My next work partner: Kubota L45

[Gasifier]

Debris forks being built by neighbor/friend should help in land cleanup work with L45. I found two separate sets of 48” forks for sale.

I’ll use these on brush, branches, logs, and stumps already dug out. I see burn piles in my future where I need to clear unwanted trees in an area for more horse pasture.

Will leave the nicest trees for shade though.

 

[Gasifier]

I’ve had this tractor for about two weeks now. But have been working so much I haven’t been able to use it. Probably just as well. Everything is so wet. Rain, rain, rain.

I had a guy deliver a dump trailer full of firewood today and he couldn’t get it backed down my road. Narrow road with both sides soft. He got off one side with his trailer and that was it. His 3500 needs new tires, and that Chevy was going nowhere.

I told him to sit tight, and I went to the barn and brought back the L45. In four wheel drive, standing on the rear axle lock, and in low gear. The L45 struggled, but with some steering and wiggling, managed to pull him out. His 7’X14’ dump was full of stacked, fresh cut and split hardwood. Heavy. I had him dump it just off the side of the road on high ground where he could get his trailer leveled. I will move it to where I wanted it with the front bucket, after the rain stops and the ground dries up. Whenever that is!

 

[tacticalturnip]

This rain that's been moving through the northeast has been a pain, lol.

Sounds like you had a little fun with the new Kubota, even if it was wet and muddy.

 

[Gasifier]

This rain that's been moving through the northeast has been a pain, lol.

Sounds like you had a little fun with the new Kubota, even if it was wet and muddy.

Even if only for a few minutes. Any amount of tractoring is usually fun.

 

[Gasifier]

I was able to use the L45 for a little while today. A question for you folks. While digging a stump up and out I had plenty of hydraulic power. Also plenty of power with front loader and bucket moving heavy, fresh cut, bucket fulls of firewood. The place I did not have enough power was with the hydraulic thumb. The thumb opens and closes, but would not grab strong enough to lift the stump. And it wasn’t that big/heavy of a stump.

Is there an adjustment on a valve or something to increase the holding pressure?

I think it is probably suppose to give way to the bucket strength, but it does not hold strong enough to clamp and hold.

 

[jjeff]

Set the thumb and curl the bucket with what your trying to pick up instead, or at least that's what I do successfully for picking dozens of stumps out every spring. It should have a pressure relief valve on the thumb probably preset so you don't break anything. My mini with thumb does similar it's supposed to, was a slight learning curve of using thumb correctly for me anyway. Have fun enjoying and learning on that nice tractor.

 

[Gasifier]

Set the thumb and curl the bucket with what your trying to pick up instead, or at least that's what I do successfully for picking dozens of stumps out every spring. It should have a pressure relief valve on the thumb probably preset so you don't break anything. My mini with thumb does similar it's supposed to, was a slight learning curve of using thumb correctly for me anyway. Have fun enjoying and learning on that nice tractor.

I’ll give it another try. But I couldn’t pick a stump up that didn’t weigh that much. When you say set the thumb. You mean move thumb into position with foot pedal, then take foot off pedal and use buck to clamp. Correct?

 

[jjeff]

I’ll give it another try. But I couldn’t pick a stump up that didn’t weigh that much. When you say set the thumb. You mean move thumb into position with foot pedal, then take foot off pedal and use buck to clamp. Correct?

Correct, in my case if the stump starts to slip I'll either curl more or apply more pressure to clamp. I have a toggle on joystick for clamp. Learning to use the thumb if it didn't have a pressure relief valve I probably would have bent the hydraulic thumb cylinder at minimum lol. I will say imo I've become pretty profecient at curling the bucket and loosening or tightening the thumb simultaneously.

 

[Gasifier]

I’ll let you know when I get time to try it again. Maybe tomorrow, early evening. But I’ve used hydraulic thumbs before and this would not allow any pressure for sufficient clamping.

 

[Smokeydog]

Similar problem with L45 on OTT discussing lack of grip with backhoe thumb. Knowing the pressure first step in diagnosing the problem.