L4610 is here

richh · Jul 24, 2000

Well after 5 hrs. of operation I would like to thank every one on this board that pushes the HST trans.!! The diff. [once you get the hang of it] beteewn it and any other type is just amazing. I had a new GST and sent it back [have a good guy for a dealer] and order a HST. Its so fast and handy to be able to control your speed, power and direction with your foot and leave your hand free to operate other things ie. loader or 3 pt. And talk about creper gear, you can go so sloooowwww and speed right up with out ever taken your hand off the wheel!! And the best part is taken your foot off the pedal and it just stops, it realy is much much safer, for any one no matter how long you have been around equ. I would however recomend that you learn how to run a HST in a open area because it dose take some getting use to and you don't want to hit any thing your first day. Also if go test a tractor and run a HST and don't like it you didn't run it long enough! Try it agin or better yet get the dealer to drop it by your house for a day and give it a couple of hrs.Yes I did try one before I got the GST and didn't like or so I though, how worng I was!! Well you think IM happy/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I got a HST???
I did mount the 20" tool box behind the seat on top of the remotes on one side and then clamped a block of wood to the ROPS on the other, screwed a oak 1x4 beteween them and just screwed the box to the oak board. Well now have to figure out how to get the XM27 front tires to fit, they rub on the loader frame. Will let you know how it go's.
Rich

MChalkley · Jul 24, 2000

Oh, great! Just what the world needs - another HST bigot! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Congratulations on your new baby, though it sounds like your new baby is a horse!

I don't suppose there's any need in my saying that I agree 100% with your assessment of HST, is there? /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Mark

gordon · Jul 25, 2000

Congrats Rich you made the smart move!!! HST that is--three months ago I would have fought you tooth and nails about a hst then I got to put 100 hrs on one and my views changed 100% now in favor of a hst. You are correct if you don't like it you haven't run it long enough. Took me alittle while to get used to it and once I did I wondered why I never got one before this.
Rich I'll have my new 4310 at the end of this week its at the body shop getting a couple of dents fixed. Did you load your tires or go with wheel weights? How bad are the tires rubbing--the 4610 has a different loader than the 4310.

Sure am going to miss the cab but it has so many blind spots it will be great to be able to see but I'll be cold in the winter. Didn't want to go with the Kubota cab to much glass for the woods! So now I'm going to make a canopy from a Kubota wheel loader has the lights already installed. Will let you know how it works.
Gordon

MarkV · Jul 25, 2000

Richh, sounds like it was worth the wait. I know from your past posts you had to do some hard thinking. You, Gordon, Mark, Wen and others, sure have me dreaming about what I could do with all that power. Even made a little hint to my wife about it. Lets just say, she doesn't see the need for us to run right off to our dealer. Enjoy that new beast of yours.

richh · Jul 25, 2000

Well Mark the world's got another one like it or not! Thanks for being there to push me to look agin and agin at the HST. I try to keep a open mind on things but like I said if you don't like it you haven't ran one long enough/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

richh · Jul 25, 2000

Gordon- well if you remember you and others and my self did!! Ya just gota try it to belive. Sounds like you will be getting a well need replacement! Whats the deal with the dents?? Must be some good deal you got? I have ben out of town, and not keeping up on things.
Once I get the tire thing figured out im going to put 3 50 lb. wheel weights on each side and some type of weight in the tires, front and rear. My dealer got some info on that beat juice or something, good to -35 deg. Ill let you know more next week when I find out all about it. When I turn hard to one side the out side edge of the tire rubs on the loader frame about a good 3/4", it hits the out side plate gos across the boxed in area of the frame and hits the inside plate too though not as bad. Im going to try and move the tires out 2.5" and see if that works and also grind a good 1/2" off the frame it self. Don't know how to do it yet but have a couple of ideas to try, will let you know how it works out. I do remnber Mark saying that he got the worng off set on his wheels but I don't think thats my trouble. But not sure of that either? Back to the drawing board.
Rich

_RaT_ · Jul 29, 2000

Rich, when I saw that you had purchased a 4610, you sparked my attention, when I read that you got the GST I was wondering WHY? Surely I was not about to tell you that you should have got the HST instead, but that is surely what I was thinking. By the way HST costs a little less then the GST. One more thing, you once sent me the phone number for the 4N1 bucket manufacturer, do you still have it and their name, thanks and congrats man, you got a BITCHIN machine, Rat...

MChalkley · Jul 29, 2000

Rat - I once sent you or Rich the number for W.R. Long. If that name rings a bell, I've got it here somewhere and can look it up. That's the one I've got, and there's a picture of it on the "L4310 enhancements" topic. It's not that great a picture, but if you want one of it opened up, I can take it tomorrow and post it.

Mark

MChalkley · Jul 29, 2000

Rich - I remember trying to politely disagree with you and Gordon about the merits of HST and being a little disappointed that you picked GST, because it seemed to me that you hadn't spent enough time with the HST to know whether it was better or not. I know it's a difficult prejudice to overcome. I refused to consider anything but gear transmissions for a long time because of the 10% difference in efficiency. I pestered the Kubota factory rep and the regional technicians. Then I got hold of a Kubota guy who really knows the transmissions inside and out. He's the one who told me the difference between HST's and GST's is only 5% because of the power the hydraulic clutchpacks rob. And that's all of the "automatic clutch" models, no matter what they call them. For some reason, I could tolerate 5% when I couldn't stand 10%, so I tried the HST. My reasons for trying it initially were entirely related to safety. As I've mentioned before, when I work on charity projects once a month or so, there's 300-500 people on site - that's a lot of folks to look out for. But, then, when I found out how much faster it is, how many safety aspects there are that I wasn't aware of, and how many advantages HST has than negate the pure mechanical efficiency difference, well, I was completely sold, almost immediately. And I've never had a single situation where I've regretted it.

Mark

_RaT_ · Jul 30, 2000

Mark, thanks for the info. I had the opportunity to use a 4N1 bucket on a JCB backhoe. What an incredible piece of equipment. I can see now that I will have to have a 4N1 bucket. I wont even be able to consider the std bucket any more. The backhoe operator used the 4N1 with the jaw wide open on a severe slope to get the hoe level. The front end was about 5' off the ground. Its ability to pick up trash and concrete was great. Rat...