Day One List

[MNVikingsGuy]

So, I take delivery on my new LX3310 ROPS with FEL-bucket, grapple, forks, box blade, commercial mid-pto snowblower and flail mower on Tuesday. It will be used to help me manage 70ish acres (10ish acres pasture or clearing, the rest wooded or wetland), lots of wooded trails, half mile+ gravel roads and some cabin building (with small sawmill).

It is the first tractor I have ever owned, so what are my day one (or week one) must do’s. I already plan on confirming the dealer has all the fluid levels right and zerks greased. What else needs to be on the list?

 

[BigG]

Read the manual, and then reread the manual. Mount the box blade on the rear and then drive it around. Since this is your first tractor act like a kid and try it. Up and down the drive way fast and slow. Practice backing up to get near things. Learn were the wheels will travel as you make corners. Practice where the front of the bucket is as you make corners. Step off the peddle going up and down hills to get the feel of the tractor stopping. It is not the same as driving a car. Keep the FEL low to the ground. The damages caused by the bucket as you back up can be costly. Have the other operators in the family do the same.

Go slow at first, with the ROPS up and the seat belt on. Enjoy.

 

[pjoh784350]

AS BigG said, slow at first but play with it. Pick things up and put them down! As boaters saw when docking, if you think you are approaching the dock too slow, slow down more! Backing up and turning especially with a FEL, it sticks out way further when you are backing up and not looking at it!

 

[DeepWoods]

I see you have already mentioned fluid levels upon arrival, but I will emphasize it again.

Check ALL fluid levels, including front axle. Mine was low, as well as the transmission fluid level. I had the dealer ship me a gallon free of charge as it left the dealer low. Also check ALL grease zerks. Not only to make sure they were greased, but make a sure they are right and NOT painted over. AlL zerks on my backhoe were loose, every one of them! Take time to start your tractor and let it warm up to full operating temp, then operate all of the hydraulic controls in all directions, then look for leaks on all the fittings. Several members have had loose fittings upon delivery. Things do get overlooked at the dealer. My opinion is that unless it is something major, you might as well get used to taking care of it yourself. It also teaches you what to keep an eye on as well and how to take care of it. I would also say that reading the operators manual will answer a lot of questions that you may have. Just make sure what you read actually applies to your specific model, as some operating manuals cover more than one model.

The last thing I would recommend is don't just read the posts on this forum that apply to your model tractor. I try to read all the posts relating to service and repair as I find that even though they may not be specific to your model, I may learn something that may help me in the future.

 

[random]

For your initial driving practice, stay far away from anything of value (cars, buildings, etc.) until you learn how the FEL and rear attachments work. They swing OUT when you turn, and unless you've driven something that does that, it will catch you off guard. I nearly took out my well because of not accounting for the swing out on my grader when I was turning.

 

[River19]

Now that I have ~10hrs on mine I feel close enough to the place you are now. Triple recommend the need to know exactly where the FEL bucket is and where the edges are at all angles etc. If you saw one of my posts in past couple weeks I took out a tire on our horse trailer just "driving by" with the corner of the bucket.

Getting used to where the bucket and my box blade are took me a little bit but not too long. Also get used to where level is with the bucket if you don't have an indicator. I just use the top line of the bucket and it is intuitive after only about 5-10 bucket fills.....Get used to Float and what it will do at different bucket angles when back dragging etc......then you start to realize how useful and precise you can be with it.

Check the front tire pressure......can avoid an issue the first time you load the FEL heavy......

Get into the Daily Check routine.......

 

[aaluck]

Everything above and... As stated by @River19 the FEL can be your best friend or worst enemy. When you are using the tractor by ANYTHING (house, car, fence, barn, tree, dog, cat....you get the point) your attention needs to be on the location of the FEL. If not, you will hear a terrible sound--that will be your bucket tearing something down/apart.

Also as @BigG stated, read the manual cover to cover. Don't skim over it looking for the things your interested in knowing, read the whole thing. There is a lot of information in there that will help you understand how to operate the tractor safely.

Finally, as @DeepWoods said, do not assume the fluids are correct and the tractor is greased. Upon arrival is the perfect time to learn where all of the zerks are located and make sure they are functioning properly.

The last two things I would say is this... 1) If you sit down, put the seatbelt on. The closest I have come to tipping my tractor was when I was "just moving a 3 row plow 10 feet with the FEL". Shouldn't be a big project, its only 10 feet. Well, it shifted when the chain slipped and the back wheel came off the ground. And 2) If you or anyone needs to be near a PTO turn the tractor OFF. I know that some will say thats overkill, but my rule is you cannot get caught in a PTO when the tractor is OFF--its the ONLY way its impossible.

Enjoy the tractor and projects you have planned.

 

[hope to float]

Don't know if it was mentioned, but after a week or so, check all the lugnuts on the wheels

 

[hope to float]

And keep the FEL as low as possible to do your work and use ballast

 

[NCL4701]

Everything above and... As stated by @River19 the FEL can be your best friend or worst enemy. When you are using the tractor by ANYTHING (house, car, fence, barn, tree, dog, cat....you get the point) your attention needs to be on the location of the FEL. If not, you will hear a terrible sound--that will be your bucket tearing something down/apart.

Also as @BigG stated, read the manual cover to cover. Don't skim over it looking for the things your interested in knowing, read the whole thing. There is a lot of information in there that will help you understand how to operate the tractor safely.

Finally, as @DeepWoods said, do not assume the fluids are correct and the tractor is greased. Upon arrival is the perfect time to learn where all of the zerks are located and make sure they are functioning properly.

The last two things I would say is this... 1) If you sit down, put the seatbelt on. The closest I have come to tipping my tractor was when I was "just moving a 3 row plow 10 feet with the FEL". Shouldn't be a big project, its only 10 feet. Well, it shifted when the chain slipped and the back wheel came off the ground. And 2) If you or anyone needs to be near a PTO turn the tractor OFF. I know that some will say thats overkill, but my rule is you cannot get caught in a PTO when the tractor is OFF--its the ONLY way its impossible.

Enjoy the tractor and projects you have planned.

The comment about shutting the engine off when dealing with the PTO, which you have to do to connect, disconnect, or replace a shear bolt: I agree a lot of guys I know would say that’s not necessary. And I’ve heard some say the stick figure dude who is wrapped around the shaft on the warning labels looks comical.

If you’ve ever seen a real, previously live man or woman wrapped around a PTO shaft looking like a washrag that’s been rung out (have seen several due to my line of work) you WILL take the time to shut off the engine, stay far enough away that you won’t fall into it if you trip, and you won’t care about the opinions of anyone who thinks otherwise. I know I won’t live forever but that ain’t the way I want to go.

And for rotating parts in general, whether on the tractor or implements, if you’re a cute young lady whose proud of your long blonde hair, keep it tucked in up in a hat so you don’t get a broken neck and smashed head. If you’re an old experienced guy who likes to wear floppy overshirts, button it up or take it off when you’re near anything rotating so you don’t suffocate after your rib cage is crushed and one arm ripped off. I would have been just fine not dealing with the aftermath of either of those and so would their families.

Enjoy you tractor and get all you can out of it, but the safety stuff isn’t just for lawyers and pansies. Respect it’s power. If you ever get in a fight with it, you will lose.

 

[MNVikingsGuy]

The comment about shutting the engine off when dealing with the PTO, which you have to do to connect, disconnect, or replace a shear bolt: I agree a lot of guys I know would say that’s not necessary. And I’ve heard some say the stick figure dude who is wrapped around the shaft on the warning labels looks comical.

If you’ve ever seen a real, previously live man or woman wrapped around a PTO shaft looking like a washrag that’s been rung out (have seen several due to my line of work) you WILL take the time to shut off the engine, stay far enough away that you won’t fall into it if you trip, and you won’t care about the opinions of anyone who thinks otherwise. I know I won’t live forever but that ain’t the way I want to go.

And for rotating parts in general, whether on the tractor or implements, if you’re a cute young lady whose proud of your long blonde hair, keep it tucked in up in a hat so you don’t get a broken neck and smashed head. If you’re an old experienced guy who likes to wear floppy overshirts, button it up or take it off when you’re near anything rotating so you don’t suffocate after your rib cage is crushed and one arm ripped off. I would have been just fine not dealing with the aftermath of either of those and so would their families.

Enjoy you tractor and get all you can out of it, but the safety stuff isn’t just for lawyers and pansies. Respect it’s power. If you ever get in a fight with it, you will lose.

I haven't seen a pto accident but did see quite a few guys lose a fight with a grain auger growing up in ND. It gave me a very high level of respect for equipment that spins.

 

[leveraddict]

Low gear and 4wd when doing dirt work and moving heavy loads especially going up and down steep grades! If your not in 4wd it will take off on you!

 

[MNVikingsGuy]

Low gear and 4wd when doing dirt work and moving heavy loads especially going up and down steep grades! If your not in 4wd it will take off on you!

The good news for me is our land is largely flat. The bigger tipping risks I will have to watch for is proper tractor balance while using FEL, and tipping in soft ground near the wetland parts.

 

[arx237]

New LX2610 delivered yesterday and as @DeepWoods says check the zerks. About half on the FEL were loose or not greased due to paint on the top.

@NCL4701 is also on point with the PTO comments, the tractor will win every fight. I have responded to a few accidents that did not go well for the operator. These have all been farming/livestock veterans who had been doing this daily for years and all it takes is one complacent moment to wreck either yours or your families day. My opinion is it is not worth it to save just a minute or two of time by shutting it down.

 

[DeepWoods]

I'm going to take this thread slightly off topic, but it is related to spinning pto shafts. My B2650HSDC has a bad seat switch that would have to be taken back to the dealer to have it diagnosed to be replaced under warranty. I have no way to get my tractor back to the dealer to have this done, so I have disconnected the seat switch to enable it to not shut down due to a bad switch. Since I put my snowblower on I have been trying to figure out how I can make my tractor safe again with having it shut down if I get off the seat. I would think that I would be smart enough to shut off the pto before getting out of the tractor, but with all of the above comments I need to be sure it can not happen to me.

I know what I am about to do would not be approved by Kubota, but I know it will keep my tractor running with a disconnected seat switch, but shut it down if the pto shaft is spinning and I get out of the tractor. My plan is to install a magnetic switch on the door of the cab, using the seat switch circuit, so if I open the door with the pto running, it will open the circuit for the seat switch and shut down the tractor. This solution will only work on a cab tractor, but I can see no down side to my solution to making my tractor safe again having the pto engaged. Kubota, if you are reading this, you can use my solution to fix your bad seat switch design. I have heard many comments on this forum regarding bad seat swiches, so it is an ongoing problem. I won't even charge you for using my idea.

 

[BigG]

I'm going to take this thread slightly off topic, but it is related to spinning pto shafts. My B2650HSDC has a bad seat switch that would have to be taken back to the dealer to have it diagnosed to be replaced under warranty. I have no way to get my tractor back to the dealer to have this done, so I have disconnected the seat switch to enable it to not shut down due to a bad switch. Since I put my snowblower on I have been trying to figure out how I can make my tractor safe again with having it shut down if I get off the seat. I would think that I would be smart enough to shut off the pto before getting out of the tractor, but with all of the above comments I need to be sure it can not happen to me.

I know what I am about to do would not be approved by Kubota, but I know it will keep my tractor running with a disconnected seat switch, but shut it down if the pto shaft is spinning and I get out of the tractor. My plan is to install a magnetic switch on the door of the cab, using the seat switch circuit, so if I open the door with the pto running, it will open the circuit for the seat switch and shut down the tractor. This solution will only work on a cab tractor, but I can see no down side to my solution to making my tractor safe again having the pto engaged. Kubota, if you are reading this, you can use my solution to fix your bad seat switch design. I have heard many comments on this forum regarding bad seat swiches, so it is an ongoing problem. I won't even charge you for using my idea.

If you are that paranoid about safety why not simply shut the tractor down if you are going to exit the machine. Set the parking brake, place the key in a lock out box and call for a spotter to watch the machine while you dismount. Then there are no moving parts. Do not forget to chalk the tires and set the safety cones with chain around the unmanned machine.

Safety is first but paranoia will make you life miserable.

 

[arx237]

Those safety switches will not/can not replace good ole common sense. Get off the tractor with spinny-bits spinning? Then take that second to hop back on and shutdown or deactivate. I would never bet my life on a non-redundant, made by the lowest bidder, $2 switch because that seat is just too darn high off the ground to get back into for a quick second.

@BigG Lol he was putting safety first, it should be more like safety 3rd or you will never get anything done.

 

[Bmyers]

Lots of good advice been given.

BigG hit it with this statement:

" Go slow at first, with the ROPS up and the seat belt on. Enjoy."

 

[random]

Agree with all about PTO safety. I have been fortunate to not have had to respond to such an incident, but I've seen pictures. It never ends well.

 

[NHSleddog]

There are a lot of PTO applications that do not require an operator in the seat but do require the tractor to be running at speed and the PTO as well.

Water pumps, Generators, Wood Splitters, Chippers etc.

Use common sense and use extra precaution when around spinning things - every time.