What did you do to or on your Kubota today?

[Old_Paint]

Man, this thread moves fast.

I see we both have some features the other doesn't. My LX came with one USB connector and a 12V power point already wired on the LH fender, and a wonderful all purpose DEELUXE cup holder on the RH fender that's too far back to be of use, yet, too close to miss with the elbow. Put a cup in it that you won't destroy with your elbow, and you'll have a sore elbow. I made some brackets to fit my ROPS using two holes that I don't see on every ROPS. I didn't make 'em so I figured they were fair game to use for my brackets. Your seat, however, has a very handy feature. That little hole in the middle. Rain will drain, and if you pee your pants when you get close to a rollover, that too will drain. No wet butt. My seat has no such hole, and I have to tip it up because the LX lives outside at the moment. I put a tarp over it, but it's still outside.

I didn't run it for two days last week, and a Carolina wren figured she had a nifty place to nest in the phone pocket on the LH fender. Those little buggers build a nest FAST. Fortunately no eggs in it yet. Love the birds hanging around, but wait a minute. That's MY tractor.

 

[bmblank]

Yeah, I've got that same cup holder. I don't know how useful it would be. So far I've only ever used it to hold a hammer and to hold my drink while I'm working in the garage.
Putting the right side fender handle on it would be a major addition, and probably would go a ways to limit the elbow to drink contact.
The only time the seat would accumulate anything is when it's snowing to beat hell and I need to jump down to move the trash can, or try to clear the snow off of the blower before pulling it into the pole barn.

My switches and plugs all said they were marine rated, but when I opened the box to plug everything in there was a little water inside from the last time blowing. I wish I went with better switches, but... What are you gonna do? I drilled a few holes in the lowest point in the switch box and that'll do.

 

[Old_Paint]

Yeah, I've got that same cup holder. I don't know how useful it would be. So far I've only ever used it to hold a hammer and to hold my drink while I'm working in the garage.
Putting the right side fender handle on it would be a major addition, and probably would go a ways to limit the elbow to drink contact.
The only time the seat would accumulate anything is when it's snowing to beat hell and I need to jump down to move the trash can, or try to clear the snow off of the blower before pulling it into the pole barn.

My switches and plugs all said they were marine rated, but when I opened the box to plug everything in there was a little water inside from the last time blowing. I wish I went with better switches, but... What are you gonna do? I drilled a few holes in the lowest point in the switch box and that'll do.

Mine has both handles, not that the one on the right is very useful. The FEL stick is in the way. Can't get on the right side, well, not very easily. Step is on the left side. The cup holder on mine is on the left. Phone pocket and powerpoint and USB connector are on the right. That's where the Carolina wren built her nest. Probably another one under the tarp this morning. Been rained out the last two days. That's all it took the first time. The fenders are flat on top, but also have the massive plastic aerodynamic thingies that look really cool. But if that tractor's gonna go fast enough for aerodynamics to come into play, I don't wanna be on it. I can see it now, tractor races at Talladega. That cannot turn out well.

Dunno where you are, but one of the worst things you can do in Alabama is try to seal a box from the weather. You're much better off with weep holes and vents if the box is going to be left outside or exposed to cycling temperatures and moisture. Anything you try to seal will warm up during the day, pushing out most of the air. At night, dew fall here is not much different than a monsoon in some places because of our high humidity, which cools the box down creating a vacuum, which sucks every bit of moisture in that it can. That condenses on the inside of the box, and will completely fill one up that you THINK is air-tight. No such thing as a perfect seal. It was designed to stop water, right? Well, it does, regardless of which side that water's on. It won't stop air, though.

 

[S-G-R]

We've had a mix of snow, rain, freezing rain, ice pellets and then back to snow over the past 24 hours which left a mess. Had to take the snow pusher off as it and the blower were riding over the snow. Put the bucket on and got it broken up and then used the blower to get it out of the way.

 

[bmblank]

I suppose it could have been condensation inside my switch box, but it's generally not a problem in northern mi. I just assume it was from heavy wet snow sitting on top of it from snow blowing. I wouldn't be surprised if my cheap "marine" grade switches don't do a good job of sealing. At least there aren't any electronics in there; I should be able to dunk it completely in water and shake it off once and it'll work fine. Heat from an arc drys out water pretty quick, I'm sure...

 

[pokey1416]

Set the snow pusher on a couple of car skates to move out of the way.

Had 20T of pulverized asphalt millings delivered. Should be able to finish up and start rolling in next couple days.

 

[Old_Paint]

I suppose it could have been condensation inside my switch box, but it's generally not a problem in northern mi. I just assume it was from heavy wet snow sitting on top of it from snow blowing. I wouldn't be surprised if my cheap "marine" grade switches don't do a good job of sealing. At least there aren't any electronics in there; I should be able to dunk it completely in water and shake it off once and it'll work fine. Heat from an arc drys out water pretty quick, I'm sure...

Yeah, electrical fires dry water pretty fast, and sadly, there isn't usually enough water to flash and put the fire back out. Just hope a fuse blows somewhere before the harness starts melting next to the fuel tank. YIKES! Takes a lot of electrolytes in water to make 12V track, or arc, though. Corrode in connections, maybe not so much. Dissimilar metals with water between them start galvanic reactions when current is passed through the junctions, which is what creates the corrosion and a whole host of problems. If water can't get into the switches, you can probably hose them down and not worry about it. The box is still good to protect the wiring. Shouldn't hurt to wet the wiring as long as you dry out any exposed metal connections. Slap a little white lithium grease on the connections and torque 'em down good. That's what car manufacturers use. Or what we use on switchgear, Mobil 28 red grease. Got the consistency of vaseline, smells like rotten fish, but you can't set that stuff on fire with a torch. It's synthetic, and doesn't melt and run. I use it on my battery terminals on everything to prevent corrosion. Seals up a connection very well, but like any other grease, it IS NOT a conductive grease. Conductive (what some call dielectric) grease is an oxymoron. No such thing. Once corrosion starts, though, you're probably not gonna stop it if current is passing through it. It'll probably stop itself because the connection gets hot and burns out. You shouldn't have enough load with those LED lights to worry about it, though, and if your phone causes enough load to create a heating problem, that must be one hell of a phone. Imagine the radiation it's giving your brain when you use it. My phone is the LAST thing I want near me on my tractor. It's a work communicator, so when it rings, it's usually not a good thing.

 

[Old_Paint]

Decided to do my 50H service today. Started with the engine oil and filter. What I found is a 17 mm socket will not go on the oil pan drain plugs(paint?), but an 18mm socket is a bit loose. Well, it's a drain plug, so it shouldn't take much to back out the drain plug. I was right. Drained the oil. While draining, I start studying the oil filter and running all the complaints about how hard it was to get the OE filter off. First of all, just getting a strap wrench on it on the LX2610SU is a total PITA. UNLESS, you remove one little bracket that is actually a guard for the lower radiator hose. THIS:

While protecting that hose from the fan belt is a wonderful idea, perhaps rounding the edges of that piece is a much better idea. That thing is sharp as a razor on the edges. And it's there to protect rubber. Am I missing something? Ennyhoo, yanked the bracket off so I could lift the bottom rad hose, got the filter installed, put the bracket back on, oil in, fired up and checked oil pressure. Recorded the service thusly:

Please excuse my chicken scratch. The filter was wiggling like the Sharpie was tickling it, I swear.

Then, I took on what I knew was going to be a task that is not for beginners. Now, I'm no beginner at servicing vehicles. But I predicted an oil bath when I did the tranny and hydraulic filters. I was not wrong. Fortunately, my predictions predicated proper preparations and while piss-poor-performance was precluded, I was not really successful. I eyeballed the HST filter in the book, and I eyeballed the filter, and I eyeballed the location on the tractor. The filter I had in my hand CLEARLY said HST filter on it, but the one that didn't really tell me where it went (said SUCTION FILTER) on it looked to be the correct one. I double checked what I was about to put the strap wrench on in the book, looked the filter part number up on the web, and was absolutely sure I had the right filter for what I was about to do. Put a little UDT2 on it to wet the seal. Broke the OE filter loose, and got the one I was going to put on very close buy, expecting some oil to come out. Umm, and did the oil come out. I don't know how many of you know the story of the monkey trying to put the cork back in, but I was the monkey. A FLOOD of oil was coming out of my precious! And I couldn't get the new filter to start on the threads where I took the old one off. I had just uncapped the aorta of my tractor, and needed quick damage control. I knew I was fast approaching a gallon of leakage, and a gallon was all I bought for topping off, according to the book and the dealership. All I can say, is that their mechanics must be FAST, and they probably know the book is WRONG about which filter goes where. My gut feeling told me to put the longer filter (with the recessed threads) down there, but who am I to question what I read in the book as well as the description of the filter? The one I had in my hand had a protruding thread flange, and REFUSED to go on where the other came off. Good thing, probably, because I was losing oil very fast. Fortunately, I'd managed to get the OE filter off without damaging it, and just dropped it on my drain pan for the swap, so grabbed it and put it back on as fast as possible. I was right, I lost just over a gallon of UDT2, and I still don't have the filters changed for the HST and Hydraulics. The one that goes down on the lower right side of the tractor, should say SUCTION FILTER somewhere on it. The one that says HST filter actually goes where the book sends you to change the Hydraulic SUCTION filter. So, tomorrow, I'm stuck with going to get more UDT and see if I can be successful on attempt #2. I may try the filter on the LH side of the tranny first this time since I've already nearly drowned it with UDT2. Gotta love the part in the book that says "Spin the filter on quickly." That doesn't quite do justice to the flood of hydraulic oil that comes out of the tractor when you spin the filter off on the right side by the axle. Live and learn. My hands are VERY soft from hydraulic fluid, though. I'll probably have cancer next week, but hopefully a less eventful filter change between now and then.

 

[S-G-R]

Decided to do my 50H service today. Started with the engine oil and filter. What I found is a 17 mm socket will not go on the oil pan drain plugs(paint?), but an 18mm socket is a bit loose. Well, it's a drain plug, so it shouldn't take much to back out the drain plug. I was right. Drained the oil. While draining, I start studying the oil filter and running all the complaints about how hard it was to get the OE filter off. First of all, just getting a strap wrench on it on the LX2610SU is a total PITA. UNLESS, you remove one little bracket that is actually a guard for the lower radiator hose. THIS: View attachment 55804
Live and learn. My hands are VERY soft from hydraulic fluid, though. I'll probably have cancer next week, but hopefully a less eventful filter change between now and then.

I made a mess when I changed mine Saturday. I have a partial tear of my left rotator cuff. Old filter came off with no issues. Went to spin the new filter on and cramped up. By the time I got rolled over and the filter on I lost 10 litres of UDT

 

[UpNorthMI]

Old Paint,

great humor in your report on the 50 hour service, some people just get upset and have no humor. I was surprised how tight that oil filter was with surrounding items. I can tell you if you buy bigger tractors you don’t have that issue.

Like you I had to learn replacing hydraulic filters only in the early services, the best thing I found was to use a cheap set of ramps on one side of the tractor so it sits at an angle, fluid loss became minimal. Good luck at finishing up your work.

 

[drewzee87t]

Them guys are pretty slick to get a filter without draining. It's enough of a fight getting the filter off that you just know it's gonna get you. I drain it out into a bucket, take my sweet time with the filter and then run it back in there if the UDT doesn't need changed.

Glad you got it without too much disaster. I lost a gallon UDT on the floor of my garage last fall due to a possum got closed in there overnight and freaked out. What a mess that stuff is.

Tomorrow supposed to be a great day for wrenching!

 

[dirtydeed]

I used the "vacuum trick" when I replaced just the filters last time. It worked.

 

[B737]

thats what factory fill looked like after 50 hours. Changed it, put in SUDT2.

 

[NHSleddog]

50 hour UDT. Changed it. Put in SUDT2

I did the same. I was glad to know that initial crud was out of there.

 

[Crash277]

all this talking about servicing... i just checked the PDF for my BX I thought it was 150hrs. but im good to 200 for my next one. regardless of hrs i will likely do it in the fall just before it gets cold.

does research and talking about my bx count as "what did you do or on your kubota today?" lol

 

[Old_Paint]

I used the "vacuum trick" when I replaced just the filters last time. It worked.

Splain, please?

What did you do, just put a shopvac on the fill hole?

But, I don't have to worry about that again. No more filter changes without fluid too.

I bit the bullet, and bought a brand new drain pan. I get the heebie jeebies about putting anything I drain how of a vehicle back in it. I was very careful to avoid contaminants, and when I poured it back in, I put a piece of muslin over the end of the funnel (didn't have a screen in mine). Amazingly, nothing but a few tiny plastic shavings from the catch pan were on the muslin. I probably had to put a couple extra liters in because of what I lost the other day. I drained as much as would come out of the larger front plug into the new pan, swapped both filters with the only spillage being on the frame below the HST filter. The suction filter puked a little because I didn't take out the two back plugs, but it was easy enough to catch. The HST filter, was REALLY tight. Pressed a pretty good dent in it with the new strap wrench. But, ennyhoo, finished the filter change, topped it up. I raised the boom and fullly curled the bucket down, as well as ran the 3PH lift all the way up to check level. When I put 'em all back down, the level was exactly where it was before I started. Did all the 50H safety checks, yada yada, and then did this:

Finished off the stumps I started on Saturday. Got rained out Sunday and Monday, and was just too soggy to do anything yesterday. Still too wet to use the box blade, but the rippers on that came in pretty handy for getting rid of a lot of surface roots. The soil here is like bubble gum when it's wet, and brick bats when it's dry. A shout out to my son for coming over and helping me knock some of the dirt off the stumps. Got the holes filled back up and some levelling done, but ran outta daylight.

 

[bird dogger]

thats what factory fill looked like after 50 hours. Changed it, put in SUDT2.

I was worried about losing too much oil doing my first 50 hr service on the B2650. Bought a new 5 gallon bucket, cleaned it, drained the oil into it thinking I'll strain it and put it back in. Nope! It also looked just like your oil. It's still in the new bucket with a lid on it waiting for something to use it on. It'll most likely go in the city waste oil dump. The 200 hr change came out much much cleaner, thank goodness!

 

[B737]

I was worried about losing too much oil doing my first 50 hr service on the B2650. Bought a new 5 gallon bucket, cleaned it, drained the oil into it thinking I'll strain it and put it back in. Nope! It also looked just like your oil. It's still in the new bucket with a lid on it waiting for something to use it on. It'll most likely go in the city waste oil dump. The 200 hr change came out much much cleaner, thank goodness!

well im glad i wasnt the only one! kind of why i posted the picture i felt like it was pretty bad for fluid with just 50 hours. I should have sent it out to be tested but didnt have any sample containers ready.

 

[drewzee87t]

@B737 where did you get the pins for your telescope arms? they look handy.

I played with a tiller this afternoon. I got this several years ago and got it working but never got to use it so it's been sitting out for a while. I had to grease it and check oil, and everything was actually good except the the PTO shaft where it hitches to the tractor, the spring pin that keeps it on the PTO shaft had gone to rust I guess. It took me some grease and PB to work that thing loose.

I keep a small garden four 50 foot rows.

The little beastie with the abused looking tiller cut through like butter, I was expecting some kind of loading on the motor, but cruised right along.

 

[nbryan]

Decided to do my 50H service today. Started with the engine oil and filter. What I found is a 17 mm socket will not go on the oil pan drain plugs(paint?), but an 18mm socket is a bit loose. Well, it's a drain plug, so it shouldn't take much to back out the drain plug. I was right. Drained the oil. While draining, I start studying the oil filter and running all the complaints about how hard it was to get the OE filter off. First of all, just getting a strap wrench on it on the LX2610SU is a total PITA. UNLESS, you remove one little bracket that is actually a guard for the lower radiator hose. THIS: View attachment 55804
While protecting that hose from the fan belt is a wonderful idea, perhaps rounding the edges of that piece is a much better idea. That thing is sharp as a razor on the edges. And it's there to protect rubber. Am I missing something? Ennyhoo, yanked the bracket off so I could lift the bottom rad hose, got the filter installed, put the bracket back on, oil in, fired up and checked oil pressure. Recorded the service thusly:
View attachment 55805

Please excuse my chicken scratch. The filter was wiggling like the Sharpie was tickling it, I swear.

Then, I took on what I knew was going to be a task that is not for beginners. Now, I'm no beginner at servicing vehicles. But I predicted an oil bath when I did the tranny and hydraulic filters. I was not wrong. Fortunately, my predictions predicated proper preparations and while piss-poor-performance was precluded, I was not really successful. I eyeballed the HST filter in the book, and I eyeballed the filter, and I eyeballed the location on the tractor. The filter I had in my hand CLEARLY said HST filter on it, but the one that didn't really tell me where it went (said SUCTION FILTER) on it looked to be the correct one. I double checked what I was about to put the strap wrench on in the book, looked the filter part number up on the web, and was absolutely sure I had the right filter for what I was about to do. Put a little UDT2 on it to wet the seal. Broke the OE filter loose, and got the one I was going to put on very close buy, expecting some oil to come out. Umm, and did the oil come out. I don't know how many of you know the story of the monkey trying to put the cork back in, but I was the monkey. A FLOOD of oil was coming out of my precious! And I couldn't get the new filter to start on the threads where I took the old one off. I had just uncapped the aorta of my tractor, and needed quick damage control. I knew I was fast approaching a gallon of leakage, and a gallon was all I bought for topping off, according to the book and the dealership. All I can say, is that their mechanics must be FAST, and they probably know the book is WRONG about which filter goes where. My gut feeling told me to put the longer filter (with the recessed threads) down there, but who am I to question what I read in the book as well as the description of the filter? The one I had in my hand had a protruding thread flange, and REFUSED to go on where the other came off. Good thing, probably, because I was losing oil very fast. Fortunately, I'd managed to get the OE filter off without damaging it, and just dropped it on my drain pan for the swap, so grabbed it and put it back on as fast as possible. I was right, I lost just over a gallon of UDT2, and I still don't have the filters changed for the HST and Hydraulics. The one that goes down on the lower right side of the tractor, should say SUCTION FILTER somewhere on it. The one that says HST filter actually goes where the book sends you to change the Hydraulic SUCTION filter. So, tomorrow, I'm stuck with going to get more UDT and see if I can be successful on attempt #2. I may try the filter on the LH side of the tranny first this time since I've already nearly drowned it with UDT2. Gotta love the part in the book that says "Spin the filter on quickly." That doesn't quite do justice to the flood of hydraulic oil that comes out of the tractor when you spin the filter off on the right side by the axle. Live and learn. My hands are VERY soft from hydraulic fluid, though. I'll probably have cancer next week, but hopefully a less eventful filter change between now and then.

My B2650 lost less than a quart of UDT fluid when I swapped the hst filter at 50 hours. The new filter I had was a Kubota with p/n match and spun on real quick. I have another tranny filter swap coming in 50 hours at the 600 hour service and can only hope it goes as well!