gadgetguitar
New member
Interested to know if anyone thinks you should break-in a new tractor? I just picked up my BX2660 with FEL and BH 48" tiller attachment on Wednesday. I plan on running it all weekend to mow/till/level.
Breaking in new tractor
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JOHNTHOMAS
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This should get a few hundred responses. I use mine when I get it but try not to do much extreme work that bogs it down for maybe the first 20 hours. Mowing or tilling shouldn't bog it down if you set the revs at the right level.
Yeah,me too.
I mean you get it how you supposed to break it in without using it,[you can only drive it around the yard so many times].
You go buy a new car or truck and you take it for a test drive to see what it will do before you buy it,than you drive it home at 60 miles an hour.
Think the breakin thing is something that no body even tries to do.
Main thing is be easy on it till you know exactlly how it operates,and make sure all fluids are full,lug nuts tight,etc.
And pay attention to noises and unusual stuff,cause 9 chances out of 10,if its going to break,it will break in first 50 hours or so,after that,all the weak links[if there was any] will have already shown themselfs,and you should be ready for next 1,000 hours,[if you take care].
I mean you get it how you supposed to break it in without using it,[you can only drive it around the yard so many times].
You go buy a new car or truck and you take it for a test drive to see what it will do before you buy it,than you drive it home at 60 miles an hour.
Think the breakin thing is something that no body even tries to do.
Main thing is be easy on it till you know exactlly how it operates,and make sure all fluids are full,lug nuts tight,etc.
And pay attention to noises and unusual stuff,cause 9 chances out of 10,if its going to break,it will break in first 50 hours or so,after that,all the weak links[if there was any] will have already shown themselfs,and you should be ready for next 1,000 hours,[if you take care].
Cat_Driver
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Ride it like you stold it.
For me, the harder I abuse equipment the less I have problems with it --- I don't know why that is?
For me, the harder I abuse equipment the less I have problems with it --- I don't know why that is?
Bird
Rest in Peace
In my younger, wilder days, I never bought a new (or new to me) car without seeing how fast it would top out within the first 24 hours.
But your comment "Ride it like you stold it" reminds me of a cousin who bought a new VW bug in 1964. He said the salesman told him to drive it like you're mad at it. When he blew the engine, they did replace it under warranty, but told him the problem was abuse. He said, "The salesman told me to drive it like I was mad at it" and the service manager said, "Yeah, but he didn't say to drive it like you hated it."
The topic of breaking in tractors comes up periodically, and I suppose Kubota Operator's Manuals still say to not run it wide open the first 50 hours. Of course, wide open is a couple of hundred rpm above PTO speed. But personally, I'd just put it to work, but I'd try to vary the rpm occasionally (maybe every 30 minutes or so) the first 50 hours.
gordyy
Gold Member
overhauled my old ford van 7.3 diesel in 98, drove it 800 miles it was using or throwing a gallon of oil out every 200 miles. I was going to take it back apart when my BIL called and wanted me to use it to go haul a 60 JD from the black hill up to ND, it was at his sisters house and He wanted to get it back and restore it while his dad was gone for the winter' it was the first tractor his dad bought new. We drove the 500 miles down used 2 gallons of oil thick black smoke all the way down with a tri axle behind it. Picked up the trailer took off and coming thru the black hills the first 50 miles it thru another 2 galllons of oil out, about 50 minutes later my bil said your truck quit smoking!
I thought the darned thing ran out of oil stopped checked about a quart or so low.
drove that van another 230,000 miles both my sons learned to drive in it and you know how trying a teenager can be much less 2 of them a year apart.
the van rusted and literally fell apart at 400,000 or so and was retired the year before last a back window literally fell out on a bump it was rusted so bad
the engine is now in an old f600 tandem pulling a pup trailer for a farmer I know
break it in like you stole it take it easy for a few hours and make her bark after that
I thought the darned thing ran out of oil stopped checked about a quart or so low.
drove that van another 230,000 miles both my sons learned to drive in it and you know how trying a teenager can be much less 2 of them a year apart.
the van rusted and literally fell apart at 400,000 or so and was retired the year before last a back window literally fell out on a bump it was rusted so bad
the engine is now in an old f600 tandem pulling a pup trailer for a farmer I know
break it in like you stole it take it easy for a few hours and make her bark after that
Last edited:
RickB
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Run it hard and long enough to keep the coolant temperature well up in the operating range. Don't load it so much that you have no throttle response. That recipe will ensure that the piston rings seat properly without becoming too hot.
Running it too briefly, at cool temperature is positively the worst thing you can do.
Usta
Gold Member
Page 13 of the owners manual states
operate the tractor for the first 50 hours at slower speed and avoid excessive work or operation until the various parts become "broken-in".
Do not operate the tractor at full speed for the first 50 hours.
If I was Kubota and paying for any warranty work I would say the same thing. I personally believe you should run the tractor as you normally would right from the beginning.
Use it but don't abuse it is always a good way to do it.
operate the tractor for the first 50 hours at slower speed and avoid excessive work or operation until the various parts become "broken-in".
Do not operate the tractor at full speed for the first 50 hours.
If I was Kubota and paying for any warranty work I would say the same thing. I personally believe you should run the tractor as you normally would right from the beginning.
Use it but don't abuse it is always a good way to do it.
OP
gadgetguitar
New member
I awaiting my owners manual from the dealer. It could not be found when I picked it up. The tractor ran most of the day yesterday with mowing and some tilling. About the only other thing done was the removing of the bucket. I will say, it will take me a while to get 50 hours on it.
I too am a BX2660 owner, and it was also my first tractor. That said, this is far from the first engine I've ever broken in. Motorcycles, cars (custom built 400 Pontiac big block most notabley), trucks, ATVs and countless small engines have been brought forth to this world under my care. It may be a matter of luck or build quality, but I've never had any issue with any engine that I've had since new or rebuild.
As far as the BX goes, my best recommendations have already been stated here. Be sure to do your 50 hour service. Run it long enough and hard enough to get the rings and bearing to seat nicely and keep a close eye on your gauges and fluids. Don't forget to grease your FEL every 10 hours or so as recommended, although it takes a LONG time to put 10 hours on your FEL unless you are moving snow or have a big project on the go.
One thing to make sure that you keep on top of especially if you're mowing is to keep the radiator clear. The 2660 has an intellegently designed screen system that is easy to maintain, so long as you do so. Keep the big stuff off the screen at your knees and be sure to pull the screen out from under the hood, perhaps as often as every hour or so, to keep it clear and keep it from overheating.
Enjoy your BX. If you haven't loaded the rear tires, do it immediately. Its the best time/money/effort you can spend on this tractor, IMHO.
As far as the BX goes, my best recommendations have already been stated here. Be sure to do your 50 hour service. Run it long enough and hard enough to get the rings and bearing to seat nicely and keep a close eye on your gauges and fluids. Don't forget to grease your FEL every 10 hours or so as recommended, although it takes a LONG time to put 10 hours on your FEL unless you are moving snow or have a big project on the go.
One thing to make sure that you keep on top of especially if you're mowing is to keep the radiator clear. The 2660 has an intellegently designed screen system that is easy to maintain, so long as you do so. Keep the big stuff off the screen at your knees and be sure to pull the screen out from under the hood, perhaps as often as every hour or so, to keep it clear and keep it from overheating.
Enjoy your BX. If you haven't loaded the rear tires, do it immediately. Its the best time/money/effort you can spend on this tractor, IMHO.
