Kubota 1870 Use /.Feedback

[backdraft]

Good Evening,
I am a new member to TBN.. however have been using it for some years as a research source.

I recently sold my JD XL320 (which I bought in part due to comments on this site) good unit and great trade in value.. but I needed something more heavy duty.. so moved i up to Kubota BX 1870 sub compact.(btw not here to get into Kubota vs JD discussion) It includes FEL(Kubota Standard) 54" MM deck (both presently attached) and rear ballast box( not attached )

For me quite a jump and am very new to " tractor " crowd.

I have had very limited use so far (2 weeks) with my 1870 due to weather conditions..(ie up and down gravel driveway cus of long winter wet spring) but now that winter is gone have a number of chores i have to do.

I require feed back on the following ;

1.- is it OK to mow lawn with FEL attached.. will it affect unit performance.reason i do not want o connect and disconnect all the time.

2. I want to use FEL ..do I always have to attach ballast box(with weight) for simple lift jobs like some dirt.. beach stone .. mulch??

3.Do I have to remove deck when I am exclusively using FEL

4. When I do disconnect FEL do you have any recommendations on what i should Connecticut to(ie ground/floor, pallet..dolly .IE what is easiest for connect/reconnect.

3. At what point should I be adding rear ballast.

4.lastly-- can i get by in winter simply with loader??? get anywhere from 3-12" max..inany one snowfall..but accumulates .. may not sound like much but drifting is brutal.. ie 3'-5' drifts..and packed.snow and ice.. ..plus snow plough 2-4' of ice/snow i was using manual snow blower (high HP but tough to handle on heavy drifted snow)

5. Any other useful feedback to maximize ease of use/functionality

a lot of questions I know .. am green and admit it.. feedback very much appreciated
thx
BD

 

[Sysop]

First off, welcome to TBN!

Now to what little I can help with:

#1 yes it is fine to mow with the FEL as long as it doesn't get in your way making turns or anything. Some like to drop it to get farther into corners and to lighten the load on the turf.

#2 3 point ballast should always be used for maximum longevity of the machine doing FEL work. Generally you should not be able to hurt the machine or easily get into dangerous situations if you stay less than 35% of the total lift capacity when not using ballast.

#3 It wouldn't be necessary, but it would prevent damage to the deck if terrain is rougher than it was intended to mow. Tires generally squat some when using the loader, so you don't get full clearance under a belly mower. If you aren't on terrain you would mow with a belly mower, that belly mower should come off.

#4 as indicated above, I would not lift anything over 35% of the loader lift capacity without ballast on any sort of regular basis or irregular surface.

#5 Don't take an implement off the back until you need a new one on the back and you always have some ballast.

Best of luck with the new unit and keep the questions coming. We don't mind new users. We do like pictures. Lots of pictures!