Confused About HST Fan Protection

[BotaBX24er]

Bro-tek skid plate protects twigs coming in from any direction. Kubota fan protector only protects the fan from twigs coming directly up. Even with the "new" bigger Kubota protector, twigs can still take it out coming in from the front side (which you would normally drive) at an angle. That's how that fan is most often taken out, personal experience

Their main thing was that they were still trying to make it accessible to the filter and mmm installation without having to remove anything to get to them. Still, at least Kubota is now finally paying attention to some of their customers.

 

[FullBucket]

From another post by our friends at Messick's, I see that the part number for the older version of the Kubota guard is K2581-92120 as shown in their catalog
Kubota BX25 Parts Diagrams

Does anyone know if the new version has a new part number and will it fit all BX's? Do they all have the predrilled bolt holes? If anyone has investigated this for a BX2350 in particular I would appreciate knowing the result. Thanks.

 

[thavil]

From another post by our friends at Messick's, I see that the part number for the older version of the Kubota guard is K2581-92120 as shown in their catalog
Kubota BX25 Parts Diagrams

Does anyone know if the new version has a new part number and will it fit all BX's? Do they all have the predrilled bolt holes? If anyone has investigated this for a BX2350 in particular I would appreciate knowing the result. Thanks.

Just checked Messick's parts catalog for bp fick's BX1860 Kubota BX1860 Parts Diagrams and they list the same part number as the BX25, not the newer looking one.

I have no idea if this will fit the older 50 series BX's or not but looking at the catalog for your BX2350, they do not list the optional fan cover kit.

 

[bp fick]

It appears that Kubota made a mid model change. Mine appears to be welded on.
Although, the part should still be available and why wouldn't it work on an older model? Just have to check there hasn't been a frame change, I suppose.

 

[LostInTheWoods]

BP Fick,

Well, at least you got something under your 'Bota. My new 2660 has a fan just hangin' out under there wait'n to get clobbered. I'm certainly not looking for any reasons to spend a couple hundred bucks at Bro-tek, but even if I had the plate you have, I just wouldn't have the warm-and-fuzzies about how well it would keep something from working over or around and into that HST fan. Then again, I am doing/will be doing a LOT of bush hogging places that haven't been cleared in years/trail building in the woods/moving logs/moving rocks/hauling up,down,and around trees and stumps and over fallen limbs. The only thing I won't be doing with my 'roided-up lawnmower is, well, mowing. I haven't seen anything else out there that seems to be able to priovide what the Bro-tek plate can do, so its time to save up some dough. If you're not going to be exposing your machine to anything along these lines, I'd probably feel pretty good about the plate you have. And since you said it is welded on, I don't know how this would impact you trying to add the Bro-tek plate....

 

[rdsaustintx]

OK, here a photo of my underneath 'Bota.

While not perfect, about one zillion times better than older BX's.

 

[BotaBX24er]

Here's the best forum discussion with pictures of plates that other members have fabiracted for themselves...and they are nice...

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/103928-skid-plate-insanity-2.html

I have put some of the pics from that discussion below...

 

[shownuff]

with the exception of the pic posted by bp fick it looks like the majority of the skid plates are directly blocking the air flow to the fan

 

[radioman]

OK, here a photo of my underneath 'Bota.

Sorry the photo is what it is, but you can see the part anyhow.

bp fick- you said it appears to be welded on? are you sure ? From the pictures it looks like you gonna have a bear of a time trying to replace the HST filter. the picture looks like there is only half inch or so to pull filter out and put in?

BotaBX24er- The first pic of skid plate with diamond plate looks really good. I like that one the best, however , I would have made a door of some sort for the filter so I wouldn't have to remove the skid plate to replace the filter.

shownuff- I believe adding the skidplates would create a tunnel effect airflow with air coming from the front driveshaft area. I could be wrong , but i can envision that happening.

 

[bp fick]

radioman, yeah it is tack welded on. The camera angles are a little hard to make out the true way I believe Kubota intended this new piece to function. It protects the HST filter, to some degree, but it seems the real intent was to protect the fan. Fan protection seems very, very good, better than camera angles allow it to be seen. The protection for the filter is only ok.

What you likely cannot see from the camera angles is that the protective plate stops just short enough of the filter, to allow it to barely be unscrewed and drop down for replacement.

For an attempt to retro-fit, really, some kind of protection, I would give Kubota a B+ on this. That's being fair, I think. A- on the fan and B on the filter.