What did you do to or on your Kubota today?

[forky]

Fell a dead Oak and used the L3901DT and grapple to move the logs to the splitting/stacking area. Got 3 60 logs out of the tree before it got bad. I think I should have gotten the butt log by itself, the two logs was a little much. Had to go about 1/2 mile with the logs. Where the logs were, I had my seat-belt on and kept the grapple really close to the ground.

View attachment 167777

Nice work with the grapple.
Just wondering if you sell firewood.
Watching all the logs you move to your work area is more than one household can burn in a year here and we are way colder here than you are in Mo.
My only heat is wood and prolly burn 20 to 25 face cords a year. Just curious.

 

[Lil Foot]

burn 20 to 25 face cords a year.

Wow!

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

When I look at them, it was only couple hundred dollars more for the Z400 series which has the better transmission, larger fuel tank and more premium engine. I'm going to wait until spring anyways and see the Kubota dealer and see what they have. I was gonna get mine fitted with the suspension system and the operator controller discharge chute. Should around $9k-ish. But still looking at other options too, doesn't need to be Kubota but I do like the color and plus a free hat.

I'd love a bigger deck but there are some ares that the 54" will just fit in better, like my shed haha.

Newton!

A mower deck is something that, unlike an M-Series, can be too big, especially on uneven ground or thick grass where it bogs.

I agree the upgraded transmission and suspension is well worth it.

 

[nerwin]

Newton!

A mower deck is something that, unlike an M-Series, can be too big, especially on uneven ground or thick grass where it bogs.

I agree the upgraded transmission and suspension is well worth it.

I also never owned a premium mower before so I’m like maybe it’s time!

 

[mdhughes]

I sure do admire you and others here with the skills of grabbing multiple logs with your grapple.
I haven't used mine enough and struggle with one!
Hoping this years firewood will be the time I need to be a bit more proficient .

Bill

One of the things I learned from GP Outdoors is to put the FEL in float and curl as you close the lid. That and sometimes you just get lucky

 

[mdhughes]

Nice work with the grapple.
Just wondering if you sell firewood.
Watching all the logs you move to your work area is more than one household can burn in a year here and we are way colder here than you are in Mo.
My only heat is wood and prolly burn 20 to 25 face cords a year. Just curious.

No, I don't sell wood. I not sure how much wood we burn, I have never measured the stacks. I just feed the wood burning boiler that we heat our house with. It is the only heat we have,

 

[nerwin]

What's better than plowing the drive way on New Year's day? To be honest, it sucked. It was 13f with a wind chill of around -10f. Yeah I was popsicle after.

So I'd like to complain a little about a product I purchased that everyone said its a "must have" and that is this...

I do not like this. It worked on some of the fittings for the loader but there are fittings that you can't get straight on with this but I can with a cheap coupler that came with a mini Lucas oil grease gun that I use on my cordless gun.

Says ends greasing frustration? What are they smoking? it made it worst for me!! I made more of a mess than anything. Then once you get the lever covered in grease it's almost impossible to pull it down again because your thumb slips.

I am not a fan, sorry. My old standard grease coupler works just fine and creates less of a mess. Sure I need to put pressure on it but at least it goes into the zerks. The Lock N Lube is just overall too big.

But if you guys have any better couplers that work better for greasing our tractors, please let me know. Because I'm always willing to try new things.

However, the lock N Lube was not for me and I'll be returning it...once I clean all the grease out.

 

[Chanceywd]

One of the things I learned from GP Outdoors is to put the FEL in float and curl as you close the lid. That and sometimes you just get lucky

I will have to try and remember that!
Bill

 

[ajschnitzelbank]

About 3 years ago I made a video while I worked in a fir stand that required some wedging. It shows a method I like to use on small trees called the tongue and groove cut - starts at about 11:20 in the video. You guys might want to try this. In the winter I like to use at least 2 wedges because they are easier to break. The second one is just a 6" wedge and not enough to tip the tree before it bottoms out but will hold the tree if the main wedge breaks or spits out.

This is the video blurb:

Cutting a fir stand, back to front and left to right. I want to fell everything to the back so I'm not working in the slash. Requires some wedging. First tree, a back leaner, wedges over nicely. Second tree had a right lean. It's butt was quite rotten. The rotted hinge couldn't take the jacking pressure of the wedges. When the hinge broke the tree went where it wanted - to the right and leaned up against adjacent trees. I pulled it off the stump with the winch then cut the rot off the butt until I found good wood. Third and fourth trees are back leaners, especially the fourth. They are too small to get a wedge in behind the bar before it gets pinched. In those cases I like to use the "tongue and groove" cut.

gg

This is really helpful. Thank you! As a novice, it’s also just interesting to watch someone else work.

One thing I noticed is it seems the hinge breaks sorta early (meaning while the tree is still on its way down rather than right before it hits the ground). Do you think that is because the hinge is shorter, or does it have more to do with the angle of the notch? I tend to cut my notches 90 degrees or so, in order to have them hold/steer until the tree is just about on the ground.

Thanks!

 

[ajschnitzelbank]

I meant to add this with the above


View attachment 167442


View attachment 167443

gg

I want to try this, but the way you make cut four makes me a little nervous in terms of kickback. But you make it look easy!

 

[ajschnitzelbank]

What's better than plowing the drive way on New Year's day? To be honest, it sucked. It was 13f with a wind chill of around -10f. Yeah I was popsicle after.

View attachment 167807

So I'd like to complain a little about a product I purchased that everyone said its a "must have" and that is this...

View attachment 167808

I do not like this. It worked on some of the fittings for the loader but there are fittings that you can't get straight on with this but I can with a cheap coupler that came with a mini Lucas oil grease gun that I use on my cordless gun.

Says ends greasing frustration? What are they smoking? it made it worst for me!! I made more of a mess than anything. Then once you get the lever covered in grease it's almost impossible to pull it down again because your thumb slips.

I am not a fan, sorry. My old standard grease coupler works just fine and creates less of a mess. Sure I need to put pressure on it but at least it goes into the zerks. The Lock N Lube is just overall too big.

But if you guys have any better couplers that work better for greasing our tractors, please let me know. Because I'm always willing to try new things.

However, the lock N Lube was not for me and I'll be returning it...once I clean all the grease out.

I’m just over the boarder in NY. I waited hours for it to warm up, but never broke 12.9F at my house. And windy as hell too. That was a cold plow. Plus I ran out of firewood inside so I had to bring some on the porch. At least that had a wind block. I didn’t want to open the door haha.

 

[John D 2]

I spent almost 2 hours mowing and mulching up leaves. I had to go over them several times to get them cut up into small pieces.
I wish Kubota would offer a mulching kit for the B series MMM.
It would save me a lot of time and dust.

 

[g_man]

This is really helpful. Thank you! As a novice, it’s also just interesting to watch someone else work.

One thing I noticed is it seems the hinge breaks sorta early (meaning while the tree is still on its way down rather than right before it hits the ground). Do you think that is because the hinge is shorter, or does it have more to do with the angle of the notch? I tend to cut my notches 90 degrees or so, in order to have them hold/steer until the tree is just about on the ground.

Thanks!

You are right - the hinge generally breaks when the notch closes so wider angled notches like you prefer to make will hold longer. One consideration to think about - if you are cutting in the thick and your tree may come in contact with other standing trees you may want your tree to be able to roll or slide. In that case, having the hinge break once it is headed in the right direction is a helpful thing because it can roll or slide back. But the butt is loose so you have to be out of the way.

On making the bore cut and kick back - start the bore cut so that the bottom corner of the bar makes contact with the wood first. So you are going in at an angle rather than straight back. After you have started to cut in slowly rotate your saw around as you cut deeper until your are cutting straight back the way you want. Starting with the tip or top corner of the saw will kick back. You should practice this. A bore cut is very useful. It is one of the best ways to cut a leaner and is the recommended method used by the famous "Game of Logging" schools as the basic cut to use in general.

gg

 

[mdhughes]

So I'd like to complain a little about a product I purchased that everyone said its a "must have" and that is this...

I do not like this. It worked on some of the fittings for the loader but there are fittings that you can't get straight on with this but I can with a cheap coupler that came with a mini Lucas oil grease gun that I use on my cordless gun.

Says ends greasing frustration? What are they smoking? it made it worst for me!! I made more of a mess than anything. Then once you get the lever covered in grease it's almost impossible to pull it down again because your thumb slips.

I am not a fan, sorry. My old standard grease coupler works just fine and creates less of a mess. Sure I need to put pressure on it but at least it goes into the zerks. The Lock N Lube is just overall too big.

But if you guys have any better couplers that work better for greasing our tractors, please let me know. Because I'm always willing to try new things.

However, the lock N Lube was not for me and I'll be returning it...once I clean all the grease out.

I have a L3901DT with the same loader and I use the Lock-n-Lube. Can you tell us which zerks you can't get the Lock-n-Lube on? I know there are one on each side that I have to have the FEL all the way down to get to, but other than those two I have no problems.

 

[dirtydeed]

But still looking at other options too, doesn't need to be Kubota but I do like the color and plus a free hat.

I'd love a bigger deck but there are some ares that the 54" will just fit in better, like my shed haha.

Give bad boy a look. Very nice mowers with heavy duty decks and transmissions. Much better pricing than Kubota. Nice color too.

 

[Chanceywd]

I have a L3901DT with the same loader and I use the Lock-n-Lube. Can you tell us which zerks you can't get the Lock-n-Lube on? I know there are one on each side that I have to have the FEL all the way down to get to, but other than those two I have no problems.

I have the same loader and that lock-n-lube and it helps with my arthritic hands , I like mine.
I have it on a pneumatic grease gun, I haven't sprung for an electric one yet.

Bill

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

View attachment 167808

I do not like this. It worked on some of the fittings for the loader but there are fittings that you can't get straight on with this but I can with a cheap coupler that came with a mini Lucas oil grease gun that I use on my cordless gun.

NERWIN!

I bought that exact one, plus the longer XL version on the Lock'n'Lube 2-stage single hand greaser, and for Kubota zerks no problem. Man, they work great for forcing grease in, just snap one on and give it a wiggle to make sure it's fully locked in and start pumping. Some recessed pins are tight to fit the tip into the recession, but it always fits.

For EA zerks behind steel arms...those the L'n'L tips are too long for, and L'n'L goes on straight so I can't angle them in. BUT...



Works great. I was wondering before purchase if it would work, and yup, works!

LockNLube 90° Grease Coupler Adapter

90° adapter for hard-to-reach grease fittings with three hardened steel jaws and a rubber seal. Quickly connect to your LockNLube¨ Grease Coupler, or standard grease coupler, so you don't have to change your grease gun to reach troublesome fittings. Just connect your coupler to the Zerk fitting...

locknlube.com

 

[RCW]

We got 8-9” other day. Took care of that.

Then got some rain followed by a quick freeze-up. Stuff was really icy and I fell down on the driveway twice Monday.

Gotten a few flurries for couple days since. Couple inches here and there.

Decided to blow off some of it……forecast has some more rain next week.

 

[ajschnitzelbank]

You are right - the hinge generally breaks when the notch closes so wider angled notches like you prefer to make will hold longer. One consideration to think about - if you are cutting in the thick and your tree may come in contact with other standing trees you may want your tree to be able to roll or slide. In that case, having the hinge break once it is headed in the right direction is a helpful thing because it can roll or slide back. But the butt is loose so you have to be out of the way.

On making the bore cut and kick back - start the bore cut so that the bottom corner of the bar makes contact with the wood first. So you are going in at an angle rather than straight back. After you have started to cut in slowly rotate your saw around as you cut deeper until your are cutting straight back the way you want. Starting with the tip or top corner of the saw will kick back. You should practice this. A bore cut is very useful. It is one of the best ways to cut a leaner and is the recommended method used by the famous "Game of Logging" schools as the basic cut to use in general.

gg

Oh no not the bore, that I have down pat.

After you bore through the center of the hinge and put your wedge in, the half back cut on the right side of the tree (looking “downrange”) it seems you make with the top of the tip, which i’m wary to do for kickback fear.

(I hope that description makes my question a little more clear than mud hah.)

 

[ajschnitzelbank]

You are right - the hinge generally breaks when the notch closes so wider angled notches like you prefer to make will hold longer. One consideration to think about - if you are cutting in the thick and your tree may come in contact with other standing trees you may want your tree to be able to roll or slide. In that case, having the hinge break once it is headed in the right direction is a helpful thing because it can roll or slide back. But the butt is loose so you have to be out of the way.

On making the bore cut and kick back - start the bore cut so that the bottom corner of the bar makes contact with the wood first. So you are going in at an angle rather than straight back. After you have started to cut in slowly rotate your saw around as you cut deeper until your are cutting straight back the way you want. Starting with the tip or top corner of the saw will kick back. You should practice this. A bore cut is very useful. It is one of the best ways to cut a leaner and is the recommended method used by the famous "Game of Logging" schools as the basic cut to use in general.

gg

I’m four levels GOL certified