Kubota Bx question

[dragoneggs]

OP, sounds normal to me in high gear... HST doesn't seem to have near the torque in high vs. low gear which is not surprising at all.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

On a hill in high, with the mower going and thick grass - yep totally normal. Should be shipping to low for that. It will give you a ton more power and keep the heat down. That is sort of like locking a car in overdrive going up the mountain, it may do it but it working really hard when there is a much better "gear" available.
We are very hilly and it is normal for me to shift from high to low a few times a day mowing on my BX25. kick in in low, do the steep hills then shift it to high for the fields. I even have to shift my 50hp on the big hills to a lower HST range if I am running the brushhog or something that takes power.

OP, sounds normal to me in high gear... HST doesn't seem to have near the torque in high vs. low gear which is not surprising at all.

Owned many Kubota BXs and Fs and Bs and some Ls and would never enter my mind to use them in high or rabbit when going up a semi steep hill and in fact I never put any of mine in high when they are "working". I only use high/rabbit when moving them up the fairly level street/road. I also have never tried driving my straight transmission cars/trucks in high 3rd/4th/5th/6th gear when pulling out or puttering around town or up steep hills.
It also doesn't sound like you are "lugging" your engine by a 200 rpm drop on a hill in deep grass but the simple answer is use the lower gear for high grass and steep hills and it shouldn't do much lowering rpms.

 

[dodge man]

I'd say there is nothing wrong with mowing on flat ground in high, I don't but it won't hurt anything. Do use low on hill though.

 

[massey driver]

Lugging a engine isn't what your describing. You have you RPM's up , to have it drop by a few 100 rpms is nothing this is a normal thing with all machines. Lugging your engine is when you have the rpms way down and are making the tractor work hard to the point its blowing black smoke and wanting to stall out. Having the rpms high and blowing black smoke and wanting to stall , is also lugging you engine. What your describing isn't lugging your engine. BTW use the low range when going up or down hills it's easier on your hydro.

 

[Tractorrr]

Thank you for all the replies.

 

[Henro]

Hi,

I will just add that it never occurred to me to be mowing with my BX in high gear...��

 

[nikerret]

Sounds normal. In these little BX's, it seems L is best for working and H is really just a transport gear.

 

[dragoneggs]

Sounds normal. In these little BX's, it seems L is best for working and H is really just a transport gear.

Yeppers!

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Hi,

I will just add that it never occurred to me to be mowing with my BX in high gear...��

Sounds normal. In these little BX's, it seems L is best for working and H is really just a transport gear.

Yeppers!

Add me to this list. Over the years I've seen some posters seem insulted if it's even suggested that they not use high gear all the time which has always confused me since I've rarely if ever needed to move faster across my yard (Not a lawn) than the lower (Turtle) "gear" in the BX. I do sometimes use the M "gear" in the B and Ls I've owned but only used the high on the paved street.

 

[JackyJ]

I'm curious what your HST temps are when mowing up hill in high range. As others have said, it's your transmission that's really getting the workout, not your engine. If you've got an infrared thermometer gun, you might want to aim the laser on the transmission case in front of the 3PH, especially the pump output on the upper left hand side. Kubota doesn't publish a max. temp specification, but you do not want to cook your fluid.