Mufflers on small CUTs

[Torvy]

I was at a dealership looking at some LS 2s. The exhaust on them runs forward on the left side of the engine and terminates right at the front near the bottom of the engine cowling. It seems like this is a potential problem. I found this picture of the Case version. You can see it if you zoom in a bit. Has anyone run into trouble with this?

The 3s are higher up and don't go to the end...plus the terminus faces the back. In short it seems much better protected.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

I had a SCUT (LS MT125), and now my small compact (LS XG3025) and they both exit as on the Case (by the way, it's made by LS for Case). No problem at all with the exhaust in that spot, except for the loader arm getting a little bit sooty. Basically because when starting, the loader arm is down and the most soot is at startup.

 

[Torvy]

I had a SCUT (LS MT125), and now my small compact (LS XG3025) and they both exit as on the Case (by the way, it's made by LS for Case). No problem at all with the exhaust in that spot, except for the loader arm getting a little bit sooty. Basically because when starting, the loader arm is down and the most soot is at startup.

Thanks. I knew LS made Case and NH models. I used this pic because it showed the exhaust well. I am just imagining picking up brush and branches and having them damage the exhaust. LS seems priced well enough that the 3 series or bigger will not be out of reach.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I think you would have a very hard time damaging the exhaust at that location. Mine is the same, and it's tucked far enough up in there that plenty of the rest of the tractor is going to hit the object before the exhaust does. The only reason I wish mine was a vertical stack out of the hood, was so that when I'm mowing, My exhaust isn't blowing chaff up in the air in front of the grill, coolers and radiator.

But damage? I can't see how you could do anything to damage the exhaust that won't tear big chunks of tractor off the front end first.

 

[SmallChange]

My NH has the exhaust in this location, and it is a little less tucked in, too. There's a picture here that illustrates it pretty well:

New Holland Workmaster™ 25 » KanEquip, Inc., Kansas and Nebraska

Workmaster™ 25 for sale at KanEquip, Inc., Kansas and Nebraska. Serving your new and used equipment needs from Dodge City, Ellsworth, Garden City, Great Bend, Herington, Marysville, Ottawa, Pratt, Solomon, South Hutchinson, Topeka, Wamego, Wamego, Wichita, KS, and Syracuse, NE.

www.kanequip.com

I really dislike this. It's the worst feature of the machine, in my opinion. Not because it catches things, but because I'm always breathing the exhaust, and always smell like it after seat time. I don't get it -- why do they put the exhaust plume where you're driving? My biggest customization, which I still have not gotten done, is to add a vertical exhaust a bit ahead of the clutch pedal. My old Kubota had a vertical exhaust and had none of this problem.

Is there a business opportunity here? I'd pay a few hundred dollars to fix this, maybe even $1000 if you hit me on the right day!

 

[Egon]

Sticks & branches can find a way into the darnedest of places.

Chances are heat may do more damage to the side panel than anything else.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Kioti's CK has it there as well. No problems so far.

 

[inpo44]

My NH Workmaster 37 has it in a similar location on the other side. It’s tucked in tight and has caused no problems.

 

[5030]

My NH has the exhaust in this location, and it is a little less tucked in, too. There's a picture here that illustrates it pretty well:

New Holland Workmaster™ 25 » KanEquip, Inc., Kansas and Nebraska

Workmaster™ 25 for sale at KanEquip, Inc., Kansas and Nebraska. Serving your new and used equipment needs from Dodge City, Ellsworth, Garden City, Great Bend, Herington, Marysville, Ottawa, Pratt, Solomon, South Hutchinson, Topeka, Wamego, Wamego, Wichita, KS, and Syracuse, NE.

www.kanequip.com

I really dislike this. It's the worst feature of the machine, in my opinion. Not because it catches things, but because I'm always breathing the exhaust, and always smell like it after seat time. I don't get it -- why do they put the exhaust plume where you're driving? My biggest customization, which I still have not gotten done, is to add a vertical exhaust a bit ahead of the clutch pedal. My old Kubota had a vertical exhaust and had none of this problem.

Is there a business opportunity here? I'd pay a few hundred dollars to fix this, maybe even $1000 if you hit me on the right day!

Sounds to me like you should have bought a gas tractor.

 

[Looking4new]

I changed the exhaust on my Kioti CK27 to vertical. It runs good and gets me about 14 hours of pushing snow to a tank full.

 

[Grandad4]

Really, you guys must be a persnickety bunch! I ran two tractors for more than 15 years each, both with that low front exhaust. Never got a scratch close to the exhaust and only rarely caught a whiff of fumes, which I didn't mind.

What are the alternatives? Anyone who ever ran an old Ford or Ferguson knows a tailpipe beneath the tractor, automotive style, doesn't work and a pipe rising straight up from the hood absolutely does get snagged by branches.

Cheers!

 

[Torvy]

I found a shot of the M345e exhaust. I like how it is better protected.

I told my kids that just because they crossed the street safely without looking 100 times did not mean that they would not be killed on the 101st. I am sure for many tasks the risk of fouling the exhaust on the M2 series is minimal. I'm that guy that needs to minimize risk. Murphy love to mess up my day.

 

[Egon]

Twenty five years ( two tractors ) with the low exhaust no problems other than side panel heat damage before I bought it. The straight up over the hood exhaust could get snagged as I found out with a borrowed tractor.

 

[ptsg]

If you end up hitting something that can even get close to cause any type of damage to the exhaust, you've already pretty much wrecked the entire hood and most likely all the exposed linkages underneath. I wouldn't worry about it.

As far as fumes, these tractors nowadays burn so clean, even without DPFs, that the smoke is not even noticeable. Just the little puff during start up.

The exhaust there is just fine and the only possible issue really, is that it covers the loader arms full of soot and in my case, the little bumper/light support. To avoid that, I did make a turn down tip out of stainless steel pipe.

 

[Oaktree]

Kioti's CK has it there as well. No problems so far.

As does my early 00s vintage LK. No problems here either with over 1000 hr. on it.

 

[Torvy]

If you end up hitting something that can even get close to cause any type of damage to the exhaust, you've already pretty much wrecked the entire hood and most likely all the exposed linkages underneath. I wouldn't worry about it.

As far as fumes, these tractors nowadays burn so clean, even without DPFs, that the smoke is not even noticeable. Just the little puff during start up.

The exhaust there is just fine and the only possible issue really, is that it covers the loader arms full of soot and in my case, the little bumper/light support. To avoid that, I did make a turn down tip out of stainless steel pipe.

View attachment 715780

See, you protected yours with a winch.

 

[ptsg]

See, you protected yours with a winch.

It was kind of protected with the front weights too.

 

[Gregster613]

Mine is the same style and I also added a turn down (and to the side) like ptsg. I've never had it get snagged or touched by anything but...like slowpoke slim I have problems with the chaff and leaves etc., etc. blowing up and swiftly clogging the radiator. I'm constantly thinking about different directions and ways for it to exhaust in some other style. Just haven't come up with the right solution yet. Eventually I will.

 

[ultrarunner]

What are the alternatives? Anyone who ever ran an old Ford or Ferguson knows a tailpipe beneath the tractor, automotive style, doesn't work and a pipe rising straight up from the hood absolutely does get snagged by branches.

Cheers!

I have a Ford Jubilee with exhaust plumbed under and to the rear….

So far no problem

I like and considering plumbing the other with the vertical to under and to the back

So far no problem

What problems have other encountered?

 

[Grandad4]

Mind you this was a long, long time ago... when I was an impressionable kid and spent time on a TO 20 Ferguson. Biggest issue was that hot muffler and pipe in a dry field. If the grass or corn stalks were at all sticking up there was a possibility of lighting the field on fire. We would never rake hay with it for the same reason.

The little Ferguson needed rings and smoked, which seemed to exit the tailpipe and follow whichever way I needed to go, much more than the more recent equipment I owned.

But in spite of the tailpipe, I've akways loved those Fords and Fergusons. If you don't have a concern about running over dry brush, they are just great chore tractors.