Dargo
Super Member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2004
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- 5,974
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- S. IN
- Tractor
- Jinma, Foton, TYM, Belarus, Yanmar, Branson, Montana, Mahindra and maybe some green and orange too.
Since I was not shy at all about posting any issues I had with my L5030HSTC, I thought I'd give a brief synopsis of 2 years of ownership. You know, after I've actually had this particular tractor for a few hundred hours and have really used it in about all conditions.
When I first got the 5030 I had basically two issues with it. One ended up being a bad lift cylinder on the loader and the other ended up being an incorrect return spring on the hydro pedal that was installed by one of the dealership's people. The bad lift cylinder caused the loader to bleed off, and the wrong spring resulted in a very jerky hydro pedal. Both were fixed long ago and I've been quiet since.
The loader on the 853 loader on the 5030 is strong and smooth to operate. It will lift considerably more than what it is rated to lift. I have right at 200 acres of property and I've used the loader extensively doing everything from digging, carrying boulders, to clearing 30" of snow. In retrospect, I think I would like the curved loader arms for the increased visibility. But, they were not available on the 5030, so that was not an option. Otherwise, it's been great. I've probably had it on and off two or three dozen times. That is no problem at all. The quick detach bucket also makes it very easy to switch back and forth from the pallet forks to my bucket. If you ever plan on dropping your bucket off, I'd suggest that system. Overall, I'd give the loader a grade of A-. I only add the "-" because I would like the curved loader arms.
The cab is one of the reasons I bought the tractor. When I bought the tractor, I looked at every tractor in that hp class with a cab, and the Kubota cab was tops by far. I've now seen the new JD cabs and they look sweet! My choice would have been tough if JD had cabs back then. Anyway, the A/C works great on the hottest days and the heater has no problems keeping the glass defogged and the driver warm in the winter. I've been really impressed with the beating the cab can take from limbs and other brush. I have thousands of bushes and trees that like to try to get at me. It's nice to not be slapped in the face when operating a tractor. Also, it's really nice to see all the bugs on the outside of the cab; where they can't get me! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif I would rate the cab an A+.
This tractor is only the 2nd tractor I've had with a hydro drive. I still wasn't too sold on the hydro part after having gear drive tractors for decades. I had a big issue with that wrong return spring on the hydro pedal and hated the drive until that was fixed. Once that issue was put behind me, I'd have to say that I'll likely not be in any hurry to ever go back to a gear drive tractor. I've used plenty of ground engauging equipment like my plow and disk for 16 hour days in 100 degree heat, and I've never had an issue. I see no way to run a tractor harder than pulling a disk all day long (16 hours), locked in 4X4 and standing on the diff lock in low range. If the hydro was ever going to heat up it would then. I gave it all she was worth for days on end during the summer and never had an issue. In my situation, going around boulders, trees, and other objects, I think I would have been really hard on a clutch creeping along, stopping, hammering it again, over and over and over. I would give the hydro drive an enthuastiac A+.
The engine in the 5030 is second to none. Even on the coldest mornings it always has started right up without hesitation or even need for using the glow plugs. That has been true for me in temps down to -10. The engine is about as smooth as I could imagine, and I've owned over 50 diesel powered units before. I have been pleasantly surprised to find that I basically never have to get out and clear seeds and fuzz out of the grill to keep the tractor cool on hot summer days. When doing the plow and disk work mentioned earlier, I would have constant plumes of seeds and white fuzzy stuff in the air. You know how that sticks to the grill. Even on the hottest days, working the tractor at 100% capacity, I never had the engine approach hot. The engine seems to be about as good as it gets. If I were at high altitude, I may want a turbo engine, but I'm not, so nomally aspirated is fine for me. I'd give the engine an A+.
I'm running short on time right now, so I'll just give a summary of the overall tractor. I can answer questions later. I've been running my bush hog in high weeds and hit an erosion rut so hard and so deep that it not only immediately stopped me in my tracks, but really yanked on the seat belt. If I didn't have the seat belt on, I would have really tested the front glass strength with my head. I just knew that I at least broke an axle and bent two rims, and was hoping that not a lot more was broken. Imagine my surprise when I was able to use my loader to get myself out of the rut and discover that nothing was broken or even bent! I don't think you are going to find much more durable of a tractor. An operator can't take much more than what I did, so an even stronger tractor may actually be a bad thing; if one exists. The external lift cylinders on the 3 pt. hitch make it extremely strong and smooth. The standard telescoping arms make attaching an implement quick work. The standard array of instruments let you know what is going on at all times, including ground speed, exact PTO speed, and travel distance besides the expected gauges. Basically, the only thing I've ever had wrong that was from Kubota was the one lift cylinder (the spring issue was on the dealer). With the extreme hard work I've put the tractor through and a few hundred hours later, I'm very well pleased that absolutely nothing has broken. I'd planned on trading to the JD4720 cab when it came out. Now, I think I'll just stay with the L5030HSTC. The JD4720 was the only other tractor I thought was in the same league as the 5030 for what I wanted, but it didn't have a cab. At the time, I thought I'd "settled" for the L5030HSTC. Now I think it has found a home. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
When I first got the 5030 I had basically two issues with it. One ended up being a bad lift cylinder on the loader and the other ended up being an incorrect return spring on the hydro pedal that was installed by one of the dealership's people. The bad lift cylinder caused the loader to bleed off, and the wrong spring resulted in a very jerky hydro pedal. Both were fixed long ago and I've been quiet since.
The loader on the 853 loader on the 5030 is strong and smooth to operate. It will lift considerably more than what it is rated to lift. I have right at 200 acres of property and I've used the loader extensively doing everything from digging, carrying boulders, to clearing 30" of snow. In retrospect, I think I would like the curved loader arms for the increased visibility. But, they were not available on the 5030, so that was not an option. Otherwise, it's been great. I've probably had it on and off two or three dozen times. That is no problem at all. The quick detach bucket also makes it very easy to switch back and forth from the pallet forks to my bucket. If you ever plan on dropping your bucket off, I'd suggest that system. Overall, I'd give the loader a grade of A-. I only add the "-" because I would like the curved loader arms.
The cab is one of the reasons I bought the tractor. When I bought the tractor, I looked at every tractor in that hp class with a cab, and the Kubota cab was tops by far. I've now seen the new JD cabs and they look sweet! My choice would have been tough if JD had cabs back then. Anyway, the A/C works great on the hottest days and the heater has no problems keeping the glass defogged and the driver warm in the winter. I've been really impressed with the beating the cab can take from limbs and other brush. I have thousands of bushes and trees that like to try to get at me. It's nice to not be slapped in the face when operating a tractor. Also, it's really nice to see all the bugs on the outside of the cab; where they can't get me! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif I would rate the cab an A+.
This tractor is only the 2nd tractor I've had with a hydro drive. I still wasn't too sold on the hydro part after having gear drive tractors for decades. I had a big issue with that wrong return spring on the hydro pedal and hated the drive until that was fixed. Once that issue was put behind me, I'd have to say that I'll likely not be in any hurry to ever go back to a gear drive tractor. I've used plenty of ground engauging equipment like my plow and disk for 16 hour days in 100 degree heat, and I've never had an issue. I see no way to run a tractor harder than pulling a disk all day long (16 hours), locked in 4X4 and standing on the diff lock in low range. If the hydro was ever going to heat up it would then. I gave it all she was worth for days on end during the summer and never had an issue. In my situation, going around boulders, trees, and other objects, I think I would have been really hard on a clutch creeping along, stopping, hammering it again, over and over and over. I would give the hydro drive an enthuastiac A+.
The engine in the 5030 is second to none. Even on the coldest mornings it always has started right up without hesitation or even need for using the glow plugs. That has been true for me in temps down to -10. The engine is about as smooth as I could imagine, and I've owned over 50 diesel powered units before. I have been pleasantly surprised to find that I basically never have to get out and clear seeds and fuzz out of the grill to keep the tractor cool on hot summer days. When doing the plow and disk work mentioned earlier, I would have constant plumes of seeds and white fuzzy stuff in the air. You know how that sticks to the grill. Even on the hottest days, working the tractor at 100% capacity, I never had the engine approach hot. The engine seems to be about as good as it gets. If I were at high altitude, I may want a turbo engine, but I'm not, so nomally aspirated is fine for me. I'd give the engine an A+.
I'm running short on time right now, so I'll just give a summary of the overall tractor. I can answer questions later. I've been running my bush hog in high weeds and hit an erosion rut so hard and so deep that it not only immediately stopped me in my tracks, but really yanked on the seat belt. If I didn't have the seat belt on, I would have really tested the front glass strength with my head. I just knew that I at least broke an axle and bent two rims, and was hoping that not a lot more was broken. Imagine my surprise when I was able to use my loader to get myself out of the rut and discover that nothing was broken or even bent! I don't think you are going to find much more durable of a tractor. An operator can't take much more than what I did, so an even stronger tractor may actually be a bad thing; if one exists. The external lift cylinders on the 3 pt. hitch make it extremely strong and smooth. The standard telescoping arms make attaching an implement quick work. The standard array of instruments let you know what is going on at all times, including ground speed, exact PTO speed, and travel distance besides the expected gauges. Basically, the only thing I've ever had wrong that was from Kubota was the one lift cylinder (the spring issue was on the dealer). With the extreme hard work I've put the tractor through and a few hundred hours later, I'm very well pleased that absolutely nothing has broken. I'd planned on trading to the JD4720 cab when it came out. Now, I think I'll just stay with the L5030HSTC. The JD4720 was the only other tractor I thought was in the same league as the 5030 for what I wanted, but it didn't have a cab. At the time, I thought I'd "settled" for the L5030HSTC. Now I think it has found a home. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif