Kubota G2160 DirectShoot

[Anonymous Poster]

I am borrowing a Kubota G2160-R48S DirectShoot lawn tractor for test in my environment.

Has anyone here used one of these? Is there anything I should know?
I like the 12 bushel collection system that dumps from the seat via hydraulics. I haven't found anything like it. It makes mowing quick, less messy, and effortless. I dump the clippings in a remote area of our property for composting.

I'm interested in feedback.

-Thanks, Mark

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Hope you get some feedback on this. I've been looking at them too. Looks like a good tractor but I'm wondering how trouble prone the collection system might be down the road. Without it you'd be kicking grass (and debris) out behind the mower........

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Good point. The collection system is what differenciates this model from the regular G2160. The regular G2160 has an optional 9.75 bushel side discharge bagger unit which is more inline with what all the other makers have (CubCadet, JohnDeere, Ariens, etc.). I like the not having to pull out messy bags especially this time of year now that the bulky leaves are getting picked up. The DirectShoot collection systems is actually pretty simple. The deck is just like any other side discharge unit made by any maker except the discharge hole is facing to the rear. The bagger is essentially a heavy mesh fabric with think rubber on wear areas and a think steel frame with a steel belly pan. The dump mechnaism is a simple hydraulic piston and a couple steel catches. I feel that the longevity of this is no more that the deck itself with the only exception possibly being the bag material. If I decide this tractor is for me I will price out a replacement bag.

The DirectShoot works very well. The collection system is very efficient and dumping is not only done from the seat but there are two cleanout levers (both reachable from the seat as well) to get the extra grass from the deck discharge and bag chute out also.

I asked the dealer about being able to tow a small trailer for bark mulch and such like the non-DirectShoot G2160s since this one has the bag unit. He told me a pin hitch can be welded to the rear for this for less than $100. The bagger comes off very easily for this as well as storage. There is a springloaded lock on each side of the bag which pull out and then the bag comes off to the rear leaving the hydraulic piston with the tractor. Very nice.

The tractor itself is very sharp. The engine is diesel, fuel efficient, and very quiet. The mower is quieter than the Scag 48" I just tried out. The exhaust is pointed to the front and down low so as not to smoke out the operator. There is no smoke unlike the Scag which had a 14hp Kawasaki 4-stroke gas motor. I had to double check the Scag because it was smoking like a chimney. The Kubota has a whopping 21hp which is probably overkill as diesels are about low RPM torque so they are typically less HP than the equitable gasoline engine. There is no clutch or shifter on this tractor as it is a hydrostratic transmisstion. It is rear wheel drive and I had no turfing or traction problems on any of the wet hills in my yard. The deck is shaft drive so there is no drive belt to slip. There is a blade belt but it is hexagonal as opposed to the V-belts so less of a twisting factor. The tractor also will drive a front mounted blade, brush, or 2-stage snow blower. The deck is hydraulically lifted.

Overall I don't feel this rig will have any big flaws. It seems well thought out and well built. It is feature rich and simple to operate. Even my wife can run this unit and I would feel she was safe doing it. There is an engine stop switch under the seat so if the blade is engaged or the tractor brake is not set and you get up the engine stops. I think the deck stops if you use the bag dumper. If you back up with the deck running the engine stops unless you press the override button on the dash. The power steering is wonderful and makes the tight almost zero turns easy.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Does the cutting deck remove easily, or is it rather troublesome? Also, how is the quality of cut?

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Dano, the cut was excellent. I will try a test cut again tomorrow for sure but the initial run was super with great vacuum and pickup. The TONS of maple, oak, and other leaves are so thick here no green grass shows through, multiple layers. On top of that the lawn has not been mowed in about a month and a half so it is very shaggy. The perfect test spot for cut and collection I must say.

As for the deck, it is hydraulically actuated, no big springs here. The action is smooth and quick whether going up or down and the control is right at your hand on the left fender.

Today I had a chance to stop at a John Deere dealership. I want to make sure I understand what is out on the market before purchase. I have to say that the Kubota DirectShoot has ruined me and the bar is set high now. The JD tractors are much cheaper and I have to give that consideration as I am not a wealthy guy. However, it is comparing apples and oranges. The Kubota is made of heavy guage metal, long life diesel, hydraulically actuated dump and deck, shaft drive for the tractor and the deck, etc. It is made to commercial tractor standards. Small things that go askew and need playing with over time on lesser tractors like bolts, pins, linkages, shafts, and the like are heavy duty on the Kubota.

So, back to the JD's. I liked the rear discharge design and JD has one too. It comes on the LTR166. it is about 60% cheaper but you get what you pay for, again apples and oranges. Belt drive, cheaper metal and plastic quality, the rear hopper is opened (in the showroom anyway) by two pistons (like a hatchback window on a car but very tiny diameter), there are no chute cleanouts, etc. Looking up the line are the GT300+ series which are beefier than the wee little LTR but the air cooled v-twin with belt drive is one of several reasons for the price bracket.

Understand the I am looking to purchase once and not look back with frustration. More so in this comparison phase are issues like collection and storage footprint which are critical for me.

I wish there was more feedback here and I did not find any reviews of the Kubota anywhere online.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Isn"t that the same type setup as the grasshopper mowers use? I know you'd have to compare specs., but might be worth looking at.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

none, I assume you are refering to the dumping hopper collection system (Grasshopper). I had thought that the Scag zero-turn front mount mower was the way to go for my purposes. I didn't like the $8,000+ pricing simply to ride around so I tried the walk behind version with a skulkie wheel to stand on. It was a great cut and low price but high quality construction. Unfortunately the collection system, or lack thereof, ruined that idea. So, I went back to the Scag dealer and viewed their Cougar rider which has the dump hopper which I imagine is the same type of setup as the Grasshopper, Kubota ZD/GF, and other front or mid mount riding commercial type mowers. The problem with all of these units is that while they are very nice the price is 8-12K without the dump hopper collection system and the footprint is more than I have to spare in the garage and it only mows grass (at least a tractor can snow blow and pull a trailer).

So, you can see the Grasshopper, while a fine machine, is not as versitle as a garden tractor and comes at a steep cost. In fact, for the home owner, a sub-compact tractor would be the better buy if a $10,000 budget was in the cards simply because there are many jobs the sub-compact can handle that a mower cannot. While I hate to keep praising Kubota ( I don't own one) their BX1800/BX2200 sub-compact is a smart move for them. The little BX tractor is very versatle, built like a real full tractor, and comes at a cheaper price than the competing John Deere 455. I think a lot of home owners are going to get a sub-compact now instead of the lightwieght belt drive garden machines of yesteryear design.

Anyway, none brought up a good refernce to the Grasshopper dump collection system. I just wish it came at a more affordable price. I have seen a dumping collection system that 3-point attaches to a compact tractor made by John Deere for their 790 tractor too.

 

[SPaulsen]

I was doing a search and saw your post. I purchased the G2160 last year and found it to be everything the dealer said it would be. It used to take approximately 10-12 hours to mow my finish lawn. With the G2160 it only takes 2-3 hours. The biggest time saver is not having to dump the clippings. I only have to do it 3-4 times. The hydralics are a nice too. The lawn cut is excellent in addition to you can get close on both sides of the mower deck. I have zero clogging problems as you do with traditional chutes to the bags. Kubota designed a neat clean out mechanism if you do clog. You dont even get off the mower to clear it or dump the hopper.
Though pricey, I have found it worthwhile based upon time management. More time to do other things instead of spending countless hours mowing.