Questions before my M6040 Purchase

   / Questions before my M6040 Purchase
  • Thread Starter
#11  
Update on the Grappler: I talked with Millonzi today, first Jackie and then the shop foreman Lenny. I was asking Jackie if they made a "medium duty" somewhere around 600 pounds that would be more suited for an M series tractor. She tracked down Lenny and he talked about how he had done just that for himself.

We talked about my uses and when I mentioned log lifting he said immediately that I would need some type of modified lite duty or the heavy duty. It seems that log lifting places a lot of stress on the sides, more than a regular light duty can handle. Log lifting also works much better if you have two arms clamping down on the log. Lenny has actually taken a light duty 60" and added another 1/2" to each side and some additional cross pieces and it could work well for my needs.

We also talked about their buckets with the sides cut out and two grappler arms. These would certainly be strong enough for my needs. For the 64" at 735 lbs. they come in around the same weight as the heavy duty. With the side cuts they work fine for log lifting, can still handle a good bite of brush. The main tradeoff is less visibility compared to the regular grapplers.

Right now I'm leaning toward a reinforced 60" light duty that would come in around 100-150 lbs. heavier.

- Mike
 
   / Questions before my M6040 Purchase #12  
The small dollar amount to go to M7040 is worth it. I have loaded tires and now added cast iron centers that is nice for loader work. Very little slippage when digging in. Also have a 4000 lbs weight box for even more ballast but find that it is not needed most of the time. If the wide front tires are available you should take them because the front tires are marginal in R1 configuration. That will also help on soft ground
 
   / Questions before my M6040 Purchase #13  
Hi, I have been reading some of the post on the new M-series and i am in the final stages of purchase of a M7040. I was orginally going to get a MF 563 and stay brand loyal because my other tractors are Massey's but the kubota is alot nicer and has more features, and seems everyone likes them and seem to be trouble free. Anyway here is what i am getting.

M7040 hydraulic shuttle, Loader, self-leveling, 3-rd fuction on loader, 2 -remotes, toothbar, cast centers, and loaded rears

Orginally was going to go with r-4s but i thought they was to small, so i am going with the ag tires, but the front tires i think are to skinny so i done some research and found a titan tire that is wider and within the same specs, so i told the dealer and he called titan and sure enough it will work and he is just making sure a the wheels have correct backspacing, have to use wheels for turf tires. The dealer is very interested in this tire thing because he said it is a popular question.

Just thought i would share my finding about the tires.

RyanL
 
   / Questions before my M6040 Purchase
  • Thread Starter
#14  
RyanL,

Can you pass on the Titan tire number/specs. I am definitely interested in wide front tire options.

Thanks, Mike
 
   / Questions before my M6040 Purchase #15  
In Canada the wide R-1W's are an option from the factory. Since we get our rims from the US I'd imagine it can be done down there. I'd say 90% of the M6800's from 2005/2006 had them here. I didn't pay attention before that.
 
   / Questions before my M6040 Purchase #16  
Well, the titan number i have is 360/70R20 R-1W # D122E7 The dealer also said something about a 325/?????? but i can't rember numbers.

So does anyone have anything good or bad to say about these tractors?

Thanks, RyanL
 
   / Questions before my M6040 Purchase #17  
They've fixed the wiring harness problems the first few delivered had. Not a lot of problems have been reported beyond that. They are a pretty substantial overhaul from the last model.
 
   / Questions before my M6040 Purchase #18  
Tractor/ tire update, well the lastest news on my soon to be purchase of 7040. The dealer talked to the titan tire man is california and the tires i listed previously are no long available, but the titan man said the rear tires and adjustable wheels from a special purpose m series (narrow orchard tractor).
So thes tires was suppose to be shipped to columbus last tuesday, so the dealer sent a truck up to pick them up and they was there, so the dealer called and the never got put on the truck to to be shipped due to inventory stuff or something. So the dealer is calling tomorrow to check on them again and he said if it is going to take more than a week he will let us have the tractor and swap the front tires out later, as long as i did tear the tires up (cutting, excessive wear). Well thats the update

Is there a chance anyone has the size of the rear tires on the orchard tractor and maybe a pic.

Thanks,
RyanL
 
   / Questions before my M6040 Purchase
  • Thread Starter
#19  
Well it's time to ask a moderator to change the title of my thread to an M7040 purchase because that's what I ordered today.

Moving up to an M7040 was an easy decision. I ordered an M7040 HDC (hydraulic shuttle and cab) with the Kubota loader LA 1153. For additional hydraulics I ordered the third function value up front, a second set of remotes in the rear, and a power beyond setup in the rear. The power beyond hydraulic setup will allow me to attach my rear implements with their own controls directly into the hydraulics, like my Valby chipper with it's hydraulic feed chute.

I ordered the rear wiper for the cab because I'll be doing a lot of snow blowing with my rear snow blower. The seat is the most comfortable I've ever sat in for a tractor so I went with the regular seat. Since this is Vermont, I got the block heater. And I asked for three hooks to be welded onto the top of the loader.

The biggest decision regarding the tractor was the tires. After a lot of thought about my particular uses, I ordered R4s with the rears loaded. While many folks have characterized the R4s as a compromise tire, they actually have one area where they really excell that is the most important to me - durability. In the last eight years while mowing our extremely rocky fields and working in the woods, I have gone through 6 R1 front tires. I'm ready to try a different tire type with more plys. If I have any traction problems then I'll just put chains on. I already have a heavy duty winter set and I'll make a second lighter duty summer set. Since I went with R4s the only tire weight options were loading them or wheel weights. I decided I needed something with the loader and grapple work I want to do, so I just went with loaded tires since it is easy, free from my dealer, and I talked to a couple of local tire companies that are all set up to handle it. I'm hoping the wide footprint and less aggressive tread of the R4s will balance out some of this additional wheel load weight.

I decided to trade my old back hoe in as part of the deal - I got a great trade in for my old tractor and this hoe. I have hired excavators before and the amount of work they can do in a hour is more than I could do with my hoe in a couple of days. The trade in will allow me to get a grapple, a tooth bar, a box blade, a hydraulic top link, and still have a little change.

I'm still pinning down my new attachments, but I wanted to get the tractor order in so I could use it soon to finish up all my fall mowing projects. I'll update this thread when I've decided on the attachments.

Thank you everyone for your advise so far. The M5030DT gave 20 years of good work and I'm hoping the M7040 will do the same.

- Mike
 
   / Questions before my M6040 Purchase #20  
That's really exciting! Lots of M7040 owners here, so I'm sure you'll hear from them. Good luck, and be sure to post pix when the beast arrives! Congrats!!

-Brian
 
 
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