M7060 Operation and transmission types

[85Hokie]

Guys ( and gals)

I have a user question for those that use a power shuttle transmission.

The owner of the golf course I work for is "thinking" about buying a new tractor - the one that he is getting a quote on is the Kubota M7060. We have JD 4052M HST which is ........ well, simply put a POS. It has so many bad points that I will not waste time here discussing.

The owner is INSISTANT on getting a larger - bigger tractor, and I do not understand why .......... a heavier and larger machine on a golf course can be a disaster!

So here is what I want to know for the course superintendent that will be using it a lot of the time.

HE wants to be able to spread out fertilizer at a constant speed - the 3 range HST is fine but he seems to think a geared tractor would do that better than HST.

With the shuttle - there are 8 speeds (2 ranges - 4 speeds) and obviously the ability to reverse quickly while in that gear. The other option is the geared tractor.

Here is the kicker - the new machine will rarely if ever be used in a back and forth motion - sure it will go backwards when needing to do so, but the day it day out will be pulling a 11' 6 blade rotary mower which rarely can be used backwards.

Here are a couple of questions I have.

The PTO on the JD stays at 540 regardless of HST movement - moving fast or slow, the PTO is stays at throttle position.

If the shuttle is bought - is the pto separate of the gearing ?

Does the M7060 use a hand throttle or a foot throttle of both?

Would the shuttle be worth it at all?

The two people that will be using this new Kubota have veeeeerrry little knowledge of tractoring - neither know about locking differentials or even the A-B-C range the JD has .......... it has been a long road trying to explain WHY high range is not good to go into a pile of sand!!!!

Someone that has this model - tell me the pluses and minuses of getting this machine.

thank you!

 

[McMXi]

Guys ( and gals)

I have a user question for those that use a power shuttle transmission.

The owner of the golf course I work for is "thinking" about buying a new tractor - the one that he is getting a quote on is the Kubota M7060. We have JD 4052M HST which is ........ well, simply put a POS. It has so many bad points that I will not waste time here discussing.

The owner is INSISTANT on getting a larger - bigger tractor, and I do not understand why .......... a heavier and larger machine on a golf course can be a disaster!

So here is what I want to know for the course superintendent that will be using it a lot of the time.

HE wants to be able to spread out fertilizer at a constant speed - the 3 range HST is fine but he seems to think a geared tractor would do that better than HST.

With the shuttle - there are 8 speeds (2 ranges - 4 speeds) and obviously the ability to reverse quickly while in that gear. The other option is the geared tractor.

Here is the kicker - the new machine will rarely if ever be used in a back and forth motion - sure it will go backwards when needing to do so, but the day it day out will be pulling a 11' 6 blade rotary mower which rarely can be used backwards.

Here are a couple of questions I have.

The PTO on the JD stays at 540 regardless of HST movement - moving fast or slow, the PTO is stays at throttle position.

If the shuttle is bought - is the pto separate of the gearing ?

Does the M7060 use a hand throttle or a foot throttle of both?

Would the shuttle be worth it at all?

The two people that will be using this new Kubota have veeeeerrry little knowledge of tractoring - neither know about locking differentials or even the A-B-C range the JD has .......... it has been a long road trying to explain WHY high range is not good to go into a pile of sand!!!!

Someone that has this model - tell me the pluses and minuses of getting this machine.

thank you!

I have an M6060 with three ranges and the 4-speed tranmission which is more similar than different compared to an M7060.

1. The PTO speed is directly related to engine speed, but there's a constant RPM feature which will automatically adjust fuel input to maintain "constant" rpm as the load changes, and it works well. Also, 540E is available but you won't want to use it when running a big, heavy cutter such as the RC3712.

2. There's a hand throttle and a foot pedal throttle ... I use both (not at the same time)

3. If pulling a big, heavy mower around, the gear tractor with hydraulic shuttle would be the way to go


The plus side of an M6060/M7060 is the ability to do some serious work whether it's pulling a heavy cutter over hilly terrain or picking up stuff with a bucket, pallet forks or grapple. The cab is spacious and comfortable and the HVAC works very well. They're generally well built and reliable. They ride well, they have a decent top speed, and the 6-speed model has quite a few benefits such as higher flow of hydraulic oil, transmission parking brake, hydraulic brakes, push button 4WD and probably some more nice to have features that I've forgotten about.

The downside is the weight and the cost and possibly the overall size if working in tight spaces.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I would suggest an MX as it has HST and a fixed speed PTO.

or I would think he would look at one of these:

 

[85Hokie]

I would suggest an MX as it has HST and a fixed speed PTO.

View attachment 166317

or I would think he would look at one of these:

View attachment 166316

That MX6000 looks like the ticket!!!!

 

[McMXi]

That MX6000 looks like the ticket!!!!

I have an MX and an M and it depends on the weight of the mower and the terrain. The M is way more capable pulling a heavy load over hilly terrain. While I agree with @North Idaho Wolfman and his recommendation to consider an MX6000, which is a very capable tractor, it does depend on the conditions of use. Is your friend cutting fairways or thicker, heavier stuff found in the rough?

I will say though, for employees who aren't experienced tractor operators, an MX or L60 would be a better choice. It's much easier to operate for most people who don't want to put in the effort to master a bigger, more capable tractor.

 

[Tx Jim]

My having owned both synchronized & hyd reverser type Kubota tractors I'll recommend hydraulic shuttle over synchronized shuttle. Hydraulic shuttle uses hyd reverser clutch instead of a dry traction clutch to control tractor fwd/rev motion. The Sync reverser om ,y Kubota M4900 failed @ 1500 hrs & my M7040 has 1900 hrs using hyd reverser with no issues to load/unload several 1000's of rd bales

 

[TheOldHokie]

Guys ( and gals)

I have a user question for those that use a power shuttle transmission.

The owner of the golf course I work for is "thinking" about buying a new tractor - the one that he is getting a quote on is the Kubota M7060. We have JD 4052M HST which is ........ well, simply put a POS. It has so many bad points that I will not waste time here discussing.

The owner is INSISTANT on getting a larger - bigger tractor, and I do not understand why .......... a heavier and larger machine on a golf course can be a disaster!

So here is what I want to know for the course superintendent that will be using it a lot of the time.

HE wants to be able to spread out fertilizer at a constant speed - the 3 range HST is fine but he seems to think a geared tractor would do that better than HST.

With the shuttle - there are 8 speeds (2 ranges - 4 speeds) and obviously the ability to reverse quickly while in that gear. The other option is the geared tractor.

Here is the kicker - the new machine will rarely if ever be used in a back and forth motion - sure it will go backwards when needing to do so, but the day it day out will be pulling a 11' 6 blade rotary mower which rarely can be used backwards.

Here are a couple of questions I have.

The PTO on the JD stays at 540 regardless of HST movement - moving fast or slow, the PTO is stays at throttle position.

If the shuttle is bought - is the pto separate of the gearing ?

Does the M7060 use a hand throttle or a foot throttle of both?

Would the shuttle be worth it at all?

The two people that will be using this new Kubota have veeeeerrry little knowledge of tractoring - neither know about locking differentials or even the A-B-C range the JD has .......... it has been a long road trying to explain WHY high range is not good to go into a pile of sand!!!!

Someone that has this model - tell me the pluses and minuses of getting this machine.

thank you!

All of the Kubotas at my course are older 2WD standard L series with HST and turf tires. They are used for applying granular fertilizer, disc overseeding, aerating fairways and greens, top dressing greens, pulling an ancient gang of reel mowers, and miscellaneous loader work. The owner IS the superintendent and he buys the machines. I know for a fact he is extremely pleased with the way they have performed over the last 15 years. If you want hid thoughts I would be happy to take your question to him.

As a hint at how he thinks the gang mower is still frequently pulled with the original tractor purchased to pull it in 1958. My guess is he would have no interest in anything bigger or more expensive than a standard L. They put that money into the high dollar Jacobsen equipment.

Dan

 

[Shawn T. W]

Back in the early 80's when I was a teenager in Vermont I worked on a golf course ... We used a 17 HP 2wd Kubota with turf tires, don't know the model, but we pulled a gang of 5 reel mowers for the fairways that were 12' wide ... At one point it had to go to the dealer, and they gave us a loaner, a little itsy bitsy 16 HP 4X4, about half the size of what we had ... We laughed at the little overgrown lawnmower, but it pulled those mowers no problem!

I'd say a Grand L or MX would be plenty of tractor for the job, and sticking to the familiar HST also ... But if the guy wants a bigger tractor, and try a different transmission, it's only money!

 

[SDT]

That MX6000 looks like the ticket!!!!

Agreed.

Cannot see any benefit of a gear type transmission, hydraulic shuttle or otherwise, for golf course work, but can see some disadvantages.

 

[McMXi]

The owner of the golf course I work for is "thinking" about buying a new tractor - the one that he is getting a quote on is the Kubota M7060.

The owner is INSISTANT on getting a larger - bigger tractor, and I do not understand why .......... a heavier and larger machine on a golf course can be a disaster!

Out of interest, have you asked the owner of the golf course why he wants or thinks he needs a bigger tractor? Is it just a case of he wants one so he's getting one? Did he get complaints from employees that the JD 4052M HST wasn't big enough from some jobs?

As much as I like big tractors, the comments and suggestions for something smaller do make a lot of sense, but there could be a piece or two of the puzzle missing.

 

[85Hokie]

Out of interest, have you asked the owner of the golf course why he wants or thinks he needs a bigger tractor? Is it just a case of he wants one so he's getting one? Did he get complaints from employees that the JD 4052M HST wasn't big enough from some jobs?

As much as I like big tractors, the comments and suggestions for something smaller do make a lot of sense, but there could be a piece or two of the puzzle missing.

So, I do get to talk to the owner - but rarely on a "this is what I recommend level."

He and his brother own and run a horizontal boring company and obviously buy and rent large machines to the those jobs. SO he has the get a bigger one syndrome!!!!!!

AS for why he wants something huge ........ Just feels that it is needed.

Here is the 1400 pound 6 gang rotary mower that the deere handles easily:
(picture of the deere not ours)

this mower eats belts and bearing like skittles too.



WE also cut down rather larger 50 and 75 year old trees - that have a large trunk, so he thinks that the added bucket lift will handle those easily. HAVING made that statement............

we cut the tree down ......... and leave the last 20 feet for him to come back with a mini hoe to pick up the pieces that cannot be picked up with the FEL. AND here is the other kicker .......... all that @#!$#$# is simply loaded onto a 12'x6' double axle hydraulic dump trailer .......... that is ....... you guess it PULLED by the JD 4052

He wants a grapple too.


We cut down on average ........5 large trees a year. The loader work is used about 5% of the time with trees.

the other 95% is used picking up sand and dirt.......... which is placed in a Toro workman which has a hydraulic dump bed too. BUT with the deere and its bucket width ..........15% of the sand or dirt never makes it into the workman!!!! Spills on the ground!!!!!!!!

Hell a BX23XX would be utilized a hellva lot more than a 75K 70HP tractor!!! Having said that - no it could no pick up heavy stuff , but it could place materials where is needed to go WITH the heavy footprint of a machine that weighs 5500 pounds. And being nimble and ALMOST idiot proof would be the go to machine!

The people who will operate this "new" machine do NOT need a complicated tractor, think of someone that has no idea of what or how a tractor operates - other than this handle does this and this lever does that!

I am the one that has to work on the 21 pieces of equipment around this place ...... and yes - much of the machines are .......lets say run through the ringer and were on the last leg when we got them!!!!

The way I see this whole thing .......... like the man that has no money to spend - but wants to buy a Lamborghini to drive in NY city traffic.

Last words .......... we had an older JD that was in the 30 HP range - good old fashion non tier tractor that would run its ass off all the time pulling items and spreading seed (NO FEL) .......... and he sold it ....... because it was old.......

OK - rant over , but you wanted to know!

 

[McMXi]

So, I do get to talk to the owner - but rarely on a "this is what I recommend level."

He and his brother own and run a horizontal boring company and obviously buy and rent large machines to the those jobs. SO he has the get a bigger one syndrome!!!!!!

AS for why he wants something huge ........ Just feels that it is needed.

Here is the 1400 pound 6 gang rotary mower that the deere handles easily:
(picture of the deere not ours)

View attachment 166412

this mower eats belts and bearing like skittles too.



WE also cut down rather larger 50 and 75 year old trees - that have a large trunk, so he thinks that the added bucket lift will handle those easily. HAVING made that statement............

we cut the tree down ......... and leave the last 20 feet for him to come back with a mini hoe to pick up the pieces that cannot be picked up with the FEL. AND here is the other kicker .......... all that @#!$#$# is simply loaded onto a 12'x6' double axle hydraulic dump trailer .......... that is ....... you guess it PULLED by the JD 4052

He wants a grapple too.


We cut down on average ........5 large trees a year. The loader work is used about 5% of the time with trees.

the other 95% is used picking up sand and dirt.......... which is placed in a Toro workman which has a hydraulic dump bed too. BUT with the deere and its bucket width ..........15% of the sand or dirt never makes it into the workman!!!! Spills on the ground!!!!!!!!

View attachment 166413

Hell a BX23XX would be utilized a hellva lot more than a 75K 70HP tractor!!! Having said that - no it could no pick up heavy stuff , but it could place materials where is needed to go WITH the heavy footprint of a machine that weighs 5500 pounds. And being nimble and ALMOST idiot proof would be the go to machine!

The people who will operate this "new" machine do NOT need a complicated tractor, think of someone that has no idea of what or how a tractor operates - other than this handle does this and this lever does that!

I am the one that has to work on the 21 pieces of equipment around this place ...... and yes - much of the machines are .......lets say run through the ringer and were on the last leg when we got them!!!!

The way I see this whole thing .......... like the man that has no money to spend - but wants to buy a Lamborghini to drive in NY city traffic.

Last words .......... we had an older JD that was in the 30 HP range - good old fashion non tier tractor that would run its ass off all the time pulling items and spreading seed (NO FEL) .......... and he sold it ....... because it was old.......

OK - rant over , but you wanted to know!

Thanks for the explanation, and that's quite the dilemma then. It would seem that the owner's desires far outweigh the needs. As @North Idaho Wolfman said, an MX6000 sized machine would be just about perfect, and that little mower would be no problem for the MX6000. I was imagining the need to unload pallet loads of fertilizer and pulling a big old folding cutter through 3ft high grass and such. My RC3712 is over 4,000lb so the M6060 sized tractor is the way to go but that's not the situation here. It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out.