Kubota M8540 Narrow 50 hour review

[Robert_in_NY]

The new Rex's are nothing like the old Landinis, but still not a flat floor I believe.

Its tough to squeeze a utility size tractor into a compact tractor footprint and not compromise something. I've not looked at the JD's but they used to be Same's or Lambo's rebadged right?

Almost every vineyard tractor is made in Italy. I use to remember who made deeres but can't recall now. The deere and kubota cabs both have almost flat decks and plenty of room. They sit higher as a result but i have ran deeres through double curtain trellis without and issue.

I know and expect certain compromises with vineyard tractors. Been around an awful lot of them. Deutz fahr actually had a decent unit but the fly by night dealer quit carrying them and went to being a lawn mower and small engine shop. MF dealer here prefers to push landini over MF. The case-ih dealer use to sell SAME till the merger with NH gave them a vineyard tractor. I would love to see fendt or claas bring their units here for added competition and additional options but I don't expect it to happen. I guess Claas is available in Canada but not across the border.

 

[RollingsFarms]

Almost every vineyard tractor is made in Italy. I use to remember who made deeres but can't recall now. The deere and kubota cabs both have almost flat decks and plenty of room. They sit higher as a result but i have ran deeres through double curtain trellis without and issue.

I know and expect certain compromises with vineyard tractors. Been around an awful lot of them. Deutz fahr actually had a decent unit but the fly by night dealer quit carrying them and went to being a lawn mower and small engine shop. MF dealer here prefers to push landini over MF. The case-ih dealer use to sell SAME till the merger with NH gave them a vineyard tractor. I would love to see fendt or claas bring their units here for added competition and additional options but I don't expect it to happen. I guess Claas is available in Canada but not across the border.

Claas makes a heckuva combine too. Used to be, if not still is, the fastest on the market.

 

[slowzuki]

There's a few Claas dealers in Canada but I think you for the most part get parts through the agco network of dealers. Our MF dealer pushes Landini too, and I've been impressed with their larger models. Another dealer sells red Landini's (McCormicks) but they are one of the flybynights.

The SDF units (Same, Deutz-Far, Lambo, Hurlman I think too?) seem to all be made at one plant in Italy like you say. Its a weird segment of the market.

My friend has an apple orchard, not vineyard, so his plantings are on 14 ft centers and you can get any fairly narrow tractor down the rows if you take the mirrors off. He's thinking about trying a CUT so he can have hydro and a flat floor. He's not sure it will run the large flail mower though. The Perfeck mowers that pop in and out around the trunks are trailed and don't put much weight on the tractor. The sprayer is heavy and its on a hill so it would stay on the TN.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

There's a few Claas dealers in Canada but I think you for the most part get parts through the agco network of dealers. Our MF dealer pushes Landini too, and I've been impressed with their larger models. Another dealer sells red Landini's (McCormicks) but they are one of the flybynights.

The SDF units (Same, Deutz-Far, Lambo, Hurlman I think too?) seem to all be made at one plant in Italy like you say. Its a weird segment of the market.

My friend has an apple orchard, not vineyard, so his plantings are on 14 ft centers and you can get any fairly narrow tractor down the rows if you take the mirrors off. He's thinking about trying a CUT so he can have hydro and a flat floor. He's not sure it will run the large flail mower though. The Perfeck mowers that pop in and out around the trunks are trailed and don't put much weight on the tractor. The sprayer is heavy and its on a hill so it would stay on the TN.

The sprayers are the toughest job for most vineyard tractors. I'm looking at a 400 gallon Turbomist right now. Just trying to figure out what I'm doing first with this tractor. I have a Deere salesman coming out Monday to look at it and give me a trade allowance on it and if its a decent number I will have a new Deere narrow out for a demo and possibly send the Kubota away. Its got 60 hours now and the more I use it the more frustrating it is. Its incredibly rough riding which I don't understand. It has an isolated cab and radial tires. It should be smoother but its actually the roughest riding tractor I have and that includes the Farmall and Ford 1920 that both have similar wheel bases but with Bias tires. I was using it today and between having to hold on for dear life (you can't run very fast and stay in the seat) and having a pounding headache from how noisy the tractor is I just decided to give the Deere dealer a call. So I may end up with a Hardi or Jatco sprayer instead of the turbomist if it helps with the trade deal (assuming the Deere handles as well as the older units I have experience with).

 

[TripleR]

I remember reading other posters commenting on how rough riding their radials are.

Our M8540 rides very smooth, but it is the regular size with bias tires.

Good luck finding something that works well for you.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I remember reading other posters commenting on how rough riding their radials are.

Our M8540 rides very smooth, but it is the regular size with bias tires.

Good luck finding something that works well for you.

Thanks, the radials were actually suppose to smooth out the ride. Any tractor I have used with them before was actually a pleasure to use. The fact everything seems to be wrong with this machine for me is leading me to believe it is just not meant to be. I sit in there while using it and constantly try to think of ways I can "fix" this new tractor so its enjoyable to use. Thats when I decided to call the Deere dealer. You shouldn't be thinking about ways to fix a new tractor like what I have been doing. A coupld modifications to better suit your uses is one thing but I am way beyond that sadly.

I really am limited in my options though for vineyard tractors. So there is a very good chance I will end up keeping the Kubota if I can't find something better and at a price point I can justify.

 

[TripleR]

Thanks, the radials were actually suppose to smooth out the ride. Any tractor I have used with them before was actually a pleasure to use. The fact everything seems to be wrong with this machine for me is leading me to believe it is just not meant to be. I sit in there while using it and constantly try to think of ways I can "fix" this new tractor so its enjoyable to use. Thats when I decided to call the Deere dealer. You shouldn't be thinking about ways to fix a new tractor like what I have been doing. A coupld modifications to better suit your uses is one thing but I am way beyond that sadly.

I really am limited in my options though for vineyard tractors. So there is a very good chance I will end up keeping the Kubota if I can't find something better and at a price point I can justify.

I've never had radials on a tractor, so all I have to go by is what I have read and heard. Our Case CX80 went toes up when we needed it most and with all the previous problems and anticipated time for repairs we had to replace it immediately.

I had wanted radials, cast centers, creep function, air ride seat, defroster and rear windshield wiper, but had to take what was on the lots as we couldn't wait six weeks for delivery and really wanted to use our local dealer.

We haven't made any changes and are happy with it.

We don't make any money with our tractors and no longer spend 10+ hours per day on one; but I remember what that's like.

I agree, especially on a work machine, you should not have to "tolerate" anything or make significant modifications.

Of course the tractors I used for farming were open station with no canopy; surrounded by mosquitoes as big as humming birds and the "breeze" always seemed to be just fast enough to keep the dust and debris traveling as the same speed as the tractor.:laughing:

Hope it works out for you.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I've never had radials on a tractor, so all I have to go by is what I have read and heard. Our Case CX80 went toes up when we needed it most and with all the previous problems and anticipated time for repairs we had to replace it immediately.

I had wanted radials, cast centers, creep function, air ride seat, defroster and rear windshield wiper, but had to take what was on the lots as we couldn't wait six weeks for delivery and really wanted to use our local dealer.

We haven't made any changes and are happy with it.

We don't make any money with our tractors and no longer spend 10+ hours per day on one; but I remember what that's like.

I agree, especially on a work machine, you should not have to "tolerate" anything or make significant modifications.

Of course the tractors I used for farming were open station with no canopy; surrounded by mosquitoes as big as humming birds and the "breeze" always seemed to be just fast enough to keep the dust and debris traveling as the same speed as the tractor.:laughing:

Hope it works out for you.

I have found the diesel fumes keep the bugs away for the most part. All my other tractors are open stations and the last couple passes with the discbine usually involves me swatting hundreds of bugs off my face and sunglasses as they lose the last of the tall grasses they take refuge in. I am looking to add another 80-100hp cab tractor for use with tillage and haying in the next year or two but it will be a standard tractor so my options will be almost limitless. It is a lot more fun watching the bugs hit the cab windows and not bother me at all :laughing:

 

[TripleR]

I feel your pain, I used a combination of open station and cab tractors until a couple of years ago. I finally took my last open station, a well loved Massey Ferguson 375 out to another farm where my brothers live. Father Time is kicking my behind and I can't handle the heat and breathing all that. I was sick for about three months with bronchitis this year.

As someone famous once said, "Getting old ain't for sissies"; beginning to suspect I might be a sissy.:laughing:

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I feel your pain, I used a combination of open station and cab tractors until a couple of years ago. I finally took my last open station, a well loved Massey Ferguson 375 out to another farm where my brothers live. Father Time is kicking my behind and I can't handle the heat and breathing all that. I was sick for about three months with bronchitis this year.

As someone famous once said, "Getting old ain't for sissies"; beginning to suspect I might be a sissy.:laughing:

I still enjoy using open stations for certain tasks but for long hot days or long cold days a cab tractor is well worth the investment. I bought the open station Farmall this year for mounting a post pounder on. Couldn't really justify putting it on a cab tractor since I need to hop on and off of it every post and need to be able to work the controls from the ground. If I would have put it on a cab tractor it would have became a 2 man operation which wasn't ideal since I do most everything by myself. But I have a feeling that is the last open station tractor I will be buying unless something happens to it and I need to mount the post pounder on a different unit.

I know how you feel, since my back injury I have issues with cold weather. Once my body gets cold I have trouble warming back up. All I can figure is its the metal they put in me that is affecting how I react to temperature. So I get tired of dressing for the cold (long johns, jeans, heavy coveralls, multiple shirts, heavy coat, gloves, full face mask...) I much prefer wearing a light coat to the tractor then running the rest of the day in a t shirt. My friend use to pick on me when I helped with his harvest. On the double curtains he used an older open station harvester while I ran the John Deere narrow cab vineyard tractor pulling the gondola. I'm always warm and comfy while he was up there in the usual cold, rainy weather. :laughing: He thought I was taunting him