Mowing Suspension seat

[sbohan]

Morning all,

After about 5 hours yesterday mowing and barely being able to get out of bed this AM. I've determined, maybe a suspension seat will be invaluable on the highly rutted up very bumpy fields. Any suggestions? The L3700 is not very large and some I've seen online seem too large. Any suggestions? Maybe just a suspension air or spring under the existing one. Thoughts? Ideas or suggestions?

Thanks,
Sean

 

[teg]

I was wondering on a different thread... how new L3200/3700/3800 seats are doing. Sometimes these "Economy class" suspension seats are "Locked Down". Read here:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/129978-l3400-2800-suspension-seat.html

It might be the problem with your seat. Don't confuse the two little spring (which if for the safety switch) and the real suspension seat.

 

[Chilly807]

Morning all,

After about 5 hours yesterday mowing and barely being able to get out of bed this AM. I've determined, maybe a suspension seat will be invaluable on the highly rutted up very bumpy fields. Any suggestions? The L3700 is not very large and some I've seen online seem too large. Any suggestions? Maybe just a suspension air or spring under the existing one. Thoughts? Ideas or suggestions?

Thanks,
Sean

Unless I miss my guess, you already have one. Mine was frozen down, as Teg's link shows.

Sean

 

[k0ua]

Yep, you got one, it just dont work, yet, Fluid film, or PB Blaster for a few days, then tilt the seat foward, and stand on the plate, and jump up and down on it for several minutes. when it loosens up adjust the tension with the adjustment screw in the back, to match your weight. see your manual. Mine works well ...now...:thumbsup: Most of them don't work on delivery, as they are rusted shut.

James K0UA

 

[sbohan]

OK I just stared at it for a long time, and it is possible I'm totally missing it; but mine on the L3700 SU, has a bracket bolted to the hydraulics, and a slide on that which the slide hinges at the front so it will tilt forward, and the back has about a 1" sprint and aswitch for the operator presence control. That's it from what I can see. Where should I look?

 

[Chilly807]

OK I just stared at it for a long time, and it is possible I'm totally missing it; but mine on the L3700 SU, has a bracket bolted to the hydraulics, and a slide on that which the slide hinges at the front so it will tilt forward, and the back has about a 1" sprint and aswitch for the operator presence control. That's it from what I can see. Where should I look?

Ok, in the attached pic is a view of the rear of the seat base on my L3400, which is very similar to your L3700. The yellow arrow points to the T-handle to adjust the tension of the springs (shown with red arrows), the green arrows show the pivot points (there are actually 4, only 2 in this pic) that usually seize solid, you can actually see some of the rust that ran out of the pivots. Mine never moved from new, it was almost a year old before I discovered it wasn't working. Huge difference with it working, my back doesn't hurt after a day of tractor work now.

Does yours look like this from the back?

If so, the whole seat base, including the small coil springs, OPS, seat belt anchors, etc is suspended. Mine was frozen down, as I suspect yours is if you do have one (almost 100% sure you do). I had to insert a small crowbar in the area between the blue lines and pry the seat up, then jump up and down on the seat base with both feet while holding on to the ROPS to get it to go back down.

Once it moved a few times I kept spraying it with Fluid Film, and it finally moved freely. No problems since.

Sean

 

[k0ua]

Great pix, and illustration Sean.. this should be a sticky in the Kubota forum, there are so many of these things not working upon delivery, and the guys don't even know they have one.

James K0UA

 

[Chilly807]

Thanks,

After getting pounded a few times bush-cutting some fields we have, it's a lot easier on me with the seat working the way it should.

Sean

 

[teg]

...a slide on that which the slide hinges at the front so it will tilt forward, and the back has about a 1" sprint and a switch for the operator presence control... Where should I look?

Just below that!!! Look from the back of the tractor, just above the red cap for hydraulic oil fill...

...and the ride will be like Night vs. Day!!!

 

[sbohan]

Great pic, makes a lot of sense, but alas, mine does not have that assembly, springs, or handle, there's nothing under there :-( Not on my '10 L3700SU

 

[teg]

Holy crap!?@#$&%* I could not imagine not having it... oh, wait... when I first got mine, it was locked down like there was none.

Do all the L3700 NOT have the suspension seat??? What about the L3200 and L3800 owners? Is the suspension seat an option?

sbohan, Can you show a photo of your seat area? I would sorely miss the extra 3 to 4 inches in height that the suspension seat gives. Call your dealer and see how much a L2800 suspension seat would cost...

 

[sbohan]

Sure here it is....

 

[Chilly807]

I guess that was the "almost 100% sure" part I was talking about..

I knew Kubota trimmed a few corners when they built the L3700, but I didn't think that was one of them.

It's a shame, really. The suspension seat is one of the nice features of the "economy" L-series, especially for those of us that have rough fields.

It's worth calling your dealer and asking about the upgrade, but I think the price will scare you. Nothing for a Kubota is ever cheap, at least not in my experience. From what I can see you need a different seat base, OPS switch, the T handle and screw assembly, plus springs and linkage. The seat itself is probably the same.

You may be able to adapt an aftermarket suspension seat and spend considerably less in the process.

Sorry we can't be any more help than that.

Sean

 

[TripleR]

Tractor Supply Company has some universal suspension seats that will be cheaper than Kubota of course depending on what you want.

 

[teg]

Forgot I had taken photos of the L3200 at the farm show... answered my question about the suspension seat on the L3200.

Post a couple more photos of the L3200 here: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...-l3200-replacing-l2800-l3400.html#post2315479

 

[k0ua]

I am almost certain that other L3700 owners have a suspension seat. I remember some of them joining in on some of the other threads.. Or maybe I am crazy... could be..(shaking head)..wow, I would have bet $100..

James K0UA

 

[Chilly807]

I am almost certain that other L3700 owners have a suspension seat. I remember some of them joining in on some of the other threads.. Or maybe I am crazy... could be..(shaking head)..wow, I would have bet $100..

James K0UA

So would I.. and if enough of us had done that, Sean would have had enough cash for a suspension seat..

The Other Sean

 

[k0ua]

Sean, I am thinking he just got cheated.. cant prove it..but I always thought the only differences between the L3400 and the L3700SU was all L3700SU have the La463 loader, as a package, have 2 more horsepower, and are minus the cruise control and the drawbar. Both as an option of course. What we need is another L3700SU owner to come on here with a photo of a suspension seat!

James K0UA

 

[tflt]

Holy ****!!

Thank You, I've had an L4300 DT for 6 years, and found out today why my back gets sore after a while!

Problem solved, pb blaster and a rubber mallet! what a difference!

Thanks to the sharpies on the forum!

 

[Chilly807]

I found a picture another member took of an L3700 from the back. If you download the pics and then zoom right in, you can see there's not much under the seat base.

While the SMV sign blocks some of the view, I think it's missing the suspension seat as well. Maybe some had it and some didn't ?

At least tflt got his working after all this time.

Sean