From MF to Kubota B2920...

[BrierPatch]

When I was about 13, my brother, and I were gathering maple sap along a woods road that was on a hill. Our old Allis Chalmers "C" had a tired battery, and we usually had to plan on letting it roll in second gear, and then releasing the clutch to start it. (Or use the crank, and you know which one was easier) Anyway, I got the bright idea to just leave it in second gear when I parked it to save a step. I wasn't far up the side hill with my sap pails when the tractor decided to take of by itself. I caught up with it quickly, and the ignition was off, so fortunately no harm was done but I did learn a valuable lesson. If the weight of the tractor, and the grade of the slope is enough, it is a very bad idea to leave it without the parking brake engaged, and in it's lowest gear. (couldn't always trust the brakes on that tractor either) I don't think it has anything to do with any fault of any hydrostatic transmission........... just the laws of gravity.

I am hearing disabled, and wear hearing aids so I'm a poor judge, but one of the things that I like about my B2620 is that the hydro is quieter than many other tractors I tried out. Perhaps I just was lucky with mine.

Chuck,

While I appreciate the story, I don't think most people get the right idea out of my concerns for my hst. Sometimes we have heard things so many times that we automatically assume things. I don't WANT to leave my tractor without using the parking brake and this is what I would call a band aid fix if something is wrong with the hst. The real issue is SHOULD the tractor stay still on a slight slope. The fact that none of my other (4 Hydro) tractors roll on a slight slope makes me wonder about my B2620. It also makes it difficult to pull up to the edge of a ravine and dump the loader. I only have one foot and it has to be used for the hst pedal and the brake pedal on the same side. Depending on the slope my tractor can move 4"-8" by the time I can get my foot from the hst pedal to the brake pedal. This was scary the first time I pulled up to the ravine with my 2620 like I had for 6 years with my other tractors and the tractor wanted to continue into the ravine. Once again this has nothing to do with me wanting to stop and get off the tractor and leave it without the parking brake. I have been driving hydrostatic tractors since I was 13, my grandpa had 2 hydro tractors on the farm. I have never had one roll like my 2620. Even my 30-40 year old, 12,000# - 14,000# full size TLB will not roll on a slope. This rolling thing and the ratcheting sound my hst makes, makes me wonder if something is wrong.

Sorry to hijack the thread.

 

[jcaledon]

Jeff,

I have a B2620 and I mow a very steep hill. My tractor does not travel or roll when I release the HST, as you suggest yours does. I too would be concerned if my tractor behaved as yours does, although I agree with Chuck that one should always use the parking brake when off the tractor.

 

[nra4ever]

Hey tompet and anyone else with the newer back hoes that come with the kubota thumb. Nice pics by the way. Did you get a thumb manual with your tractor. I did not and asked for one and was told it was included in the back hoe manual. I looked in the back hoe manual and there is nothing about a thumb. I just wanted to know if there is a manual for the thumb. I have a b3200 and I also have noticed some hydo whine but nothing that makes me worried. Thanks

 

[Smokin Diesel]

And my tractor seems to roll too easy when on a slope and in gear and running. The hst does not seem to be as tight as my other tractors, they would all stand absolutly still. My 2620 if in high gear can move a pretty good pace on a hill if I don't use the parking brake.

Sounds normal, especially in high gear (when the hydro motor has the least leverage on the tires, the tires have the most leverage on the hydro). High range on the B2x20s is probably best for transport only. It's a pretty tall gear and could make a lot of heat if you actually tried to do anything with it.

I was a delivery guy for a lawn & garden shop in my college years, and I never ran across a tractor or mower with a hydrostatic drive that would stay in place on a slope with a neutral pedal. Some were tighter than others, but none stayed put.

 

[ChuckinNH]

Sounds normal, especially in high gear (when the hydro motor has the least leverage on the tires, the tires have the most leverage on the hydro). High range on the B2x20s is probably best for transport only. It's a pretty tall gear and could make a lot of heat if you actually tried to do anything with it.

I guess this is what I was trying to say.

 

[Tompet]

BrierPatch,
I just wondered what your impressions were with a 16" bucket on the BH65 in particular grabbing a root or digging a stump if you felt the wider bucket gives you less leverage than a narrower bucket would. I'm with you on not trenching to tight and allowing working room. It doesn't take long to learn that. I'm sure the 16" is better for grading as you stated. I have a 12" bucket which I said was about same as a MF 10" bucket.
I hope I don't experience your ratcheting sound. I haven't noticed hst rolling easily at stops as you describe.
As for the HST whine, I do think the rpm's where it occurs is odd and my frame of reference being the GC2310 Iseki never whined in any situation so this just really caught my attention.
Thanks for your input. TP

 

[Tompet]

nra4ever,
I don't think there is a manual for the thumb (maybe a dealer refernce sheet?) and in the manual it just makes reference it's an option. I think you pick up how to use just by experimenting with it in different positions. I'm glad I got it.
TP

 

[BrierPatch]

I do believe a narrower bucket would work better for digging roots. I have seen guys on here that have what I would call a root ripper and it is basically just a big tooth hook. The smaller the bite the more force you can concentrate on that point. With the single tooth root ripper you are only breaking the root in one spot. With my 16" bucket sometimes I am breaking the root in two spots, one on each side of the bucket. I have noticed that I get quite a bit of over dig when trying to cut roots out, which is when I want as small of hole as possible in the yard. If I have a 12" diameter stump to take out and I have to be out 2' from it to be able to break the roots and then my bucket is another 1'4" out from there I end up with a hole with almost an 8' diameter, not very desirable in the front yard.

So I guess all in all, some projects I have to dig a little more and some projects I don't have to dig as much. I think your 12" bucket will be very good for a "do it all". I guess we all wish we had a bucket specific to the task at hand, but we make what we have work.

 

[Tompet]

Well, I got to put BH to use this past weekend. The tractor performed great.
First I thought sump had a clogged impeller or suction leak at base...that was ok. Then ran a temp. line late Thursday to keep basement dry and was glad I had a BH for this project. After several test holes and then snaking line, I found a problem. There's two types of moles around here, a large and a smaller species. The larger one either found a crack in old fitting or came up from far end and got stuck at a restriction and became a cork in the line!
Rather than patch fifty year old line, decided to place new (50 ft) run in a different position and remove old line...BH thumb was great for that. Front yard already was tore up from replacing a septic line last Nov., so I was glad I didn't clean up that mess till now. Jambx...some photos for ya.

I removed BH for first time to borrow a friend's tiller and no HST whining with BH off! Put it back on and the whine was back the same. I'm getting used to the noisy HST, but I just want to make sure it is not a problem. Any opinions?

 

[devildog1]

Hello tompet,
great photos of your projects, we, I mean I do love to view the project photos from start to finish. By judging from your photos you shre have got the hang of your backhoe, trench is sooooo nice and straight. Enjoy your new Kubota, It's quite the machine.
DevilDog