Comparison Cylinder vs cycle

[oldballs]

Just for a curiosity, I was looking at specifications on Compact Tractors from the B2301 on up to the Grand L.

Under the engine specs, the Kubota site calls the engines....e.g. 4 cycle diesel in the bigger models .... versus a 4 cylinder in the smaller models.

What's with that?

 

[Fallon]

Just for a curiosity, I was looking at specifications on Compact Tractors from the B2301 on up to the Grand L.

Under the engine specs, the Kubota site calls the engines....e.g. 4 cycle diesel in the bigger models .... versus a 4 cylinder in the smaller models.

What's with that?

All modern diesel engines along with most gas engines are 4 cycle. Old Detroit diesels were 2 cycle, but are obselete & no longer produced due to emissions reasons. Similar story for cycle gas engines although there might still be some in use for lawn care equipment or power toys.

Everything else being equal, which is going to make more power. An engine that fires every 4 strokes/cycles or every 2? They had great power to weight ratios. But gas ones were always temperamental to keep running & all fuel types were pretty dirty by all emissions standards.

All modern engines have various numbers of pistons or cylinders & that has no relationship to being 2 or 4 stroke/cycle.

 

[Roadworthy]

I believe you'll find most if not all of the smaller current tractor engines have three cylinders - these will have three injectors and three glow plugs. The larger current engines, I'll say above a nominal forty horsepower may move up to four cylinders. Years ago Mitsubishi (and probably others) produced two and four cylinder four cycle diesel engines. I have one of the older four cylinder Mitsubishi engines. The four cylinder units seem a bit smoother than their three cylinder counterparts, the exhaust sounds different as well, but either will do the job.

 

[oldballs]

Thanks Fallon. But I thought the spec sheet would tell how many cylinders are in the larger HP engines, just like they tell in the lower HP models.....e.g. my B2650 has 3 cylinders versus the B3350 has 4 cylinders.

Cheers,
Mike

Dang it..........it did not read down far enough on the Kubota spec sheet...........further down it tells how many cylinders each engine has......Dah-h-h-

Sorry about that.

 

[SDT]

All modern diesel engines along with most gas engines are 4 cycle. Old Detroit diesels were 2 cycle, but are obselete & no longer produced due to emissions reasons. Similar story for cycle gas engines although there might still be some in use for lawn care equipment or power toys.

Everything else being equal, which is going to make more power. An engine that fires every 4 strokes/cycles or every 2? They had great power to weight ratios. But gas ones were always temperamental to keep running & all fuel types were pretty dirty by all emissions standards.

All modern engines have various numbers of pistons or cylinders & that has no relationship to being 2 or 4 stroke/cycle.

I believe that EMD (or derivative) still manufactures 2 cycle diesel engines for locomotive and other applications but they are sadly no longer sold in the US.

SDT

 

[TMGT]

Another quick way to tell on Kubota's is if they list the engine model, the letter prefix tells the number if cylinders.

Z=2 cylinders
D=3 cylinders
V=4 cylinders
F=5 cylinders

I can't remember the 1 and 6 cylinder designations off the top of my head.

 

[kthompson]

Another quick way to tell on Kubota's is if they list the engine model, the letter prefix tells the number if cylinders.

Z=2 cylinders
D=3 cylinders
V=4 cylinders
F=5 cylinders

I can't remember the 1 and 6 cylinder designations off the top of my head.

One thing I first liked about Kubota models names for their equipment made sense. Many other companies model numbers mean nothing other. Even more fun when a company uses the same model number again.

 

[RalphVa]

Think you're seeing some translation problems. Most of them are 3 cylinder, and all are 4 cycle.

FYI, I just recently stuck a column of figures for the L in with the B2301 vs. JD 2025R comparison I made a long time ago. Big thing that sticks out is the weight of the L tractor. Be like running my Miata up and down the back hill or like my Tacoma with bush hog and FEL. Think a 25 hp engine would be deficient for that, particularly if I had a carryall in back full and full FEL. Probably would slide down the hill and not have the power to take it all up the hill.

Ralph

 

[TMGT]

Think you're seeing some translation problems. Most of them are 3 cylinder, and all are 4 cycle.

FYI, I just recently stuck a column of figures for the L in with the B2301 vs. JD 2025R comparison I made a long time ago. Big thing that sticks out is the weight of the L tractor. Be like running my Miata up and down the back hill or like my Tacoma with bush hog and FEL. Think a 25 hp engine would be deficient for that, particularly if I had a carryall in back full and full FEL. Probably would slide down the hill and not have the power to take it all up the hill.

Ralph

Hp isn't the whole story, compare the engine displacement and rpm that it makes the Hp. The lower the rpm at the rated Hp the higher torque.

Most semi's only have 350-450hp but will out pull a Vette with 600.

 

[Fallon]

Think you're seeing some translation problems. Most of them are 3 cylinder, and all are 4 cycle.

FYI, I just recently stuck a column of figures for the L in with the B2301 vs. JD 2025R comparison I made a long time ago. Big thing that sticks out is the weight of the L tractor. Be like running my Miata up and down the back hill or like my Tacoma with bush hog and FEL. Think a 25 hp engine would be deficient for that, particularly if I had a carryall in back full and full FEL. Probably would slide down the hill and not have the power to take it all up the hill.

Ralph

Few of the Kubotas have deficient HP to traction issues. My 40hp 6-7k lbs loaded L4060HSTC is a good match for ground engaging stuff. It could use more HP for roading on hills & running PTO impliments. You can get the same chassis in 35-60hp models. The higher HP machines generally only need that high HP to spin a big mower or other such PTO impliments.

Weight is what makes a tractor work. HP just defines how fast it can get the job done. With tractors low gearing you should never be limited on where you can go or what you can pull by HP. It's just a matter of traction & how slow you are willing to go.