Loader After the fact quick disconnect bucket

[kuboman]

I think you would be happier with a skid steer qa because you can find anything for them everywhere. With the kubota qa you are more limited. If you every go to a larger tractor the ss qa is what would be on it.

I completely agree except that you are limited with your lifting capacity and SS style attachments tend to be heavier tha an ordinary Kubota attachment. The only draw back in my opinion.

 

[jim_wilson]

I think you would be happier with a skid steer qa because you can find anything for them everywhere. With the kubota qa you are more limited. If you every go to a larger tractor the ss qa is what would be on it.

This is just my opinion: but if you have gotten by for three years without a QA, and you are now thinking of getting one - think a little about what you really want to be able to accomplish.

If you go with the Kubota QA you will pay something like $250-$275 for it. You will be able to just use your existing bucket - and if you want a different sized bucket - you can just get that from Kubota (there's a 54" and a 60" bucket available from Kubota for the LA504 - and there might other bigger ones that will fit). A bucket from Kubota is around $575.00. You can use the Kubota forklift frame - which runs around $650. Any implement above and beyond that - grapple bucket, etc - will pretty much cost the same whether or not you're getting it setup with a skid steer type QA or Kubota LA504 type QA setup to go on your tractor.

If you go with a SSQA on your B3200 (LA504) - you're talking about a much higher cost up front to just get the adapter onto the loader - I believe that an ATI SSQA for the LA504 is around $800 or so. Then you need to get a bucket that will attach to it. You can either get from from a vendor (or maybe find one used) - but as price point I know when I priced out putting SSQA on my B3200 - it was going to be another $2000 to add the QA onto the loader - and get a bucket that would fit.

To state it simply: it's going to cost a LOT more to add a skid steer QA onto the B3200 than it will to go the Kubota route.

AND the SSQA weighs more and extends the bucket out even more than the Kubota QA does. So you're looking at an even bigger loss of capacity if you go down the SSQA road.

The cost of a forklift frame for SSQA is roughly equal to the Kubota frame. Although you will have to shop carefully because you may end up with a much heavier frame than you need if you just choose a random SSQA compatible frame. The LA504 is only going to lift around 1000 pounds - getting a frame that will do 4000 is a waste of metal on that loader.

The only major drawback to the Kubota QA over the SSQA in my opinion is that you need to get off the tractor and change the lower pins to lock an implement on. And the thing can be a bit ornery to get the pins lined up sometimes. I have a mallet that I use to get the pins in - and it helps the jiggle the implement around when putting them in. This means you need to have a little bit of strength to change stuff up. If you've got strength issues - then the SSQA might be the better route because it will line up better every time - you'll only have to manipulate the locking mechanism every time you swap something out - not screw with the lower pins like with the Kubota QA.


When I heard the price of the SSQA solution on my B3200 ( and I already knew about the weight issue and eating up lift capacity issue) I decided to go with the Kubota QA right there when I ordered the tractor. I figured for the same cost as a SSQA - I could buy a grapple and a forklift frame.

 

[ruralruss]

There's some pics on the Canadian Kubota site:

Products: LA504 Kubota Canada Ltd.


If you want some more pics - I could probably take a few of mine.

There is a guy here on TBN who build one himself that is very similar to the Kubota unit.

Thanks. That looks almost exactly like the one on youtube that a guy made himself.

Kubota Quick attach homemade - YouTube

 

[kuboman]

Not sure why the youtube guy was too cheap to just leave the top pins installed in the bucket.:confused3:

 

[radair]

This is just my opinion: but if you have gotten by for three years without a QA, and you are now thinking of getting one - think a little about what you really want to be able to accomplish.

If you go with the Kubota QA you will pay something like $250-$275 for it. You will be able to just use your existing bucket - and if you want a different sized bucket - you can just get that from Kubota (there's a 54" and a 60" bucket available from Kubota for the LA504 - and there might other bigger ones that will fit). A bucket from Kubota is around $575.00. You can use the Kubota forklift frame - which runs around $650...

I just talked to my dealer (Gorham, ME) and he quoted $280 for the Kubota QA and over $1000 plus freight for the forks. I guess I'll stay with my chain-on forks for now. If anyone knows where to get Kubota forks for $650 please let me know.

 

[chopped]

Wow the QA sure is cheap. but the forks .OUCH,,

 

[Stewie1]

I just talked to my dealer (Gorham, ME) and he quoted $280 for the Kubota QA and over $1000 plus freight for the forks. I guess I'll stay with my chain-on forks for now. If anyone knows where to get Kubota forks for $650 please let me know.

I recently added the Kubota QA and aftermarket forks to my B3200 (they haven't appeared on my credit card statement yet!)

My dealer recommended the aftermarket forks from HLA attachments here in Ontario that are set up for the LA 504 loader pins as they have a 2000lb rating as opposed to I believe 600 for the Kubota forks. I have already lifted over 1000lbs with them.

So the price - $300 for the QA and $800 for the stronger forks. Canadian dollars! I had to add sales tax to these prices, but they were assembled and delivered for that price. I am very happy with them.



Couldn't do this with clamp on forks as the load would be too far from the pivot points.

 

[jim_wilson]

Thanks. That looks almost exactly like the one on youtube that a guy made himself.

Kubota Quick attach homemade - YouTube

Great video - that QA looks almost exactly like the Kubota QA for the LA504. The only major difference I saw was that the lower pin setup he is using is some sort of straight pin with Clevis thru it to hold it in - whereas the Kubota lower pin has a protrusion on it that locks in to keep the pin from spinning - and then there's a Clevis that locks that in. But for all intents and purposes the QA they guy made and the Kubota QA are exactly alike in the way they look and the way they work.

Unless you like spending time bending and cutting and welding steel -and you have the steel just lying around - I would just spend the $275.00 or whatever and buy the Kubota one.

 

[jim_wilson]

I recently added the Kubota QA and aftermarket forks to my B3200 (they haven't appeared on my credit card statement yet!)

My dealer recommended the aftermarket forks from HLA attachments here in Ontario that are set up for the LA 504 loader pins as they have a 2000lb rating as opposed to I believe 600 for the Kubota forks. I have already lifted over 1000lbs with them.

So the price - $300 for the QA and $800 for the stronger forks. Canadian dollars! I had to add sales tax to these prices, but they were assembled and delivered for that price. I am very happy with them.

View attachment 276229

Couldn't do this with clamp on forks as the load would be too far from the pivot points.

I honestly don't know why Kubota rates their forklift frame at 600 pounds. The thing is beefy as heck - and I have lifted 1000 pounds with mine - right up to the capacity of the loader.

 

[jim_wilson]

Wow the QA sure is cheap. but the forks .OUCH,,

The Kubota fork frame is not too bad - I think I got mine for about $650, but I already had a pair of forks. You can get forks cheap on Ebay sometimes (they need to get replaced when the wear gets to a certain point in industrial use - so the worn ones get sold off cheap). Craigslist might be another good source.

But if it was me - I would check out doubleU doubleU doubleU Artillian dot com - they sell new forks - with more than enough lift rating for the LA504 loader (or any loader on a B series tractor) - and the prices are very good from what I have seen for fork prices. They also have different lengths for different jobs.