Buying a Kubota - L3301 - Kind of late, but did I make any mistakes?

k0ua · Apr 25, 2015

You are definitely going to want the cruise control put on if you did not get it. Besides the obvious uses, it is also useful so you can brake steer for instance when you are cleaning snow off of a driveway and need to hold your line of travel. Often the steering wheel is pretty useless in those conditions and brake steering is the only way to keep a straight line. As this series of Kubota tractors still have their brakes on the right, you need the cruise control to hold the treadle pedal in the forward position as you apply brake with your right foot to steer with.

Gator6x4 · Apr 25, 2015

k0ua said:
You are definitely going to want the cruise control put on if you did not get it. Besides the obvious uses, it is also useful so you can brake steer for instance when you are cleaning snow off of a driveway and need to hold your line of travel. Often the steering wheel is pretty useless in those conditions and brake steering is the only way to keep a straight line. As this series of Kubota tractors still have their brakes on the right, you need the cruise control to hold the treadle pedal in the forward position as you apply brake with your right foot to steer with.

Don't know about Kioti's, but the other orange and green tractors I own all will disengage the "Cruise Control" when the brakes are applied. Are Kioti's set up to continue operating at the "Cruise" set speed when the brakes are applied? Seems like that could be a safety issue.

TripleR · Apr 25, 2015

Kubota cruise control will disengage if both brake pedals are applied, but not just one. My manual recommends using the cruise control with the brakes for steering control.

k0ua · Apr 25, 2015

TripleR said:
Kubota cruise control will disengage if both brake pedals are applied, but not just one. My manual recommends using the cruise control with the brakes for steering control.

What he said. My Kioti has an electric cruise control like a car. A hold magnet holds the pedal down andcwhe the brakes are depressed the brake lights come on and the cruise module releases the current in the cruise magnet coil and the pedal is released. As for steering brakes, the brakes are on the left. So your left foot steers while the right foot engages the hydro pedal.

Steppenwolfe · Apr 26, 2015

I have the 3301, you will love this tractor. View attachment 422465

RiseForms · May 5, 2015

Finally came today. Felt *worse* than a kid on Christmas Eve watching out the window at the time it was due to come. Saw a flash of orange when they turned onto my road and I felt like running out there hooting and hollering like a kid at the ice cream truck.

As I walked over to the driver - it was hard to not have this big crap eating grin and look serious. And to not take my phone out and take pictures like a fool

Here are some pics though

Had some meetings and work to do but swapped attachments and played - err - worked with the grapple a little.

vtsnowedin · May 5, 2015

RiseForms said:
Finally came today. ...
.... Had some meetings and work to do but swapped attachments and played - err - worked with the grapple a little.

Yes be careful to use the proper terminology at all times lest the wives figure out how we really feel about the "work" we are doing with our tractors.

RiseForms · May 5, 2015

Works well as a sawbuck. Swapping most attachments is fairly easy, but the angle of attack on the grapple leaves something to be desired. I'll have to work on fashioning some sort of stand for it out of wood.

Working on clearing a line for a fence to be installed for the animals..

Picked up a tree today:

Then cut it up quickly with my chain saw while the grapple held it at a comfortable height:

Then swapped to bucket, loaded the wood and started bringing it near wood shed.. Except I got a little close. The Mrs. didn't like that feeling or sound from the kitchen overlooking that shed

Oops.

I told her that post was too stressed out to snap so easy. ;-) She said "yeah, right!"

We have some small dips and hills. I need to learn what angle is a safe one and what isn't. Hit a bit of a dip and slowed down with a timid trepidation today because the angle felt off - but I wouldn't have been that scared on a lawn tractor or truck - it wasn't much of a hill or dip at all but I just don't know how much angle is "safe" to feel. Imagine that confidence builds with time. I bet it was probably only 5 or 6 degrees, but it felt like I was going to tip it to the side. I was also crawling over that "ditch" (just a run off ditch from a culvert from the road across street.. maybe 1 to 2 feet of elevation change.. Width is less than the size of the front tires.. But mucky leading down to and out of it. And a slight angle. But that feeling of being on an angle is a bit odd at first when rollovers are the one thing beat into you as a precaution to worry about

Maybe I should buy an clinometer to stick onto the instrument panel so I can see that I'm worrying about nothing

RiseForms · May 5, 2015

Attaching and removing loader? Piece of cake.
Attaching and removing forks? Piece of cake.

Attaching and removing the grapple is a bit of a different story. Angle is trickier the way that implement wants to lean when resting. Will have to build some stands to drop it into, I think. That and remember to disconnect the hydraulics for that one ;-)