Well just be patient and stay tuned but I am back in the dark continent doing my work thing for a month. I'm just glad I got the tractor and attachments in time to get a few days play time in before going away for a month. Once I get home I will start my tree and brush removal project.
Other items to note thus far with 13.7 hours on the tractors clock.
-Tractor has performed perfectly with no issues.
-Still on first tank of fuel even though most run time was at 2150 or so RPMs under a fair load, bushhogging, tilling, limb trimming and some grading.
-I am very happy with the decision to get most all options on the tractor. About the only thing I didn't get was the creep speed, self leveling bucket and the shock-less ride accumulator .
-The air ride seat and its adjustability is awesome.
-The quietness while operating inside the cab is far better than expected.
-The rear window wiper/washer and defogger kit is high quality and works well. Note that adding the rear defroster requires the dealer to change out the 3 rear glass panels as the defroster is electric and built into the glass the same as the ones in your car or truck. The rear defroster also gets you the upgraded higher output alternator which adds value to the option and was something neither I nor the dealer was aware of.
-The function of the front and rear wipers and washers is better and I expected and made me smile when I tested them out. All 3 rear windows open easily and are very functional.
-Ergonomics in the cab are nice and get better as you get acclimated to where everything is located.
-The dash display of PTO RPMs is nice and the RPM hold switch is sweet and allows you to set and forget your PTO powered implement speed.
-The cab comes with the stereo speakers installed and I did not spec a radio to be installed as I was going to do that myself. My dealer however assumed I wanted the radio and ordered and installed it and I am glad they did. The Radio is very nice and the BT works excellent after pairing and there is a mic on the radio so you can answer incoming phone calls even if you are not playing music from you phone but instead listing to a radio station. Once I paired my phone the first time it did it all automatically each time I got in the cab, just like your modern cars and tracks do....very nice!
-I have not used the E-PTO yet but I am sure it will prove useful in coming days with an implement that came utilize it.
-The single lever quick coupler for the loader hyd lines is very nice and tucks away neatly, but still easily accessible behind the loader frame. The hyd plumbing on the tractor and loader is all very neat and well thought out and looks good. It is a far cry from the rather spartan and exposed setup on comparable John Deere E series machines.
-The dealer installed addition cab lights work great. In conjunction with the factory installed lights I have 6 forward facing lights and 2 rear that give great coverage and output. Although the lights are not LED I believe they will be more practical in use than LEDS as The brighter/whiter light from LEDs reflect badly in dusty conditions.
-The 3 rear remotes are highly recommended by me and prevent you from being limited and wishing you had more capability later.
-The 12 speed tranny is also recommended for, not only more speed selection choices but also a much higher road speed, the addition of the E-PTO and the 16.2 GPM hyd flow.
-The hyd top link has already proved itself as a wise choice plus is just looks bad *** too, lol.
-Lastly, the radial tires and cast rear wheels, make the tractor look and perform better. Strangely Kubota does not show these as an option on their tractor builder but just ask your dealer to spec them and Kubota will install them. The tractor looks awesome with them and it is obvious they have much greater ground contact when you are on hard surfaces. This will translate into far more traction and less ground PSI per square inch of contact. I can't wait to hook to a pull type disk harrow, chisel or subsoiler and test the traction out.
I did a fair amount of research prior to this purchase but fairly early on I settled on Kubota of various reasons important to me. Most influential to me was the bang for the buck and the dealer location and service. Working with my dealer thus far has been great. The dealer is 23 miles away down the interstate from my house. The closest NH dealers and JD dealers are an hour away. There is a LS dealer about 8 miles away and I know the owner but he is a small time dealer and the service department is tiny also. The LS seem to be the value leader but in the big picture just did not draw me in at all. So far I have been extremely happy with all my choices but only time will tell.
