MessickFarmEqu
Super Member
Okay... here is a quick run down from the dealer meeting. First - there are no pictures. There where signs everywhere telling us no to take any. I do have literature, it'll post its contents on our site eventually.
1st - new ZD's. New styling, much more hydraulic flow through the transmission at lower pressures for better reliability. Also has higher ground speed and a deeper mower deck. I did not know this, but Kubota has near a 60% market share with diesel zero turns, thats insane considering all the competition. There was a sizable price increase to the larger models, the smaller remain about the same.
2nd - B26. AWESOME! This machine is sure to sell. Higher loader lift, 8ft curved boom backhoe, great fit and finish. Comes standard with a universal quick coupler, has options for top and tilt, hydraulic thumb, QA buckets, etc. Will be a landscapers dream machine. Like the B21, its not cheap compared to a standard compact tractor. However for some applications its clearly a great choice and worlds better than any of the competition in this segment.
3nd - New L40's. The big change here is a very new transmission taking the best from Deere, New Holland and adding some kubota flare. It took them 3 years to work out exactly how all this works. First, it has a pedal sensitivity control (offered by Deere, not NH). One setting makes it coast more, the other makes it very responsive. Next setting is a stall guard that keeps the transmission from stalling the tractor. (offered by Deere, not by NH). 3rd setting is a electronic high/low for each range. This is offered by NH on the TC35-40, but not by Deere. This effectivly gives you a 2x3 range hydro where you can switch between speed or torque. The transission is very smooth. I plowed our parking lots using a TC40 last year and loved this feature, however Kubota added an option to make this automatic. So in a loader applicaiton you can be in high range and once you hit the pile it downshifts on its own. Once your out of the pile and moving it jumps right back to high again. I would have liked to see this on the loader stick, but its on the dash instead - probably because they now offer a 3rd function kit out the front that uses buttons on the loader stick. Lastly there is a function to make the tractor drive like an RTV900. The throttle and hydrostatic get linked together. I knew this was comming, but in practice its cooler than I thought. it seems useful for other things besides just traveling. All of this stuff in conjunction (auto throttle, duel speed, stall-guard) all work together to make an amazing transmission for loader work. As complex as this all sounds, the adjustments are very easy and most of them will be just turned on and left in place. As for the tractor, there are some stying changes, a new cab w/ right hand console, better seat, improved pedal layout, automotive like headlight and turn-signal controls, and the new 50, 52 and 57 Hp models are all turbo charged, loader valve is factory installed on all machines and can be plumbed out the rear if your not using a loader. The entire machine IS STILL METAL . Alot of changes, there is some cost increase - but more along of the lines of a yearly cost of business increase - not as much as you would expect considering all the new featuers. All of this stuff is standard equipment - no upcharges for each option like our green friends.
My biggest concern with this was all the electronics. All the sensors appear to be easily accessable on the outside of the tractor. If there is an issue with part of it, the intilipanel says exactly whats happening - you do not need a laptop or cryptic code book to diagnose an issue. It the tractor says a pressure sensor goes out, it looks like it should not take more than 30 minutes to put on a new one. There is no engine managment, fuel injection or any of that stuff. Its just the tranny thats electronic. There will still be DT and GST options available at approx the same cost differential as in the past.
4 - RTV1100. New RTV - 25 Hp with factory installed heat and air conditioning. Kubota is the only company selling anything like this right now. The machine won't ship for awhile and what we saw where prototypes. The dash layout is great, the machine feels more like a truck inside than it does a UTV. The cab is built to the same standards as the tractors. It also has a unibody frame which makes things much more rigid. Pricing is surprising as well, should retail around $15000.
5 - New M108X / M108X. This is just the standard M105 with a new engine that meets Teir 3 emmissions. It has full electronic fuel injection and a system that recycles some of the exaust. It gets about 10% better fuel consumption and more torque.
6 - K080. New 8 ton excavator. Not of much interest to people here, but this is a beast as well. Looks just like a KX161, but but enough that you can drive that 161 under the boom of the new machine. Standout features are standard duel remotes with flow control, a security system, and auto-shift hydraulic motors.
Thats about all that jumps to mind right now. There are varied ship dates for this stuff. Some of it will come very soon - the L's have already been in production for awhile, the ZD's should ship well before spring, The RTV1100 is awhile off still.
1st - new ZD's. New styling, much more hydraulic flow through the transmission at lower pressures for better reliability. Also has higher ground speed and a deeper mower deck. I did not know this, but Kubota has near a 60% market share with diesel zero turns, thats insane considering all the competition. There was a sizable price increase to the larger models, the smaller remain about the same.
2nd - B26. AWESOME! This machine is sure to sell. Higher loader lift, 8ft curved boom backhoe, great fit and finish. Comes standard with a universal quick coupler, has options for top and tilt, hydraulic thumb, QA buckets, etc. Will be a landscapers dream machine. Like the B21, its not cheap compared to a standard compact tractor. However for some applications its clearly a great choice and worlds better than any of the competition in this segment.
3nd - New L40's. The big change here is a very new transmission taking the best from Deere, New Holland and adding some kubota flare. It took them 3 years to work out exactly how all this works. First, it has a pedal sensitivity control (offered by Deere, not NH). One setting makes it coast more, the other makes it very responsive. Next setting is a stall guard that keeps the transmission from stalling the tractor. (offered by Deere, not by NH). 3rd setting is a electronic high/low for each range. This is offered by NH on the TC35-40, but not by Deere. This effectivly gives you a 2x3 range hydro where you can switch between speed or torque. The transission is very smooth. I plowed our parking lots using a TC40 last year and loved this feature, however Kubota added an option to make this automatic. So in a loader applicaiton you can be in high range and once you hit the pile it downshifts on its own. Once your out of the pile and moving it jumps right back to high again. I would have liked to see this on the loader stick, but its on the dash instead - probably because they now offer a 3rd function kit out the front that uses buttons on the loader stick. Lastly there is a function to make the tractor drive like an RTV900. The throttle and hydrostatic get linked together. I knew this was comming, but in practice its cooler than I thought. it seems useful for other things besides just traveling. All of this stuff in conjunction (auto throttle, duel speed, stall-guard) all work together to make an amazing transmission for loader work. As complex as this all sounds, the adjustments are very easy and most of them will be just turned on and left in place. As for the tractor, there are some stying changes, a new cab w/ right hand console, better seat, improved pedal layout, automotive like headlight and turn-signal controls, and the new 50, 52 and 57 Hp models are all turbo charged, loader valve is factory installed on all machines and can be plumbed out the rear if your not using a loader. The entire machine IS STILL METAL . Alot of changes, there is some cost increase - but more along of the lines of a yearly cost of business increase - not as much as you would expect considering all the new featuers. All of this stuff is standard equipment - no upcharges for each option like our green friends.
My biggest concern with this was all the electronics. All the sensors appear to be easily accessable on the outside of the tractor. If there is an issue with part of it, the intilipanel says exactly whats happening - you do not need a laptop or cryptic code book to diagnose an issue. It the tractor says a pressure sensor goes out, it looks like it should not take more than 30 minutes to put on a new one. There is no engine managment, fuel injection or any of that stuff. Its just the tranny thats electronic. There will still be DT and GST options available at approx the same cost differential as in the past.
4 - RTV1100. New RTV - 25 Hp with factory installed heat and air conditioning. Kubota is the only company selling anything like this right now. The machine won't ship for awhile and what we saw where prototypes. The dash layout is great, the machine feels more like a truck inside than it does a UTV. The cab is built to the same standards as the tractors. It also has a unibody frame which makes things much more rigid. Pricing is surprising as well, should retail around $15000.
5 - New M108X / M108X. This is just the standard M105 with a new engine that meets Teir 3 emmissions. It has full electronic fuel injection and a system that recycles some of the exaust. It gets about 10% better fuel consumption and more torque.
6 - K080. New 8 ton excavator. Not of much interest to people here, but this is a beast as well. Looks just like a KX161, but but enough that you can drive that 161 under the boom of the new machine. Standout features are standard duel remotes with flow control, a security system, and auto-shift hydraulic motors.
Thats about all that jumps to mind right now. There are varied ship dates for this stuff. Some of it will come very soon - the L's have already been in production for awhile, the ZD's should ship well before spring, The RTV1100 is awhile off still.