Kubota F series

[jcummins]

JOHNTHOMAS...that helps a lot. Thank you. For my purpose the F series may be the best solution currently on the market...now figuring out how I can afford it. I like the idea of that rear discharge to. I've ate up the chute cover on this ZD326 trying to trim close. Also on a windy day, and mowing wrong with the wind, I'll get covered in grass.

Your invite kind of sounds like what I do. I invite people out all the time to fish. Rule is you catch a fish, you mow an acre. I've had no takers. With you, bring your mower, you can catch all you want and I'll do all the mowing for you. At 4 1/2 hours away you are a tad to far for a test ride, but appreciate the offer.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

JOHNTHOMAS...that helps a lot. Thank you. For my purpose the F series may be the best solution currently on the market...now figuring out how I can afford it. I like the idea of that rear discharge to. I've ate up the chute cover on this ZD326 trying to trim close. Also on a windy day, and mowing wrong with the wind, I'll get covered in grass.

Your invite kind of sounds like what I do. I invite people out all the time to fish. Rule is you catch a fish, you mow an acre. I've had no takers. With you, bring your mower, you can catch all you want and I'll do all the mowing for you. At 4 1/2 hours away you are a tad to far for a test ride, but appreciate the offer.

Contact Barlows about trading your Z for an F. The Fs don't have the longer term (60 mo) for 0% interest like the other models but they do have 60 months for a lower rate, 36 mo 0%. 4 1/2 hours for them would be a short trip. I live near Lake Cumberland and we have a car show every month that makes the trip worthwhile for some. Somernites Cruise - Home
Barlows has my used F2680e 60" rear discharge about 130 hours, or they did a couple of weeks ago when I was there. They are asking $10500 for it. Fill the tires and it might work for you. Maybe trade your Z to it.

 

[jcummins]

Yes, saw your earlier post on your F2680e. From the study I've done, I wouldn't consider anything less than a F3080 72" read discharge.

 

[IvanS]

I just went out and checked the bank behind my pool with an electronic protractor (my smart phone) - it's 25 degrees plus/minus - I mow it up, down or across with my F2260 - four wheel drive with the optional wide tire set. I don't do it when the grass is really wet, but a little damp is okay. I can't say enough about where that F-Series will go. I've had other folks mow that pool bank and they are truly amazed how stable it feels even mowing across the hill. I wouldn't even want to try that hill with a zero turn as the hill has a changing contour - think shaped like a cone.

 

[Xfaxman]

You definitely need 4WD. I mowed a darn dam with this one, no problem. Same darn dam that I rolled a Wheel Horse rider on.

TORO 72" 4WD

 

[pharmer phred]

Does the weight of the mower out front tend to pull the mower downhill when mowing across the hillside? I'm looking at buying an F3080, but am not sure about using it on my steep lawn.

 

[IvanS]

Absolutely not on my 60" cut, can't speak to the larger ones. Mine is as stable as you could want, it has a very low center of gravity, these things are not simply lawn mowers by any stretch of the imagination, if look closely at the F series you will see it is basically a tractor running backwards with smaller diameter rear tires installed. I'd say it's about equivalent to a smaller B series tractor in it's core construction.

 

[Xfaxman]

Does the weight of the mower out front tend to pull the mower downhill when mowing across the hillside? I'm looking at buying an F3080, but am not sure about using it on my steep lawn.

No. The deck is light compared to the diesel motor in the rear. The TORO Groundsmaster is the same basic design as the Kubota F series. TORO has been making this design for about 43 years, so it is a good machine.

If you are mowing across the hillside with a 2WD, the rear will tend to slide downhill and the uphill wheel will lose traction.

At least that is what this 2WD did.


With the 4WD, it just went along the dam, never spinning a wheel.

 

[willi67]

One thing I did not like about the Kubota F series was the turf tires, no traction in the wet,
looked for something better but could not find it in that size, however since then I have come across this pic (not mine)
of a John Deere set up for hillside mowing with what look like HDAP tires, don't know if you can get them for a Kubota F.
I have seen Kubotas with bar treads on the front though.
IvanS, what tires do you run? I was not aware of a wide tire option

 

[IvanS]

I'm not at the house right now, so can't give the specifics. My unit is 13 years old - the F2260 was offered with a wide tire option (I think 2" wider) and mine has that. They are turf type tires and will slip if it's really wet, I just mow the other parts of the yard until the steepest parts of the hill are drier. It does not have to be completely dry - but if it's real wet I don't do the big hills.