Can't get a Kubota M5-111 so, what now?

   / Can't get a Kubota M5-111 so, what now? #52  
I have a rivet nut tool. I meant the little plastic pop in rivets holding the interior together. My cab interior on the M7040 held up fine so hopefully it does on the M5. My SxS and 4 wheeler is all held together with plastic rivet nuts and they've actually held up pretty good so that doesn't really concern me that much. I'm more concerned about the roof. It's much thinner and more flexible than the one on my M7040 and seems like it would be damaged easier. I can push it in with 1 finger! Time will tell.

It's WAY quieter in the cab than the M7040 so that is always a good thing. It also seem it was way less dusty inside the cab like they did a better job sealing it. The front loader has some QC issues where the brackets and holes are lined up right so it's a bear to remove and install. I think most of this will wear in and if not, I can fix it myself.

I cut and baled hay with it this last weekend and it got along with the JD567 MegaWide much better than the 7040. The 7040 had it's hands full with that baler!
 
   / Can't get a Kubota M5-111 so, what now? #53  
I have a rivet nut tool. I meant the little plastic pop in rivets holding the interior together.
You can buy them by the bag full on Amazon or Flea-Bay FYI. I have them as well on the inside of the cab on the M9's. Had issues with loose Riv-Nuts in the roof of mine and had to remove them and replace them with new ones with metal washer backers. Guess the assemblers lack the strength to set them tight or something. I also added insulation to the roof underside which I remove every spring and clean the ac and heater cores mine are under the roof, yours are under the seat pan.
 
   / Can't get a Kubota M5-111 so, what now? #54  
Buy yourself a Riv Nut setting tool and tighten them up. I agree, Kubota don't set them tight enough. Easy to fix however.
There's nothing like buying a new "premium" brand tractor, paying the premium price, and then having to buy the tools to finish putting it together! lol SR
 
   / Can't get a Kubota M5-111 so, what now? #55  
There's nothing like buying a new "premium" brand tractor, paying the premium price, and then having to buy the tools to finish putting it together! lol SR
Just like buying a new vehicle and then adding aftermarket stuff. No difference. I use Riv Nuts for many different things besides on the tractors. HF sells a dandy Riv Nut setter (Doyle) and it comes with a limited assortment of them but thay are available on Amazon in quantity.

In today's market, all new tractors are 'premium' priced and that premium is climbing every day.
 
   / Can't get a Kubota M5-111 so, what now? #56  
Just like buying a new vehicle and then adding aftermarket stuff. No difference. I use Riv Nuts for many different things besides on the tractors. HF sells a dandy Riv Nut setter (Doyle) and it comes with a limited assortment of them but thay are available on Amazon in quantity.

In today's market, all new tractors are 'premium' priced and that premium is climbing every day.
I sure don't consider buying something NEW, then having to go in and tighten the fasteners in the interior because it wasn't done properly, the same as adding aftermarket stuff.

As for premium price, deere and kubota are priced higher here. To me, I would think of that like, I should be getting "better/higher quality" for that higher price!

SR
 
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   / Can't get a Kubota M5-111 so, what now? #57  
Well, I totally hijacked the OP's thread. Apologies...

It's a premium price but I sure wouldn't call it a premium tractor or a economy version either. It's somewhere in between , like maybe between a JD series 5E and a 5M.

There's a lot of good stuff going on, and also some stuff that makes you shake your head and wonder. It's missing simple stuff, like where to mount all the monitors? Baler Monitor, Moisture Monitor, Spray Monitor, Camera Monitor (because the hood is so wide and tall). It's advertised as more of a AG/ Hay tractor but they don't offer mounts or any places for several monitors.

Yes, I've been creative and got them mounted, but seriously, the only power plug is located behind the seat, but where do you mount most of your monitors and other gizmos, typically more towards the front or front, right quadrant. On an M5 you pretty much have the rail by the front window, or right side door rail so a fuse box or place to connect acc. equipment under the dash or on the side of the dash would have been great. There aren't any spare fuses or wiring for acc. equipment so you have to splice into existing stuff.

I noticed the newer cab roof design on all the Ultra Grande Cab II are much thinner, flexible, and just seem more fragile. It's not just the M5 because I looked at a M4-71D and it looked like the same exact cab roof and you can take your finger and push it in, especially the black underskirt. It looks like they've been this way for a little while now. The newer cab layout is way nicer than the older one. It's quieter, less dusty, and has more space and places to set stuff, multiple drink holders, and fairly comfortable.

The engine is plenty powerful, for me at least. The electronic preset speeds are great. I have one preset for 540E and one for 540 so I just push a button and it stays there. Perfect.

I can say for sure, the quality control on the loader on this one is pretty bad. Most people are aware Kubota has had QC problems with loaders, back hoe attachments and stuff over the last couple of years just like any other mfg. The two legs/stands that drop down to support the loader when you remove it, aren't any where near straight and don't line up with the pins used to stow them when in use. It takes a cheater bar to pry them in position. Pretty bad, but the real bad part is, on a Kubota loader, they are normally super simple and fast to hook up. Typically, you pull up close, hook up the hoses, drive till the loader is over the frame mounts then let it down on the hooks then extend the loader until it sits firmly back in the brackets and the pin holes line up nicely. Not on this one, they welded the stops on really sloppy so the pin holes won't line up. You need two people to sit there and lift and lower until the pin holes line up. That's not normal and totally sucks since there aren't two people here. On the right side, you can reach the joy stick and move the loader around while pushing in the pin. Much more difficult on the left side.

I'm pretty sure I can take care of it myself. I don't see the dealership being able to do much with it to fix it that I can't do. I see myself with a welder or grinder to "adjust" the stops to be in correct spot. I never had an issue with the M7040, it all just lined up.

Just little nit picking things so far, but this seems to be expected with the stuff that happened over the last couple of years. Fix it, deal with it, move on and enjoy.
 
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   / Can't get a Kubota M5-111 so, what now?
  • Thread Starter
#58  
OP here! I have pretty much given up on a heavier Kubota. Prices and delivery around here are not reasonable today. For less money, I can get a CaseIH or MasseyFerguson and they are generally better 'balanced' for loader work in addition to normal field work.

Massey dealerships around me are few and far between today so, while I really like the MF-4707, I am concerned with the lack of local dealer support. There used to be a dealer about ~45minutes away but, they closed at the start of COVID ~2 years ago. With the AGCO parentage, I am somewhat leery of the emissions problems my neighbor had on his similar New Holland during hay season. The New Holland dealer I spoke with and have done business with for a few years confirmed that some New Hollands were very problematic while a similar tractors at other locations were trouble free for unknown reasons since they were so similar in configuration and use.

This has me looking at CaseIH today. Pricing seems to be a little better. Availability is a lot better as well. There are two pretty strong dealers within about an hours drive so that is a huge plus to me. The ASCO dealership in Tyler, Tx looks promising as well.

While I really wanted to like a Kubota M5 and had the money to buy one, Kubota totally botched things IMHO. I tried to buy nose weights for my B2601 and they wanted $720 extra just for shipping some little suitcase weights! Sorry Kubota, I know supply chain problems are real for every manufacturer but, things at your business are not reasonable for an independent farmer/rancher like myself compared to your competition.

With the monopoly on John Deere tractors here in East Texas with United Ag and Turf, plus the proprietary software and high cost just isn't an option for me today.
 
   / Can't get a Kubota M5-111 so, what now? #59  
Well what tractor company is going to allow us (as owners of their brand), access to their diagnostic/programming software? None of them. You can be sure that they all will claim it proprietary.

Since you mentioned John Deere, you may or may not know that last year, a class action lawsuit has been filed against them, to give owners of JD equipment the "Right to Repair". If JD loses that suit, they may be the first company to make this available.

Meanwhile, the only other real option is to buy older equipment that doesn't need proprietary software for trouble-shooting.
 
 
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