new 5030HST at home for its first weekend

[woodchuckc]

The new 5030HST was delivered this past week, and I got to spend some quality time with it this weekend. Tilled up 3 gardens, filled in a ditch that had washed this past winter, moved some dirt from here to there just because I could....... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I think we are going to get along quite well!

5030HST, 853 loader, filled industrial tires, canopy - recipe for fun and it is even useful, too! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

-Chuck

 

[JayC]

That's a real nice looking tractor! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[woodchuckc]

Thanks! Tractors always look better with a little dirt on the tires /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I sold an M4900 to get this 5030. Even though the horsepower is right about the same, they are as different as night and day in the way they "feel". I guess because the 5030 is not as tall and has a lower center of gravity as compared to the M4900, I feel more secure and better "planted" on slopes with the 5030.

The 853 loader is STRONG - I had a 3010 with loader for a while (which certainly worked well and was super useful), but the 853 on this tractor is quite an upgrade in capacity and strength.

I've got to get some forward and rear-facing lights mounted on the roll bar (using clamps - not drilling into it) before using it much after dark. Those really should be standard equipment on tractors with FELs, since the built-in headlamps are pretty much useless.

I only put ~6.5 hours on her this past weekend, but I'm looking forward to many more! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

-Chuck

 

[txdon]

That is one good looking tractor there. What kind and size of tiller do you recommend for that tractor? /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[_RaT_]

Wow, Bitchin man. Can you say bitchin here?

 

[woodchuckc]

Don,
The tiller I picked up is a used Japanese one. It is called a 6 foot tiller, but the actual tilling width is 5'6". I don't know if it is a Yanmar or one of the other Japanese manufacturers, but it was originally that greyish-green color that a lot of Yanmar stuff is, and someone used a rattle-can to paint it red. I will probably strip it and repaint it this summer (a nice Kubota orange, of course!).

I got lucky in finding this one - most of the Japanese tillers seem to be in the 4-5' width range. These can be really good deals, but you have to check them out to make sure they aren't wore out (check the gear lash!) or have leaky gearboxes. Even if the tines are pretty wore, they are easy and cheap to replace. I've seen some that were pretty well rusted out too. For $600.00 (as compared to $1500 - $2500 for a new 6' Kubota, Caroni, or First Choice), I think this one was a great deal.

I have been running this one slightly offset to the right, and it only leaves about 4" of the left rear tire track untilled. A full 6' wide tiller would just barely till out the tire tracks. I've tilled a little over an acre with it, with about a third of that new ground that hadn't been broken in 35-40 years and it has performed flawlessly. Some of the ground had rocks bigger than softballs, and it was no problem going over it with one ~4" deep pass and one pass set at maximum depth (about 9-10") - it just ripped those rocks right out of the ground!

-Chuck