Which manuals to buy?

[npaden]

Okay, I'm not a certified mechanic (I'm a certified public accountant though /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif ) so I don't plan on tearing down my tractor and rebuilding it or anything like that but I do think I need at least an owners manual for it.

Looking online I found what seems to be the best price for the owners manual at www.Messicks.com at $20.73, they have a parts manual for $23.10, and they have the workshop manual also but it is $134.77! On ebay there are electronic copies of the parts manual for $20 + shipping.

Which manuals would the average joe need? Do I really need to spend $135 on a workshop manual? Are they cheaper somewhere else that I didn't find?

Thanks, Nathan

 

[sneaky_pete]

The owners manual covers all maintenance procedures. The parts manual is sometimes useful for exploded diagrams if you do ever tear anything apart. The workshop manual covers pretty much everything. If you really want one, keep an eye on eBay and you will eventually get one for $50-60.

From what you describe, you would probably be fine with just the owners manual.

 

[MadDog]

I agree with SP; if you're only going to do routine maintainance (oil, fluids, lube, etc.) you don't really nead the shop manuals. But if you want to be able to do repairs yourself, instead of trailoring your tractor to your dealer, then you'll need the much greater detail of the shop manual.

 

[jimainiac]

Your local Kubota dealer can order any of the manuals for you. That's what I did, for our new tractor and our old tractor. They were especially handy for our old tractor, because that one needs more mechanical attention, and we didn't even have an owners manual for it. The prices were as good or better than I'd seen on the internet. I like having the shop manual, even if it's something I can't fix myself, it takes some of the mystery out of it.