My Big Lawn Mower!

[Shawn T. W]

Two weeks ago I picked up a 20 year old pre-emission tractor to use to mow my fields every three weeks or so. I still need to save more pennies to buy a 8’ finish mower to pull behind it … It's a 2005 Kubota L5030 HSTC.



I think paint should be shiny, and I used to simonize/clean cars when I was a teenager … so, I wanted to see if I could save this 20 year old faded ugly paint! Yup, there is hope for this old tractor, I did half of the fuel flap!



Since I was almost out of wax I ordered more, plus some rubbing compound … I had forgotten that I had previously bought another bottle of cleaner wax, but put it in the old box of the good wax because it had a nice storage spot for the applicators pad …

I had swung by my house this past Sunday and opened my box from https://www.colemanequip.com/ which had an Owners Manual and a Work Shop Manual.



I'm a long distance truck driver so I brought the OM with me to read. In it I read there is a “glove box” on the seat back … today I opened it up and found the original OM, a little curled from riding back there for 20 years, and the safety pages are yellow, not all white like my new copy

!

I got home again this morning for the day … I wanted to widen the rear wheel track width … I figured part of the process was switching sides, since I had already washed and scrubbed it last Sunday, I wanted to clean up the wheels before the outside became the inside…



Quite a drastic difference!



I did have a little trouble getting a few of the nuts off, my 250 ft lb impact wrench wouldn't budge a few of them … Monster Maul to the Rescue!



But it appears that the rings are centered in the wheel, so I didn't switch sides, or clean the insides!… so now they are as wide as they go … I gained 4.25”

 

[Shawn T. W]

I then put it in the barn out of the sun, as we are in a heat wave now … I decided to see how these products compare … I noticed some white paint drops, which I was able to get off, then started my experiment …



A = Just washed and paint drops removed

B = Rubbing Compound

C = Cleaner Wax only

D = Rubbing Compound + Good Wax





I then did the Rubbing Compound on all of it, and used the good wax on all of it too …it's far from perfect, but probably the first time it has ever been waxed!

The gray really shined up!






When I 1st got it 2 weeks ago, I took it out for a little test drive out back in the bumpy part of my field that my SCUT makes for a rough ride, mowing at 3.5 mph at most … at 5.5 mph with this it was about the same, so it rides better … I then checked the tire air pressure, one rear was 10, other was 18, front was 35 and 32, I reduced the fronts to 30 and took it for another ride. Today I reduced the one rear tire to 10 psi, and the fronts to 20 PSI …

 

[Shawn T. W]

Then I borrowed the quick hitch from my SCUT. I have a new one sitting at the dealer, but they were closed when I drove by this morning before 05:00! I had to shorten the bushing for CAT 2 to CAT 1 about a ¼” to get it in-between the quick hitch.

The top link the dealer gave me was for a JD 4400, as mine didn't have one, the JD was re-sold with a hydraulic top link … it was just barely long enough!

I got the 5’ brush hog hooked up, the PTO drive shaft is also just barely long enough!

I went out to try it out! I was able to mostly mow at 5.5 - 6 mph, my neighbor was out haying, he saw me and sent me a text . . . It said “ That A/C is cheating!’ look what he is driving!!!



Overall much faster,and much more comfortable than my SCUT! I got 7 acres cut in just over 3 hours … a few pictures of it out working ...













I'm gonna have some tree trimming to do in the future too!



I took it out for a picture by my Missouri flag. I normally fly a USA flag, but our Statehood date is coming up on August 10th, so I'm flying that now … Missouri became the first state West of The Mississippi River on August 10, 1821.



The front field by the road is much smoother than our back, I mow that with my 10 mph Z-turn, I can drive the Kubota 7+ mph out there eas
ily.

By 5 O'clock the sun coming in the window was quite warm, I'm gonna need to get some tint!

 

[cliffboyer]

Always a good feeling bringing an old tractor/truck/equipment back to its former glory! What I've found is that you usually have to keep them shined & waxed, or else they will fade back faster.

Any mechanicals need attention?

 

[S-G-R]

Nice job on the paint! It looks as good as new now.

 

[Grandad4]

Nice work! Enjoy the 5030, really nice tractors.

 

[D2Cat]

Nice job! Did you get the 3 pt. hitch assy. working?

 

[Shawn T. W]

The throttle still seems to settle back around 2500 RPM by itself, I see two jamb nuts under the dash on the cable end, I'm thinking that has something to do with adjusting the tension, but haven't opened the WSM yet, as I have a 3 ring binder arriving soon.

Everything else seems to be a fresh service, other than I forgot to check the front axle fluid ... The Local State College owned it, my guess is they serviced it last fall, then admin needed to spend money this spring, so they traded it in ... I greased it, and the fittings took only one squirt of grease, fluids were clear when I got it.

The 3 point adjustable telescoping lower links are still bound up, I can push down the lever, but not pull them out, I gave them another shot of PB Blaster, not critical as I will be using a quick hitch ...



I store all my stuff under cover, so hopefully I can keep it shiny!

Even though it's a tractor, and will get dirty, I try to wash and wax at least once a year

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Outstanding job on bringing that paint back to life.

Those grey parts are a "night and day difference".

Looks great!

 

[Speed25]

She's really cleaning up nicely! Do anything to the roof yet?

 

[chim]

Very nice, happy for you! Funny you mentioned trimming. Just last evening the DeWalt 20V with the pole hedge trimmer made its rounds again.

 

[Shawn T. W]

She's really cleaning up nicely! Do anything to the roof yet?

I tried to use the rubbing compound on the roof, it did clean it up some, then waxed it, but it is a "pebbly" type of plastic ... So, better than it was, but it's not metal of fiberglass with real paint ...

 

[fried1765]

Two weeks ago I picked up a 20 year old pre-emission tractor to use to mow my fields every three weeks or so. I still need to save more pennies to buy a 8’ finish mower to pull behind it … It's a 2005 Kubota L5030 HSTC.

View attachment 159201

I think paint should be shiny, and I used to simonize/clean cars when I was a teenager … so, I wanted to see if I could save this 20 year old faded ugly paint! Yup, there is hope for this old tractor, I did half of the fuel flap!

View attachment 159202

Since I was almost out of wax I ordered more, plus some rubbing compound … I had forgotten that I had previously bought another bottle of cleaner wax, but put it in the old box of the good wax because it had a nice storage spot for the applicators pad …

I had swung by my house this past Sunday and opened my box from https://www.colemanequip.com/ which had an Owners Manual and a Work Shop Manual.

View attachment 159203

I'm a long distance truck driver so I brought the OM with me to read. In it I read there is a “glove box” on the seat back … today I opened it up and found the original OM, a little curled from riding back there for 20 years, and the safety pages are yellow, not all white like my new copy

View attachment 159204 !

I got home again this morning for the day … I wanted to widen the rear wheel track width … I figured part of the process was switching sides, since I had already washed and scrubbed it last Sunday, I wanted to clean up the wheels before the outside became the inside…

View attachment 159205

Quite a drastic difference!

View attachment 159206

I did have a little trouble getting a few of the nuts off, my 250 ft lb wouldn't budge a few of them … Monster Maul to the Rescue!

View attachment 159209

But it appears that the rings are centered in the wheel, so I didn't switch sides, or clean the insides!… so now they are as wide as they go … I gained 4.75”

View attachment 159207

Use a throw away brush, and force some OSPHO on/into those rusty spots.
Then, after several days, cover that with Kubota #2 paint.

 

[Hoserman]

Outstanding! I love it when someone brings back the beauty of a vehicle or anything that the finish has turned dull. Well done.

 

[Shawn T. W]

@fried1765

What does this abbreviation mean?

Use a throw away brush, and force some OSPHO on/into those rusty spots.
Then, after several days, cover that with Kubota #2 paint.

I have a small bottle of the "bright" paint ...

 

[D2Cat]

Yes, "force some OSPHO on/into those rusty spots." this is the secret to the rust spots!!

 

[Russell King]

Ospho is a brand name not an acronym. Here is a link to their site. There are other similar products.

Ospho Rust Treatment - Since 1947

Ospho rust treatment has been killing rust in the Marine, Industrial and Automove fields since 1947

www.ospho.com

 

[biketopia]

I tried to use the rubbing compound on the roof, it did clean it up some, then waxed it, but it is a "pebbly" type of plastic ... So, better than it was, but it's not metal of fiberglass with real paint ...

Peanut butter is sometimes used on black plastics to bring back the luster. Also, heat from a heat gun or propane torch can bring the color back on plastics as well.

 

[GeoHorn]

Peanut Butter also makes the plastic taste better to the mice.

Mineral oil (baby oil) will do the same thing without the flavor.

What does your Owner’s Manual recommend for tire pressures, Shawn?
That’s a nice looking tractor ya got there!

(Might want to look for a FEL while it’s still young-enough to find one that’ll fit…. LA853)

 

[Shawn T. W]

Don't really want or need a FEL, I already got one on my little tractor, which does all I really need doing ... If I increase the weight too much, I won't be able to trailer it ... Trailer is rated for 7K and I'd rather not run it at maximum weight, it pulled good though. This is from the day I bought it.



My rears are actually 8 ply, fronts are 6 ply ... The fronts are quite worn, I'm considering buying new 2 ply ones, not sure just how much the front tires contribute to "ride quality" ... !