Noob with Q's

[RFB]

Noob with Q\'s

Sirs,

We just (2 days ago) purchased a new 5030HSTC...our first tractor, with the 853 loader/bucket, QA Curtis 7.5 snowplow, and Rhino 85 subframe BH. My principal intended duties are snow removal on a 2 mile dirt/gravel road, various dirt digging/moving chores around the property (10 acres), road maintenance with a "Grademaster" type blade, and preparing/sowing 5 acres for cattle grazing. I will post pics upon delivery.

In an existing post (http://snipurl.com/m1j1), "5030" said: "Get yourself a nice transmission cooler like a Hayden or Derale and plumb it in series with the existing cooler and mount it in the intake stream."

Q1: This (admittedly good) advice was based upon ground engagement duties much larger that what I foresee. Nonetheless, is this still a recommended mod for the intended duties I have listed, and if so, has anyone performed the same mod?

Q2: What implement and size should I use to prepare 5 acres for a pasture mix on ground that has not been cultivated for at least 20 years. (Land in question is well drained, elevation 3300, west facing, west central Idaho, 20 miles south of 45 north)

I have zero experience in any of this, so please excuse the huge ignorance zone. Any and all (even unrelated to the above Q's) advice is welcomed.

RFB

 

[grandad]

Re: Noob with Q\'s

Welcome to TBN and congratulations on your purchase. Sounds like you have about the top of line in a compact utility tractor there.

General words of advice first. Take it easy, gain some experience gradually and get to know the limits of the equipment and your skill before you launch a blitzkrieg assault into some big project or task. That would be really important with a rig like your new 5030, because it is indeed capable of serious work... or serious damage or injury if misused.

I don't think the occasional plowing/discing/tilling of 5 acres gets anywhere close to being extensive ground work for a 5030. You shouldn't need a tranny cooler for something like that and it probably would not make any noticeable difference in the lifespan or performance of your transmission if you installed one. Now if you were working 50 acres, that could be another story!

Regarding pasture preparation, it would help to know more of the condition of the property, particularly what kind of overgrowth is there now, but some kind of brush mower comes to mind initially (probably 72"), and then your choices would either be overseeding or full tillage.

I've had good luck with a 72" rotary tiller for ground preparation on small acreages like that, but it could be that someone local to the area would give you better advice on the best options for your soil conditions... local farmer/rancher/neighbor, county extension agent, maybe even the tractor dealer might have good advice.

 

[RFB]

Re: Noob with Q\'s

Thank you sir, and I comprehend the caution. The acreage is covered in naturally occurring grasses. Regarding that, I guess that my question more specifically is how do you decide whether to use a plow (and what size) or a disk harrow or a tiller, or all three. My goal is to produce a well growing pastureage for a few cattle.

Thank you,

RFB

 

[grandad]

Re: Noob with Q\'s

If your soil is not rocky, you may want to consider the rotary tiller for what you are doing. It seems to be well suited to small scale tillage work, such as small pastures, yard preparation and gardens. I've been using a 72" tiller for several years now in such applications and its performance has been satisfactory.

Soil preparation using a turning plow and disc harrow is very traditional for crop farming, and it's fully acceptable for what you plan to do with the 5 acres but it may not be as convenient for other uses, such as possible lawn or garden work in the future.

That's why the tiller might be a better choice if your soil preparation circumstances are anything like mine. If you invest in a tiller, you'd probably find it gets used regularly for the garden, etc. , but a plow/disc harrow may not get much use once that pasture is finished.

If your soil is at all rocky, however, you need to realize that rotary tillers will kick around quite a bit when they hit a big rock or they may even jam momentarily. The traditional plow and disc harrow will not have such problems.

 

[Highbeam]

Re: Noob with Q\'s

And don't forget about cost. That tiller will be a pricey bugger. The plow and disc are both pretty simple and have been around and in use forever.

 

[grandad]

Re: Noob with Q\'s

Point well taken! 5' and larger tillers start around $1,000 and go up from there, but you can find decent plow/disc setups for probably half as much.

 

[CT_Tree_Guy]

Re: Noob with Q\'s

Hi RFB -

Regarding the "need" for an auxiliary hydraulic oil cooler: I've had extensive discussions with Daryl/5030 on this subject, and many others for that matter. I firmly believe that the temperatures that will be generated in your tranny doing the chores that you have described will be too high for comfort. We're talking over 200 F., and maybe as high as 220 F., which is quite close to the breakdown point of even a high-quality hydraulic oil like Super UDT or Amsoil.

And your tranny itself will likely be much happier if you could knock 20-30 degrees off of that, not to mention every other part of your hydraulic system that will be subjected to the same high temperatures.

I have a 5030HST, and the hydraulics get way too hot for my comfort zone. I have to believe that my tranny will last longer with an auxiliary cooler installed. I haven't put one in yet, but it's on my short list of things to do before I subject my tractor to another summer of running that hot.

If and when I install one, I'd be happy to share all the particulars with you. They're not all that expensive, and I have to believe that they're worth every penny because of the added life they will probably give your tranny.

Of course, I have little or no empirical evidence to support this view. All I have to go on is a feeling that cooler has got to be better.

John

 

[RFB]

Re: Noob with Q\'s

John,

Thank you, I would like that information when you accomplish the task. I am an absolute novice to the tractor genre, and I relish all of the knowledge and expeience that so many here have provided. Regarding the cooler, Daryl opined that I probably would not need one, and I respect his opinion. Nonetheless, I wear a belt and suspenders, and I always carry a spare magazine /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif I will more than likely opt for the cooler, so please post the procedure when you do it.

Regarding Hydraulic fluid, here is a new development in my purchase. I have not yet taken delivery of the (L5030 HSTC) tractor since I am awaiting the completion of some mods. I was there today to examine it and the following narrative explains the issue.

email I sent to the dealer:

I stopped by the store yesterday (Wednesday) to review (for
my own knowledge) the operation of 3 point hitch systems. A
gentleman from inside the store, (I did not get his name,
but he was manning the counter) was kind enough to explain
to me the various components. During our conversation, I also asked him if the tractor used Kubota SUDT Hydraulic fluid. He to told me that he did not use the Kubota fluid, but used a product called "Permatran" I was curious about the fluid because in my
reading I have seen quite a high percentage of recommendations for the Kubota Super UDT in the HST
transmission, and particularly when using an HST in cold
weather. I also found the following quote on the Kubota website
(http://www.kubota.com/f/support/greasesched.cfm)
"Important: To prevent serious damage to the hydraulic system, use only KUBOTA genuine fluid...Transmission Oil (KUBOTA SUPER UDT *1): KUBOTA Original Transmission hydraulic fluid. The oil used to lubricate the transmission is also used as hydraulic fluid. To insure proper operation of the hydraulic system and complete lubrication of the transmission, it is
important that a multi-grade transmission fluid be used in
this system. We recommend the use of KUBOTA UDT or SUPER
UDT fluid for optimum protection and performance. (Consult
your KUBOTA dealer for further detail.) Do not mix different brands together." Since I am a novice regarding tractors, I am trying to cover all the bases. I guess my question is, what is the significance regarding the use of a different hydraulic
fluid than what the manufacturer is recommending,
particularly in the light of a "To prevent serious damage"
statement?"

I have not yet received a reply to the above, but I would greatly welcome your take (and others as well) as to the significance or lack thereof.

Thanks in advance,

RFB

 

[CT_Tree_Guy]

Re: Noob with Q\'s

RFB:

I've done some poking around concerning "Permatran" and have come to the conclusion that your "Tran" will be less "Perma" if you use it. It's my impression that it is not a synthetic, and as such, does not belong in your hydro.

I think that it is probably a very high quality non-synthetic oil that is likely every bit as good as, if not better than UDT, or the Amalie All-Trac that my local dealer tried to "push" on me, but I wouldn't use anything but Kubota Super UDT. I've heard on pretty good authority that Amsoil 5W-30 synthetic is a worthy alternative to SUDT, but I'm a little puzzled at what I've just seen on a number of sites, including Amsoil's, that says it matches or exceeds the specs for UDT, but does not mention SUDT.

Back to Permatran, it seems to be formulated especially for Massey-Fergusons, and I read a post here on TBN from a VERY knowledgeable MF guy that he would recommend a synthetic for a hydro tranny (or GST-type tranny), not Permatran. (He and others think it is an excellent oil for other applications).

My bottom line: use Kubota SUDT and don't look back. I'm not sure what comes in a Grand L HST from the factory. If it's UDT, make sure you warm up your tranny very carefully in cold weather, and switch to SUDT at 50 hours. That's just what I would do. I'm no expert, don't claim to be. I'm just a guy who likes to rule out as much trouble as possible, even if it means "wasting" a few bucks. And I sleep like a baby. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

And I like your advice about carrying an extra magazine - maybe that would make me sleep even better. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Take care, and enjoy that 5030 - you are going to LOVE it!

John

***

Oops, forgot to add this link to a thread concerning the possible pitfalls of not using SUDT (or equivalent) in a Kubota hydro. This Hydrostatic problem "should not" have happened.