Tell me about Kubota Regen

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I had a L3901, my first with regen exhaust. I had around 275 hours on it when I traded to the MX5400 and have about 30 hours on it. I never did a regen on the l, I just ran the RPMs up to the 540pto mark and worked it without ever lowering the RPMs until I got off of it for the day. I never knew when it regened except for one time when I smelled it. I also run my MX the same way, always at the 540mark on the tach and Kubota dealer Steve Barlow said to do it that way. Don't know if the MX has ever regened. I check the lights before I turn it off and never a light. If it were on I'd find more work to do until it went off.
I had trouble with running my Kubotas at full or almost full throttle when I first bought them 17 years ago but most people with diesel experience say they ain't gas engines and not cars or pick up trucks so to run them at near full throttle for best long term results. Almost all of mine have used a gallon an hour to operate from the BXs, L, Fs, RTVs, MX, Bs which seems strange but that's my experience. I recommend you let your MX run at high idle for a few minutes at start up and then run it up to the orange mark on your tach and leave it there until you are ready to quit for the work session and then bring it down to slightly high idle to let the turbo cool down (Per owners manual) for a few minutes, look for lights and if none, shut it off till you return to work it again.
The putting around with low RPMs is bad for your engine, HST trans and DPF exhaust system in my opinion, run that diesel like a diesel is supposed to run....high RPMs!!!! The job doesn't matter since other than the need for more hyd flow sometimes but to much flow will not impede or hurt doing any job with the HST transmission.Your speed is determined by your foot pressure and not engine RPMs. Adjust to diesel engine life and run those RPMs up!!!!!!

 

[Frankenkubota]

Between 10 & 40 hours.

The DPF is a big ceramic filter. It collects all the black soot that usually comes out of a diesel. Every so often it plugs up. To clean or regen the filter the machine dumps fuel into the DPF to burn off the accumulated soot.

If you run your machine hard, it heats up the exhaust & DPF so it somewhat does a regen on its own. Running the machine at low RPMs or lugging the engine (anything that use to produce a lot of black smoke) loads up the DPF faster.

I rarely notice my regens these days, except by the smell. I just keep working & let it do its thing. Usually while mowing at full throttle.

If your dealer is clueless about emissions systems that have been required on tractors for the past 8 odd years, you have an incompetent or negligent dealer. I'd look for a new dealer.

Yup, 10 - 40 hours. This is just me but, the lights, like so many icons, are meaningless.....to me. Maybe not you. The comment about reading it twice and not remembering is right on. To me, it's all confusing until I have a problem. Then I focus, research, fiddle and learn. For me it's like looking at circuit or house drawings. Don't mean a thing until I have a problem.

The comment I've been thinking about lately is..........It's a kubota, run the **** out of it, they love it. Maybe so?

Now I believe the.....run the **** out of it ........has more to do with dpf. One of the folks suggested running it at hi rpms when ever you kinda go for a ride. My drive is pretty long so I........run the **** out of it. Neighbor thinks im crazy. I have always been very gentile on engines, except rental cars. For me It's unsettling to hear that thing at 2400 rpm

Emissions solutions can get ugly. The one i remember was late 70s, bmw introduced some kinda ceramic coated exhaust manifold to fight emissions which turned into a nitemare.

Run the **** out of it

 

[Aquabird]

It is unsettling to run at high Rpms for me. Having that Ford 1520 for 30 yrs, and not running it at high RPMS except to do loader or mowing or plowing made me get used to just putting around at low RPM. I did very little FEL work with that tractor, mostly just moving snow, mostly mowing. It seemed more quiet than the MX...smaller engine, I guess.

I think what John said about using a Gallon per hour with the MX5400 is probably true. It was not so with my Ford. I would guess a Gallon per 3 hours at "least" with that tractor.

I guess I should get used to the high RPMs and noise.

 

[Aquabird]

It is unsettling to run at high Rpms for me. Having that Ford 1520 for 30 yrs, and not running it at high RPMS except to do loader or mowing or plowing made me get used to just putting around at low RPM. I did very little FEL work with that tractor, mostly just moving snow, mostly mowing. It seemed more quiet than the MX...smaller engine, I guess.

I think what John said about using a Gallon per hour with the MX5400 is probably true. It was not so with my Ford. I would guess a Gallon per 3 hours at "least" with that tractor.

I guess I should get used to the high RPMs and noise.

 

[Michael In Tennessee]

You'll get used to the rpms. You need `em for pto work anyway. You can work the tractor at lower rpms for loader work, but it operates smoother at higher rpms anyway. I also had my first regen near 20 hours. Now closer to 50 by changing my habits.

 

[RickB]

Diesels have run better, cleaner and longer at high RPM forever, DPF or no. The difference with DPF is now there is a definite tangible result to notice rather than the former reliance on anecdotal stories of premature engine wear and poor seating of piston rings due to prolonged operation at cool engine temps.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I moved from a L3901 to the MX5400 and running the L at the high RPMs "sounded" less loud/less reved up than the MX5400 but the L was not turbo. When I crank the MX up to the orange marker on the tach for the 540 3ph output it sounds like it is really running super fast and there is even more RPMs available past that mark but I accept the "Take off" RPMs with the MX5400 per Barlows directions and go forth and dig and knock down trees and just drive down the drive way to get to "The job" or up the trail to get to a job. Yep, it takes getting used to but I am doing it and "Believe" I'm doing the best thing to prolong the life of my tractor and its workings. Tough getting past it is not a car or truck. Had the same "problem" with BXs, Fs and ZDs running at "Full throttle" when mowing but can verify and testify that they all cut the grass better at FULL THROTTLE and now that I accept that then now when they warm up the full throttle is engaged and then I and my grandson mow and it has nothing to do with my desired forward speed but all about the quality of cut. I can adjust my speed with the foot pedal.

 

[deserteagle71]

Diesels have run better, cleaner and longer at high RPM forever, DPF or no. The difference with DPF is now there is a definite tangible result to notice rather than the former reliance on anecdotal stories of premature engine wear and poor seating of piston rings due to prolonged operation at cool engine temps.

^So very true! Just google "wet stacking" to see what happens when you don't run a diesel hard enough to get it to operating temperature.

 

[Frankenkubota]

^So very true! Just google "wet stacking" to see what happens when you don't run a diesel hard enough to get it to operating temperature.

Still too wet to do anything around here so, i googled wet stacking.

the, run the **** out of it advice is right on, according to the article.

best suggestion was, get used to the high rpms

i just wish the sales guy would have explained why

 

[Hilbilly]

Today I ran the L6060 at PTO speed for about an hour blowing heavy snow. When I started the soot level was at 94% and when I finished it was at 73%. It was working hard and that caused the soot level to drop.

I see all the comments about running the tractor at PTO speed all the time and that reminds me of the break in instructions for my previous Massey tractor. The owners manual said to run it at PTO spped for the first 50 hrs. I thought it was weird but did it anyways and when I traded that tractor in on the new Kubota, it ran like the day I bought it and never used any oil or showed other signs of engine problems.

If you watch construction equipment, like excavators and skidsteers, most contractors run their machines at high rpms all the time. There must be a reason for it. However with my new Kubota HST I usually run it at around 1500 to 2000 rpm unless I am doing PTO work. Then it goes to PTO speed and stays there until I'm done. The high rpm's don't bother me but there is a cost associated with that. It burns more fuel.