Help with which Kubota to get

oosik · Aug 20, 2020

I have 80 acres - mile long gravel driveway & moderate snow. My land is - a ten acre lake - bunch grass - gigantic ancient Ponderosa pines. I started out in 1982 with a brand new Ford 1700 4WD. I kept this tractor for 27 years - upgraded to a brand new Kubota M6040 4WD in 2009.

Reasons for the upgrade.

All the smaller projects had been completed

I got tired of having to use a 3-point blower to clear the snow berms that form along the driveway

The M6040 does not need chains to clear snow

The M6040 has the weight to effectively pull Cat 2 implements

I have no access problems to most anywhere on the property. I don't need a smaller tractor to access most anywhere

Bullwinkle123 · Aug 20, 2020

Aquabird said:
I do agree BW, You definitely have to consider the job you need to get done and the terrain you are working in. I would say 60% of my tractor work is mowing 3.5 acres. I live in a really flat area. I do not intend to load the tires up. I did some loader work today and was really impressed with the power of the loader on the MX5400. Does yours gulp fuel?
I am also very impressed with the traction of the 4 wd. I guess that the weight of the tractor has something to do with that. I am sure that when I put the big rototiller on I will be glad and I have that extra PTO HP.

I haven't had a fuel gulping issue, though perhaps it's relative to what you're used to. At a guess I would say I'm doing about 5 gallons per 10 hours for mixed activities. Maybe my fuel consumption will be worse when I spend all day brush hogging in October, no idea yet. I'm not sure my 5-for-10 is accurate either, I could be off by a can for my first 30-odd hours of use. Either way, it hasn't been a burden to acquire the fuel. I do question the user friendliness of the design decision to put the gas port in the top of the vehicle though!

I tend to run with lower RPMs if that makes a difference. Somewhere in the 1500-1700 range, maybe upwards of 2k if I'm doing heavy work. 2500 only when the brush hog is going. I've been told a lot of folks run at higher RPMs if only to (at least in theory) lessen the particulate cleaning passes. I'm a rookie, I'm probably doing it wrong

oosik · Aug 20, 2020

My hardest, longest use of my tractor - snow plowing & chipping the small pines when I thin my stands. Complete plowing - yard, driveway & mailbox area will take three hours - it will consume approximately two gallons of diesel. My 'ol bod can handle 3-4 hours of continuous chipping. That, also, will consume two gallons of diesel. It takes me a good month and 35 to 40 gallons of diesel to chip all the pines I will thin in the spring. I never run higher rpm than it takes to get the job done. This means 1800-2000 rpm at a maximum.

I never considered the location of the fuel port when I purchased the M6040. Eleven years later - I'm sure glad it's not up there on top of the hood.

Aquabird · Aug 20, 2020

Yeah, as tall as this MX5400 is filling the tank with a 5 gal can is harder than the old Ford 1520.
That is one thing not good about a bigger tractor if you do not have a pump of some kind.
Years ago when my company tore out their Engine "Hot Test" line, I got hold of a heavy duty electric fuel pump, used to pump gas to the motors to run and test them.
Since they were throwing them out, I got a pass to take one home. Those things lasted for many years.
I also got a powerful(10amp) Power supply to change to 12volt to run the fuel pump. I mounted the power supply into an old desk top computer housing so that the dust will not get into the power supply and to protect from a short.
I added some hoses and a switch to turn on the pump as well as an indicator light to show the pump is turned on. The computer switch turns on the power supply.
Now, with this tractor, I just set the 5 gal can on the ground, put the hose on the input of the fuel pump into the can and the hose on the output of the pump into the tank and flip it on.
Takes just a few minutes to empty the 5 gal can.
I would bet the bigger tractor uses at least twice the fuel as the smaller tractor did...but twice the horse power too. Trade offs, that is where you decide which tractor is right for you.
What trade offs are you willing to make? Trade more money for bigger more horsepower tractor. Get more weight, can cause more ruts or tracks, may not fit into the old space in your barn or garage.
After mowing a little yesterday, I might need a bigger mower deck. It does not cover the wheels and is hard to mow close to anything. I have a 72in now.