kubota gr 2100 mower

[hillman]

I am interested in the Kubota Gr 2100 lawn mower.Does anyone have any experience with these machines?I like the idea of a tractor type design, but with the short turn ability.My only concern would be with that turning design how long term reliable and trouble free would they be?And also how much extra maintenance does the diesel require over a air cooled gas motor. I am replacing my case 446 which I have owned for 25 years.Any information would be appreciated.
Thanks- Hillman

 

[Freds]

I have a G2160 that I got last year. I just put almost three hours on it today mowing as a matter of fact. It has more power than I've needed in tall, thick grass and turns on a dime. That said, it is the worst mower I have ever used... period.

I've said this before on here, and even to Kubota where they had someone contact me a couple times that was supposed to see what could be done, but that has apparently fallen through.... So anyway, here are my first hand observations.
It is extremely uncomfortable. The seat shakes and rattles all over due to the adjustment feature to the point where it gives you a stiff neck. The Kubota rep agreed this seemed to be a design flaw.
The cut is horrible. I'm comparing to a Wheel Horse I used to use, but on a different yard, and my neighbors on either side. One with a JD and one with a Cub Cadet. I don't know the models, so I'll just say all our mowers are relatively the same size, but I don't think they paid 8 grand for theirs... My 'bota wind rows all over the place and leaves a lot of grass uncut, even with freshly sharpened or brand new blades. We all cut our yards within a day of each other and mine looks the worse with grass laying all over and tire tracks that don't disappear before the next time I cut. I feel this is a pretty honest comparison because all our grass is the same and the yards all adjoin. My cutting time has decreased immensley, but my 60" RFM with rear discharge used to give me a better cut.

Also, it has had recalls for defective deck parts two or three times.

I'm not sure if the GR is a new beast other than the sloped hood and AWD, but I wouldn't recommend a Kubota mower to anybody and will be surprised if I still have mine half way into next season. I only bought it because I love their tractors and wanted a diesel so I could justify a fuel tank for it and my other tractor, but next time I'll stick to a more established lawn tractor brand.
The newness of this new toy wore off very quickly /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Freds]

I just reread your post. My response is obviously geared to using the lawn tractor to mow. I don't plow or snowblow with it, so can't help you there and I'm not sure what is most important to you. It does pull a very heavy homemade roller with attached aerator (tandem style) just fine... It just beats you up due to the lousy ride.

Good luck in your choice and don't be afraid to show my post to your dealer, maybe they changed something and I would be very interested in that.

 

[DmansPadge]

All I can comment on is the diesel engine. Diesels are very low maintenance. Change the oil and the oil/air/fuel filters and it will outlast the tractor itself. They also have a lot more power than a gas engine due to higher torque.