Opinion on Kubota RTV

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Bought a RTV 1140 3 !/2 years ago in order to have something to do with my 6 year old twin Grands, boy and a girl. Worst year for snow in Ky in years that first year. I live on a hill. Car wouldn't pull hill to bring Grands up for us to keep since school not in session. I'd drive up and down in the fields sometimes instead of the paved street, kids and I loved it. Usually in 2wd but some times used 4wd. Grandson drove it yesterday thru the woods on an old logging trail that I keep mowed with my F3080 Kubota and down the streets to the creek and down to the neighbors house in M which gets up to 15mph, he wants to use H but 25mph is a bit more than I want him to drive.
I put my burn trash in it or my wife does and when we get it full or drive by the burn pile we empty it. I changed the oil and oil filter yesterday. Oil filter easy reach on the side of the engine. Oil drain bolt can be reached with arm under the passenger side and body not under the RTV.
I've hauled the bed (RTV1140 has the bigger bed with back seat folded up) full or dirt falling off and full of gravel with no strain and lifts to dump with no strain. I've owned 17 Kubotas and mostly satisfied with all of them and for sure satisfied with my RTV which is a machine I use and not just a toy for the Grands even though that was the reason I bought it and the reason I bought the 2 rows of seats model. I usually keep it configured to the larger dump bed configuration instead of the 2 row seating but both ways handy. Engine/motor just sits there and hums but turns into a working beast when it's called for.
Not fast, not great in mud but a work horse and a fairly safe play toy.

 

[tlj87]

We bought our first piece of diesel equipment, our first Kubota, early this year. Previously owned a Kawasaki Mule 2510 and still own a John Deere Gator 6x4. Our Kubota RTV1140 is awesome! I have really come to like the Kubota products. Our RTV is a 2009, and we have put about 45 hours on it since purchasing it in late January 2014. It is very well built, rides quite well (better than the Mule ever did), has plenty of power and extremely versatile. The RTV does take some getting used to when it comes to operating the transmission (starting, stoping, shifting), but once you get the feel for it, it is leaps and bounds over the belt drive systems in most all other UTV's. The RTV acceleration and deceleration is so smooth compared to our Gator. When it is time to replace the Gator, we will most likely go with another [used - cheaper] RTV (perhaps a 900 - two 1140's might be a bit much). Here is our RTV upon purchase and after sprucing it up a bit:

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

We bought our first piece of diesel equipment, our first Kubota, early this year. Previously owned a Kawasaki Mule 2510 and still own a John Deere Gator 6x4. Our Kubota RTV1140 is awesome! I have really come to like the Kubota products. Our RTV is a 2009, and we have put about 45 hours on it since purchasing it in late January. It is very well built, rides quite well (better than the Mule ever did), has plenty of power and extremely versatile. The RTV does take some getting used to when it comes to operating the transmission (starting, stoping, shifting), but once you get the feel for it, it is leaps and bounds over the belt drive systems in most all other UTV's. The RTV acceleration and deceleration is so smooth compared to our Gator. When it is time to replace the Gator, we will most likely go with another [used - cheaper] RTV (perhaps a 900 - two 1140's might be a bit much). Here is our RTV upon purchase and after sprucing it up a bit:
View attachment 384631View attachment 384630

45 hours has you near first service. Easier to reach the oil drain bolt from passenger side or closer to the side of the RTV. Just pull the wire off when removing the oil filter on driver side of motor and push back on when filter changed. The trans filter on the back is covered by a metal cage with 4 very obvious and easy to reach and remove bolts and pull cage away enough to get in to filter. Easiest to just go ahead and remove them to get oil filter strap remover in there to remove and replace that trans filter and other trans filter is just around the side from that one, very easy to reach and remove. I use a metal band/strap filter remover that I bought from Kubota dealer for $5.99 which is a bit heavier duty than the one I have just like it which I've used for years from Harbour Freight.

 

[tlj87]

45 hours has you near first service. Easier to reach the oil drain bolt from passenger side or closer to the side of the RTV. Just pull the wire off when removing the oil filter on driver side of motor and push back on when filter changed. The trans filter on the back is covered by a metal cage with 4 very obvious and easy to reach and remove bolts and pull cage away enough to get in to filter. Easiest to just go ahead and remove them to get oil filter strap remover in there to remove and replace that trans filter and other trans filter is just around the side from that one, very easy to reach and remove. I use a metal band/strap filter remover that I bought from Kubota dealer for $5.99 which is a bit heavier duty than the one I have just like it which I've used for years from Harbour Freight.

Thanks, JOHNTHOMAS, for the tips. The machine is a 2009 and has 760 hours total. I had the engine and transmission oil and filters changed by the dealer when we bought it in January, so it only has 45 hours on that oil change. I think the interval is 200 hours. I change the oil once per year, in the spring, on all of my machines so it will get an engine oil change then - probably with 100 or so hours on the oil.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Thanks, JOHNTHOMAS, for the tips. The machine is a 2009 and has 760 hours total. I had the engine and transmission oil and filters changed by the dealer when we bought it in January, so it only has 45 hours on that oil change. I think the interval is 200 hours. I change the oil once per year, in the spring, on all of my machines so it will get an engine oil change then - probably with 100 or so hours on the oil.

I change my engine oil and engine oil filter every 50 hours which is what Kubota manual says on all of my diesel Kubotas. The Hyd filter is first time at 50 and then 200 for second and I think every 200 hours after that.
Had the oil and oil filter changed today at the London, Ky Ford dealer after 6000 miles on my gas engine Flex. I meant to have it done at 5000 miles but didn't get it in before a trip to Indiana. Service guy says they use a Synthetic Blend and owners manual recommends every 7500 miles.
I do diesels by number of hours recommended per owners manual.

 

[smstonypoint]

I change my engine oil and engine oil filter every 50 hours which is what Kubota manual says on all of my diesel Kubotas.

You have owned many more Kubotas than I have -- I have an RTV 900 (purchased in 2009) and a B2320 (purchased in 2014). My manuals are at the farm, but I don't recall the manuals calling for changing the engine oil and filter every 50 hours. However, my memory of the recommended engine oil change intervals is in rough agreement with this Kubota link -- https://www.kubota.com/service/MaintenanceSchedule.aspx.

Steve

 

[Ken45101]

I just checked my RTV900 manual and the service interval for oil changes is every 100 hours, oil filter every 200 hours (beyond the first change at 50 hours for both.)

 

[smstonypoint]

I just checked my RTV900 manual and the service interval for oil changes is every 100 hours, oil filter every 200 hours (beyond the first change at 50 hours for both.)

That's what I remember for my 2009 model. However, I go ahead and change the filter at each oil change.

Steve

 

[Ken45101]

Yes, I tend to do the same, change the filter at every oil change.

OTOH, on my M series tractors, the dual hydraulic filters have to be changed more often than the hydraulic oil. With 15 gallons of UDT in the tractor, I am not inclined to change the oil more often than necessary (manual transmission.) They actually suggest Super UDT. What's the cost of 15 gallons of SUDT these days? (Or even UDT?)

I think I've heard it's possible to change the filters without draining the oil without too much oil loss. IDK about that!

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

You have owned many more Kubotas than I have -- I have an RTV 900 (purchased in 2009) and a B2320 (purchased in 2014). My manuals are at the farm, but I don't recall the manuals calling for changing the engine oil and filter every 50 hours. However, my memory of the recommended engine oil change intervals is in rough agreement with this Kubota link -- https://www.kubota.com/service/MaintenanceSchedule.aspx.

Steve

I'll have to check my manuals. I may have gotten stuck on the 50 hours oil and filter because of first 50 change.
This service page you referenced is dated 2006-2014 but it says to change hyd fluids at 50 and I know that isn't according to owners manuals in the last approx. 6 years. It was recommended at 50 hours on my early Kubotas but around 6 years ago, at least, it changed to 200/400 for fluid but first filters change at 50. Copied email from Kubota concerning the hyd fluid change from a few years ago.

John, the person or persons from TBN do not know what they are talking
about. There has not been a Service Bulletin or even a notice sent to the
dealers that this is a mistake in the Operators manual. Kubota Tractor
recommends for you to follow your Operators manuals for servicing of each
unit you have. The BX2660 and the BX25 do not have to have the transmission
fluid change until it reaches the 400 hour mark. For the F2680, it is the
200 hour mark. The transmission oil filters need to be replaced and the
suction strainers cleaned at or before the 50 hour mark for all three
units. Your selling dealer can also assist you if you have any questions in
regard to servicing your tractors. Thank you for purchasing and contacting
Kubota Tractor Corp..