Kubota M59TLB 4.90 star(s) (7)

Ergonomic Nightmare
Model Year: 2012

This tractor's specs are fantastic, 3,900 lift, 7,500 breakout, but I don't know if it actually performs with those weights...seems weak. On top of that, the cab layout is a little rough (have to scoot up to use hoe, back to pivot to re-position machine; and hit brake lever with seat knob on the new L62 when spinning seat; see foot pedal issue below). I had some trouble digging in clean soil with the hoe, found the Forward/Reverse was way out to the side, hard on hip joint and dangerously hard to operate in bouncy situations. I worked it hard and found the lack of a shuttle shift is flat out dangerous when working on a pile, sometimes you get rolled or bounced while pushing or moving, and the fact you need to have your foot firmly on the rocker pedal to change directions is a problem (or is impossible if you are getting close to an edge and simultaneously get bounced off the pedal..., that means you go over the drop off because you can't plant your foot to go to reverse and keep rolling forward, what a way to roll...). I work on uneven and sloped situations with this machine with narrow axle and poor designed controls. The lack of a quality cab option, no air conditioning, worthless little heat box after market feel add-on, and the underwhelming real-world hoe power leave much to be desired. It is sturdy, but don't expect to work efficiently or necessarily safely. And it roads way too slowly.

Pros: Sturdy, versatile
Cons: Dangerous wheel base and forward/reverse controls

Observations on M59
Model Year: 2008

I bought this tractor used on Ironplanet for $15,000. It was a theft recovery and had no bucket. The front tube on the quick attach loader was twisted. This machine never had a backhoe which is what I was looking for because I don't like backhoes. I'm spoiled with mini excavators. I've had several Kubotas: L185DT, B20, L35, L3710, L48 and now the M59. I think I may be done because there is nothing out there to compare. I like the bells and whistles like the choice of conventional throttle or the feature that connects the throttle to the hydrostat pedal. I usually keep it connected to the pedal but go conventional when bush hogging. I have a little excavating company and use this tractor to smooth gravel drives with a grader box. Landscape rake on the front to prepare soil for seed. Scoop gravel for septic systems and backfill. Brush grapple on front although my Komatsu CK35 skid steer is better for that. With chains on all 4 tires and grader box it's really nice for plowing drives after big storms in DC (not often enough).Stone rake on rear. Pallet forks. Blade for rear but haven't used it yet. I plow and disc and rototill (5.5') my garden. Bush hog. Now I am converting an old square baler into a wood splitter and will run that. I rigged a bar for the 3 point hitch that I can pull a chain, wagon or trailer. CONS: I'm listing the cons here because it is difficult with one skinny little line and if you make a mistake and try to correct it you're screwed. The front tube on the loader quick disconnect is weak. After I repaired it one side came off of the pallet forks and twisted that tube. There's a little lever that digs into my leg when driving and looking to the rear. The lower arm tensioners are turnbuckles. Kubota has a much better system on other tractors with sliding square tubes with a pin and several holes to line up. There is no hitch below the pto. Chains hit the fenders. The rear diff lock needs improvement. I don't like finding the lever with my left heal and mashing it down. Gotta be a better way. Hard to get on and off on right side. Left side is fine. I like the battery placement.

Pros: Transmission. It has 3 ranges with Hi & Lo in each range with the flip of a lever. Throttle choice. Platform. Kubota quality.
Cons: see above.

Grave Digger's Take On Kubota M59
Model Year: 2009

I work for a traditional cemetery in northeast Indiana. We bought our Kubota M59 to dig graves. It works very well for the jobs it's used for. It has plenty of power, is small and very agile for maneuvering around gravestones, is lighter in weight than Cat or Case backhoe/loaders, and is easy to maintain. The front bucket is easily removed to use skid-steer attachments. Our unit came with the thumb attachment on the backhoe. It comes in handy for picking up brush and limb piles. We also use it for topping graves, loading our Ford F-350 dump-truck and digging gravestone foundations. Though we have not done it yet, the backhoe is easy to remove, and then you can attach the 3 point hitch arms (which were included and are stored behind the step) and use the rear PTO. It's a shame that Kubota does not offer a cab enclosure for the M59. After the winter of 2013-14, we are looking for one.

Pros: Listed above.
Cons: Kubota doesn't offer a factory cab.

My M59 with Front Loader and Backhoe
Model Year: 0

Great product especially with 4 in one bucket! I would be very interested in buying a smaller backhoe bucket. The big bucked that came with the loader & backhoe is a bit large for my purposes.

Pros: Very powerful.
Cons: Original bucket is very ungainly; poor utility.

M-59
Model Year: 2011

Just purchased M-59 with aux hydraulic on front, hydraulic thumb on rear, quick attach backhoe.

Pros: Quick responsive hydraulics, easy coupling for all attachments.
Cons: Lock-out for the loader valve keeps getting hit with your leg as you work the hydrostatic pedal for travel. If it was on front or a latch on it it would work better. I do not really like the positioning of the forward & reverse your foot is at a akward angle.

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Kubota M59 review
Model Year: 2008

I must state the disclaimer that this is the only tractor that I have owned, and have limited operator experience. That being said, I am amazed at what I have been able to do with this very capable compact machine. My neighbors who are professional equipment operators with tractors of their own have frequently borrowed mine to finish jobs and to do neighbor favors. The only criticism they have ever voiced is that it has a lot of bells and whistles. As a first time operator I am impressed by how Kubota seems to have focused on making a user friendly tool that is intuitive and simple to operate. I believe many of those bells and whistles are usability options that allow one to customize the operation to suit each individuals experience or preference. As such, I rarely even mess with them as I have no previous favoritism for any particular hst response time or the like. What makes this the perfect tractor for me is that even a novice can get remarkable results. It has amazing maneuverability for working in tight quarters. I work in the woods and can easily wind through the trees without having to leave a path of destruction. Also the high ground clearance allows me to not get hung up on rocks, stumps and downed trees that I often climb over. The underside of the tractor is massive steel blocks that are largely resistant to damage unlike other comparable tractors in this category that had all kinds of delicates under there, and seemed more suited to city work. This model Kubota had all kinds of additional hydraulics for a front grapple and a back hoe thumb as well as 3 more sets of auxillary hydraulics for any 3 point implements. As I use my back hoe constantly for everything from digging stumps and boulders to demolishing old campers, harvesting firewood, and trenching electrical, I have had no occasion to remove it. The roomy deck allowing me to spin the seat and switch positions without climbing over was a necessity for my 6'2" frame, and seemed unique in the compact category. With 59 hp in a machine under 7000 lbs, I feel I got the most capacity in a machine I can still haul without a CDL with an old 1 ton ford van. The hydrostatic transmission is smooth and comfortable. The loader joystick, which includes aux. finger buttons, is ultra controllable. Work lighting and creature comforts, paired with multiple safety features, blurs the image of the hardened equipment operator, to the point that its no great stretch for my wife to operate it with confidence. I have used it to load huge grapple loads of slash into active burn piles, and to lift 16' by 22' wall sections onto my barn foundation. I have carried piles of logs for firewood and set beams and roof trusses with a boom pole. I've muscled huge boulders, built roads, and dug massive oak stumps. And although I'm lousy at it, Ive plowed myself out of two feet of snow for a half mile. The only negative thing I can say about it is that it was quite expensive at about $48k, although it was the price to pay at the time to get all the features that I required. They may have come down some as the economy worsened. I have pushed this machine to its extreme limits and am very pleased with its performance.

Pros: Compact, manuverability, ground clearance, & user friendly.
Cons: Expensive.

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i love my m59 kubota
Model Year: 2009

I bought my tractor last summer and have put approximately 70+ hrs so far. I previously owned a Kubota L 3940,the m59 is twice the machine. I have used it w/ a pto wood chipper, pto stump grinder, skid steer log splitter, pto Harley rake, and last of all a pto rototiller. There has not been one implement it has not handled superbly.

Pros: everything
Cons: bigger the tractor -the more expensive the implements