B2650 wheel spacers

[Mudfarmer]

When I bought my B2650 in 2019 I had R1 tires installed to handle the muddy winter conditions on my tree farm. I have no complaints about traction. However, I often have the sense that lateral stability is significantly less than that of my JD 3005 with R4 tires which I use predominantly in the summertime when mud isn't an issue. The Kubota also bounces around more than the JD on uneven ground. Obviously, the JD is heavier than the Kubota, a little shorter, a little wider and has more fluid in the rear tires to boot (R4 holds more than R1) which account for the difference in stability. My question is, does anyone have experience with putting rear spacers on a B2650 (or equivalent frame size)? If so, were there significant improvements with say, 2-inch spacers (4-inch widening)?

Mf

 

[Chewwy]

Can’t speak to the wheel spacers on your Kubota, but the greater bounciness on uneven ground is a result of the smaller diameter rear tires on the Kubota (16 in. vs 24 in.). The larger tires are better able to bridge over the depressions.

 

[JWR]

When I bought my B2650 in 2019 I had R1 tires installed to handle the muddy winter conditions on my tree farm. I have no complaints about traction. However, I often have the sense that lateral stability is significantly less than that of my JD 3005 with R4 tires which I use predominantly in the summertime when mud isn't an issue. The Kubota also bounces around more than the JD on uneven ground. Obviously, the JD is heavier than the Kubota, a little shorter, a little wider and has more fluid in the rear tires to boot (R4 holds more than R1) which account for the difference in stability. My question is, does anyone have experience with putting rear spacers on a B2650 (or equivalent frame size)? If so, were there significant improvements with say, 2-inch spacers (4-inch widening)?

I'm strongly opinionated on this topic and have quite a few posts on it over the years. Can be looked up in TBN search but I'll just repeat my main points here: 1) The Japanese have yet to understand after many decades that a large % of their customers do NOT operate on flat ground. Steep ground does exist. 2) In my opinion one of the very few faults with Kubota is almost none of their tractors are made with adequate rear wheel widening capability built in. When they came out with the M8560 sized tractors (3x the weight of yours) they finally began to offer almost adequate rear-wheel-widening capability. It is still short of Deere, MF and New Holland but WAY better. 3) Now for more direct response to you: I had B2150's (have 3) which are fairly comparable to your B2650 in size/weight. It is very hard to overstate the value/impact of putting 6" wheel spacers on the B2150. Mine went from tipsy and unusable on steep ground to being safe, reliable and great on pretty steep ground (45% slope routinely.) Like a totally different tractor. That was 12" of overall widening and I have never regreted any aspect of doing it. The one "had to fix" aspect was the belly mower would no longer clear the big wide turf tires on it and I had to have the mower deck frames modified. Of course ideally I would not have big wide turf tires on a tractor I was using on steep ground mowing brush, etc. but that is just my oddball circumstance, not yours. That whole issue is gone if you are not using a belly mower.
The spacers I chose were BORA brand from Motorsport Technology in Reno NV. Everything thoroughly thought out and well designed both for use and for installation. Not cheap but changed the nature of this tractor big time. I've kept them on for 10 years , no problems, very pleased.

I'll go ahead and include a few photos. The 4th & 5th photos are a different (steel tubes) design used by my pasture renters on an L3400 34 hp Kubota. They are quite happy with their L3400 on steeper ground now and it too went from tipsy to comfortable. Those steel tube spacers were installed by a Kubota dealer and in some places have been listed as dealer installed Kubota options. They might be 4" each side rather than my 6" each side? Mine are the black machined aluminum units.

 

[JWR]

Can’t speak to the wheel spacers on your Kubota, but the greater bounciness on uneven ground is a result of the smaller diameter rear tires on the Kubota (16 in. vs 24 in.). The larger tires are better able to bridge over the depressions.

Size matters of course but so does tire design/type. The R4 is going to be normally rougher over obstacles and rough surfaces because they are much stiffer and higher load capacity than the R1. "Bouncy" and "rough" might not be the same adjectives ?

 

[RjCorazza]

I don't have spacers on my L4060, but do have 2" Bora Spacers on my ZD326 mower that I use on banks. Width makes all the difference on slopes, and Bora makes a quality product.
I think I would confirm that your rims can't be configured any wider first, before adding spacers.

 

[Thomas]

I install 2" spacers on our 2019 B2650 and loaded the rear tires,I didn't want the rear tires be on bucket,also needed the spacers for rear tire chains...you will notice small different but work it.