Bought the B2910.

[Rick Jay]

Hi All,

Thanks again for all of your help in my last month or so of decision making. I decided to go with the B2910, and put a deposit down on it yesterday with my local dealer. His initial price was quite a bit higher than some of the "internet boys", and at first looked like he might be non-negotiable. After some discussion, and showing him three "delivered" prices I received from internet sources, he was able to sharpen his pencil a bit and we arrived at what I thought was a fair deal. (I still have 5% to pay to the Commonwealth of Taxachusetts, but that can't be avoided with a local dealer. Anyway, SOMEONE has to pay for the Big Dig!!!) My deal was not the lowest of my offers, but I think it was fair. I am very satisfied with the attention and time my local dealer has given me so far and felt that he worked for and deserves the sale. Others may not feel so obligated, but I do, and don't mind paying a bit more to support a local business.

So, the final machine is to be equipped like so:

Kubota B2910, R4's, foldable ROPS, LA402 with 54" bucket with toothbar, Woods 7500 backhoe with subframe, pump kit and 16" bucket, Woods 1160 posthole auger with 12" bit.

I guess I have some special distinction as this will be the first B2910 that he has sold. He has it in the crate, ready to be assembled. Some of the accessories are on order, so I hope to see my tractor within a few weeks.

Oh, my wife STILL thinks I'm crazy and thinks I'm going to kill myself. Actually, most people I know say I'm crazy and I have found the ideal comeback. I just tell them "Yes, I know I'm crazy for doing this. If you want an argument, we will have to debate some issue with which we disagree." Most just laugh, shake their heads and move on. My dealer has set some of my wife's fears at ease by assuring her that SHOULD the tractor result in my untimely end, the tractor will be easy to sell.

Thanks again to all who participate on this board. It has been a valuable source of information for me over the past month or so. Once I receive my B2910, I look forward to posting some of my experiences...assuming I don't kill myself the first day!.

Take care,

Rick

 

[JimBinMI]

Rick,

Congratulations and welcome to the "Owner's Circle"! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

JimBinMI

 

[Bird]

Welcome to the group. That ought to be a fine rig! I'm sure you'll enjoy it, and probably surprise the wife with the work you get done.

Bird

 

[MChalkley]

Rick - Congratulations! You're going to have a lot of fun using your new tractor.

Your attitude regarding dealers is a commendable one, as far as I'm concerned. They have to stay in business, too. We all want them to (well, most of them). Everybody deserves to make a living. He sounds fair, and if he is, he appreciates your attitude, too.

For what it's worth, I'm sure you realize your chances of killing yourself, or injuring yourself seriously, are quite small, assuming you keep your present attitude regarding safety. It's not always a pleasant subject, but if you have time while you're waiting search this board, and especially the archives for some very helpful tips. The main one, you'll find, is to wear the seatbelt at all times. There are lots of other things to keep in mind, too, and they'll all here. The manual isn't bad, either, but we're better. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

And you may be crazy, but I doubt the tractor will be the deciding factor. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Mark

 

[Rick Jay]

Hi Mark,

Yes, I know that my chances of seriously injuring myself are pretty slim. I'm usually VERY safety conscious-can't even back my car out of the garage without wearing my seatbelt- and I plan on being even more careful with my new "baby".


I also agree that this board and its archives serve as a tremendous resource for all tractor info, especially safety. I have picked up quite a few hints already, and learn more everyday, thanks to the numerous, experienced posters like yourself that are willing to share your knowledge.

I've also picked up a copy of the book "Operating Techniques for the Tracto-Loader-Backhoe" by Gary J. Ober (ISBN: 0-911785-01-9, available from http://www.equiptrain.com). Although it's written for much larger units than my B2910, much of the safety advice is applicable to smaller units. The sections on center of gravity, safety, backhoe techniques and loader techniques are especially helpful. I strongly recommend it to anyone that uses a TLB.

Now, it's just a matter of time before I can start putting some of my reading into practice.

Thanks again,

Rick

 

[Rick Jay]

Hi Bird,

Oh, oh. That's right. Now I'm going to have to actually DO all those jobs that I've been putting off. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif Actually, I'm looking forward to them /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.

Thanks for all of your valuable input to this forum.

~Rick

 

[Rick Jay]

Hi JimBinMI,

Thanks, it's nice to be a member of such a fine group of people as all of you. I'll try to do my best to earn my keep around here.

~Rick

 

[MChalkley]

Rick, thanks for the kind words, but I won't take credit for more than a fair share of the safety posts - there have been many, many excellent contributions from many different contributors to this subject.

Mark

 

[Bird]

Always glad to hear of other firm believers in seat belts like myself. My first ones were after market belts I installed in my car in 1962 when it came without belts. I've been wearing them ever since, and it undoubtedly saved my life on 12/29/65 when my partner rammed us head on into a tree hard enough that it broke my belt and I stuck my head through the windshield, but without the belt I'd have probably gone all the way through.

I also rode motorcycles for several years and the worst I ever got hurt was a skinned knee and elbow, but that was probably because I'm convinced that if you ride a motorcycle long enough, it's going to hurt you bad some day, and every time I got on one, I thought about that and just hoped today wasn't going to be the day. And I try to go about operating tractors and farm machinery with the same attitude. Great machines, a lot of fun, get a lot of work done, and I'm always scared of them.

Bird

 

[MChalkley]

I talked to a very different breed of tractor operator a couple weeks ago. I've been meaning to tell everyone, but keep forgetting.

Anyway, I stopped at a small country store to get a soda and a couple of contract utility line clearing crews were there. They have these tractors with full cages, skid plates, race-car type restraining harnesses - you get the idea. So I was looking over their rigs, and just had to ask if they ever rolled them. I don't know if they were telling the truth or not, but one of them said "Not this week, but today's only Tuesday." I just assumed he was joking, until he said to the other one "But you got the week off to a good start, didn't you?" And he said, "Yeah, I rolled mine yesterday." Then they proceeded to tell me they roll them, on average, at least once a week. So I asked them what they did and they told me they had kill switches that shut the tractor down automatically if they tipped over, and after it stopped rolling, they unstrapped themselves, hooked a winch cable to a tree and pulled themselves upright. I'm not sure they were giving me the straight scoop, because they had a sort of smirking expression most of the time. Clearly they considered me a tenderfoot and didn't want their reputation damaged being seen talking to the likes of me. Of course, I was driving the VW at the time... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Still, if they were remotely truthful, it's not a way I'd want to make a living.

It was interesting, though. Anyone else know anyone that does that kind of work?

Mark

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I have to add my $.02 worth on the subject of seatbelts. I learned by having the heck scared out of me that they are a good idea and maybe the #1 idea in safety. Be it tractors or automobiles. Anyone who thinks that they can maybe say, jump free of a overturning tractor is really fooling him/herself. Things happen way to fast for any thought process like that. I have never turned one over myself but boy have I got close. By the way Bird, I rode Harleys for years(never got into the tattoos or anything like that, I just loved the way they sounded) and always figured one would eat my lunch one day. I was lucky though, and it didn't happen, but after my first born came along I started getting more and more uncomfortable, read scared, and after my second son was born I gave them up. I still love the sound of them though.

 

[Bird]

Glen, we have much the same thoughts, but went very different routes with the motorcycles. I had a Zundap for a very short time when I was in my 20s, but then didn't really start riding much until I went to buy my youngest daughter a motor scooter when she was 15, and bought myself a motorcycle at the same time. But I wanted quiet, comfortable riding and stayed with Yamaha, Honda, and BMW (loved the Honda Aspencade).

Bird

 

[glen b.]

Your kidneys are probably in better shape now days than mine are then.

 

[Billc]

Rick, congrats on your new tractor. Take pictures of your yard before you get your tractor. It is amazing how much you can tear up within the first 3 weeks of getting your tractor.

I saw that you live in Western Mass. I lived there at one time, went to Westfield College. Beautiful part of the state. People kept asking me, "W're you frum? Y'all relly et grits?" My so called Southern accent was pretty strong at the time. Now it's funny, 'cause lots of folks from Mass, NY, and NJ live down here.....wait, I guess that's not so funny.

 

[MChalkley]

BillC - I think that's called a "reality check". /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Mark

 

[_RaT_]

Congratulations on the new tractor, all that fun of deciding what to get is over and now you can turn all those hours spent reading brochures about tractor models and features into more hours of what other implements you will need, although I must say you already started off with a great list.
The advice about seatbelts is certainly wise, and I am not advocating you not wear one, but the story I have about a man who just happened not to wear his belt that day is in all likelyhood why he lived. Remember it is by far the exception. The incident this man went through convinced him to START WEARING HIS SEATBELT!!!
The Kubota 4850 is a reasonably heavy tractor for being in the compact class. This one was equipped with the LA 950 loader and Gannon 72" hyd. ripper box/ scrapper. The owner is a heart surgeon who loves to work in his yard as therapy. I showed him lots of things. Take the tractor out of 4 WD when on hard surfaces like your exposed rock laquered driveway or you'll burn tire imprints into it not to mention the twist it puts on the drive train as those front tires try to slip. So he did. I told him to dump his load in as level a position as possible which he normally does but he happened to be watching me on it one day and decided he liked how I got the load of rock and other debris down the hill (steep) hill. Thats what he wanted, get that stuff down there where it quickly disappears from view. I leave and days later get a call. It goes like this....
Well, the tractors GONE, its gone.
I wondering what the heck does that mean, someone stole it, what?
Its down the hill slammed up against a huge digger pine on its side, engines still going.
My response is "go turn the motor off" it needs oil, oh man you might have wrecked the motor are my thoughts. I ask how did it happen?
He responds, yeah I'm fine, I'll do that , turn the motor off. He continues, you know how you get those loads of rock down the hill, thats what I wanted so I filled the loader up with rocks and made sure 4WD was off because of the driveway thing and when I started to go down the hill, the brakes hardlly worked at all, the rear wheels just slid, going faster and faster I sort of jumped off the right side of the tractor, well actually the right rear tire hit me in the butt as I was panicing throwing me clear. I watched as the Kubota's front loader dug in (he carried it low like I told him) and did a complete flip, twice, I mean head over heels. It continued rolling 2 more times over its side before slamming into the pine stopping it from another 500' descent. Down the hill about 250' on its side, engine running still, stuff bent, roll bar did a complete 90 degree bend backwards (which Kubota anxiously wanted for testing). The rear wheels bent very badly, box scraper was doing a 45 degree offset, dents everywhere, loader OK.
Next day and 2 tow trucks, 4 hours and the Kubotas on a flat bed to the local Kubota dealer. New 's spread quickly that this famous heart surgeon flipped his tractor and people would go down just to look at the tractor and its present state. For about 2 months they had their chance while new parts were on order. $28,000 was the repair bill, cost of pride, alot. A little more damage and they would have called it a total loss. Insurance took care of it. Even though he feels the seat belt might have killed him, he wears it, insists others do the same and biggest lesson he learned, I'm never getting near a hill again, 4WD or not. Drive Safe, Mark, the other Mark
P.S. I got pictures, man are they funny to look at now.

 

[MChalkley]

Mark - Which brings up rule #(something or other below 3): Always engage 4wd on non-hard-surface slopes. And somewhere in there belongs: Always double-check that 4wd is engaged when working on slopes with a heavy load in the loader. As does: Never use the loader without adequate rear ballast.

I was looking at the specs of a tractor (Fendt, I think) on the Internet not long ago and was amused to see this line: "Brakes - Rear wheels (front wheels via 4wd)". First time I've ever seen it put that way, but it's accurate, I guess.

Mark (which one am I?)

 

[W5FL]

Asked my Brother In Law in the Texas Highway Partol about Tractor Safety. He said Tractors must be pretty safe. He said the state issues them a dust pan and broom for the motorcycle riders, but no special issue tools for Tractors. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Phazer]

Congrats... I'm a new 2910 owner too, and I love it. My wife loves it too. I bought the Kenny Chesna CD yesterday which has the "She Thinks my Tractors sexy" song on it just to make her grin. You'll love all the stuff you can tear up with your new rig. Keep in mind, that orange paint normally does leave a mark on the stuff you were not susposed to hit (the garage, etc.)
I bought mine locally too, and had to pay sales tax, but luckily, in FL, you can pay 3% instead of the normal 7% for farm equipment.
Have fun.