B7500 Questions

[Darren]

The screens Kubota uses in front of the radiator do an excellent job of keeping material out of the radiator. The L series will also overheat if the screens and openings around the front aren't kept clear.

Normally the coolant temp gauge when warmed up is just above the first mark. When I see it above that I know it's cleaning time. Even on the hottest day, if the openings and the screen are clear, the temp gauge doesn't budge much over the normal indication when warmed up.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Gus, thanks for all of the great tips. I feel like I know what to do now. If I like my B7500 half as much as you seem to like yours then I know that I made a wise purchase. One other question, have you had a chance to use your First Choice box blade yet? What do you think of it?

 

[cchoate]

I keep my 7500 screens and radiator clean with a compressor after every mow. I mowed today in 90 degrees for an hour and a half with the temp gauge no higher than 1/4. I also keep my outside air cleaner clean - keep an eye on that also.

Hey chim - did you say you are using a 5' rotary cutter with a 7500? How does that work as compared to a 4'? Everybody I talked to says nothing over 4' for the 7500 because it will bog down the engine while cutting heavy (1") brush.

 

[chim]

Worked fine for me, but I wasn't zipping along with the pedal to the metal running over 2" trees. Wouldn't want to try it without the FEL installed for counterweight. It's pretty heavy. The cutter is a used KK 60" bought used. I don't have an application that would take me into large patches of concentrated 1"+ saplings. I was cutting brush that has been untouched for about 5 years. Although there were some small trees mixed in, most of the weeds were just thick the thick stemmed varieties that die off in the Fall and startover in the Spring. They stood between 3' and 5' tall. Since the place hadn't been mowed for so long, I went slowly and combed through it with the toothbar as I went. Most of the concrete block and large rocks were found with the FEL, but some stuff slipped by. Did I mention I'm glad I bought a used one?. I'd be happy to report how it works in another application, but this is more typical of what I will run into - places the other tractors won't fit. The relatives on a nearby farm have a batwing hog about 20' wide they pull with with a big 4WD Massey Ferguson to do the big meadows and sometimes grind up corn stalks, and a neighbor has a 7' he pulls with JD...........chim

 

[snowman]

Freds;

Regarding overheating, I was "bushwacking" a two + acre field for the first time this year yesterday. Sounds like the same as your field was - easily 4' to 5' high.

I only have a MMM; ran it around 2,000 rpm to 2,500 rpm. It was hot and sunny here (90 degrees). I could feel the heat from the engine while driving. I had run it for about two hours moving dead brush, then starting cutting the field.

I could run it for about twenty minutes at a time before having to stop, open the hood and let it cool down a bit, even though the screens were not that clogged. The temp gauge was normally right in the middle between C and H, and would slowly creep up to H.

One other thing to watch for (happens to me, at least), is that I get junk between the radiator and the pullout screen. You have to look carefully by staring straight down after you pull the screen out.

In short, I don't think there's anything wrong with your tractor. Sounds like it was just some sever mowing that requires a little "rest" every now and then. Otherwise I agree with you - the tractor should be able to go all day long. I've run it four to five hours at a time cutting the "regular" lawn and doing other work and it usually stays right at the top of the "C". It was only this heavy stuff that caused mine to get hot quicker and more frequently.

 

[Freds]

"It was only this heavy stuff that caused mine to get hot quicker and more frequently."

I thought that brush hogging was easier on a tractor than mowing (required less hp.). Mine will bog down quite a bit while mowing. I have a soft area in my lawn that I was told causes "ground resistance" and therefore I have to go slower or the rpms drop quite quickly. It's better now that I'm using a rear discharge.

Anyway, the dealer just brought her back with about 4 hours more on the meter and said the temp ga. did the same thing for him. It turns out that I burned out the sensing unit the first time I overheated her when the screen was clogged. He said they put a load on her and she ran fine. I still kind of wonder why she also seems to lose power when the ga. was acting up, (hmmm...?) but time will tell. Hopefully I'll get enough time tomorrow night to put her through the paces.
It was nice to have a one day turn around and I hope that their mechanics learned something from this, also.

Fred