Rought Ride

[JethroB]

When I purchased my open station Kubota L5460 a couple of years ago I asked the sales manager about the air ride seat upgrade. $800+ ouch. I passed. My understanding from him (and I believe mentioned by others in similar threads) was that only the suspension seat base would be swapped for the air ride base. The vinyl factory seat itself would remain. At 200 lbs I don’t experience the bottoming out issue at all. But coming from a 45 year old MF 135 with only 4 inches of foam to the standard Kubota suspension seat was wonderful. I did notice immediately that the rocking motion on the Kubota was magnified over the MF due to the platforms height vs. straddling the transmission on the 135. I’m happy so far.

 

[Oldpath05]

Holy smoke over $1000.00 for air ride seat, I'll use grandmas feather pillow first. Wonder what farmers back 60 70 years ago did about their tractor ride.........

 

[fried1765]

Holy smoke over $1000.00 for air ride seat, I'll use grandmas feather pillow first. Wonder what farmers back 60 70 years ago did about their tractor ride.........

My 69 year old 8N still has it's original (non air ride) seat.
The 8N rides like a tractor!

 

[big bubba]

Holy smoke over $1000.00 for air ride seat, I'll use grandmas feather pillow first. Wonder what farmers back 60 70 years ago did about their tractor ride.........

probably dead at our age. but tougher & lived a healthier life

 

[kthompson]

Those old metal pan seats were the best design for a seat, have you ever noticed your but is not flat like the modern tractor seat is? If you want a comfortable seat for hours of sitting find one of the old craved wooden chairs, no cushion in them but your weight is shared by more of your butt than any flat seat. One problem with the Kubota seat in the L is just not well designed seat suspension. It does not have strong enough springs and if you are on rough ground it gives too easy allowing you to be bouncing around until it hits a HARD BOTTOM. My L is my third Kubota. Have also had a Case (about 45 hp no idea the model number) a JD 5525 a true farm tractor and of them along with my Kubota B2710 and M6800 by far the L seat is the worst, the only seat have complained about for ride. My mechanical ride seat was weak enough the system would bounce hitting both the right side control panel and the left side holder behind the seat. It did not take road speeds at all for that either.

Yesterday afternoon got my first real use of the tractor since installing Kubota's air ride seat. MUCH MUCH BETTER. Was not the ride my JD 5525 air ride is but not the size or weight of that tractor, yet a major improvement. The indicator showed to be about 70% of the max pressure and it was a firm ride with little give of the suspension but a much better ride. The few inches the mechanical travels to hit that sudden stop was terrible. No doubt there as good or better systems that Kubota's air ride is, but in you looking be sure you don't miss how tight that cab is.

 

[Oldpath05]

Ain't it funny how the comfort level changes with age, I grew up on a 46 Case, seat was fine to me 40 years ago.
The ole ole well known classic 8N with air ride seat, I need to drive one just to remind me how much of a wuss I become.

https://antiquetractorblog.com/2015/05/25/why-i-love-the-8n-ford/

 

[foggy1111]

I just spent 4 days in the hospital for a blood infection. Out now.....and somewhat ready to get back to work. Still got a Picc line in.....so I can get some meds that-a-way.

This seat deal has me pretty pissed off. Drove my tractor the other day.....and it shakes me to the core. Gonna see what I can do to make it reasonable.....but I am just about old enough and dont give two ***** for folks that build a lousy product. I really dont want to go this route.....but I suppose I can afford to make Kubota's life miserable in court....if we need to roll that way. WTF is the "grand" model all about if it busts your chops when you drive it over reasonable ground?? Kinda pissed at Kubota right now.....they best hope I find a solution to this ride. I'm not feeling to congenial right about now.

Is that a threat? Yeah.....it could be.

 

[rScotty]

With a few exceptions, it seems that tractor seats have always been real basic. That's not universal; our old JD has a passable seat, and some European tractors we tried out years ago had excellent seats. So we know it can be done. Our Kubota TLB came with a seat that we made passable by making a few modifications; it still isn't up to the quality of the rest of the tractor.

Oriental tractor manufacturers seem to stuck on the tradition of providing minimal seats that work just well enough to sit down and try the tractor out. In fact, many seem to use slight variations on the same cheap vinyl seat.

At least for us older guys who want more comfort in the rough, there is the aftermarket with a nice line of fabric & foam air-suspended seats. Or I assume there is....maybe I'm all wrong about that. Since good aftermarket seats are available for utility and larger size tractors, I sort of assumed they were there for compacts too.
Doesn't anyone make upgraded seats for the compact size tractors?

rScotty

 

[Hay Dude]

An air ride seat is a very complicated device. There is an air compressor and a bladder, which is like an air helper spring bladder you see on a gooseneck truck, switch, seat frame, seat cushion and all the other adjustments found on a spring type seat. So yes, $900 comes as no surprise at all.
Also remember these seats are made by the same vendors that other brands use.
Its more important to have an air ride seat on a small tractor than on a big tractor like mine because a small tractors have short wheelbases and tiny tires. Those 2 factors determine ride quality, not the brand of the tractor. All small compact tractors are straight axles with NO suspensions on them with the possible exception of a shock less ride loader. What do you expect? The seat is the only option offered to make it ride nicer, so if you dont option for the air ride seat, its going to ride rough, and thats ANY brand. Green paint or red paint tractors arent going to ride any better than orange painted tractors given the same tires, wheelbase and spring suspension seat.
The best way to improve ride is to spread the distance between the axles and adjust the tire PSI to soften the ride without risk of tire damage.
The best way to realistically know what a tractor will ride like is to drive one first, hopefully over ground similar to the ground you will be driving it over for years of ownership. If it rides too harsh, opt for an air seat, radial tires or a bigger tractor with larger tires to soften the ride.
I put 250 hours on 2 tractors and about 150 hours on 2 tractors. That’s 800 hours in the seat/year. I opt for the best ride I can possibly afford. $900 on a 50k + investment is nothing. Its what protects my back from injury. Even with tractors that are equipped with air seats, cab suspensions, front suspensions and large tires, the ride is still rough!

How can you have 2 comparable compact tractors side by side and given the same grammar seat and same air pressures in similar tires, one rides better than the other? THERES NO SUSPENSION. Its NOT a Mercedes 450!

 

[LouNY]

As far as seats go in the Kubota line I only have a mower and it has a suspension seat which is old and worn.
My IH 574 does not have any suspension for the seat, my Branson 8050 has a suspension seat which isn't terrible,
it does not come close to any of the farm tractors with the Grammer Air ride seats, however those seats are around $1300 each.
That is air ride, swivel, and adjustable, last week I spent around 50-60 hours in the IH Magnums with air seats at the heady speeds of 3 to 3.6 mph
and those seats isolated much of the smaller bumps from me plus the air ride allowed me to raise and lower my seating position easily which helps in a long day.
Now my mower needed some help with it's mechanical suspension seat, it was bottomed out most of the time,
I may buy an air spring some day to add into it but for now I have a $3 air aid ( from the kid toy box in the store) which helps considerably;

you can laugh all you'd like but it works.