Purchase Grand L Ten or M Series? Need help...

[JimME]

The Kubota M6800 has the same PTO HP as the TN75. The M6800 has a normally aspirated engine. The M8200 and M9000 use the same engine as the M6800 but the M8200 adds a Turbo and the M9000 adds Turbo + Intercooler. Generally speaking, with two engines of equal displacement, the normally aspirated engine will be more durable and less costly in the long run as it is producing less power per cubic inch and has less complicated controls (turbo).

The TN75 may have the M6800 beat in some other categories, I haven't looked closely, but I'd be happy as a pig in mud to have an M6800 or a TN75.

 

[JRP]

Smoky,

I got an M6800 and am very pleased. I went to the M6800 instead of smaller M's or three reasons:

1. The front wheel drive system on M6800 is same as M8200.M9000 and looks much more robust. If it prevents one front axle rebuild it will pay for the price difference.
2. The M6800 has a more robust engine if the block can handle 90 hp. Using the block at 68 hp will extend the life.
3. The M6800 was only slightly higer in price than the M5700. The local dealer told me the price difference is such that it really hurts sales of the M5700 because most buyers skip that model and buy M4900 or M6800. No cab M6800 standard shuttle, 4WD was $22,250.

Look close at the hydraulic shuttle. It adds $1400 to the price and in my opinion, makes the tractor harder to control. It is sort of like a clutch with an ON-OFF switch instead of being able to feather the clutch. I drove a M6800 with Hydraulic shuttle and decided NO WAY would I be happy with it. It's place is dedicated FEL work.

If you are not sure about the tractor, but about to buy, look at the the "workshop manual". It convinced me in a few minutes that Kubota is top notch and the engineers (like me) are driven by quest for quality.

feel free to email with questions.

jrpoux@wcnet.net

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I find that the hydro shuttle works smoothly. In any case, you can leave the hydro shuttle in forward (or reverse) and use the clutch and gears just like any other fully synchronized transmission, reserving the hydro shuttle for loader-type back-and-forth work.

 

[JRP]

Yes, the pedat operates the clutch, but you can't reallly feather well with the clutch.

The clutch pedal operates a hydraulic valve. The hydraulic valve setting determines how the clutch engages. It is like a hydraulic PTO control. It can be smooth, but you can't really feather it.

I mow at 2600 RPM. Sometimes I stop, reverse, and back up with the mower at full speed. I realize this is a little hard on the clutch, but am willint to forgo shorter clutch lilfe for this operating method. When I drove the hydro shuttle M6800 like this the salesman got upset. I could not engage the clutch as smoothly with the hydro shuttle.