Kubota Excavator Quick Attach

[nobull1]

I am considering installing a Kubota quick attach on my KX91-3 for versatility and simplicity of changing buckets. Does anyone have an opinion on the Kubota quick attach as far as holding tight, wear or whatever issues that might occur?

[Tags]

Originally Posted by nobull1

I am considering installing a Kubota quick attach on my KX91-3 for versatility and simplicity of changing buckets. Does anyone have an opinion on the Kubota quick attach as far as holding tight, wear or whatever issues that might occur?

I've got 2500 or so hrs on my 161 with the quick attach and have had no issues, it's still fairly tight, and is quite a simple system. The first time you switch buckets with the quick attach you'll wonder why you waited to get one, the same thing goes for a hydraulic thumb.

[nobull1]

For the last 7 years I had a mechanical thumb on my Kubota and Daewoo before it. It was better than none but I found it too much of a bother to hook the arm onto the thumb and most times I could have used it I wouldn't bother. Last month I finally got around to installing a cylinder and having bushings and grease fittings installed in the thumb. I now have about 130 degrees of rotation and use it all the time. As you said once you have it..... A big concern of mine is the tightness of the QA to the buckets. I know some of the pin type QA are loose and noisy. It drives me nuts listening to clunking buckets due to worn bushings or a loose fitting QA. It will take me many years to hit 2500 hours, and if yours is still relatively tight that should work for me. Am I right in assuming it has a bolt that tightens into a wedge and as it wears it just tightens further?

[curtisfarmer]

Best thing since beer. I bought a grading bucket and oh boy does having the QA make life easier, just like a front loader QA.

[Cooter Brown]

KX161 here.
Works awesome and is not sloppy.

[Charlesaf3]

if its the same system as the m59, I like it, but the pin isn't as secure as kubota thinks it is... lost and buried one, and now use a bolt and nut to hold the quick pin on.

[Tags]

Originally Posted by nobull1

A big concern of mine is the tightness of the QA to the buckets. I know some of the pin type QA are loose and noisy. It drives me nuts listening to clunking buckets due to worn bushings or a loose fitting QA. It will take me many years to hit 2500 hours, and if yours is still relatively tight that should work for me. Am I right in assuming it has a bolt that tightens into a wedge and as it wears it just tightens further?

It is not a wedge style coupler like John Deer uses. The ears on the bucket are cut out to line up with bushings that are on the quick coupler, similar to a wedge style, after the bucket is on the coupler, a pin is slid through the rear of the bucket ears and the coupler and held on with a hitch pin. I know what you mean about clunking qa's, I had a WainRoy setup on a previously owned excavator, it was like throwing a fishing line out after about 800 hrs I think you would be nothing but happy with the Kubota setup.

[Ken45101]

Originally Posted by Charlesaf3

if its the same system as the m59, I like it, but the pin isn't as secure as kubota thinks it is... lost and buried one, and now use a bolt and nut to hold the quick pin on.

Yes, last week I lost the latching pin twice! Noticed it both times before the QA pin came out. I have a KX-121-3 with the QA.

The QA is really nice although I've only changed buckets twice. From what I've heard, changing buckets without the QA is quite a task.

Ken

[Cooter Brown]

Originally Posted by Charlesaf3

if its the same system as the m59, I like it, but the pin isn't as secure as kubota thinks it is... lost and buried one, and now use a bolt and nut to hold the quick pin on.

My 12 inch bucket is the only one that I have ever lost the retaing pin for the large pin on because the pin on a 161 is wider than the 12 inch bucket which make sit stick out wider than the bucket.

[Charlesaf3]

I've lost it on the 24" and the 12". Wiring the pin on didn't help, still knocked it off. Mind, this is digging stumps, so it "rubs" - I think it would be a lot less likely to fall off with general digging.

So I used a bolt and locnut. Quick enough on and off, I don't change buckets that often, and have a cordless impact driver. Even with a ratchet it wouldn't take more than a few seconds.

Oh, and no "clunk" whatsoever, its a really tight fit. I'd recommend it strongly, but deal with the pin ahead of time. You DON"T want to lose the main pin, say digging at night... trust me, I know.