Replacement seats

[WinterDeere]

Hi guys,

I appreciate the replies, but as stated already, new seat was already ordered!

But for anyone even considering letting a boat upholsterer have their seat shell for re-upholstering, you'd better be prepared to live without your tractor for a few months. I race boats, and have rebuilt a few, so have probably more experience with boat upholsterers and sailmakers than most. In fact, one of the local sailmakers and upholsterers is in my racing fleet.

The small custom shops are all terribly slow, usually their slowness is only exceeded by their lack of organization, and major sailmakers wouldn't even bother touching something like this. I think that using an upholserer, whether auto or boat, is probably a good option for an antique tractor, where you have time and no other options. But it's going to be slower, and probably even more expensive, than just buying a new seat for a newer tractor.

 

[WinterDeere]

I bought a big wide piece of the "leather" repair tape on Amazon to cover my tractor seat. It works fine, and has been on there a couple years so far, and still looks new, and the adhesive sticks fine. If the rest of the seat is fine, and simply a split, just put a strip over that and see what it does... you'll only be out <$20. Just make sure that you clean off the area it's going to stick to with some ScothBrite pads and some alcohol so that the adhesive will adhere, and make sure that the repair tape is warm and flexible before you attempt to put it on. Better to pull the seat cushion off the tractor seat, bring it inside to work on it, then carefully cover the whole thing with the repair material. Usually there is a plywood base under the cushion, and you can even staple the repair material to that underneath before you put it back onto the tractor seat.

Maybe I should've tried this! I was using PVC tape, and it always failed in extreme hot and cold. At 100F in July, the adhesive would go soft and gooey, and the seat would separate. At 0F in January, the stuff would crack as soon as I'd sit on it. I was probably using the wrong product, for the application.

 

[cobweb]

Since you will have to remove the seat to replace it anyway, I suggest you find one or more auto upholstery business in your area and find out what they would charge for an install of the upholstery of your choice. I'd go for green leather if the price is competitive with OEM.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

I'd find a comfortable aftermarket seat and buy it. You can get five or six of them for the price of one JD factory part. If I was really in love with the factory seat, I'd reupholster the factory seat.

 

[WinterDeere]

I appreciate the replies, but honestly... the new seat was all of $326. I'm totally fine with that. I wouldn't want to waste my time finding and testing other options, for what might amount to zero savings, depending on how lucky you get with your first pick.

 

[brucelud]

Dealer put a big scratch in my 3033r's seat, back when the tractor was new and in for a warranty issue. Not thinking it was too terrible, I never did anything about it.

Fast forward a year or two, and the seat split along that scratch, and now the foam is spilling out. I've played the game of taping it back shut with yellow poly tape, but the tape always re-splits in cold weather, or the adhesive goes gooey and peels off in hot weather. It's not working for me.

I think a replacement seat thru Deere is something like $430, and that wouldn't kill me, but I'm not sure it's really the "best" seat for the "best" price. I'm wondering if anyone tried this little number from Amazon, and how the quality was, compared to OEM:

Amazon.com

And yeah, I know I should be pissed at the dealer. But save your breath if you're just going to post something stupid about me going after them for this. I let it go five years now, too late to even mention it, now. It wasn't a big deal to me, when I thought it was just a scratch.

I have a 2005 Kubota B7610. Over several years, the seat cushion cracked. I was unaware that Kubota had done a recall and gave owners a new seat. Of course, I was not notified and by the time that I learned about it, they had stopped. A new one was to be about $400! I got one from Northern Tool that looked pretty much the same, had drainage holes in the seat (the replacement seat had these holes where the original did not), and bolted right in with no issues. It cost $100 and I have been using it for the past six or seven years with no issues. Maybe they have one to fit your tractor.

 

[ssgp2]

WinterDeere, I know you have already ordered a new seat, but for anyone else looking: 1- my dealer carries an aftermarket seat for much cheaper. Yours may also.​

2-If you're looking for good quality and comfort Tractor Seats • Ask Tractor Mike

 

[NUTTERDW]

These days, anything of good quality is not going to be cheap, so I'd vote for OEM and then move on with your life to more important things...

My 3520 from the year 2005 had a seat with a crack in it and I replaced it with the OEM seat to ensure fit and finish several years ago. The seat has held up just fine.

I know that this doesn't answer your question about the non-OEM seat on amazon, but wanted to provide a little perspective on the OEM.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

In our area we have couple of good upholstery shops that can install a new cover on the seat. My son had the seat on my Case 485 redone and it looks just like the original seat.I think it cost around 150$ which was three years ago. Well worth the money.

 

[KennyG]

I noticed early on you said you didn't want a seat cover because of interference getting on and off, but I don't see much difference in mine with and without the seat cover. I got a small crack in my seat some years ago and put a $20 seat cover on. It's much more comfortable and looks better. I take it off a couple of times a year and throw it in the washing machine. Even if I had a new seat I'd put a seat cover on it. (Disclosure - I have seat covers on my truck leather seats except when I'm traveling or know I won't be working on dirty stuff.)

 

[Mudfarmer]

I got one of these years ago and put it on a Kubota b2710.It was way better than the OEM. Catalogue says "Kubota," but you can check the screw hole diagram to see if it fits.

https://www.northerntool.com/products/black-talon-highback-kubota-tractor-seat-black-model-530000bk-23246#hotbar-description

MF