NEED OPINIONS ON KUBOTA PURCHASE

[Muleskinner]

Okay folks. I need your educated opinions on purchasing a new Kubota for my tractor business. I am attempting to choose between a L5030 with an HST trans and a M9000. (turbocharged) Also the creeper gear option.

This tractor will be used for grading roads, building new roads where a dozer is not required, and grading house pads.

I will continue to use my B7800 for the small stuff, but I'm expanding the business. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[stevenf]

Muleskinner all I know anything about is the M9000, I took delivery on it in November and only have 55 hours on it but the M9000 has plenty of power to do what your needing to do road grader wise. I'm not sure the creeper option is needed you might get on an M9000 in Low Low with the standard 8f 8r tranny as I'm grading with a 84" woods box blade the extreme duty one it weighs something like 1200lbs or so. I'm grading about 3/4 mile of county crushed limestone road and unlimited on the ranch dirt roads and most of it I do in Low 2nd gear so going slower is still possible. I don't have any idea what the option cost as I remember it is field installed by your dealer. Also I have driven mine to the dealership for its 50 hour service and back on the road 17.5 miles oneway on asphalt and I don't believe I'd have wanted to go any faster either.
Steve

 

[Muleskinner]

Steve:

I appreciate the response. How do you like the turbo? Even though I am an avid Kubota customer, I want to compare with John Deere, Ford, Case, Etc, Etc. I looked at a M4900 in for service at my dealer today. Nice tractor, but it did not seem as "Heavy" built as a Deere, Ford, Etc. I'm concerned that the M series will be heavy duty enough to do construction grading work Etc. I would rather by a Kubota, but I want to get a strong unit. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

My dealer recommended an L series, but I believe that is still considered a compact tractor?

 

[_RaT_]

When you build a pad, what tool do you use? I am currently doing that with my L3830 and a 72" and fairly stout boxscraper. To quickly peel off the sod, I like to cut it with the box blade in reverse. It does a superb job but it's not something I would want to do day in and day out. Obviously the stress on the lower links is tremendous and would be a concern on anything not built with some meat in it. I know the compact Deeres like the 4310 and 4410 have the lower links tied into aluminum and there have been reported failures. My point being, make sure whatever you get has a nice beefy lower link set up. This would be especially true with a boxscraper. I cut and moved the organic material on as much as 3' to close to zero on a 47X30 pad going over that size by about 5' today. The L3830 HST works great but for a business, it would definitely be slower then I think you would want to go. I had a L48 that was rather remarkably in that area. It had the beef and the power, same engine as the L5030 but a much stronger loader. Rat.

 

[stevenf]

Muleskinner
I wonder does your nickname have anything to do with working mules or just a cool nickname as we are raising them on the ranch and I just finished my christmas shopping for last year as I promised my honey I'd find her a good one I stumbled on a pair of amish harness mules and bought them both and am going to train them for saddles. I've got a post under rural living with their pictures.
To answer your turbo question I don't know I rarely hear it running up even on the first cut on the dirt roads in very rocky soil with the rippers down and the blade angled all I know is that I just keep it pointed where I want to go and it doesn't complain it just goes. I've pushed over some pretty good size cedars (8"+) with the grapple and then picked them up and stacked them for burning. I also moved a 1000cu yards of dirt 100yds+ with nothing but the loader bucket and h&h toothbar completed in 4 short fun filled days. The jobs that I've put it to so far would never have been possible with my dads old 2wd ford with loader it would have just stopped and spun, this thing with the urethane filled tires doesn't even slow down its more of a concern to stop and backup before I drive over the trees than whether it'll push them over, the Hydro is great.
Steve

 

[WhiteRock]

Muleskinner, I have an M9000 Hydraulic shuttle w/cab that I deployed in December and have about 30 hrs under my belt on it. I have been using it in a clearing capacity, but have also dug a pond with it. The turbo/intercooled engine on the M9000 has great torque and a good torque rise. I think it is one tough tractor. Its hard for me to view as not being heavy built. However, I can't compare it with other brands.

When the models are matched, Kubota seems to come in a little light. If you read their comparison data, they think this is an advantage because you can add weight, but can't take it off. For my use, I want weight, so I understand your desire for weight. Sounds like you may move your tractor configuration. With a loader and a heavy implement you will likely be in the 10,000 - 12,000 lb range. For me, I would have to beef up my hauling capability.

I can't image you breaking a M9000 doing what you've described.

The engine is very quiet and I am unable to hear the turbo spool up. However when I've been running pretty hard, I let it idle about 5 minutes before shutdown for turbo cooling and to prevent turbo coking.

I don't have the creeper gear, but I think the creeper gear will cost about $1000 + close to that much in labor to install it. At rated engine rpm, it will give you 4 more F/R gears ranging from .85 mph to 2.7 mph in forward. Isn't this to slow? If you change from the creeper gear, you have to stop.

I hope this helps.

 

[jhbusa]

I have a new L5030 and about 1/2 mile of road to scrape. About 1/2 of it on hills. I can tell you the L5030 with a heavy box blade (I have a bush hog RBX720) is plenty heavy duty. It's not a dozer but works just fine. I've cut / scraped and leveled about 100 yards of the road so far (on hill too) and never knew I was pulling anything. I've cut gaps across creeks with the scarers and hardly knew they were in the ground. This is all during the first 25 hours and using about 1/2 - 2/3 the rated RPM. I can't wait to see the damage (I mean work) it can do when I open it up.

I'm not familiar with an M9000, but I can tell you the L5030 will work pretty well for this type chore.

 

[Muleskinner]

My wife and I both have riding mules, along with horses. We are regulars at the "Bishop mule days." /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Muleskinner]

I appreciate the replies. I am going to look at both units before I decide. I might even go talk to owners and see how they like the machines.

 

[stevenf]

If you get down to this part of Texas pm me and you can come out to the house and drive my baby around with the implements in place and make a road to see what you think. Its nice to meet another mule man as they are not the most popular mount around here as a matter of fact darn rare might be a better description.
Steve