40 series compared to 60 series and Tier4

   / 40 series compared to 60 series and Tier4 #1  
EddieWalker

EddieWalker

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Are the 40 series tractors Tier3 and are all the 60 series tractors Tier4? Would a 2012 7060 Kubota tractor be Tier4 even though it's a 2012 tractor?

I'm just assuming that every 60 series Kubota is Tier4. Is there something on the engine to look for to see if it's Tier4? Is there a label anywhere on the tractor that says it's Tier4?

I want to avoid all the new smog stuff and I'm hoping for some simple advice on what to look for when looking at used Kubota tractors.

Thank you.
 
   / 40 series compared to 60 series and Tier4 #2  
Yes, a 7060 is tier 4. This "new" series was introduced for that change. If you look at engine you will see the giant DPF muffler on tier 4 engines.

That's the catch.....you either get good and reliable in an old tractor, or you get a pretty new one with all the nice new features and deal with regens, LOL
 
   / 40 series compared to 60 series and Tier4 #3  
   / 40 series compared to 60 series and Tier4 #5  
You may need to do a little digging. I don't think tractors were required a DPF until 2014. That 2012 may have met tier 4 requirements for 2012 but those requirements were not the same as tier 4 today. Consequently there may have been no DPF or computer on the 2012 tractor. Current requirements are for tractors above 25 hp to have DPF, etc. They don't retrofit older equipment. It's like cars - ones built before 1975 have no catalytic converter and didn't need unleaded gas. Those are becoming more scarce as the years go by.
 
   / 40 series compared to 60 series and Tier4 #6  
Every M7060 brochure I have since they came out shows a DPF.

It's the same with the Grand L60 series......they all had DPF's from the day they came out.
 
   / 40 series compared to 60 series and Tier4 #7  
I'm just assuming that every 60 series Kubota is Tier4.

Stricter Tier IV off-road diesel engine emission reduction standards phased in dealer tractor inventory during 2009 - 2012.

The /40 series changed to the /60 series with the addition of Tier IV paraphernalia.
 
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   / 40 series compared to 60 series and Tier4 #8  
Everyone has their reasons for wanting to avoid tier 4 regulations. I'll admit, I looked at replacing my 2007 L3430 early to do so. Unfortunately, I couldn't fit it in the budget at the time.

By the time I finally did trade the 3430 in 2018, tractors without tier 4 equipment were few and far between. my current MX5800 and L6060 both have DPF filters and to be honest, IMO, the tier 4 "scare" was a tempest in a teapot. The regen cycles on the new machines happen every 50-100 hours, depending on how the machine is being used. Most of the time, they happen while I'm working the tractor. A little smell and a bit of smoke are the only indications and if it weren't for the dash lights, I wouldn't notice at all. I don't see any reduction in performance while the regen is in progress.

I'm sure others will differ but IMO, I'll take a tier 4 tractor, with all the new features, over an older model any day.

I might have a different opinion were I to put 2000+ hours on a tier 4 tractor. Repairs on tier 4 equipment can be costly.
 
   / 40 series compared to 60 series and Tier4 #9  
My experience with regen on my L6060 is also that it is a non event. Other than the instrument panel indications, you would never know that it’s regenerating.
I find the additional features to be an easy trade off. The computer controlled common rail injection is very efficient, it just sips fuel, even when working hard.
 
   / 40 series compared to 60 series and Tier4 #10  
EddieWalker said:
Are the 40 series tractors Tier3 and are all the 60 series tractors Tier4? Would a 2012 7060 Kubota tractor be Tier4 even though it's a 2012 tractor?

I'm just assuming that every 60 series Kubota is Tier4. Is there something on the engine to look for to see if it's Tier4? Is there a label anywhere on the tractor that says it's Tier4?

I want to avoid all the new smog stuff and I'm hoping for some simple advice on what to look for when looking at used Kubota tractors.

Thank you.
Click to expand...

It's just not that easy. You know that tractors aren't built by year but by model. So the 40 were built early on and then sold 2007 to about 2012 which would make them Interim Tier 4 not Tier 3. Tiers 1 thru 3 were earlier than 2007... maybe that is what you are really looking for.

Interim Tier4 (roughly 2007-2012) was a way to get around the regulations for a few years before the 60 series which was true Tier IV. Those Interim Tier4 in 2007 didn't have the DPF and computers, but they did have Indirect Injection, retarded timing, and some had an EGR valve setup that let them get around the new Full Tier4 regs that were on the horizon at the time. So the Interim Tier4 tractors didn't have all the latest pollution control systems, common rail, and Direct Injection with computer controlled injectors, but that doesn't mean they run quite like vintage diesels do.

Interim Tier4 (again, roughly 2007-2012) run clean at any constant RPM, but throw out a lot of smoke & stink when not up to temperature or when changing speed or load even after they are properly warmed up because the ones with EGR doesn't kick in until the engine is full warm.

That makes Interim Tier4 machines with EGRs fine for constant RPM field work - they burn nice and clean and efficiently doing that kind of work. But if you were to be doing a lot of back and forth loader work or working rough land requiring lots of speed and load changes then you may find that Tier4 Interims with EGR use a lot of fuel & the require you to have some tolerance for fumes & smoke.

So if you want an old style simple diesel, get a pre-2007 16 speed and use it. It may well last for decades yet with simple maintenance - I think you already know that.
Otherwise in later ones you get some degree of pollution control depending on the year - and some compromises. But not all bad. Some folks get good performance with their newer large tractors in full Tier4 and don't even notice the pollution control. New ones working right sure do burn a lot cleaner and stink less and cost more.
rScotty
 
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