Am going to look at a 1979 Kubota L345 with 1400 hours tomorrow......To the members here who own this model......Anything I should look for, are parts easy to get and what are they like for cold starting. Will be using for snowblowing and getting wood.....Thanks in advance
Kubota L345
- Thread starter Axe Man
- Start date
Wolfy
Veteran Member
If it is anything like my 1977 Ford 1600, best use the glow plugs year round. I use them in August if it is the first start of the day. Most parts can be found pretty easy on line. However, if it is 4WD.. use the 4WD very carefully..front drive axle parts on any brand are about impossible to find. The hydraulics of the old tractors are much slower than the newer ones. But they are simple, reliable, and sip diesel.
rbargeron
Elite Member
An L345 is a great mid-size machine. It has power enough for a 6-foot rear blower. In its day, the L345 had more features the blue or green for the money. I sold my first one but missed it - so eventually got another to take its place. Finding parts has never been a problem - although I've never needed anything major. The L345 is not easy starting in the cold. Needs a strong battery to run the glow plugs and crank it over. I sometimes gave mine a small sniff of ether (starting fluid) if really cold. They have a 2-stage clutch (1st disk for travel, 2nd for pto). The pto disk is not separately adjustable so as the travel clutch wears the pedal travel becomes insufficient to disengage the pto, requiring replacement of the travel disk. You can test it by depressing the clutch pedal all the way to see if the pto stops turning. If not the tractor likely needs a clutch job. If you post some pictures there may be more comments - a few people here have them. Good luck, Dick B
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Thanks for the replies gentlemen. I live in New Brunswick so it's not uncommon for temps to get down to -20 to -30 degrees F. I'm not a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination so I don't want to be working under the hood at those temps.
Would a block heater be a significant help for cold starting? Also, in my opinion, 1400 hours isn't a lot of hours for a tractor from that era....or am I mistaken? Again thanks for the input.
Would a block heater be a significant help for cold starting? Also, in my opinion, 1400 hours isn't a lot of hours for a tractor from that era....or am I mistaken? Again thanks for the input.
Wolfy
Veteran Member
That's not bad, actually. My 1600 has 3,600 hours. My 1984 Ford 1710 has 2,200 hours. My 2002 Kubota L3710 has 1,200 hours. Yes, block heaters are amazing. My tractors do not have them, but we had equipment in the family business with block heaters. I also keep hearing of people here using 5w40 synthetic diesel oil, for ease of starting in cold climates.
rbargeron
Elite Member
Agreed - 1400 is when the first set of tires and the seat cover may show some wear - but nothing else should. A block heater is a good idea - I never had one for a L345, but 2 of my other rigs have them. The L5450's mounts in a freeze plug hole, and the L3250's is in the lower radiator hose. The freeze plug type seems to do a better job quicker - it's 450 watts so it only takes 2-3 hours.
I went to the dealers today to look at the 345. Dealer told me that they sold that tractor originally and the owner was a mechanic and did the maintenance himself. The front axel seals were replaced 2years ago as was the clutch. Currently, the water pump needs replacing and right lift cylinder is leaking. How much of a job is it to replace these 2 items?....Was quoted $500 by the dealer for them to do it. I think I'm looking at $8000 for tractor, new water pump, lift cylinder and delivery (2 hours each way) Does that sound reasonable?
carlubu1
Member
Just read this thread. I have a 1984 L345. It's been a reliable tractor. Most of the problems I have had were self-inflicted by my carelessness or rats. The clutch has been a problem. I got mine through an online auction for a good bit less than what is being asked for yours, but it had a good many cosmetic problems, no headlights or taillights. The hour meter showed only 600 hours, but it looked like it had many more. I have used it mostly at deer camp with a bush hog and box blade.