Kubota M9540 12 speed transmission questions

[SSweet9c1]

Hello, I am not sure if this is the correct forum to post this in, but I just purchased a 2007 Kubota M9540 4wd with the 12 speed hydraulic reverser transmission and LA1353 loader.
I am wondering who else has this transmission/clutch and how do you like it? It has 2000 hours on it, and came from a farm in western Ohio.
I bought it at a JD dealership and the salesman told me it has a "hydraulically modulated" clutch. I have heard other people tell me they didn't like that type of clutch just because it "felt weird". I have to agree, it feels weird to dump the clutch and have it engage gradually. I just wanted to make sure it is doing what it is supposed to do, and that there is nothing that needs attention.
I have purchased all new filters for it, the hydraulic fluid looks absolutely clear and like new, so I figured I'd just change the filter. Obviously I'll change the engine oil and filter just so I know it has been done.

My last question is with hydraulic implements and the hydraulic fluid requirements.. Kubota requires their own special fluid, (I think it is called "super UTF" or something to that effect) Should I worry when I hook it up to other things like the round baler or my rollover plow, that have been run by John Deeres that probably have different hydro fluids? Or do I need to flush the lines etc? I would assume it is such a small amount of off-brand fluid that it won't matter, but I figured I had better check!
Thanks
Jonathan

 

[Gary Fowler]

Hello, I am not sure if this is the correct forum to post this in, but I just purchased a 2007 Kubota M9540 4wd with the 12 speed hydraulic reverser transmission and LA1353 loader.
I am wondering who else has this transmission/clutch and how do you like it? It has 2000 hours on it, and came from a farm in western Ohio.
I bought it at a JD dealership and the salesman told me it has a "hydraulically modulated" clutch. I have heard other people tell me they didn't like that type of clutch just because it "felt weird". I have to agree, it feels weird to dump the clutch and have it engage gradually. I just wanted to make sure it is doing what it is supposed to do, and that there is nothing that needs attention.
I have purchased all new filters for it, the hydraulic fluid looks absolutely clear and like new, so I figured I'd just change the filter. Obviously I'll change the engine oil and filter just so I know it has been done.

My last question is with hydraulic implements and the hydraulic fluid requirements.. Kubota requires their own special fluid, (I think it is called "super UTF" or something to that effect) Should I worry when I hook it up to other things like the round baler or my rollover plow, that have been run by John Deeres that probably have different hydro fluids? Or do I need to flush the lines etc? I would assume it is such a small amount of off-brand fluid that it won't matter, but I figured I had better check!
Thanks
Jonathan

For the gear drive tractors, I wouldn't waste money on any of the Kubota oils. Even the UDT which is the least expensive is overpriced at about double the TSC equivalents and equivalents are easy to find. Just get a good generic hydraulic fluid from Tractor Supply or Atwoods that meets the UDT spec. You for sure don't need SUDT2 synthetic blend in a geared transmission.

 

[SSweet9c1]

This is from TractorData,
Transmission: Hydraulic-Shuttle

Type: power shuttle

Gears: 12 forward and reverse

Clutch: wet discs

Oil capacity: 57 qts [53.9 L]

Six gears with high and low ranges. Clutchless power shuttle shifting between forward and reverse. Gears (1-6) are synchronized.

It is the "wet disc" clutch that makes me keen to use the exact oil Kubota recommends. I am fine with using generic equivalent, but if it says it must meet "super UTD" then I will use that grade, and I have ZERO intention of screwing something up on account of me being cheap...
Jonathan

 

[ovrszd]

I bought the same tractor last fall and have 275 hours on it now. I love the hydraulic clutch setup. I agree it feels different than a mechanical clutch as it should. There are very few similarities in design and function between the two. Once in a while the delay when changing directions is a little more than normal, but I don't pay any attention to it.

As for what oils to use. I agree with Gary. I think Kubota fluids are grossly overpriced. When I did the initial change on mine I called my Dealer and talked to the service manager. He said I didn't need to run Kubota fluids and recommended the standard "303" hydraulic fluid made by several different manufacturers. So I bought the local Orscheln Supply store brand of "303" at $6 per gallon. I didn't even ask the Kubota dealer what they charged for their oil.

 

[art]

It's unfortunate but for what I have observed over the years but TSC oil is no better then our own plain label oil and I wouldn't recommend putting it in anything other then Ford 8-n's farmall M's and the like. Maybe in warmer country I might change my thoughts but this tractor looks to being run in NY and if he chooses to go with the TSC oil when he begins to have trouble (like others here) the first thing we do is change to a oil with the proper additives and weight to live and work here well on tractors. You will get to know your dealer sooner!

For your worries about the oil from other machines, you are right it is to small of an amount to worry about.

 

[Verticaltrx]

I agree with art, don't put cheap oil in a nice tractor like that. We used some cheap '303' hydraulic oil in a 2550 Deere tractor a few years ago and within a few weeks it had eaten all the seals in the hydraulic system (had to rebuild the rockshaft, lower sensing links, and a few hoses and o-rings.) It said it met the JD specs and I'm sure it did, but obviously it also had a lot of other crap in it.

With the wet clutch/wet brakes, and hydraulic shuttle I would only buy Kubota oil.


With that said, we have a M9540 setup like yours here at my families farm. The foot clutch should act just like the foot clutch on any other tractor. If you are letting it out and it takes a moment to engage, it is slipping and you probably need to adjust the free play. The hydraulic shuttle shift as far as I know uses a planetary gear set/clutch to change direction and it separate from the foot clutch. Regardless, there is some delay in the shift from forward to reverse and this is normal (to prevent a big shock load from a quick direction change.) When the tractor is really cold there may be a little longer delay.

 

[xring100]

I agree with art, don't put cheap oil in a nice tractor like that. We used some cheap '303' hydraulic oil in a 2550 Deere tractor a few years ago and within a few weeks it had eaten all the seals in the hydraulic system (had to rebuild the rockshaft, lower sensing links, and a few hoses and o-rings.) It said it met the JD specs and I'm sure it did, but obviously it also had a lot of other crap in it.

With the wet clutch/wet brakes, and hydraulic shuttle I would only buy Kubota oil.

With that said, we have a M9540 setup like yours here at my families farm. The foot clutch should act just like the foot clutch on any other tractor. If you are letting it out and it takes a moment to engage, it is slipping and you probably need to adjust the free play. The hydraulic shuttle shift as far as I know uses a planetary gear set/clutch to change direction and it separate from the foot clutch. Regardless, there is some delay in the shift from forward to reverse and this is normal (to prevent a big shock load from a quick direction change.) When the tractor is really cold there may be a little longer delay.

I have an m8540 8 speed hydraulic shuttle. Yes clutch is different and hard to modulate at slow speed. Maybee I'm missing something but hydraulic clutches usually self adjust and don't have any way to adjust free play. I dont believe there is any way specified in the owners manual to adjust the hydraulic clutch for this reason

 

[SSweet9c1]

This looks to be the start of an interesting conversation...
Should there or should there not be a delay in clutch engagement?
There is a slight delay, and as someone else pointed out, it isn't always the same length of time..
I think some of this might be temperature and some might be RPM.... I guess time will tell...
I'll know for sure this summer when pulling my IH 4X16" rollover plow.. That will be the official shake down!
Jonathan

 

[Verticaltrx]

I have an m8540 8 speed hydraulic shuttle. Yes clutch is different and hard to modulate at slow speed. Maybee I'm missing something but hydraulic clutches usually self adjust and don't have any way to adjust free play. I dont believe there is any way specified in the owners manual to adjust the hydraulic clutch for this reason

I'll look at ours tomorrow, it's been a while since I've used it so I may be way off base.

 

[DT86]

First off congratulations on the tractor. I use two different M9540's with the 12 speed, one of which is mine.

I wouldn't dump just any cheap a** oil in either one, but "swapping spit" with the other brands probably isn't a issue, as long as that oil isn't contaminated with water or whatever else.