suspension seat on Grand-l cab series?

[ttowne66]

Hey Guys

I can't find out much about the seat in the Grand L liteature. Can someone who owns one tell me if it is infact a suspension seat and if so how it compares to Deere's seat. Not a real big deal but I'd like to know. Thanks.


Tom

 

[AntrimMan]

You need to go look at one.
It is a suspension seat in that it is on springs that are adjustable for individual weight loads. There is a lumbar support, is this right, wait I'll be right back, no, no lumbar support. It moves back and forth to accomodate leg length. There are swinging arm rests and a glove box on the back side to hold fuel tickets.
I have no idea how it compares to JD or any other seat.
Again, you really need to go look at one, you don't buy shoes out of a catalog do you? Unless you're like me.

All the best,
Martin

 

[AntrimMan]

Oh dear,
I wasn't looking at a cab model, sorry I may have misled you.
Please go look at one, sit in it, smell it, whatever. It needs to fit you and only you can make that decision. If it's the same as the non cab model then my previous post is correct.

Martin

 

[AB4D]

Tom,

The seat in the Grand L cab is consistent with Martin's description of the seat on the non-cab Grand L. I looked at the seat on my L3430 HSTC and from what I can tell the seat is mounted to a steel plate which is hinged in the front and rides on two small springs in the rear. Where the steel plate is hinged in the front it is attached to a seat base which allows the seat to adjust forward and backwards and to float up and down. Up and down movement is pre-tensioned by two springs that are adjustable through a common screwplate with a front mounted adjustment knob. Up and down movement is also regulated by what looks like a small shock absorber or a gas filled cylinder. I am not sure how this set up compares to the seat on the JD. Hope this answers your question.

Jim

 

[ttowne66]

AB4D

Thanks a bunch my friend. As you may know by my posts I am likely going to purchace the same tractor you have. So the seat is likely not be as nice as the air seat on the Deere. Not a big deal as long is it is comfortable over long periods (4-5 hours) at a time. How do you like the seat so far? Thanks.


Tom


Tom

 

[AB4D]

Tom,

The seat is fairly comfortable, but as others have noticed on some of Kubota's tractors, the seat has somewhat of a forward slope that makes you feel as if the bottom of the seat is leaning forward a little. I believe that I read somewhere a while back that there was some reason for this, but I cannot remember what the reason was or where I read the information. Before you sign on the bottom line, I highly suggest that you try to spent some time just sitting in the seat, at least an half an hour, to determine whether you can live with the "slope". I plan on looking at the seat and seat base on my tractor and maybe trying to raise the front of the seat about an inch. I believe that this type of modification will cure this anomaly.

Have a great new year. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Jim

 

[mark2610d]

I have the L3430HSTC and the seat I think, is very good. It is more than a seat on springs. It has a compressed gas cylinder that asks like a shock absorber to keep the rebound nice and slow when hitting a large bump. I'm almost 240 lbs and I can set the spring tension for my weight so that the seat doesn't bottom out on large bumps. I have spent 7 hours in the seat at one time mowing and never got real tired. The seat also reclines back and slides for leg adjustment as well. You will love the cab.

Mark

 

[SWB]

Definitely sit in and drive the tractor before you buy it. What is comfortable for one person is not for another. If you spend time on a tractor, the seat better be comfortable. I was sure I wanted to buy the L3830 until I sat in the seat and drove it around. I bought a Case DX35 instead because it was far more comfortable for me. The Kubota may be fine for you, but try it before you buy it.

 

[AB4D]

(mark2610d: It is more than a seat on springs. It has a compressed gas cylinder that asks like a shock absorber to keep the rebound nice and slow )

I thought I said that. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

If my previous post implied that the Grand L seat is just "a seat on springs", then I apologize. That was not my intent. I thought I clarified that the seat was adjustible and has a shock asorbing system.

Jim

 

[5030]

I have to throw a wrench into this discussion, well, sort of.

The seat in my old 5030 HSTC (I traded it on a M9) left something to be desired. If I had kept the tractor another year I would have replaced the spring/shock assembly with an air-ride seat base (yes, they are available and with swivel too).

My stock seat in the 5030 was all right, just all right and nothing more. I didn't care for the forward tilt of it, without the safety belt on you felt as though you were going to slide into the steering wheel and while traversing rough ground it was bouncy no matter how I adjusted the weight compensator. The back compartment was nice, the armrests were okay. There was no adjustment for the armrests either up or down and they were of a hard black plastic (grained). Looked like big stoogies (cigars). The seat cover was okay but I immediately put a sheepskin seatcover on it. This wasn't a casual use tractor, I used it for haymaking so I spent long hours in the cab. All in all, the seat was middle of the road, nothing excellent, just average. Like I said, a nice upgrade would be an air ride seat base, or the seat that's in my M9. As soon as I sat in it, there was a difference of night and day. It's a Gramer, air ride (no swivel), adjustable armrests tilt, lumbar nice velour upholstery (no pocket on back). The seat don't swing forward so you couldn't access the back anyway. The M9 is an ag tractor and the sole reason the seat hinges forward on the 5030 is so you can interlock the PTO when you are out of the drivers seat. There is an OPD under the seat that senses weight and if you come out of the seat, the tractor shuts down. If you want to operate the tractor on say a grain leg, you must start the tractor, dismount, walk around the right side, lift the seat and reach in and engage the PTO lever. On the M9 you just engage the PTO, standup and exit the tractor. A buzzer sounds for 15 seconds...that's it. I guess Kubota feels that on a tractor that's expressly ag in use, the OPD is not needed or wanted.

With me, the seat is just as important as all the other bells and whistle. A poor or middle of the road seat can and will make your tractor time less than enjoyable.

If you want to experience a really poor seat, try sitting on/in a Manhindra. The seat is about on par with a church pew. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

On a scale o0f 10, I rate the:
Seat in the 5030 Cab Model- 4
Seat in the M9HDCC3- 9
My Western Star air ride Bostrum- 10+