Improving the Kubota AC on cab tractors....

5030 · Jul 30, 2011

Today is the test. I'lll be mowing and it's hot, humid and generally miserable.

I'm the opposite of you, I like to old style vents up top. My 105 has the low vents and I'm not all that fond of them. The M has the roof mount. Like I said somewhere, the low vents blow on my knees and I have old arthritic knees. Matter of fact, I'm old.:laughing:

When I'm done, I'll get the camera out and take some pictures of the modification and the electric fan. I got one on Flea-Bay for 17 bucks and grabbed a relay from the parts box at work.

I thought about just using the compressor feed to switch the fan but decided to install a relay just in case the compressor feed wasn't up to handling the current.

Didn't do the 105 yet. Just the M.

TripleR · Jul 30, 2011

5030 said:
Today is the test. I'lll be mowing and it's hot, humid and generally miserable.

I'm the opposite of you, I like to old style vents up top. My 105 has the low vents and I'm not all that fond of them. The M has the roof mount. Like I said somewhere, the low vents blow on my knees and I have old arthritic knees. Matter of fact, I'm old.:laughing:

When I'm done, I'll get the camera out and take some pictures of the modification and the electric fan. I got one on Flea-Bay for 17 bucks and grabbed a relay from the parts box at work.

I thought about just using the compressor feed to switch the fan but decided to install a relay just in case the compressor feed wasn't up to handling the current.

Didn't do the 105 yet. Just the M.

Well I am 64 and about the only place I don't have arthritis is my eyebrows, but of course you "might" be more rickety than me.:laughing:

I rotate the vents on the 8540 near my knees to go straight up or at a bit of an angle. I sometimes get an ear ache from the ones on the 5030 blowing in my ear. Of course it sure beats sitting out in the open fighting skeeters and bees not to mention the heat and humidity of Missouri summers.

My brothers are the mechanics in the family, so I will relay the info to them.

slowzuki · Jul 30, 2011

I never got around to fixing my 5030, I found my problems were dirt and dust packed into the fins of the rads/coolers. I made an air wand with a 90 deg tip to slide in and blast it all out. The screens don't seem to stop much of the dirt and the plugging would happen every day. I can't get the plugs out unless I get the air right on it. As long as that is clean, I get ice cold freeze you out a/c. As soon as its even 50% plugged the a/c goes and the temp gauge starts creeping up. Nothing worse than trying to finish the last bit of field and you have to run your heater wide open and cook yourself out of the cab.

I think the problem is all the leaks in the area around the nose of the tractor, it lets in piles of chaff that cooks and plugs up the screens and rad. If you could pull air downwards and send it out the sides it would help.

TripleR · Jul 30, 2011

slowzuki said:
I never got around to fixing my 5030, I found my problems were dirt and dust packed into the fins of the rads/coolers. I made an air wand with a 90 deg tip to slide in and blast it all out. The screens don't seem to stop much of the dirt and the plugging would happen every day. I can't get the plugs out unless I get the air right on it. As long as that is clean, I get ice cold freeze you out a/c. As soon as its even 50% plugged the a/c goes and the temp gauge starts creeping up. Nothing worse than trying to finish the last bit of field and you have to run your heater wide open and cook yourself out of the cab.

I think the problem is all the leaks in the area around the nose of the tractor, it lets in piles of chaff that cooks and plugs up the screens and rad. If you could pull air downwards and send it out the sides it would help.

When I bought my L5030, I had checked with TEXASJOHN and a couple of others on the purchase and had heard of the weak AC, so I talked to my dealer prior to delivery and they checked the system out and took the roof off and cleaned the evaporator out and said that helped a lot.

No the screens don't do a particularly good job of keeping the debris out, just catches the big stuff.

I bought a couple of those 2' long extensions from TSC to use when blowing the debris out and when I am too far from a shop, I will have my wife run a Stihl leaf blower up to the field which works fairly well for clean outs in between a thorough cleaning with the compressor.

My AC runs cool air out if I have the RPM's up or on recirculation, but when I let it idle, it doesn't cool very good especially if you are in the sun.

All in all I am pretty happy with our L5030, but do like the extra head room in the L5740.

I am going to look at mine the next time I have it in the shop to see how hard it would be to make the mods.

As I am retired and have the luxury of just parking it if I get too hot, so it is not a problem for me like it is for someone using theirs for income.

Out of curiosity, how many hours do you have on yours?

5030 · Jul 30, 2011

I'm curious what Slowzuki has on the hourmeter too. My 5030 is long gone.

As an aside, I'm retired too, well I work part time at this and partime at that.

It (the M) passed the hot hayfield test with flying colors. I never turned the blower over 1 and the temp dial wasn't all the way to the left either.

It's especially nice at idle. I like to stop about halfway through a job and have a cool saspirilla.

I don't want the blower overpowering the CD player anyway.

TripleR · Jul 30, 2011

Glad to hear it worked out so well.

My Department wanted me to work part time, but shortly after I retired my health deteriorated and I am pretty much day to day on what I can do, so I stay pretty busy on my good days around our farms.

I have just under 1200 hours on my L5030. I am thinking about getting an air ride seat on it and maybe a second set of remotes.

5030 · Jul 31, 2011

Be assured, I don't have all my parts.:laughing: I'm a charter member of the zipper club......

I replaced the conventional spring ride seat in the M9 with a bottom that was air ride. The stock grammar seat is very comfortable and I got a bottom with a built in compressor for about 500 bucks. Money well spent.

I can't take the jolting either.

TripleR · Aug 1, 2011

Is the installation of the air ride pretty straightforward? I will gladly pay the $500 or more for one. My shoulders are shot from falling down all the time and I put power steering on my Rhino a few months ago and it was one of the best things I ever did.

Funny how I use to ride on a steel seat all day long and was tickled to death when dad sprung for an umbrella.:laughing:

5030 · Aug 1, 2011

TripleR said:
Is the installation of the air ride pretty straightforward? I will gladly pay the $500 or more for one. My shoulders are shot from falling down all the time and I put power steering on my Rhino a few months ago and it was one of the best things I ever did.

Funny how I use to ride on a steel seat all day long and was tickled to death when dad sprung for an umbrella.:laughing:

I can relate to the steel seat. My first tractor was a '41 Farmall dual fuel, the one where you started on gasoline, closed the carburetor shutter, turned on the keroscene tap and made sure the wind was at your back or you wore an oil slick.... I thought comfort was a draw string seat cover.....

The bases are all pre drilled to the seat bottom. It appears that there is an industry standard for bolt spacing. The base I got was slotted on the bottom side and it bolted right up. Mine swivels to the side as well, a real convenience when bailing or mowing.

The compressor is contained in the base and the base has bellows like an old camera that encloses everything. To air the seat, there is a toggle on the side, up air's it, down releases air. I wired the compressor to the hot pigtail in the M. The factory thoughtfully put in a hot wire(s) beside the seat by the 3PH control levers. Mine is switched by the ignition switch, oops, I mean fuel selonoid switch.

I just got in from the field, I have a catalog in the 'reading room'. I'll dig it out and post the company name that sells the bases. Right now, I need a shower and some R&R.