It's Here!!!!

   / It's Here!!!!
  • Thread Starter
#31  
Re: It\'s Here!!!!

I've been sick as a dog the last few days...all weekend in fact. I've got some kind of nasty 48 hour virus or something and have been on the couch/bed for days. Don't think it's the flu, but it's not fun. Finally feeling a bit better.

I did take the L39 out to play in a dirt pile late this afternoon for 20 min or so before it got dark. Amazing is all I can say of the machine. The hoe is a work of art......very powerful, although you always want more /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif The 24" bucket was a good choice to start, with 12" on its heels. I'm amazed at how heaping I can get the bucket with a single draw. I'm figuring something like 20 human shovel fulls of dirt in one scoop! I've dug a couple of stumps (nothing the size of Sky's) and have now realized why even the CAT 310s can't pull them in one hit....stumps are tenacious to say the least. They require work to rip out, but rip I did and out they came.

The loader is also amazing. One of the first things I did to test it was try to lift the small end of this huge ash truck I had professionally removed (over 80'). I pushed the loader bucket in and lifted a bit to see what would happen...the whole trunk moved! So I lifted a bit more and the trunk snapped in half where I had hit it with a few wacks of my chain saw a week earlier. I coudln't believe it moved the entire truck seemingly without difficulty. For reference, my 723 loader could not even budge the trunk....not the slightest. One other thing about the laoder is the height it will lift. It just keeps going up and up. You could easily load a small dump truck with it. The self-leveling bucket is very cool too...great for a bucket forks/man-lift type of work station.

GST is a work in progress for me. I'm getting better at using it, but there certainly is a learning curve there. It ain't no HST. I stalled it a couple of times from leaving it in too high a gear and not applying any foot throttle. I don't really like how the whole tractor stops between gear changes...It'll grow on me with time.

Industrial tires are a joke in the mud....might as well have racing slicks.

Overall though, I'd have to say it's one fine piece of equipment. It is built like a tank. I'm amazed at the amount of steel. This is definitely not a toy for a hobby person. It will crush anything you roll over and absolutely destroys the lawn. I was hoping to mow with it, but that is laughable now. Yes, it's spring and the ground is soft, but this thing cuts in 2 or 4 wheel drive. I don't know what I'm going to do about the lawn this year....pay somebody I guess.

More pics and input when I get some more time on her. I'll take some pics of the tooth bar soon. -Very impressed so far.
 
   / It's Here!!!! #32  
Re: It\'s Here!!!!

Jim, I couldn't agree more wholeheartedly with your initial review, it is a tank! You'll get the hang of the GST in awhile, I just move right out and never even think about it.

Hope you get well fast, it is a bummer to be down when there is so much to get done....
 
   / It's Here!!!!
  • Thread Starter
#33  
Re: It\'s Here!!!!

Here's some non-work... /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif This is a picture of my stick just sitting there with no bucket on it! I was digging at a nasty stump in some fine Vermont rocks, I mean soil, and look what happened, the bucket just fell off along with the stump I just pulled. The clip that holds the main bucket pin in fell out and so did the bucket. The quick-attach system is quick...a little too quick. I've got to figure something else out. Poor quick-attach design as provided by Kubota.
 

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   / It's Here!!!!
  • Thread Starter
#34  
Re: It\'s Here!!!!

Here's a pic of the pin I was talking about. Luckily I found it in the hole.
 

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   / It's Here!!!!
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#35  
Re: It\'s Here!!!!

Just for reference sake, I wanted to show you how huge the 24" bucket is; that's my size 10 foot. It was hard for me to move it more than a few inches side to side (with a bit of left over dirt in the base) with my bare hands. -Lots of steel with big ribs that run on the back for strength. I doubt the hoe will damage this thing in the near future. It is massive.
 

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   / It's Here!!!!
  • Thread Starter
#36  
Re: It\'s Here!!!!

I'll give you some details about the hoe when I take it off this weekend. The delivery guy showed me briefly and it looks real easy...just a couple of huge pins and the hoses.
 
   / It's Here!!!!
  • Thread Starter
#37  
Re: It\'s Here!!!!

That's the muck that was at the end of the field below the back of the barn. Nasty stuff. I can't believe I have to excavate that when it dries out a bit. Definitely going need some road fabric.
 
   / It's Here!!!!
  • Thread Starter
#38  
Re: It\'s Here!!!!

Henro...That's why I didn't crawl under to take a picture /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Actually I'll grab a pic this weekend and post one of the belly. It's pretty clean all things considered....Not too many pipes or hoses exposed.
 
   / It's Here!!!! #39  
Re: It\'s Here!!!!

Do you remember I said get a stack of 1 1/2 washers for the hoe pin.. I have about five on, and it makes the lynch pins pretty tight...That happened to me on the first stump.
 
   / It's Here!!!! #40  
Re: It\'s Here!!!!

****, that falling bucket could be dangerous........mine is not a quick attach though. I like the 18" for stump removal so far, don't think I will need anything larger unless I do some serious excavations.

The undercarriage of the L39 is super clean although it is a low rider. I may have to investigage a steel bash plate installation on the underside some time in the future to keep sticks, roots, branches, etc. from getting jammed up underneath.

Jim, how to you like the loader joystick? It is remote cable operated down to the hydraulic valve assembly beneath the chassis. It took me awhile to get used to it since it is not a direct joystick controller although the cables are very strong, maybe need a steel bashplate covering those cables too.

I think the weakest design of the entire machine is that whimpy hood release latch, that thing is bound to get torn off one of these days, should have just put a hood latch on top of the hood.
 

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