Kubota M8540 Narrow 50 hour review

[vector16]

I've got just over 80 hours on mine, mostly just blowing snow this winter. Love the cab and the sightlines I think are alot better then the narrow deeres. the air seat is great too, haven't ran a speed sprayer or mower on it yet, blowing snow it was pretty good on fuel. We did put a grill on the front and about 300 pounds on for weight, its pretty light. So far so good, I'm happy with it, this spring will tell how much happier we get about it once it goes to work hard.

 

[PANNU98]

how much did the air ride cost?

 

[vector16]

how much did the air ride cost?

Pretty close to $1000, installed. If you use yours as much as I do its money well spent!

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I have just over 200 hours on it now and there is nothing new to really report. It is still rough at any task over 2.5-3mph but I'm just getting use to dealing with those situations. It runs great but is still loud in the cab at PTO speed. I'm actually considering using hearing protection in the cab to muffle the noise and hopefully keep me from getting headaches after 4 hours in there.

I need to look into building a spacer for the air suspension seat as it drops too low for myself to be comfortable so I am running with more pressure then I want just so I am sitting at the proper height I'm comfortable with.

 

[vector16]

I've been working this tractor hard the last month, spraying, chopping brush and mowing, tomorrow it will flip over 200 hours. Still love the sightlines and the cab overall over my old Deere narrow. I think personally its pretty good on fuel too especially running at PTO speed all day. Started using the BiSpeed lately alot mowing and spreading fertilizer too. its a handy thing to have if you've got narrow plantings. I will agree it is a bit rough with bigger stuff hooked on the back especially. Only problem so far is my radio is on the fritz so the dealer has to come good for that.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I've been working this tractor hard the last month, spraying, chopping brush and mowing, tomorrow it will flip over 200 hours. Still love the sightlines and the cab overall over my old Deere narrow. I think personally its pretty good on fuel too especially running at PTO speed all day. Started using the BiSpeed lately alot mowing and spreading fertilizer too. its a handy thing to have if you've got narrow plantings. I will agree it is a bit rough with bigger stuff hooked on the back especially. Only problem so far is my radio is on the fritz so the dealer has to come good for that.

I wish I had listened to others on here and bought my own. The radio that came with the tractor isn't worth the price. The speakers are not very good either.

I do like the cab but wish it was more refined. As I'm sure you have noticed, there is room for improvement. Kubota could have a spectacular tractor for the fruit industry here with a little more work.

The main reason I bought this tractor was for a roomy cab because of my back issues. I need to be able to shift and stretch to keep from hurting. That was why I was so disappointed with how rough it is. I'm having to run slower than I want just so I don't hurt as bad at the end of the day. Of course it makes it easier to justify a two row sprayer just so I'm not in it quite as long.

I'm glad yours is working well for you. I hope to continue tweaking mine till I get it to a smoother ride. My vineyards are smooth, there is no reason I can't run faster than 3mph for most of my jobs.

 

[PANNU98]

i dont believe i have the rough riding issue on mine, my agrokid is much smoother but the kubota is ok. I should mention that I am using ags on both front and rear. spraying with booms at around 8kmph is quite smooth, i havent really tried going faster than that though. you really have to slow down when using bi speed otherwise, the tractor jumps a lot. i find it much more comfortable if you use the seat belt. so far i have pulled a pull blast sprayer, boom sprayer, fertilizer spreader, discs, chisel plow and rotary mower. how smooth are your 3pt hitches when they are travelling down? when i set the 3pt speed on high with a fertilizer spreader on the back, the tractor jumps a lot when your are lowering it by small increments. is that normal for tractor with external hydraulics for the 3pt?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

i dont believe i have the rough riding issue on mine, my agrokid is much smoother but the kubota is ok. I should mention that I am using ags on both front and rear. spraying with booms at around 8kmph is quite smooth, i havent really tried going faster than that though. you really have to slow down when using bi speed otherwise, the tractor jumps a lot. i find it much more comfortable if you use the seat belt. so far i have pulled a pull blast sprayer, boom sprayer, fertilizer spreader, discs, chisel plow and rotary mower. how smooth are your 3pt hitches when they are travelling down? when i set the 3pt speed on high with a fertilizer spreader on the back, the tractor jumps a lot when your are lowering it by small increments. is that normal for tractor with external hydraulics for the 3pt?

I'm running ags as well. Fronts are bias and the rears are radials. I'm not sure why Kubota went with that setup instead of radials all around.

I've used the bispeed but not at anything over 3mph. I know if you are going very slow the bispeed jumps hard when it engages and you will turn it off quickly as it will rock the tractor.

I haven't noticed the 3pt issue but then again I'm so use to the tractor being rough I probably wouldn't notice. I'll try and check next time I have a 3pt implement on it.

 

[Verticaltrx]

Interestingly, our M9540 (not narrow) is our roughest riding tractor too. I think it's due to the overall light weight and short wheelbase. Put something heavy behind it like a 15' batwing bush hog and it will wear you out by the end of the day.

 

[PANNU98]

I meant that i have radial ags on both the front and rear, your tractor might be rough riding because of the different tires?

I'm running ags as well. Fronts are bias and the rears are radials. I'm not sure why Kubota went with that setup instead of radials all around.

I've used the bispeed but not at anything over 3mph. I know if you are going very slow the bispeed jumps hard when it engages and you will turn it off quickly as it will rock the tractor.

I haven't noticed the 3pt issue but then again I'm so use to the tractor being rough I probably wouldn't notice. I'll try and check next time I have a 3pt implement on it.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I meant that i have radial ags on both the front and rear, your tractor might be rough riding because of the different tires?

When did you buy yours and can you let me know the tire sizes? I have 380's on the rear but don't recall the front size and I'm away from the tractor.

I really don't know why they mixed tires like that but I would prefer radials on the front as well.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Interestingly, our M9540 (not narrow) is our roughest riding tractor too. I think it's due to the overall light weight and short wheelbase. Put something heavy behind it like a 15' batwing bush hog and it will wear you out by the end of the day.

I've weighted mine a couple different ways and tried to smooth it out and just can't find the proper setup. I have heard from others that the full frame M series are rough as well but I've never ran one to be able to comment on it.

 

[TripleR]

"Rough" is relative, I get off my BX into my L540 and love how smooth it rides, I get out of my L5740 and into my M8540 and love how smooth it is. If I got out of a 6000, 7000, 8000 Series John Deere I wouldn't believe how rough my M8540 is. Our M8540 rides as well as our previous Case CX80, but will never be smooth in comparison to larger, heavier tractors with longer wheel bases. Thing is it is not a larger, heavier tractor with longer wheelbase which is why we have it; compromises often occur when picking machines.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

"Rough" is relative, I get off my BX into my L540 and love how smooth it rides, I get out of my L5740 and into my M8540 and love how smooth it is. If I got out of a 6000, 7000, 8000 Series John Deere I wouldn't believe how rough my M8540 is. Our M8540 rides as well as our previous Case CX80, but will never be smooth in comparison to larger, heavier tractors with longer wheel bases. Thing is it is not a larger, heavier tractor with longer wheelbase which is why we have it; compromises often occur when picking machines.

I'm comparing the 8540 narrow to the Deere and CNH narrow tractors. Wheelbase is almost the same on them as is width. Weight varies but I'm not comparing a narrow to a standard. I've put plenty of hours on the Deere 5420 narrow and around 50 on a TNv and a TN85FA new Holland. All three have a smoother ride and all had mechanical suspension seats. The FA had a longer wheelbase because of the supersteer front axle. All are cab models.

 

[big bubba]

I'm comparing the 8540 narrow to the Deere and CNH narrow tractors. Wheelbase is almost the same on them as is width. Weight varies but I'm not comparing a narrow to a standard. I've put plenty of hours on the Deere 5420 narrow and around 50 on a TNv and a TN85FA new Holland. All three have a smoother ride and all had mechanical suspension seats. The FA had a longer wheelbase because of the supersteer front axle. All are cab models.

Robert: you have done an extensive & thorough observation on your equipment from the start. your application seems appropriate as well as your choice of equipment. looking at your thread from the start, it seems as if you are preoccupied with "what might have been, what could have been engineered" in the equipment of your choice. strictly as observer, i detect an overall dissatisfaction or indecision on your part with your choice.
life is short, as i have realized in hindsight at this stage in life. sure, I could have made different choices & i might be in a better place right now..... if you truly are bothered, cannot rest easy with the equipment you have arrived at, make a choice to make it easy on yourself. i don't know what that is for you, only you can choose. i'm with triple r, the ride is all relative.
in choosing tractors, i traded in 3 kubotas until i arrived at what i thought was appropriate for my use! my redneck neighbors just shake their heads!!! could i have gotten by with less? of course. but i'm satisfied now..... after a certain point, it's all about psychology and emotions. sometimes we have too much time to reflect rather than get on with the business of life.......
INHO to me, that's where you're at now. do whatever it takes & make the right choice & rest easy. all the best in your decision. bb

 

[sixdogs]

I have ridden in some regular width Kubotas and I have come to believe it's the misbalance of weight coupled with the short wheelbase. In one case of an M7040 the addition of 4 rear weights total in addition to the cast wheel centers made a dramatic improvement. Prior to that the dipping and rising as the tractor "rocked" front to back was pronounced. Afterwards it was pretty much eliminated and the ride was much better. I believe their tractors--the utility ones--are too light in the rear. The bigger ag versions rode smooth.

 

[TripleR]

I'm comparing the 8540 narrow to the Deere and CNH narrow tractors. Wheelbase is almost the same on them as is width. Weight varies but I'm not comparing a narrow to a standard. I've put plenty of hours on the Deere 5420 narrow and around 50 on a TNv and a TN85FA new Holland. All three have a smoother ride and all had mechanical suspension seats. The FA had a longer wheelbase because of the supersteer front axle. All are cab models.

I was referring to your statement in #52 "I have heard from others that the full frame M series are rough as well but I've never ran one to be able to comment on it." Just adding my opinion as a standard 8540 owner. I believe Verticaltrix operates bigger tractors than the M8540, my renter uses big equipment as well and probably would find what I feel comfortable as rough riding; as I said rough is often relative.

If you prefer the other tractors I am at a loss as to why you still have the Kubota. Like big bubba, I am too old and life is too short to put up with something that aggravates me.

 

[PANNU98]

rear tires: 14.9-24
front tires: 9.5-16
with no suitcase weights and a heavy duty rotary cutter 5ft on back and going at 10kmp on a smooth path, ride was decently smooth

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Robert: you have done an extensive & thorough observation on your equipment from the start. your application seems appropriate as well as your choice of equipment. looking at your thread from the start, it seems as if you are preoccupied with "what might have been, what could have been engineered" in the equipment of your choice. strictly as observer, i detect an overall dissatisfaction or indecision on your part with your choice.
life is short, as i have realized in hindsight at this stage in life. sure, I could have made different choices & i might be in a better place right now..... if you truly are bothered, cannot rest easy with the equipment you have arrived at, make a choice to make it easy on yourself. i don't know what that is for you, only you can choose. i'm with triple r, the ride is all relative.
in choosing tractors, i traded in 3 kubotas until i arrived at what i thought was appropriate for my use! my redneck neighbors just shake their heads!!! could i have gotten by with less? of course. but i'm satisfied now..... after a certain point, it's all about psychology and emotions. sometimes we have too much time to reflect rather than get on with the business of life.......
INHO to me, that's where you're at now. do whatever it takes & make the right choice & rest easy. all the best in your decision. bb

I will address this to both you and TripleR as it answers both your questions about why I am still using this Kubota. I looked into trading this tractor last summer. I owed around $39k still if my memory is right. The Deere dealer offered me $27k for the tractor on trade. I could get a Deere for $44k so I would need to get another $17k to make up the difference as well as another $12k to pay off the rest of the Kubota loan. So it would have cost me $29k to trade. That was more then I could do given that last year was a terrible year for grapes and hay and even if it was a good year I still would have had a hard time accepting that. I choose to keep it and try to make it more "Robert" friendly.

I will not buy a CNH narrow tractor because I physically can't stay in their cabs for more than an hour now with my back issues. They are so incredibly tight in there you are sunk down between the fenders with the transmission sticking way up between your legs. The clutch and brake pedals are above your feet when you have your feet on the floor boards so to use them you have to twist your feet around to get above the pedals. You can't turn your body in them and you basically go forward and look forward. Trying to use rear implements is challenging if you need to keep an eye on them. Since I broke my back I just can't tolerate them anymore which is frustrating as it took away an option from an already limited narrow tractor selection.

The Deere was ruled out because I was stupid. I priced both the Kubota and equal Deere narrows on their build your own websites. I assumed (yeah, I screwed up) that the MSRP would be comparable and if they were both close then the actual price at the dealer would be similar. The Deere site came in around $10k higher then the Kubota and I knew I wasn't ready to justify spending that much more when the new Kubota narrows had what looked like a great cab for me. So I never went to the Deere dealer to get a price because I felt I would be wasting their time. I have learned that lesson and I am now on a first name basis with the Deere dealer even though I have never bought anything from them. He assured me that I wouldn't be wasting his time. In the end the Deere narrow was only $1500 more then the Kubota but I had already bought the Kubota.

Kubota had the M8200 narrow for quite a while and it was an adequate but unrefined tractor. The new M8540Narrow had the Grand L cab frame and since there was no narrows within 100 miles at the time I was buying the dealer had me sit in a Grand L to see what the cab would be like. Well, the Grand L cab is a lot better then the M narrow cab. They are the same frame but that was it. Everything inside was changed. There is still plenty of floor space which is why I went with it as I can stretch, turn and move as needed to keep from getting sore. I needed a narrow tractor that met my hp requirements but still had a roomy cab. So I didn't have many options (basically Deere and Kubota). I had never owned a Kubota but do read a lot of posts on here and felt comfortable buying without testing it first because of how many Kubota owners think so highly of the brand. If the tractor wasn't being transferred between dealerships and was already here it would be a different situation but I basically had to buy it to get it transferred.

Yes, I am not overly impressed with it because while everything works as it should and it may be the best tractor ever built it is not comfortable for me as it was delivered. My dealer I used wasn't any help either. Neil Messick did a lot to help me even though I didn't buy it from him. I've done a lot of messing around trying to get it adjusted to where I can be happy with it. My review on here is just that, my review. I'm not going to lie and say everything is great when it isn't. I've posted video on here before as I was trying to get help to figure out why it was so rough. The video showed I wasn't making it up. Running a 6' rotary cutter on a dry, smooth field and around 3mph and it was so loud in the cab and so rough I could barely hold the camera steady long enough to focus in on the dash and other items. I am going to add another set of rear wheel weights when I get a chance and hopefully it will help like sixdogs has mentioned. I have a set in the barn already but didn't want to fight to put them on until I tried other things first (tire pressures, varied front weight and ran through various other ground conditions). I have it better now then when I first got it but I believe it can improve more still. So I am disappointed Kubota didn't spend a little more time with this tractor refining it that little bit. The cab doesn't even have a cup holder. This is a farm tractor where it gets used 8-16 hours a day when needed. A cup holder is a simple little thing that should be standard on a farm tractor since we basically live in there. What I had to do was buy a $5 bottle holder for a bicycle and mount it to the metal grab bar to the right of the dash. There was no air suspension option at the time I bought it. It came out after and thanks to a Kubota rep on TBN he helped me learn about it and from there Neil got one sent to me since my local dealer didn't want to do much about it. The Kubota salesman was on the phone with me every few days till I signed the paperwork. After I was lucky if he would even return my calls. So I know that played a part in my total feelings about this tractor. Nothing went right with it from the start and it has been extremely frustrating. The more things that happened the worst my attitude became with it. I'm trying to make it work and if my reviews are not helpful then I won't update it anymore. I just wanted to let others know about this particular tractor because we don't have very many options in the narrow tractor market.

 

[TripleR]

I will address this to both you and TripleR as it answers both your questions about why I am still using this Kubota. I looked into trading this tractor last summer. I owed around $39k still if my memory is right. The Deere dealer offered me $27k for the tractor on trade. I could get a Deere for $44k so I would need to get another $17k to make up the difference as well as another $12k to pay off the rest of the Kubota loan. So it would have cost me $29k to trade. That was more then I could do given that last year was a terrible year for grapes and hay and even if it was a good year I still would have had a hard time accepting that. I choose to keep it and try to make it more "Robert" friendly.

I will not buy a CNH narrow tractor because I physically can't stay in their cabs for more than an hour now with my back issues. They are so incredibly tight in there you are sunk down between the fenders with the transmission sticking way up between your legs. The clutch and brake pedals are above your feet when you have your feet on the floor boards so to use them you have to twist your feet around to get above the pedals. You can't turn your body in them and you basically go forward and look forward. Trying to use rear implements is challenging if you need to keep an eye on them. Since I broke my back I just can't tolerate them anymore which is frustrating as it took away an option from an already limited narrow tractor selection.

The Deere was ruled out because I was stupid. I priced both the Kubota and equal Deere narrows on their build your own websites. I assumed (yeah, I screwed up) that the MSRP would be comparable and if they were both close then the actual price at the dealer would be similar. The Deere site came in around $10k higher then the Kubota and I knew I wasn't ready to justify spending that much more when the new Kubota narrows had what looked like a great cab for me. So I never went to the Deere dealer to get a price because I felt I would be wasting their time. I have learned that lesson and I am now on a first name basis with the Deere dealer even though I have never bought anything from them. He assured me that I wouldn't be wasting his time. In the end the Deere narrow was only $1500 more then the Kubota but I had already bought the Kubota.

Kubota had the M8200 narrow for quite a while and it was an adequate but unrefined tractor. The new M8540Narrow had the Grand L cab frame and since there was no narrows within 100 miles at the time I was buying the dealer had me sit in a Grand L to see what the cab would be like. Well, the Grand L cab is a lot better then the M narrow cab. They are the same frame but that was it. Everything inside was changed. There is still plenty of floor space which is why I went with it as I can stretch, turn and move as needed to keep from getting sore. I needed a narrow tractor that met my hp requirements but still had a roomy cab. So I didn't have many options (basically Deere and Kubota). I had never owned a Kubota but do read a lot of posts on here and felt comfortable buying without testing it first because of how many Kubota owners think so highly of the brand. If the tractor wasn't being transferred between dealerships and was already here it would be a different situation but I basically had to buy it to get it transferred.

Yes, I am not overly impressed with it because while everything works as it should and it may be the best tractor ever built it is not comfortable for me as it was delivered. My dealer I used wasn't any help either. Neil Messick did a lot to help me even though I didn't buy it from him. I've done a lot of messing around trying to get it adjusted to where I can be happy with it. My review on here is just that, my review. I'm not going to lie and say everything is great when it isn't. I've posted video on here before as I was trying to get help to figure out why it was so rough. The video showed I wasn't making it up. Running a 6' rotary cutter on a dry, smooth field and around 3mph and it was so loud in the cab and so rough I could barely hold the camera steady long enough to focus in on the dash and other items. I am going to add another set of rear wheel weights when I get a chance and hopefully it will help like sixdogs has mentioned. I have a set in the barn already but didn't want to fight to put them on until I tried other things first (tire pressures, varied front weight and ran through various other ground conditions). I have it better now then when I first got it but I believe it can improve more still. So I am disappointed Kubota didn't spend a little more time with this tractor refining it that little bit. The cab doesn't even have a cup holder. This is a farm tractor where it gets used 8-16 hours a day when needed. A cup holder is a simple little thing that should be standard on a farm tractor since we basically live in there. What I had to do was buy a $5 bottle holder for a bicycle and mount it to the metal grab bar to the right of the dash. There was no air suspension option at the time I bought it. It came out after and thanks to a Kubota rep on TBN he helped me learn about it and from there Neil got one sent to me since my local dealer didn't want to do much about it. The Kubota salesman was on the phone with me every few days till I signed the paperwork. After I was lucky if he would even return my calls. So I know that played a part in my total feelings about this tractor. Nothing went right with it from the start and it has been extremely frustrating. The more things that happened the worst my attitude became with it. I'm trying to make it work and if my reviews are not helpful then I won't update it anymore. I just wanted to let others know about this particular tractor because we don't have very many options in the narrow tractor market.

Thanks for the information Robert, I can sure understand the whole money thing. I hope you can get it working to your satisfaction.

I am sure your reviews and opinion are helpful to those considering the Kubota Narrow, but it somehow got into comparing it to the standard M Series, so as an M8540 owner who is happy with it, I provided as much of my opinion as I felt was relevant to that discussion.