B6100/7100 Parking Brake

   / B6100/7100 Parking Brake #1  

WVBill

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2000
Messages
1,505
Location
Whidbey Island, WA
Tractor
Sold my Kubota B6100 when I moved to WA
I think Bob and Kelvin have B7100s and Bird used to so maybe you or someone else can help.

The parking brake on my B6100DT is set with a little lever that engages a tab on the brake pedal in a toothed section of the lever. It's a 1/4" steel rod only about 4" long and sits on the deck down by my right foot. It's a real pain to have to bend over there and lift up that little handle every time I stop and get off the tractor, especially with gloves on - so most of the time I don't (SAFETY VIOLATION!!). When I have to start wearing winter gloves, it will be impossible to grab it. Also, when I do remember to engage it, I usually forget to disengage it until I feel the drag on the engine.

Here's my question: Is the parking brake on your B7100s the same little lever?

I've been trying to think of some way to add a larger/taller knob to it or something - any ideas?

Thanks

Bill
 
   / B6100/7100 Parking Brake #2  
Sorry, Bill, but I don't have a solution for that one. I'm afraid I was like you, I just very rarely used the parking brake on the B7100 and fortunately they have a better arrangement now on the B2710.

Bird
 
   / B6100/7100 Parking Brake #3  
I have the same arrangement on my B7100. And you're exactly right, it's a bit of a pain to use. I guess I just take it with a grain of salt, though, and use the parking brakes whenever I get off the machine. The B6100/7100 tractors are pretty compact and there really isn't much room to do something very different with the lever. Like you, I've looked at it to try and figure out a way to make it more convenient, and just haven't come across any real viable ideas. On my B7100 the lever is almost against the side of the tractor and moves upward to engage the parking brake. I can move it with heavy gloves on. Does yours move the same.....up to engage the brake?

My solution, since I'm a safe operation freak anyway, is to live with it and always use the parking brake. I knew when I bought the tractor there would be things that I'd like to be different, and those things that I can alter I do, the things I can't.....I live with.

Bob Pence
 
   / B6100/7100 Parking Brake
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Mmmm.. Thanks Bob and Bird. I guess I'll live with it unless I can thunk of something better.
You described it correctly, Bob. The problem is that this little 1/4" round lever handle lays flat on the deck when dis-engaged. I can grab it OK now with my kidskin (or whatever - thin) gloves but I'm not so sure I'll be able to grip it with winter golves. If it were just 1/2" up off the floor, I could get a finger under it.

Thanks anyway...

Bill
 
   / B6100/7100 Parking Brake #5  
Yes Bill the parking brake setup kinda a pain.
I to have forgot many of times to release the parking brake. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

I'm not sure how one could make a new rod with bumping or rubing something else.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
 
   / B6100/7100 Parking Brake #6  
WVBill....I was thinking. Don't laugh too hard, I do get away with it once in a great while.

I believe the brake lever you have described is slightly different than the lever I have on my B7100. Let me see if I can describe how it looks. As the lever comes straight off the plate with the teeth, it bends upward at about a 45 degree angle for an inch, then levels off parallel with the foot rest for 3-4 inches, then at the end it bends down about 45 degrees again. Think of a 2x4 with 45 degree cuts on each end. The top outline of the 2x4 is the shape of the lever. This keeps the body of the lever off the foot rest and allows you to get your fingers under the lever when you want to engage the parking brakes. Not the best set-up in the world, but mostly workable.

Next time you're by a Kubota dealer, ask the parts guys to look up the parking brake lever for a B7100 HST, 1995. The microfiche should show a picture of the part, or maybe they even have a late model B7100 on the used lot you could see. I can't believe that part has changed a whole lot through the years and maybe a newer brake lever was designed to solve your problem. It can't be a very expensive part (OK, I know I should never say that). Maybe the lever on your 6100 could be bent to a similar shape, at least enough to get it off the foot rest so you can grab on to it.

Bob Pence
 
   / B6100/7100 Parking Brake
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Thanks, Bob - I'll give that a try.

I was sort of thinking along those lines. Maybe trying to put a bend in the handle to get it up off the deck. Looks like Kubota thought of that in the later model B7100's.

Before I went bending the thing though, I was going to check the cost of the part to see how much $ I was putting at risk. Now I'll check the cost of the B7100 part and see if I can tell if they're compatible and maybe I won't have to do the bending.

Thanks again
 
 
Top