4231TD

   / 4231TD #1  

pookaboag

New member
Joined
Apr 16, 2012
Messages
2
Location
Easton, CT
Tractor
Kubota F2880
I have a Kubota F2880 4WD with 60 inch front deck. I am a fan of Kubota but am considering the Ventrac 4231TD because it seems to look like it is a lot of fun and of course versatile.

Has anyone made that kind of a switch?

Also, how good is the stump grinder attachment?

I just demoed a Toro STX26 HP and although it seemed very well thought out, it struggled on a fresh cut birch stump. The chips were small and it seemed to ride on top of the stump a bit instead of digging in and cutting. The machine only had 9 hours on it.
 
   / 4231TD #2  
I have a Kubota F2880 4WD with 60 inch front deck. I am a fan of Kubota but am considering the Ventrac 4231TD because it seems to look like it is a lot of fun and of course versatile.

Has anyone made that kind of a switch?

Also, how good is the stump grinder attachment?

I just demoed a Toro STX26 HP and although it seemed very well thought out, it struggled on a fresh cut birch stump. The chips were small and it seemed to ride on top of the stump a bit instead of digging in and cutting. The machine only had 9 hours on it.

I have not "made the switch" from Kubota to Ventrac, as I have just had the Ventrac. I would highly recommend the Ventrac, but would recommend getting a demo. As with everything, you always want to pick something that fits your needs, so rather than taking my word for it, a demo would be ideal. You look like you have a few dealers withing 50-60mi, I am sure you could get a demo at your place and you could see if it would fit your needs.

I have only used the stump grinder a few times and I was very impressed. Easy to control and use once you get the hang of the operation. It isn't designed to solely be a stump grinder like a vermeer, but it does a heck of a good job.

Highly recommend Ventrac, I think if you get a demo you might get hooked :licking:
 
   / 4231TD #3  
I have a 4231 and love it. I recommend the Ventrac,but am not a fan of the turbo diesel....if you cant find a clean used/leftover LC gas 31hp,go with the NA diesel 26.5hp....its much more reliable than the 31HP turbo diesel.Even at that its reliability doesnt even come close the 31HP 3LC gas engines....Do a google search on the 31 turbo diesel....they fail frequently (USUALLY JUST OUT OF WARRANTY) between 600-1200hrs (2000hrs is considered excellent out of the 31TD)and usually catastrophic(rod thru block) or cracked head....:(...
The gas 31 LCs will run in excess of 10-15000 hrs easily(with zero oil use) with basic maintenance and running it like you stole it.I dont know anyone whos worn one out or had a failure not related to running with the oil drain plug out for over half a day....:laughing:
 
   / 4231TD
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Appreciate the heads up RD.
I stopped by a local high end golf course.
They have the Ventrac 4231 gas tractor and said it was the only way to go too, although they only use it for cutting very tall grass areas and the sweeper.
Most of their greens are cut with the TORO Sidewinder which are fantastic machines but expensive.
 
   / 4231TD #5  
My 4231 drank gas like it was water thru a strainer.Each mowing I was using 7-8 gal. of gas.I switched to diesel and use 4-5 gal per mowing.JMO
 
   / 4231TD #6  
My 4231 drank gas like it was water thru a strainer.Each mowing I was using 7-8 gal. of gas.I switched to diesel and use 4-5 gal per mowing.JMO

Mine is very good on fuel,also i run mine at 2800-3000 most of the time,as thats all it needs,the gas 31 has more torque than the diesels at those RPMs as the turbo model isnt lighting the turbo very much until close to max rpms(very strange but true)...I find my machine burns 1.5 GPH of fuel on average,if i run it at 3500 and cut 6" off the lawn it will burn 2GPH but thats to be expected.
 
   / 4231TD #7  
My 4231 drank gas like it was water thru a strainer.Each mowing I was using 7-8 gal. of gas.I switched to diesel and use 4-5 gal per mowing.JMO

Yep..... ditto.

I am really **** about 3 things with my 4231TD.

1. Never let it overheat!!! Clean the radiator screen as soon as the temp hits 200. Blow out the radiator with an air line frequently.

2. Do all the maintenance. Do the oil changes. Keep the air filter clean.

3. Let the turbo cool down before shutting it off. When I clean the radiator screen, I shut it off very quickly, and restart as soon as I pull it out.

Follow these three pointers, and your diesel will last a long time.
 
   / 4231TD #8  
Yep..... ditto.

I am really **** about 3 things with my 4231TD.

1. Never let it overheat!!! Clean the radiator screen as soon as the temp hits 200. Blow out the radiator with an air line frequently.

2. Do all the maintenance. Do the oil changes. Keep the air filter clean.

3. Let the turbo cool down before shutting it off. When I clean the radiator screen, I shut it off very quickly, and restart as soon as I pull it out.

Follow these three pointers, and your diesel will last a long time.

I would tend to agree with you under normal circumstances,...however the 31TD is a problematic engine...its not likely to make 2000hrs at all,and not likely to make 1000 without a major repair(turbo,cracked head,thrown rod) I hope you prove me wrong...whatever the difference in gas (at 3.69 here now) and diese (4.29). It isnt worth it unless your unloading it in a few seasons,the gasser will last forever,and cost you little to keep up.My dealer doesnt recommend the 31TD and tries to get people into the 26.5 diesel,at least it will make 1000hrs trouble free and maybe even 3-4K total....he showed me a stack of heads and turbos off 31 turbodiesels in the corner and ventilated engine blocks most with under 1000hrs.....trust me i wanted the 31TD,he talked me out of it,and since then ive done extensive research and found his findings to be spot on.Google it and find out how many people have had major problems with that engine at low hrs,and were denied warranty without justification.
Ive found the 31 gas impossible to overheat so far,ive had the screen blocked 3/4 of the way with grass when cutting my field(over a foot tall) ,depending on the wind it can clog in 5 minutes,I never stopped to clean it,it runs 185 normally,and ive never seen over 190 in the most severe conditions...my dealer says even with the best maintenance and cleaning,the 31TD will overheat on hot days in heavy conditions,and most operators will not stop,they keep going...the 26.5 diesel will not overheat in the same conditions....neither will the 31gas...with a 25K machine that shouldnt be,and with multiple operators i see this as a reason Id never buy the 31TD.Way to easy to ruin a 5000 engine. I wish you the best of luck with yours,and if it were mine,Id run Shaeffers x9000,(5w40) in the engine,for added protection especially for the turbo,and Id run a bottle of redline watter wetter in the cooling system,it should help you knock 5 degrees off your peak temps...not much but it helps...
 
   / 4231TD #9  
I've read that others have the same experience with the 31 TD - I had about 900 hours on my first 4231 Gas LC and NO problems with normal maint. I've been told to expect in excess of 10,000 hours from this engine. I'm a bit excessive in oil changes and change with new (good quality) filters at half the hours of recommended intervals.

The only reason I got the new one was that I heard that they were not going to offer the 4231 Gas LC and I ordered and got one of the last ones they made.

This one does have improved hydraulics and I like the hydraulic top link. :thumbsup:
 
   / 4231TD #10  
I've read that others have the same experience with the 31 TD - I had about 900 hours on my first 4231 Gas LC and NO problems with normal maint. I've been told to expect in excess of 10,000 hours from this engine. I'm a bit excessive in oil changes and change with new (good quality) filters at half the hours of recommended intervals.

The only reason I got the new one was that I heard that they were not going to offer the 4231 Gas LC and I ordered and got one of the last ones they made.

This one does have improved hydraulics and I like the hydraulic top link. :thumbsup:

You must have had a littlle contamination in the system of your old Ventrac because not much has changed in the system since 2004...the exact same components and tanks are used....Steiners usually have a lot more hydraulic performance issues than Ventrac.Ive had the entire hydraulic systems apart on both my steiners and everytime its because they blew a hose,or a bearing let go and contaminated the plate in the pump/motor....its teadious to repair and resurface them all,not much in parts but alot of labor,and then i hook up my homemade 10 micron (5000psi) one way filter and run the system for half hour to clean it. I havent touched my ventrac yet but i bought all the pump gaskets in case i need too. You only had your old machine for 900 hrs,you could have never changed the oil and been fine...the 31 gas LC doesnt burn a drop and I know one person with 800hrs on the original oil,never added a drop,and its still at the top of the stick..As for 10,000hrs life,thats a very conservative number,in generator applications the engine is rated 20-40,000 hrs.Thats a steady 3600RPM....
 
 
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