What is user UNFRIENDLY on your tractor?

[PhysAssist]

I have three Kubotas, complaints on each:

(2013) B2920 HST - Rubber floor mat doesn't like to stay stuck down to the floor. Instrument panel is backlit nicely, *but NOT the gauge needles!* You cannot see your needles as night, so the gauges are essentially useless. The headlamps are terrible...they use 21W brake light bulbs for headlights. The seat feels cheaply mounted. No tilt wheel. No 12V outlet. No clock. However, it has a basic plastic toolbox under the seat, well protected, which is quite useful. Let me be the first to say I am very satisfied with this machine.

Our 2011 B2320- has all the same issues and still is an excellent little work horse for us too!

 

[davrow]

And the hassle of having to beg for the Maintenance Manuals from the Dealer. A 40K tractor should come with manuals.

+1

Begging wasn't enough, I had to buy them for an exorbitant amount. And then they are crappy manuals! :thumbdown:

 

[Doofy]

I saw the crappy manuals and also read that they weren't very good for such an exorbitant price. I whined and begged and even offered to buy LS Manuals from my dealer...he finally caved and made them available as a download for 24 hours. Very nice and seems complete.

Even the owners manuals that came with the tractor are lousy. The printing is very faint and hard to read.

 

[Trails End]

3rd FUNCTION SWITCH on my FEL joystick :thumbdown:



The switch, held in place with zip ties, is always slipping out of
position. I'd sure like to find a handle with a switch built in to
replace the existing one.

I'll also have to figure out how the present handle is fastened to
the shaft (threaded or just glued on?) I haven't been able to
remove it yet.

 

[joefromga]

Put a piece of foam strip under it then re zip tie it. Shouldn't slip anymore. You could also try nonskid drawer mat like in toolboxes or even the foam double sided tape. I'd hot glue it and get rid of the zip ties altogether.

 

[Gary Fowler]

You know, I was wondering about that. Not being a salty veteran with tractors, I haven't had a reason to use just one side of the brakes but thought to myself that'd be pretty hard to do even if I wanted to. Maybe you're supposed to ride side saddle in those situations :laughing:

I had a 332 John Deere garden tractor/mower that had split brakes but everytime you touched the brakes, it kicked the HST into neutral, so why did it need split brakes which I have never seen on any other lawn tractor.

 

[Trails End]

Put a piece of foam strip under it then re zip tie it. Shouldn't slip anymore. You could also try nonskid drawer mat like in toolboxes or even the foam double sided tape. I'd hot glue it and get rid of the zip ties altogether.

Thanks for the suggestions, Joe! I think I'll try the hot glue - sounds like a permanent solution
if the hot glue will stick to the handle. Should be good enough until I find a handle with the
switch built in.

 

[Texasmark]

Had to laugh at this one. You can always find something wrong with a piece of equipment when it's been a long day and things aren't going your way.

 

[Joe Batt]

MF 1250 with a Woods FEL.
1. It's impossible to remove the radiator screen. Even removing the side panels and hosing the screen off is a PITA. The whole sheet metal design is bad with lots of little bolts and nuts and brackets. Looks like it was prototyped with an erector set.
2. Radiator screen clogs up way to fast (less than an hour when I'm mowing).
3. Filters are crazy expensive compared to auto. This is silly. The aren't that different. The seal around the PTO shaft was $80, for a single seal.
4. Fender or ROPs mounted work lights would be a great feature.

 

[skorff]

It would help if the knob for Cruise Control was a different shape than gear range (L-M-H) knob which are right next to each other on my Kubota so I wouldn't to look down to see which I'm grabbing.
Whoever designs PTO connections for implements should be shot. "Squeeze and pull back on the sleeve while pushing and slightly turning the implement connection onto the tractor's shaft?" Gimme a break! I'm a 70+ year old woman with small hands. I have to have someone with big strong hands to install most implements on my tractors. I am able to do most of the pin types. I keep pliers around so I can pull cotter pins. I believe machines are supposed to HELP us, not frustrate us to death!

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

It would help if the knob for Cruise Control was a different shape than gear range (L-M-H) knob which are right next to each other on my Kubota so I wouldn't to look down to see which I'm grabbing.

Why not just slip a sock or something over the one you use the least? Or you could wrap some tape around it.

Welcome to TBN!

 

[McCann]

Does your tractor have something you would also consider to be user unfriendly?[/QUOTE]

The 3pt hitch and all the wonderful attachments allow so much work to be done. With so much variety in my arsenal, both purchased and hand-made it would be nice that the control could have a real positive stop to hold the arms EXACTLY where you want it. Deere chose a little plastic lever with a cam to "lock" the position. Far too insufficient when there's 100's of pounds hanging back there, or mowing, or dragging, etc etc. I WILL come up with something.

 

[CADplans]

it would be nice that the control could have a real positive stop to hold the arms EXACTLY where you want it.

My mid 1980's JD 650 has a 1/4" bolt and wing nut,,, which results in a positive stop,,,

I am amazed how accurately it repeats,, NO guessing.

 

[PhysAssist]

Why not just slip a sock or something over the one you use the least? Or you could wrap some tape around it.

Welcome to TBN!

Great "hack"- or you can use this:

Mouldable Glue
| Sugru

Amazon.com: Sugru Moldable Glue - Original Formula - Black & White 8-Pack: Home Improvement

 

[PhysAssist]

My mid 1980's JD 650 has a 1/4" bolt and wing nut,,, which results in a positive stop,,,

I am amazed how accurately it repeats,, NO guessing.

I am jealous of that, and it is one of the things I find very user UNfriendly on my Kubota B2320...

The 3-point control lever only controls making the 3-pt go up and down, it doesn't control how far it goes up or down.

It does kind of control how fast it goes up and down, but only when you unscrew the really-hard-to-reach, grab-tightly-enough-to-turn smooth [unknurled] "speed control" knob located just above the foot pan, below the seat dead-center between my knees.

Which with sweaty or greasy, or even cold hands is a royal pain to grip that tightly- never mind if you have carpal tunnel problems.

 

[pmsmechanic]

It would help if the knob for Cruise Control was a different shape than gear range (L-M-H) knob which are right next to each other on my Kubota so I wouldn't to look down to see which I'm grabbing.
Whoever designs PTO connections for implements should be shot. "Squeeze and pull back on the sleeve while pushing and slightly turning the implement connection onto the tractor's shaft?" Gimme a break! I'm a 70+ year old woman with small hands. I have to have someone with big strong hands to install most implements on my tractors. I am able to do most of the pin types. I keep pliers around so I can pull cotter pins. I believe machines are supposed to HELP us, not frustrate us to death!

What I did with the pto collar on my rototiller was replace the spring with a lighter one. I can't tell you where I got the spring as it came out of my "spring" box.

It made the pto shaft substantially easier to attach.

I agree with the "should be shot" part.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

PTO, PTO and PTO LoL, I have a 2005 JD 4320 and it was a flipping fight to hook up the PTO, everytime. My buddies old ford slips on no prob.

 

[DieselBound]

The water separator drain on my NX5510 sucks. It's right above several hoses and hard to get anything under it to catch the draining liquid. Never want to get fuel on hoses (w/o washing off). And then there's a fairly well noted issue of the front radiator screen only being able to be slid out from one side.

And on my B7800 there's the infamous loader cross bar right over top the fuel cap area. This in itself gave me the motivation to get a fuel storage tank with pump: trying to hold up 5 gallon jugs of fuel, especially with the stupid environmental dispensing claptraps attached, was a huge pain. Oh, and the "Quarter Inching Valve" for the 3pt- keeps you four-quarters guess how high up the 3pt hitch is! (nothing like having the real thing- sliding the 3pt level to the same position to get the same results!)