Kubota Gas vs Kubota Diesel engine option

[John Joseph McVeigh]

I purchased the 4500Y Diesel vs. one of the gas-burning variants mainly because I did not want to have to deal with the issues that gasoline with ethanol poses. I have had problems with gasoline with ethanol doing a number of my chain-saw and push-mower carburetors. This is so even though I religiously add a fuel preservative at recommended dosage to the fuel cans before I fill them with fuel, and I use premium fuel. One of the nearest filling stations sells off-road diesel, so the cost per gallon is well below that of gasoline.

I have not done any bush hogging with my 4500Y, but I have used the rotary broom to deal with several inches of snow while going up the 14ｰ slope on part of my driveway. I have also used the snow blower the deal with more than one foot of snow, again while going uphill on that same stretch of driveway. Those are the most arduous tasks that I have asked the 4500Y to do, and it has done them. The rpms did drop about 200 rpm during those worst-case conditions, but picked up if I reduced the forward speed a little.. For all other uses, e.g., brushing or blowing snow while going downhill, the 4500Y has not shown any sign of laboring.

I keep the 4500Y in an unheated garage and have never had a problem starting, even in the coldest weather that we have had in the coming up on three years that I have had the tractor. In the colder months, I add Power Service Diesel Fuel Treatment (white bottle) fuel additive at the recommended dosage to suppress any gelling of the fuel. Year round, I add Power Service Diesel Kleen fuel additive at the recommended dosage.

I have no regrets that I bought the 4500Y variant. It is a great machine.

 

[johara1]

this 31hp. Ventrac 4500P will cut the same amount of grass and use less gas than my old 12 hp Gravely did. Diesel around here is 20 cents a gallon more than reg. gas....... Jim

 

[prs]

Ah yes! The old 812 Gravely.

 

[johara1]

this 31hp. Ventrac 4500P will cut the same amount of grass and use less gas than my old 12 hp Gravely did. Diesel around here is 20 cents a gallon more than reg. gas....... Jim

Life was simple back then, mine was a G12 and never. had any trouble with it ....... Jim

 

[ChiefBodie]

I have the diesel engine and have found it is very cold blooded. On mild mornings of 40F it might take 6-8 times to start it. The first few tries results in a very short run then it dies.

 

[prs]

I have the diesel engine and have found it is very cold blooded. On mild mornings of 40F it might take 6-8 times to start it. The first few tries results in a very short run then it dies.

Welcome to the fire Chief. I do not recall other diesel owners here with that report. If you have good power once it is running, then it probably is not low compression. Do you notice any seepage of fuel oil around any of the line or pump fittings? If so, maybe a tiny bit of air is getting into the line and that makes starts miserable for sure.

prs

 

[ChiefBodie]

I will check that thank you.

Mowing 18" weeds up steep slopes using tough cut, I run out of power and must throttle back. I switched to low gear instead. Then at first it seemed to provide exactly what I needed using the lower gear. But then it gradually began to behave like I was in high gear again. I will check carefully for any air leaks. That might explain a lot.

 

[zmountaineer]

I will check that thank you.

Mowing 18" weeds up steep slopes using tough cut, I run out of power and must throttle back. I switched to low gear instead. Then at first it seemed to provide exactly what I needed using the lower gear. But then it gradually began to behave like I was in high gear again. I will check carefully for any air leaks. That might explain a lot.

Never mow on any kind of slope in high gear. The engine will likely cut out. I never have mine in high gear unless I go from point a to b and either flat or downhill. I've had it in high gear maybe 5 times in 600 hours. But I have hills for days here.

 

[prs]

zmountaineer beat me to the punch. High gear is for moving from one location to another, tramming. Hard work in high range can be really tough on the squash plate.

Take a close look at that fuel filter, losing power under load may be fuel starvation. I get new gasoline filter every fall.

The Ventrac 4500 with duals is a natural for these WV hills.

prs

 

[John Joseph McVeigh]

Welcome to the fire Chief. I do not recall other diesel owners here with that report. If you have good power once it is running, then it probably is not low compression. Do you notice any seepage of fuel oil around any of the line or pump fittings? If so, maybe a tiny bit of air is getting into the line and that makes starts miserable for sure.

prs

Yes, welcome, Chief!

What the Chief describes is not my experience with my 4500Y at all. I have had my Model 4500Y for about 3.5 years now. The hour meter is coming up on 650 operating hours. (My, how seat time flies!) My Ventrac Model 4500Y's Kubota diesel engine has rarely not started running on the first crank attempt -- even in the depths of Winter after spending a night in an unheated garage, with outside temperatures in single digits. At worst, it has taken two attempts to get the engine running after letting the glow plugs work their charm.