Kubota L48 HST ---SLOW

[_RaT_]

I agree, high is just for travel only, although I can rarely use it.. Too many hills here to be effective.,. It would be nice if medium was two or so miles per hour faster... As for loader work, and mine has done a lot of it. medium works fine. Again. not much level or near level in my neighborhood, so it works out well. Now that Neil has said it will be getting an upgrade sooner or later,,, I think Kubota and the other tractor mfg's have it figured about the time you pay off the machine, a new design conveniently works it way to the forefront.

You guys are right about the high range being primarily for travel. My biggest issue when I had a L48 was that even a very slight incline killed high range as a usable option. Repeating myself here, but thats just not the case with my L3830 and I assume other L series tractors from Kubota. I found medium to be really nice power wise when going into a pile of dirt since it is geared like most Kubota tractors when they are in low range. The issue was moving my load about 500' in medium. I often shifted to high range which worked fine provided I had no inclines. I still think the L48 needs a fourth range.

 

[MarkV]

I have to assume that High range was geared the way it is to meet the needs of commercial users like utility companies that need to move the tractor on public roads. I have a B21 and a L39, on both I find High range or 11th and 12th gear as useless for anything but road travel.

The B21 with HST sounds to be very similar to the L48 with a large jump in gearing between Medium and High range. A very slight incline can be too much for the tractor to pull in High range. The L39 has 12 forward gears but they are not spaced equally. There is a very noticeable jump in gearing when you shift from 10th to 11th or 12th gear.

As a non commercial user, which does not run on the roads, both of my tractors would be more functional for my uses with different gear spacing. Guess that is the price you pay for the other benefits the TLB series tractors offer.

MarkV

 

[_RaT_]

I have to assume that High range was geared the way it is to meet the needs of commercial users like utility companies that need to move the tractor on public roads. I have a B21 and a L39, on both I find High range or 11th and 12th gear as useless for anything but road travel.

The B21 with HST sounds to be very similar to the L48 with a large jump in gearing between Medium and High range. A very slight incline can be too much for the tractor to pull in High range. The L39 has 12 forward gears but they are not spaced equally. There is a very noticeable jump in gearing when you shift from 10th to 11th or 12th gear.

As a non commercial user, which does not run on the roads, both of my tractors would be more functional for my uses with different gear spacing. Guess that is the price you pay for the other benefits the TLB series tractors offer.

MarkV

No doubt that is a valuable asset on a tractor. I just wonder what would happen if you took it on the road and ecountered a slight hill. You'd be trying to get it back to medium range and that would take you from 16.5 mph down to about 4.5 mph.

 

[mike69440]

I have to assume that High range was geared the way it is to meet the needs of commercial users like utility companies that need to move the tractor on public roads. I have a B21 and a L39, on both I find High range or 11th and 12th gear as useless for anything but road travel.

The B21 with HST sounds to be very similar to the L48 with a large jump in gearing between Medium and High range. A very slight incline can be too much for the tractor to pull in High range. The L39 has 12 forward gears but they are not spaced equally. There is a very noticeable jump in gearing when you shift from 10th to 11th or 12th gear.

As a non commercial user, which does not run on the roads, both of my tractors would be more functional for my uses with different gear spacing. Guess that is the price you pay for the other benefits the TLB series tractors offer.

MarkV

I agree that the L39 gear spacing is not optium

1st should be a bit lower an the lower gears a bit wider spaced.

There is a moderate hill on my dirt road that with a running start I can just hold about 7 Plus mph in 11, but if I go into the hill in 10, redline at abut 6 Plus MPH and shift to 11 my speed drops to 5 Mph or under and 11 will lug, then loose speed. There is a very noticeable jump in gearing when you shift from 10th to 11th or 12th gear.

12th is good only for nearly Flat.

Odd how 12 speeds is not enough.

 

[curtisfarmer]

How did your HST problem play out, I am facing same problem now.