Tractorin' -- Good, Bad, Ugly

[paulfun9]

Ya hey dere cheesehead (from a former flatlander) When on hills, keep the heavy end of the tractor uphill. If you have a full bucket in the loader- back down the hill or forward up the hill, other way around if the load is on the back end of the tractor.

I will second this. I have seen people have too many problems depending on 4 wheel drive to keep traction when the back end came up. Last week I towed a locals Kubota out of the ditch because he was going down hill in 4 wheel drive forward and it still came up and out and somehow ended up in the ditch.

Read the Owners manual close and pay attention as travel with a load is normally covered in it!

 

[GrandpaDano999]

paulfun9, I'm taking a break from reading that new owner's manual I got with my tractor this morning, and say "thanks!" Your wisdom is born of experience, and I'm grateful you shared with me.

 

[GrandpaDano999]

Well, it finally arrived!

After three hours learning at the dealer yesterday, I spent a couple here at home driving, backing, hitching and unhitching implements, reading the manual, and fielding "oohs and aahhs" from my son-in-law and grandkids.

I even began one of my projects, removing a welded wire fence and posts, and used the forks to carry it all away. Yes, I was careful, very careful. Low and slow! Even backed down the little hill behind, keeping the load uphill.

Thank you all for your advice, counsel, and resources. I shall revisit this thread often, making sure I utilize every bit of wisdom.

 

[massey2615]

That is a very nice machine,although it is the wrong color for me (massey man here) haha.In all seriousness kubota makes a nice unit,I have owned 1 orange machine in my life and it was a great tractor.Take care of it and that tractor will do anything you need within reason obviously. When it's time for resale or trade in just like with anything a well kept machine will retain some value . congrats on your new tractor!

 

[Creamer]

I am also new to tractor ownership and want to echo some of the words of wisdom I see here. I've learned a lot in the year I've had my Kubota 4060.

1. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. It doesn't take very much to go from in control to in a situation. When filling the bucket, driving along a bumpy road, pulling something, etc. Just remember that the tractor has more power then it needs to get itself in trouble.

2. When you can, always hit a hill head on. Side hilling a tractor is a scary feeling. Your seat-of-pants meter will definitely keep you grounded, but a tractor is much more stable driving up and down a slope then across it.

3. Keep weight low. a load in the front, or rear should always be as close to the ground as prudent. in the event of a issue, you can get that load on the ground quick and usually prevent a accident.

4. Smaller bites usually are better. If you loader is anything like mine, a full scoop of most material (dirt, gravel, rocks, wood) will lighten up the rear end a lot. I live on a very hilly piece of property, so I usually load lighter and make a few more trips.

5. Load your rear tires and hang something heavy off the back. This will not only aid you in traction, but it will give you a lot more confidence in moving material.

6. Slow speeds in snow. I run a front mount snowblower for the winter clearing a half mile dirt road that is full of hills. Low range is my friend. I tried running a higher speed, but control in snow goes right out of the window. keep the speed low and you will keep your traction.

7. don't be afraid to ask question. I've never owned a tractor before, and they are quite a big investment. I cannot tell you how many times I've called my dealer with a dumb question or to get clarification. I apologized to them and he said to not worry about it. Its a lot cheaper to ask about something first, then it is to guess and break something.

Most of all, have fun. with each hour on the machine you will learn more and more. the first ding is the hardest, but these are tough machines that will give you plenty of use as long as you maintain them.

Good luck and keep all four planted!

Joe

I agree with except #6. Snow is just way too much fun to go slow. Besides, with the high flotation turf tires on the rear I get no traction to blade the snow so i need to use momentum and technique. The reward I get is that when I get to the end of the driveway I turn the wheel and step on the brake and I can 180 around the front tire (Of course it will do a lot more if I let it.) and be going the other direction in a couple of seconds. Plus if you are pushing snow it rolls better with a little speed.

 

[paulfun9]

Well he did it again today!

Same ditch same tractor only difference is he actually had something hanging off the back. Which leads me to my next piece of advice. The other day he had no counter weight at all and I told him politely to pay attention and use counterweight. Not realizing just how far from reality this former city boy was. Today he called and asked if I could come and pull him out again and was relieved he didn't end up on his side again but just slid down in.
The problem this time wasn't no counterweight but rather not enough. He decided to use a light weight rear blade while he was working with millings that are much more weight than the drainage stone he had first got experience with.


So my advice is to get familiar with the weight of the different things and Know the weight of your 3 point attachments so that you can adjust what is on the back for what will be in the bucket or on the forks when working. He could actually have driven down the hill forward safely if he had about 3 times the weight he had on but again if he would have just backed down he wouldn't have had a problem at all.