"New" Iseki 1610 joins my toy collection...

funkmop · Aug 18, 2004

\"New\" Iseki 1610 joins my toy collection...

Last Saturday I went forth and bought myself an Iseki 1610 with FEL and a 4' Bush Hog. Took delivery yesterday (at my land out in the country) and spent the afternoon getting familiar with the new toy and with operating a tractor again after a thirty year hiatus.

First impressions are very positive - the tractor is in pretty good shape, with new paint, and all the rubber (hoses and tires in particular) is brand new - and it runs very well. It's 2WD, but seems capable of doing everything I'm likely to want it to do.

I've got a manual ordered, but in the meantime I do have a couple of questions which someone might have an answer to:

1 - My hour meter on the tractor is sitting at a genuinely unbelievable "2.7" - but there is noticeable wear on pedals and so forth. I assume I can use the hour meter for my own purposes (maintenance timing, etc.) but that it's almost certain the meter has been tampered with, correct?

2 - Is it possible to adjust tire spacing (width) on the 1610 to acheive maximum stability? If so, how is this best accomplished?

3 - What about weights? Seems like more weight up front to counterbalance the bush hog would be a good thing - is it? If so, should I add something to the front "bumper" (seems to be designed for a bolt-on weight of some sort) or just put a couple of 80 lb. sacks of concrete in the loader when I'm running the mower?

4 - As I bought it, there is no Roll Over Protection installed. Assuming I'm careful, how big a deal is this? (ROP seems much more significant to me at 40 something than it did in my teens - but I never had it "back in the day" and never came too close to flipping back then.) Is there a "bolt on" solution out there that fits? How expensive, and how big a PITA to install?

5 - Maintenance. Hmmmm...I figure if it has a grease fitting, I grease it... if it takes a fluid, I top it up/change according to manual (when I receive it!!)... but other than that I'm a bit unsure about appropriate care and feeding for small diesel tractors. Any suggestions/advice/warnings?

I guess that'll get me started. Thanks in advance for any and all input/advice/comment.

As always,
Hugo

beltfed · Aug 18, 2004

Re: \"New\" Iseki 1610 joins my toy collection...

I went to a Kubota store up the street and bought 2 60 pound weights which hang on the front loop bar. Then you bolt them together. It really helped to keep the front down even with a rear blade on going uphill. I just bought a FEL and was planning on removing them because with the FEL on, that is another 500+ pounds on the front. Guess I'll findout soon.

Look forward to see the answers to the rest of your questions.

DennisArrow · Aug 19, 2004

Re: \"New\" Iseki 1610 joins my toy collection...

Welcome aboard............your FEL should be more than adequate to keep the front end feelin really good......even on the hills.........I have tried mine with and without and the FEL really makes a difference........even when I put on 150 lbs of weight it doesnt hold a candle to having the FEL on........YESSSSSSSSSSS you need a ROPS and seatbelts.........If I didnt have mine I dont think I would use the seatbelts that I installed.......MAYBE I could jump to clear......up in the safety forum there is a lot of discussion in various threads on this subject........anyway.....good luck.....dennis

beltfed · Aug 19, 2004

Re: \"New\" Iseki 1610 joins my toy collection...

DennisArrow, can you post some photos of your ROPS? Also did you build it yourself or have it done and what cost.

Appreciate it.

rich_ncal · Aug 20, 2004

Re: \"New\" Iseki 1610 joins my toy collection...

I have a TS1610, two wheel drive.

I assume the hour meter is set to zero when the tractor is reconditioned. However this reconditioning could be anything from adding a few hoses and paint to some rebuild in Asia.

I swapped the back tires from side to side to increase the spacing. Don’t flip the back wheels on the same side if the tires are directional.

I have a 4 foot rotary cutter, I don’t have an FEL. The front the wheels where not lifting, perhaps because I operate the cutter with the trailing wheel on the ground. In some cases the tractor does not corner well. It pushes in straight. I added 4 x 45 lb weights to font bumper, hoping this would help the front wheels to bite harder. I also spend a great deal of time using the diff lock to get traction on hills. That increases the tendency of the straight line pushing.

Consider using an over running coupler on the PTO with the rotary cutter on the TS1610. Otherwise the momentum of the cutter will push the tractor. The TS1610 does not have an independent PTO.