B-26 ; Great Machine!

[tandttravis]

New owner of the B-26 TLB, great machine, have about 10 hours on it moving snow, and have yet to be disapointed, a little pricey, but will pay for itself during the summer months on random projects, very happy

 

[Chris2520]

Thats great tandttravis. there awsome little machines.
i am thinking of getting it big brother the L39. people seem to be really happy with them. i drove one. and liked it very much.
congrats on your new bota....

Chris....

 

[gotcha]

New owner of the B-26 TLB, great machine, have about 10 hours on it moving snow, and have yet to be disapointed, a little pricey, but will pay for itself during the summer months on random projects, very happy

We've had one since Jun of this year and size for size and pound for pound one can't beat it. BH digs fantastic and snow removal is going good for this guy even with a plow sticking out of the bucket. So far (No real wet snow) the unit does not push off to either side when pushing the white stuff. I have found a way to use the separate brakes with HST. Took practice using the toe on the brake and heel on the HST.
Wish you lots of luck with your new toy and enjoy sitting in that seat.
The Gotcha Man

 

[digger2]

I bought mine in mid Oct. Got about 13-14 hours on it.Seems to work real good so far,but then all i've done for the most part is move snow with it and
bury my daughters Mastiff.Huge dog.She misses him.
Anyway,I can't wait for the weather to change so i can really give it a test.

Question-Any of you fellow B26 owners have your rear tires loaded?Mine
seems to break traction real easy,but that may be because i'm used to my old tractor having its rears loaded.(B7610 w/fel & bh).
I should have had it done when it was bought but i figured it was a heavier machine so i did'nt need it.I was wrong.Anyway it does seem to work real good so far.,,,,,,,,,,,,Digger2

 

[gotcha]

A real quick answer to your question regarding loading the rear tires on my B26. NO I have never even given it a thought. I have a good ballast and if I went in any direction I think I'd go with the chains as there is more than enough weight when the BH is on so winter would be the only time needed and like I said my 600# ballast box does it's job.
The Gothcha Man

 

[MarkV]

Hey guys, I don’t have a B26 but have had a B21 for the last eight years. My experience was that loading the tires made a huge difference in stability on side slopes and also improved traction. I would recommend loading the tires but everyone’s needs are a little different. You might consider waiting until warmer weather and fill the tires with plain water to see how it works in your situation. A simple inexpensive valve would allow you to fill temporarily as an experiment.

MarkV

 

[digger2]

MarkV,
Great idea about waiting for warmer weather and trying plain water...
I think i'll try it,if it is'nt to my liking,i'll just drain them back out.
thanks,digger2

 

[IslandTractor]

New owner of the B-26 TLB, great machine, have about 10 hours on it moving snow, and have yet to be disapointed, a little pricey, but will pay for itself during the summer months on random projects, very happy

What are you guys paying for these? I made some inquiries last summer and was rather shocked at the prices quoted in New England. I ended up spending less on a 40hp TLB with 9ft BH. No doubt the B21/26s are excellent machines but the bang for the buck seems to make them most appropriate for true construction work or rental rather than homeowner use.

 

[mopar3500]

I had looked around for a while and found an 2004 b21 with only 149 hrs. I bought it for 18,200.

 

[IslandTractor]

great deal.

 

[KeithInSpace]

...and trying plain water...

I would be concerned about introducing plain water and promoting rust inside the rim. At the very least, perhaps there is a rust inhibitor you could add to the water so something doesn't get messed up during the exerimentation process.

 

[IslandTractor]

I would be concerned about introducing plain water and promoting rust inside the rim. At the very least, perhaps there is a rust inhibitor you could add to the water so something doesn't get messed up during the exerimentation process.

There really wouldn't be enough oxygen in the tire to permit any rusting to occur in the presence of water espcially if the rim was painted. Even with very corrosive salt solutions the problems occur mostly when you break open the tire without quickly flushing the rim with fresh water. I believe plain water is used for ballast quite commonly without problems in the sunshine states like Florida and Texas where deep freezing is unlikely.

 

[curtisfarmer]

I have calcium chloride in one machine and Rim Guard (Veg. oil) in another and you can tell the difference of the sloshing around with the different viscosities. When you pop a calcium chloride, it ruins your lawn something fierce. The best thing about loaded tires vs. rear ballast is the weight is directly on center with the axel as opposed to aft and off center. If you do dirt work, loaded tires work best.

 

[digger2]

Guys,
Not to worry about me leaving plain water in for long,just to see how it works.I should have mentioned that i do alot of dirt work where traction is very limited.Although the B.H. on this thing does weigh a sizable amount,
when you get a full load of wet dirt in the FEL that actually takes a good amount of weight (traction) off the rears.And yes i could use FWD for just such times but i prefer to use 2wd until i have problems,then put it in FWD.
If i can get away with using 2wd most of the time by filling the rears
i'd be happy as i feel i'm saving wear and tear on the FWD system.
Yeah i know,why did i get a 4WD tractor if i dont use 4WD.I do use it,
but only if i have to.Just a funny habit of mine.
digger2

 

[SamWalton]

What are you guys paying for these? I made some inquiries last summer and was rather shocked at the prices quoted in New England. I ended up spending less on a 40hp TLB with 9ft BH. No doubt the B21/26s are excellent machines but the bang for the buck seems to make them most appropriate for true construction work or rental rather than homeowner use.

We purchase our B26 in the end of 2007. The base price for tractor was $25636.47, but after adding $1555 worth of options we ended up paying $27191.47. The break down was as follows: tractor with backup alarm, additional front work lights and horn $16500.00, loader was $5805.47 and the backhoe with thumb and pads was $4886.00. The backhoe seemed to have the best discount. I guess some of the reason I was able to get such a good price was our salesman added an additional 10% discount through a Kubota sponsored multiple equipment owner programs. We also avoided tax by purchasing out of state and got the 36 month zero percent financing.

 

[RichT]

Sam, did you avoid taxes by purchasing via internet? Also, I'm curious about the multiple equipment discount - what does it take to qualify for that?

 

[SamWalton]

We purchased at a local Kubota dealership. We are very lucky because we live 20 minutes from the state line and do most of our shopping in Fort Smith AR. I suppose you could purchase via the internet tax free provided they delivered but I would caution against it on such a high dollar item. It would be best to get to know your salesman and get him or her to work for the sale. That is why I say make multiple visits and don't appear in a hurry. I am sure that is how and why my salesman got me the additional discount. I know the additional 10% discount was only good through the end of 2007. It was an unadvertised incentive reserved for select customers.

 

[powerstroke444e]

I have been looking at this machine any major wish they change things on them? Deal has me looking at the B26 as he was sure I would tear up a BX24. I also looked a jd but have on got to play with one that had a hoe. Any tips would be great.

 

[SamWalton]

I have been looking at this machine any major wish they change things on them? Deal has me looking at the B26 as he was sure I would tear up a BX24. I also looked a jd but have on got to play with one that had a hoe. Any tips would be great.

I love the B26 design. It is clearly in a class of its own. To compare this machine to any agricultural tractor would be an injustice to both. The B26s reinforced integrated main frame provides such a stout design. I believe it was targeted at commercial rental and landscaping applications. The B26 comes loaded with features and options. The thumb option is a must. Also the hydraulics provides excellent digging force and lifting capacity. This is not to say that it doesn't come at a premium, because it is expensive, but you are getting what you paying for. As for improvements, my three requests would be lower the height of the canopy to allow entry through a standard seven foot garage door, add a few ponies to the PTO and provide an option for HST PLUS with load-sensing (Stall-Guard), hi/lo (Hydro Dual-Speed), HST response control, and Auto-Throttle Advance. Read over the attached B26 Features PDF files.

 

[powerstroke444e]

Thanks for the info. I was impressed with the one we got to try as it handled very well & seems it is winning the coin toss. Only thing now is to figure out if it will pay for it's self.