New here-like to share nine months of stupidity??

woodchuckie · Jan 29, 2005

This is a great site here. I just wish I had found it nine months ago before I learned how to professionaly operate my new Kubota L2800 with FEL, Box blade and cutter. The first three or four times I used it I didn't know I didn't have it in 4wd and when I finally found out it was like having a whole new tractor. I remember thinking at the time that "I'll never get stuck in this thing." I spent the summer learning to make trails using the FEL and box blade. The first day in the woods I got my inevitable first boo boo. I bent my foot step thing going over a stump. Before I was satisified with the project I lost one of my tail lights and had a few more scratches on the tractor and me. You really have to be careful running over trees and backing up on them. They'll come sticking through any hole they can find to get to you.
I honed my skills on my 300 foot driveway and playing in my fill
lines to the septic tank. I felt I was now ready to really get down to work on a new trail through this "dry" bottom near my house.
Now I had been delayed before but was able to proceed using the FEL or just locking in the rear tires. In this case I was delayed for three days and out of commission for weeks. I was stuck. There was mud coming through the floor holes. I could let the clutch out and all four wheels would spin. The fel was no help at all. Two four ton come-a-longs didn't help. With my sons help I was able to get out (now don't get me wrong I'm not blameing him, he's only 25 years old and we aren't farmers so we just didn't know any better) We took the box blade off so we could chain a log to BOTH back wheels. I disconnected the top hitch of the 3ph from the tractor. What about the bottom two hitches you might ask. Well they were under mud and I just didn't think of them. Well when I put the tractor in reverse It just started coming right out of there. and except for a little resistence around the bottom hitches of the 3ph I was sitting on dry land in no time. Except!!! There was all this green looking water running out of both wheels. (two new tubes =$100.00 + two more gallons of antifreeze) Then I noticed these four little cast iron pieces with little holes drilled in them. Did you realize that you have to replace your brake housing to fix them things.
Well I was real lucky . My Kubota dealer fixed it under warranty because it was so new. (STUPIDITY CLAUSE).
I did go back and finish that trail but rerouted it and got stuck again almost as bad. I had learned some things though. This time I hooked the come-a long around the fel arm about 1/2 the way up it. I had lots more leverage and when I lifted the fel up the oppsite rear wheel went all the way up so I could fill up the hole with logs and after doing the other side I could drive right off.
I have really enjoyed my new toy but my squirrel dog don't know whats going on because I can't hear him bark at a squirel when I'm playing on the tractor.
I love the information I find on this site now and I hope it will prevent some problems in the future as I roll up the hours. Almost 50 now. See the attachment for some pics.

woodchuckie · Jan 29, 2005

taillight picture

woodchuckie · Jan 29, 2005

The cast iron things I broke

woodchuckie · Jan 29, 2005

My L2800

woodchuckie · Jan 29, 2005

My Dog -CHANCE

stevepio · Jan 29, 2005

At least all you managed to damage was the tractor. Still not clear on how you broke that casting. Had to go some to bust something that substantial. Go figure. Nice to have you aboard. Been stuck myself a couple times but nothing we couldn't fix with the bulldozer. When we got the dozer stuck was another whole set of problems...

thcri · Jan 29, 2005

Just look at them all as being battle scars! Nothing wrong with them. You didn't buy the tractor to keep it in the garage.

murph

mark777 · Jan 29, 2005

A few battle scars gives a tractor character. Now a great dealer like that, some would kill for.

Mark

gordon · Jan 29, 2005

I'm glad that the step metal isn't that thick. Because I did the exact same thing to my step not long after I got my tractor.

Good thing is your not afraid to work the tractor. That is what they are made for. Mine stays muddy.

Gordon

frank_f15 · Jan 29, 2005

( Well I was real lucky . My Kubota dealer fixed it under warranty because it was so new. )
WELCOME ABOARD! and be very glad you have such a nice dealer. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

rdln · Jan 29, 2005

My step is bent, will take it off someday, never use it.

will have to remember that log thing for future reference and the 3PH removal.

Welcome.

sherpa · Jan 30, 2005

Take some pictures of the road you are building.
Be careful hooking things to the loader arms. You may bend them or damage a cylinder.
Sherpa

RalphVa · Jan 30, 2005

So far, the only battle scars are to one of the double doors going to the basement where I park the JD. I've since learned to not try maneuvering inside the doors. I go outside and "do" another shot at backing in if I think it isn't going in right.

Forgot to raise the cutter once, too. Drug it over the portal underneath those double doors. No damage there. Ripped out a drain hose from my rain tank that lies on the ground before I realized that the cutter was down.

Ralph

Henro · Jan 30, 2005

will have to remember that log thing for future reference 

Steve,

Be very careful if you tie ANYTHING to your rear wheels.

The reasons being if you try to move forward, and the wheels don't turn, the tractor can rotate around the rear axle in back-flip mode. Not a good thing.

When trying to move in reverse, as in the example above, this may not be an issue, since the tendency would be for the front of the tractor to be pushed down.

Be very careful and think twice before tying anything to your rear wheels.

btolle · Jan 30, 2005

One thing I learned years ago on an 8N is that a come-along works much better if you have someone tightening it while you keep the wheels turning. While they seem to be only sppinning they are providing some amount of force. Trying to pull it out with just the come-along usually doesn't work on a bad 'stuck'.

I used to bury the 8N down to the axles regularly. Fortunately it was in the woods so there was always a big tree to hook up to. With the 8N I would get the come-along hooked up and take a pretty good pull on it then put the tractor in low range and first gear and let it idle. The wheels would be spinning when I got off and started pulling some more. Once it moved a little it would get traction and slowly crawl out of the mudhole, slow enough that I could get back on the tractor and stop it.

As someone else had pointed out already, never use the loader arms to pull the tractor, you can easily bend them or a hydraulic cylinder or both.

Part of the FEL mounting is a round bar (pipe) across the front of the tractor about 2" or 2 1/2" in diameter that is part of the loader frame and is bolted securely to the tractor frame. This is a much safer pull point that the loader itself. I would hook (or tie) to the bar close to the bracket that mounts to the tractor frame rather than in the center to lessen the chance of bending the bar.

BTW, has anyone tried using an old piece of carpet and letting the spinning wheels pull it under the tractor to get unstuck?

Bill Tolle

Todd_C · Jan 30, 2005

Welcome aboard. Nice tractor. It's funny you mention that your dog barks at your tractor. My dog seems to know when something is going to go bad. My dog follows me around my property all day but the minute I start doing something questionable he lays down on the front porch. My work vehicle slid off the driveway last year in a sleet storm. The back end was sticking up in the air. The car just happened to find a nice pile of fresh fill dirt where a large bull pine used to be. It sounds funny but I now watch my dog and if he goes to the porch I re-think my plan. Dam* dog is smarter than me. : /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

penokee · Jan 30, 2005

Dogs have that 6th scents(?) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Knocked myself out in the wood a couple of years back (stupid move) and when I came to my trusty buddy OTTO (yellow lab) was licking my face. Didn't make my head feel better, but showed her concern. Woodchuckie's experience more or less prove that "what can go wrong will" /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
penokee

ronbo3 · Feb 1, 2005

Great post--I enjoyed reading it since I am also a new owner of a Kubota L2800. Fortunately for me, I spent a few months reading stuff on this site before I got my tractor and I was able to avoid a few rookie mistakes. One I didn't avoid was that in my struggles with hooking/unhooking the 3pt, I used to disconnect the turnbuckles on the lower links. One day I forgot to re-connect them, and before too long, one of my turnbuckles just fell off somewhere. I had to make an embarrassing stop at the dealer to order another. On the bright side, everyone at the local Kubota dealer knows me now!!
I saw this on the 'Net the other day---
"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from making bad decisions..........!!!!!

lmiller · Sep 10, 2005

About dogs barking at tractor... when we were looking at different dealers our pup, a rescued Australian Cattle Dog, was her usual sleepy self at the JD dealer, the New Holland dealer, the Cub Cadet dealer, even though my wife & I were test driving around their lots.
But when I fired up that orange one she went nuts, started barking and running around. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

When the Kubota was delivered (doggy knows best/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif) she went nutso again. Now she doesn't get cars, wanders onto roads, walks in front of me when I'm parking my truck...but when I start the tractor she backs off to a safe distance and watches. When I'm working in the woods she is always just in sight, circling around.

I'll be watching for that sit on the porch warning thing.

Lou