looking at l35

joea99 · Nov 5, 2014

aginn said:
You should look very close at the engine oil as well. They probably have fresh oil in it to sell. Even then you might be able to see a slight white slime in the oil or filler cap if you have a head gasket problem. I would be cautious on this one. It might be fine. But "might be" won't pay for a potential repair.
If it is just a head gasket it could be a simple fix. But I have had cracked heads on other equipment that wasn't. And the fix can add up fast. Good luck to you. And please give us an update.

Thanks for those reminders. I will do a more careful look over.

Grandad4 · Nov 5, 2014

joea99 said:
A local guy told me 1900 hours is "getting up there". Is that the general thought?

Not. Kub engines are among the finest small diesels on the planet, legendary for long, reliable life. Not uncommon for them to go 10,000 hours before needing an overhaul. That presupposes they are given good basic maintenance, though, which includes oil and filter changes, clean air filters, and not allowing them to overheat due to a clogged radiator, bad thermostat, etc. Overheating causes premature failures in all sorts of liquid-cooled engines, commonly due to operator inattention.

As for the possible coolant leak and condition of the head, I'm not sure the "visual inspection" method you describe is enough to say everything is OK. It may be that a pressure test of the cooling system would show the presence of a small leak, or it needs to be closely monitored over several hours of operation. Hopefully no one has put any "radiator stop leak" in the system to effect a temporary repair, which may mask the leak until it eventually gets worse. For me, it would be important to get the matter cleared up prior to purchase, because ignoring a comparatively minor repair now could bring on a catastrophic failure later. Others with more knowledge than I have may have better advice.

1savoy · Nov 5, 2014

Hi joea99,

I am going through a similar dilemma as you. Not sure if you looked through my thread http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...37-run-away-worth-gamble-kubota-new-post.html ?If I decide to go back and check this tractor again, I will definitely take my pressure tester to see if the coolant system will hold pressure. May help you tell if there is a serious problem.

Also, you mentioned the tire prices about floored you, forgot the exact wording you used. Just wondering where you got prices from? It always pay to shop around and there are some decent online places I have seen in the past. I have not priced tractor tires recently, but I may be surprised. I now when I have bought tractor tires in the past the prices could range greatly between local tire dealers.

Good luck getting it checked out. The L35's seem like really nice machines.