the reply. Without a doubt the tractor will have R4 tires. The ag tires are OK, but they would chew up the lawn. I'm not going to plow or disc, so the R4 tires will provide sufficient grip for my needs.

I will have plenty of room for setting the tires at maximum width. Any help keeping the tractor stable on the hilly sections. WV usually has three types of land. Up, down and sideways.

If you could, would you please measure from the ground to the step to climb onto your tractor? There isn't a dealer near me that has a L4701DT in stock for me to check. I assume that the tractor fender is set up for a grab handle to allow getting on or off from either side?

Thank you for your help.

Roy

Step height about 17.5”.

This is the path for ingress/egress on the right side. Can’t say I’ve never gotten on or off that way but between the HST treadle, loader stick, and lack of step, it isn’t very easy to do. Maybe if you’re a tiny gymnast, which I ain’t. Seems like a lot of people like right side handle anyway.

That’s a broader view of the left side. Handle on the fender and loader stanchion or steering wheel on the left if needed.

 

[Joisey]

View attachment 77599
Step height about 17.5”. View attachment 77600
This is the path for ingress/egress on the right side. Can’t say I’ve never gotten on or off that way but between the HST treadle, loader stick, and lack of step, it isn’t very easy to do. Maybe if you’re a tiny gymnast, which I ain’t. Seems like a lot of people like right side handle anyway. View attachment 77601
That’s a broader view of the left side. Handle on the fender and loader stanchion or steering wheel on the left if needed.

Fantastic. Thank you for the measurement. I was worried the step would be considerably higher.

 

[Joisey]

View attachment 77594
This is the only bolt on edge you need.

Kubota makes a smooth option also. It bolts to the holes in bucket.

I was incorrect about no bolt on cutting edge on the MX. It was the height and turbo engine that I wasn't thrilled with.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

The MX beats the living snot out of a L for stability.
It may be a little taller but it's heavier (and can be made heavier then the L's)
Being a turbo is not a negative with a Kubota engine, its very much a positive!

You said " I assume that the tractor fender is set up for a grab handle to allow getting on or off from either side?"
No there is only a grab handle and step on the left side.

 

[jyoutz]

The MX beats the living snot out of a L for stability.
It may be a little taller but it's heavier (and can be made heavier then the L's)
Being a turbo is not a negative with a Kubota engine, its very much a positive!

You said " I assume that the tractor fender is set up for a grab handle to allow getting on or off from either side?"
No there is only a grab handle and step on the left side.

My MX came with a grab handle on both fenders, but the step is only on the left side.

 

[steveh]

None of the 3 Kubotas I've had came with a right-side fender handle. You can, however, get them. I put them on all 3. I don't use them, or almost never, for climbing up from the right side, I use them to rest my hand on and so forth. Takes about five minutes to install.

 

[drumminj]

The MX beats the living snot out of a L for stability.
It may be a little taller but it's heavier (and can be made heavier then the L's)

MX5400 is 425lbs (12%) heavier than the 4701(bare weight - not sure if loader is any heavier, but the bucket options are the same). 7in wider. But what makes you say it can "be made heavier than the Ls"? The rear wheels are the same size, so I assume any added ballast/wheel weight capacity would be similar?

 

[Joisey]

Does the L4701 come with a differential lock? I can't find one listed on the specs. I thought all tractors came with a differential lock.

 

[NCL4701]

Does the L4701 come with a differential lock? I can't find one listed on the specs. I thought all tractors came with a differential lock.

Mine has a rear diff lock. I assume the DT does as well but don’t know for a fact.

 

[hedgerow]

Its always easy to spend some ones else money but I am sure glad the dealer sold the L-4701 out and under me and I ended up buying a MX-6000 at another dealer. I think the L-4701 would have been like my old Agco and would have been a little tippy on hills. I never have that felling spraying in the hills of my pasture with the MX-6000.