Kubota M7060HD12 almost crushed me

[RoyKing]

There is video on u tube about this dealer finally adjusted and fixed it, read updates under the video

 

[oosik]

I quit using my park brake. Simply because I would keep forgetting to release it when I move out. Instead - drop and pin the grapple, drop and pin the rear blade. Turn the engine off. In first gear, low range - the tractor will quite easily move out against the set park brake. It will become immediately obvious. I always move out at idle speed and with the brake set, the engine will lug.

If the tractor moves with the grapple & rear blade pinned( pinned = down and with force applied) - it's probably on a slope where I should not be anyhow. I never leave the tractor seat when on a slope.

I've never had one of my tractors "roll away" from me. I did with my TJ Jeep. Stopped to open the outer gate. I thought this part of the driveway was level. The TJ knew is was not. Looked back - there was the Jeep, slowly rolling back down the driveway. I ran, caught up to it, darn near got dragged under the front wheel, trying to get the door open and emergency brake pulled.

Using the park/emergency brake on any vehicle, in the winter, is a hit & miss situation is this part of the country. I've had this type brake freeze up and be a real bugger to release. The brake disk gets wet and the calipers freeze to the disk when set.

 

[cat fever]

That is probably the best way to get the attention of Kubota.

Put your request for return to the dealer in writing, and send a copy to Kubota corporate, as well as (per post #48) the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

That's the reason I said it; not that the dealer would take it back, but to get the attention of Kubota corporate.

 

[ovrszd]

If the engine had been off, would there have been any tractor generated impulse to release the brake?

If the engine was off, I presume the tractor would not have moved, or am I wrong due to the grade?

You violated several standard tractor safety procedures. We all get careless/sloppy, myself included, from time to time.



THE ENGINE SHOULD HAVE BEEN OFF. You should realize this by now.

You need to review and dedicate yourself to safe tractor operating procedures rather than Kubota redesign the tractor.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!

And you Sir need to educate yourself to the tractor being discussed. Do so, then come back to the discussion.

 

[ovrszd]

There is NO provision for a parking brake on an M7060. No way to lock the brakes on. All you have is the Park position in the transmission.

That's not a new thing. I have an ancient John Deere 2020 Diesel that's the same way. No provision for applying the brake and locking it there. Only a Park slot in the transmission.

Both the John Deere and Kubota work exactly as designed and I've had no problems with either one. OP's tractor must have something out of adjustment.

Hundreds of Thousands of tractors have been produced by many manufacturers that only rely on a transmission "park", no brake locks.

 

[ovrszd]

Most tractors, if not all, in the Utility class and bigger use hydraulic brakes. There's no pedal locking device because it would create a false sense of security. Lock the pedal, shut the engine off, hydraulic pressure eventually bleeds off, tractor rolls away.

So to have a mechanical locking brake device on the powertrain would require an entirely different system in the build. Remember old trucks that used a mechanical locking brake device on the transmission output shaft?? Something similar to that would need added to these tractors. That's not going to happen.

Extreme awareness and caution needs to be used with any tractor that utilizes a "transmission park" system like the one being discussed. Regardless of paint color.

 

[mbu]

Attached is a photo of a M7060HD12 gear shift with park brake. To put the tractor in park, the shift lever is pushed all the way to the right; pushed forward; then back to the left and finally pulled back again. On my tractor, once in this position, it is almost impossible to "slip" out.

But... if Kubota wants to make sure one does not "accidentally" set it improperly they could manufacture a new shift guide plate that has an "L" shape guide that starts at the screw that is visible in the photo. This would create a slot that would keep the shift lever in the park position. Manufacturing and installation costs would be minimal.

 

[LouNY]

As so many others on this thread have said jeff and the others that don't think you should get of a tractor that's running are full of it.
From the beginnings of tractors they have been designed to be used as stationary power sources well as traction engines.
Also as many have mention a great many tractors utilize a park feature to maintain a stationary position.
Some do have a separate parking brake, most of those brakes are not stronger then the drives.
Many of the older tractors with mechanically linked brakes had linkages that could be locked to hold the brake pedals applied, many of those after a couple of decades get a bit iffy about staying locked.
As many posters have mentioned most tractors of today use hydraulics to apply the brakes, there are locking devices that can be added to these brakes as a "SUPPLEMENTAL" parking brake.
Brake Locks | MICO, Inc.
These have been used for decades in medium duty trucks, the electric ones could get a person in a locked brake problem, as a person was to apply the brakes then pull the switch then release the brake. To unlock these the button was pushed in and then the brake had to be applied harder then the systems pressure past the valve if the brake was set real secure initially and then heat warmed up the brake fluid in the lines to a pressure greater then the brake system normally developed at times it would require cracking a bleeder or line to release the pressure, fun times.

 

[Buxus]

I have had an M706012 for two years. If I could change one thing about it, it would be the parking brake. I really don't like it much, and don't trust it much either. Until the post by OVRSiZED, I had no understanding of why I had to use the transmission to have a parking brake (due to hydraulic brakes).

Now that I understand why, I feel a little better about it, but still wish there was some kind of foot controlled parking brake also. For one, it's a bit of a pain to get the shift lever into Park each time, although I understand now that even if there was a foot pedal I should use both the transmission and the foot pedal (like I do in a manual transmission car). On my 7060 I have had the lever pop out of Park a few times, but always while it was still in my hand. If the engine is running and I put it in Park, I give it a few seconds with my hand still on the shift knob to be sure it won't pop out, because it occasionally doesn't engage.

Here's a question I've wondered about, but never tested: If I park on a grade, and the transmission pops out of park but the forward/reverse shuttle shift is not in neutral (i.e. is in forward or reverse) will the tractor roll?

 

[LouNY]

If that is a power shuttle using wet clutches it will roll as there is no direct mechanical link to keep it from free wheeling, plus if you jump out of park it's most likely in neutral not a gear.