Kubota 285DT

tessiers · Jan 20, 2011

I am going to look at what is being called a 1985 kubota 285DT, 2 wd with loader. I am going out on a limb here and guessing it is an L2850 by the current owners description.

I would like it to replace a Ford NAA and or a Farmall H that I use for small haying with sickle bar and ground drive rake, mowing, and other light farm chores. It is diesel and I assume much more fuel efficient than the old tractors, and has a loader, which I do not need but would be nice when loading my manure spreader in the fields. I am a small Farmer and this tractor would be used as such, not a toy for me. I also am very familiar with the size and 2 wd limitations, no worries there.

Anyone have old Kubotas, are the parts readily available. Looks like a nice tractor for the money, but I am just going by pictures at the moment.

Any input would help, Thanks

neucam · Jan 21, 2011

Hi, I have an L185DT about same vintage, slightly smaller than the L285DT would be, if if is a DT it is 4wd, highly desireable, especially with a loader. Dealer parts and maintenance parts have not been a problem. It would do well as a NAA replacement. Live hydraulics and I believe 2 stage clutch, which gives live PTO. Kubota's are built well, but with any used equipment, it depends on how well it was maintained. The diesels are great, cheap to run, but somewhat expensive to rebuild. Mine has low hours and not even close to a rebuild even after 25 years. Check it out drive it, it might be a good deal.

rankrank1 · Jan 21, 2011

I have a 1978 L285F (2wd) with FEL that I have owned for over 12 years - I am the 2nd owner. I bought it used with around 970 hours on it and have a little over 1325 hours on it now. Literally nothing has ever broken on it - fluid and filter changes only. If the tractor you are looking at is a DT then that would indicate 4wd.

The 285's were sorta a minimal option price leader tractor when new, but do not let that scare you as they are a very reliable no frills tractor. The engines are 4 cylinder and only have to rev to 2400 rpm to make their power so the power is very smooth. New Kubotas (and most competitors tractors) of this hp size will only be 3 cylinder engines and will have to rev up to something like 2700 or 2800 rpm to make the same power. Actually, Kubota used the L285 engine in the Kubota L345 and revved it up to 2800 rpm to get the increased power in that model so it is capable of more.

A 2850 would be newer and a 3 cylinder I do believe.

kco · Jan 21, 2011

I have a 1981 L275DT (3 cyl, 27.5, 23 pto hp) that I purchased 7 years ago with 1,700 hours. The tractor was used by a large local nursery and lightly used. It was (and still is) in exceptional condition. I have over 2,200 hrs on it now.

The clutch failed (stayed engaged) about 1 year after I got it and I took the opportunity to have Kubota completely check it. I recall they replaced some steering bearings or bushings, rebuilt the starter (I think I was having intermittent problems), and installed the new clutch. Service was quick and parts were readily available (shipped from dealer's Vancouver store to Vernon here in the Okanagan).

I think it is an amazing, versatile tractor. I use it for mowing brush (4' rotary cutter), pastures (5' finishing mower), grading and ploughing paths and driveways (6' rear blade, 6' landscape rake) and firewood cutting, all in quite rough, hilly terrain. It has a Buhler 5' loader.

As the previous writer said, the DT suggests the tractor you are considering is 4WD. For my use and terrain I think the 4WD is a "must". Even with calcium in the rear tires I need 4WD for moving bucket loads up or down the hills.

Routine parts like filters are readily available.

tessiers · Jan 22, 2011

I am going to look at it monday afternoon. Owner says its a 285dt but also says its a 1985 2wd. According to Tractor data .com 285's ended in 1981 and dt is 4x4. I got some pictures and it looks like the 285f to me. Either way he wants $3500 for it. I do not really care about the loader, however it may be handy at times. I already have a 4x4 with loader. The tractor it would be replacing does not have a loader. I would like it for light haying work. It also has tire chains and with proper ballast it may be good for loading manure from my stockpiles in the field. Was mostly concerned with service and parts availability, and fuel consumption. The other concern I had was Tractor Data .com lists the PTO Rpm at 695 assuming 2400 rpm, that would mean for 540 I would be running at something like 1900 rpm, I wonder how much power loss would be.

Thanks for the replies!!

rankrank1 · Jan 22, 2011

Nebraska Test tested the model L285 in 1975. Full report is available online for free for fuel consumption and hp. Going from memory here: 30 hp gross engine, 28.5 net engine (after parasites like alternator, hydraulic pumps, etc), 26.45 max PTO hp at wide open throttle, somewhere around 23.? PTO hp at 540 PTO rpm, and 22.? drawbar horsepower.

As I mentioned earlier, I believe the L285 was a price leader tractor so it probably will not have live PTO (mine does not), but they do have a built-in internal over-running clutch for the PTO so an external clicker type is not needed. They do have live hydraulics with position control and differential lock. I do not believe the L285 was ever made in DT, but I do not have my book with me to confirm that. Regardless, $3500 is a bargain with a loader assuming it is in decent shape. I would not even consider selling my tractor below for that amount. The L285 will have 8 Forward speeds and 2 Reverse speeds. My only small complaint against the L285 is that I wish there was a gear in between 4th and 5th and another reverse speed in between slow reverse and fast reverse, but this is a very small complaint and I am getting nit picky with what was intended as a minimal option tractor.

Forgive the hideous yellow paint as it was painted yellow for the park service who was the original owner, but here is my wife running a small baler, raking hay, and cutting with a 5' bushog with our L285 (she sabotaged my pics and painted herself out of it - hates cameras). It is indeed a fuel miser and uses very little fuel. I can cut 5 acres of grass hay with a 5' bushog, rake it twice to improvise tedd with my old antique rake, and then run the small PTO powered baler and use only 6 gallons of diesel.

tessiers · Jan 22, 2011

rankrank1 said:
Nebraska Test tested the model L285 in 1975. Full report is available online for free for fuel consumption and hp. Going from memory here: 30 hp gross engine, 28.5 net engine (after parasites like alternator, hydraulic pumps, etc), 26.45 max PTO hp at wide open throttle, somewhere around 23.? PTO hp at 540 PTO rpm, and 22.? drawbar horsepower.

As I mentioned earlier, I believe the L285 was a price leader tractor so it probably will not have live PTO (mine does not), but they do have a built-in internal over-running clutch for the PTO so an external clicker type is not needed. They do have live hydraulics with position control and differential lock. I do not believe the L285 was ever made in DT, but I do not have my book with me to confirm that. Regardless, $3500 is a bargain with a loader assuming it is in decent shape. I would not even consider selling my tractor below for that amount. The L285 will have 8 Forward speeds and 2 Reverse speeds. My only small complaint against the L285 is that I wish there was a gear in between 4th and 5th and another reverse speed in between slow reverse and fast reverse, but this is a very small complaint and I am getting nit picky with what was intended as a minimal option tractor.

Forgive the hideous yellow paint as it was painted yellow for the park service who was the original owner, but here is my wife running a small baler, raking hay, and cutting with a 5' bushog with our L285 (she sabotaged my pics and painted herself out of it - hates cameras). It is indeed a fuel miser and uses very little fuel. I can cut 5 acres of grass hay with a 5' bushog, rake it twice to improvise tedd with my old antique rake, and then run the small PTO powered baler and use only 6 gallons of diesel.

Thats what I wanted to see. My farmall is my tractor of choice for haying. It is only mid 20's hp and does real well, however needs some engine work and sucks gas like its free. A day of haying running hard will burn 15 gallons of gas. My baler is a NH 67 and doesn't really work the tractor too hard unless the hills are steep, and thats the hardest equipment I run. I would like a live PTO, and the 285 could be either way, but thats not a deal breaker either.

Do you use the loader much? How much ballast? Any idea what the lifting capacity might be?

rankrank1 · Jan 23, 2011

tessiers said:
Thats what I wanted to see. My farmall is my tractor of choice for haying. It is only mid 20's hp and does real well, however needs some engine work and sucks gas like its free. A day of haying running hard will burn 15 gallons of gas. My baler is a NH 67 and doesn't really work the tractor too hard unless the hills are steep, and thats the hardest equipment I run. I would like a live PTO, and the 285 could be either way, but thats not a deal breaker either.

Do you use the loader much? How much ballast? Any idea what the lifting capacity might be?

Remember that even though your Farmal H is only 23-25 hp that it has lots more torque than the little Kubota will have. Sometimes torque is more important than hp. Farmall H's are usually pretty decent on fuel for gasser's

My New Holland baler is a NH 65 compact baler so it is a little smaller than your NH 67 baler. I think I could run a NH 67 or NH 68 baler (I believe the NH 67 and NH 68 are essientally the same baler except for the fixed tongue on the 67 and 1 piece PTO shaft on the 67. I think the tongue is moveable on the 68 and the PTO shaft is 2-piece on the 68). FWIW, my 5' bushog pulls harder in tall hay than the NH 65 compact baler does and the bushog is where I use the majority of my fuel.

I never take the loader off the tractor (it is a factory Kubota model 1200 loader). I do not really use it heavy, but I must admit it is handy. I use it quite a bit for unconventional stuff like pulling car engines, loading scrap iron, lifting stuff that is simply too heavy for me as I get older. The tractor has built-in pressure relief valves that prevent one from overtaxing the loader system and breaking things. I do not know what the lifting limits are - of course it is possible to alter the pop-off reliefs for more lifting capacity, but I would not recommend it. My loader bucket is only 4 foot wide and my rear tires are liquid filled and I have one small cast iron bolt on weight on each rim. I can usually go wherever I want without encountering traction issues, but differential lock is also there if I ever need it. If I know I will be lifting extremely heavy with the bucket, then I usually put a box blade or bushog on the 3-pt hitch as a counterweight.

I am 99% sure that live PTO, Power Steering, or 4wd all were NOT available as options on the L285 as it was an economy price leader model. You mention baling on hills - that could get a little tricky with a lighweight tractor like this. My manual lists the bare tractor weight as only 2230 lbs. Guessing the loader is maybe 500 - 600 lbs more. Plus fluid in tires would add a little. If your hills are big, then tractor might be on the light side.