New M59 Owner

[TBarD]

I bought my M59 used recently too. It had a lien on it (note you can look these up on the Internet if you know what state it was sold in). I ended up paying off the lien myself via wire transfer to Kubota credit, and then wired the remainder to the seller, contracted with a UShip guy to deliver it. Worked out great! Got a solid 2009 machine with only 260 hours, for much less than a new one. Plus the older ones often have a lot of the options like quick disconnects, and front/rear auxs, 3pt, lights, etc. Mine didn't have a thumb but it did have the hydraulics in place, and I since added the thumb.

rScotty - sounds like you are in steep Colorado country like me. Did you fill the tires for stability on the slopes? Rimguard sounds like it would provide the maximum weight low down, but foam has the advantage of no flats. For me it is 100-200 miles to a dealer and back, over several passes.

 

[rScotty]

I've been vacationing and out of touch this month....canoeing on some Southern rivers. Congrats on the M59! We'll have to share some tales of using them in the mountains.

No additional weight on mine. Flats aren't a problem here, and I've never been a fan of fluid or anything inside the tires. As for wheel weights, though....well, I like wheel weights and came real close to buying a set before deciding to try it first just stock as a reference point. At that point I was still concerned about stability and traction with the stock industrial tread. Now I can say that after 4 years, I couldn't be more tickled with them. Stability with the box stock set up is awesome. And traction is good enough that I've not yet even mounted those expensive special front chains I had built. Just haven't needed them. Maybe when the tires get more worn the chains will be handy.

As you know in the Colorado mountains we are likely to be working in either disintegrated crumbly granite "soil" - called DG, or in boggy peat, or else in snow and ice.
One thing those materials all have in common is that these materials can side slip on you. Particularly on a slope. So keeping a machine's tires really wide and lightweight makes a certain amount of sense too. Heavy isn't everything. On slopes here a lightweight machine with high traction and stability is hard to beat.

So the bottom line is that no matter how much I'd like to add some sexy real wheel weights, the M59 doesn't seem to need any more traction or stability than it has naturally just as it came from Kubota. Isn't that a pisser? Shucks, maybe I should look into putting duallys on it.
rScotty

I bought my M59 used recently too. It had a lien on it (note you can look these up on the Internet if you know what state it was sold in). I ended up paying off the lien myself via wire transfer to Kubota credit, and then wired the remainder to the seller, contracted with a UShip guy to deliver it. Worked out great! Got a solid 2009 machine with only 260 hours, for much less than a new one. Plus the older ones often have a lot of the options like quick disconnects, and front/rear auxs, 3pt, lights, etc. Mine didn't have a thumb but it did have the hydraulics in place, and I since added the thumb.

rScotty - sounds like you are in steep Colorado country like me. Did you fill the tires for stability on the slopes? Rimguard sounds like it would provide the maximum weight low down, but foam has the advantage of no flats. For me it is 100-200 miles to a dealer and back, over several passes.

 

[TBarD]

Sounds nice! We did some sea kayaking up in Desolation Sound BC a while back but haven't had time for that for a while. I haven't actually had the M59 up on the place in CO yet as I just got it late last year; have mostly been busy getting it all fixed up since I bought it used (all filters, fluids, adding the thumb, etc.; I am still working on attachments for my projects). We are still developing the place up in CO and plan to retire up there in several years. Just put a road in and plan to build a pole barn / equipment storage building this summer. Then we can keep stuff up there and develop the meadow for cattle and clean up the forest. We will build a house later when it comes time to move.

Re loading the tires - it is good to hear that you have found it to work well without having to do this. For the next several years we will be hauling the M59 back and forth between Colorado and New Mexico, so I don't want to make it any heavier if I can avoid it. The work for the next year is mostly construction of the barn so working on the slopes should not be a big issue, although I expect we will start on the forest cleanup. I doubt if tire flats will be a big issue in that country. BTW, since you mention decomposed granite I suspect you are further North; the SW (San Yuan mountains) is all volcanic. But the stability and side slip issue is probably much the same. I haven't tried to remove the backhoe yet and would be worried about going uphill forward with it on. But one can always back up, and the thumb will be very handy for cleaning up down timber. Eventually I might want to weight the tires but I think I will wait a while.

- Doug / TBarD

I've been vacationing and out of touch this month....canoeing on some Southern rivers. Congrats on the M59! We'll have to share some tales of using them in the mountains.

No additional weight on mine. Flats aren't a problem here, and I've never been a fan of fluid or anything inside the tires. As for wheel weights, though....well, I like wheel weights and came real close to buying a set before deciding to try it first just stock as a reference point. At that point I was still concerned about stability and traction with the stock industrial tread. Now I can say that after 4 years, I couldn't be more tickled with them. Stability with the box stock set up is awesome. And traction is good enough that I've not yet even mounted those expensive special front chains I had built. Just haven't needed them. Maybe when the tires get more worn the chains will be handy.

As you know in the Colorado mountains we are likely to be working in either disintegrated crumbly granite "soil" - called DG, or in boggy peat, or else in snow and ice.
One thing those materials all have in common is that these materials can side slip on you. Particularly on a slope. So keeping a machine's tires really wide and lightweight makes a certain amount of sense too. Heavy isn't everything. On slopes here a lightweight machine with high traction and stability is hard to beat.

So the bottom line is that no matter how much I'd like to add some sexy real wheel weights, the M59 doesn't seem to need any more traction or stability than it has naturally just as it came from Kubota. Isn't that a pisser? Shucks, maybe I should look into putting duallys on it.
rScotty

 

[rScotty]

......the stability and side slip issue is probably much the same. I haven't tried to remove the backhoe yet and would be worried about going uphill forward with it on. But one can always back up, and the thumb will be very handy for cleaning up down timber. Eventually I might want to weight the tires but I think I will wait a while.
- Doug / TBarD

Yes, it may be that you will want to add tire weight or width eventually. But I wanted to reassure you that the M59 will do some serious work with traction and stability just as it comes stock. Enough so that if I was hauling it I agree that I wouldn't bother with more weight at this point.

Best mods after the thumb was raising the seat a few inches. After that some handy things have been finding a used Bradco QA rock bucket. Nothing sorts rocks from dirt faster than a rock bucket. Also it was good to weld some real hooks on the bucket, and one small but important thing was to make a holster for the chain saw. Mounted like it is in the picture gives just enough room in the loader frame for a bit of spare oil, gas, chain, and tools all held in place by the chainsaw bar. You can see it in the picture.
Good Luck,
rScotty

 

[TBarD]

Yes, it may be that you will want to add tire weight or width eventually. But I wanted to reassure you that the M59 will do some serious work with traction and stability just as it comes stock. Enough so that if I was hauling it I agree that I wouldn't bother with more weight at this point.

Best mods after the thumb was raising the seat a few inches. After that some handy things have been finding a used Bradco QA rock bucket. Nothing sorts rocks from dirt faster than a rock bucket. Also it was good to weld some real hooks on the bucket, and one small but important thing was to make a holster for the chain saw. Mounted like it is in the picture gives just enough room in the loader frame for a bit of spare oil, gas, chain, and tools all held in place by the chainsaw bar. You can see it in the picture.
Good Luck,
rScotty

I'll be adding the hooks to the bucket shortly, they are sitting on the desk in my office now. Maybe a couple to the backhoe bucket too. Next up for me will be a hydraulic auger, probably the McMillen 3k2 (two speed), which I need to build my pole barn as well as for later projects. I will put it on the front initially, but I put quick attaches on the thumb hydraulics so I can put it on the hoe later if need be like I see some other folks have (Kubota sells a standard QA ear base which would be good for this). I like your chain saw holster setup - pretty slick! I have a couple Stihl saws myself, my place needs a ton of work on the forest, plus I have had an ongoing battle with Ponderosa pine bark beetles, have cut down 50 or so trees so far, but that is another story. I'm not really sure yet what to do about a rock bucket or grapple. Our volcanic ground is full of rocks for sure, one cannot drive a rod into the ground anywhere without hitting a rock. I am worried about trying to auger holes, but the M59 with hydraulic auger should be able to do it, much like a skid steer auger. If not the backhoe certainly can get it done. I'll post something later once I get back up there and get going on all this.

 

[rScotty]

I'll be adding the hooks to the bucket shortly, they are sitting on the desk in my office now. Maybe a couple to the backhoe bucket too.

Glad you mentioned the hook on the bucket. I put one on the bottom of the bucket - actually mine is a heavy cast eye bolt through a hole drilled in the smallest BH bucket rather than a welded hook - and it is one of those simple but extremely useful things that makes you wonder everyone doesn't have it. At first I was afraid that the cast iron eye would interfere with digging or get itself broken off, but near as I can tell it never has taken part in the digging stresses at all.

As far as hydraulic versus PTO type post hole drills, it is very sweet to be able to just rent implements from the local skidsteer dealer. Turns out that there is often a nearby skidsteer implement rental yard. BTW, for a big barn, don't overlook hiring a regular drilling crew. Well drillers will often do shallow holes for a pole barn real reasonable. For them it is like a vacation and their machine does a super nice job. Bites right through the occasional rock, too.

The rock bucket turned out to be handy when I was given some dump loads of mixed dirt and big rocks. With that bucket I could sift the rocks out and put them in my fill place leaving cleaned dirt behind.
rScotty

 

[TBarD]

Glad you mentioned the hook on the bucket. I put one on the bottom of the bucket - actually mine is a heavy cast eye bolt through a hole drilled in the smallest BH bucket rather than a welded hook - and it is one of those simple but extremely useful things that makes you wonder everyone doesn't have it. At first I was afraid that the cast iron eye would interfere with digging or get itself broken off, but near as I can tell it never has taken part in the digging stresses at all.

As far as hydraulic versus PTO type post hole drills, it is very sweet to be able to just rent implements from the local skidsteer dealer. Turns out that there is often a nearby skidsteer implement rental yard. BTW, for a big barn, don't overlook hiring a regular drilling crew. Well drillers will often do shallow holes for a pole barn real reasonable. For them it is like a vacation and their machine does a super nice job. Bites right through the occasional rock, too.

The rock bucket turned out to be handy when I was given some dump loads of mixed dirt and big rocks. With that bucket I could sift the rocks out and put them in my fill place leaving cleaned dirt behind.
rScotty

The eye bolt is an interesting alternative to a grab hook. I need to get a 12" bucket for stump removal and that would be a good place to try that. So far I have been wrapping chains around the bucket, which works but is hardly elegant.

I agree in principle on the rental approach, however for me it is like 120 miles RT to Gunnison, the nearest large town, but most more specialized stuff comes out of Montrose or Grand Junction, which is even farther over a couple of passes. Believe it or not though, I have had culverts and such delivered for free from Grand Junction, over the Sapinero cutoff no less! (this is a dirt cutoff road over the high country). But yes, with some planning this is an option. I need to checkout the rental places to scope out what is available; of course to do it in a civilized fashion that is a 2-day overnight expedition to a place like Montrose or GJ.

 

[rScotty]

The eye bolt is an interesting alternative to a grab hook. I need to get a 12" bucket for stump removal and that would be a good place to try that. So far I have been wrapping chains around the bucket, which works but is hardly elegant.
I agree in principle on the rental approach

Wrapping chains around the bucket never worked all that good for me. Here is a picture showing what I did. The eye is 1/2" steel with a 1 1/4" diam. eye. all cast. This one got used because it was handy, but wish I'd had a slightly larger one so that the grab hook on my favorite utility chain would pass through it. You can see that the location is protected from digging. Inside the bucket is just a washer and nut loosely attached with the bolt end peened over so that the eye will swivel.

Agree on the 12" bucket being more useful in the mountains where lots of the work is with roots and rocks. Mine came with a 20" bucket that seems enormous. I've never used it.

As for the rental implements, it's nice to have the ability...but using a rental implement means mixing the hydraulic fluids and that has made me a bit gun shy on doing it with mine.

BTW, here is a picture with an arrow showing the spring pin that was original equipment on my BH bucket mount. If yours is like that, be sure to replace the spring pin with a double-nutted bolt. Otherwise something expensive can get bent when the spring pin falls out and that big pivot pin moves sideways. Easy to do when digging and really hard to spot in time. A real brain lapse by Kubota.
rScotty

 

[TBarD]

Wrapping chains around the bucket never worked all that good for me. Here is a picture showing what I did. The eye is 1/2" steel with a 1 1/4" diam. eye. all cast. This one got used because it was handy, but wish I'd had a slightly larger one so that the grab hook on my favorite utility chain would pass through it. You can see that the location is protected from digging. Inside the bucket is just a washer and nut loosely attached with the bolt end peened over so that the eye will swivel.

BTW, here is a picture with an arrow showing the spring pin that was original equipment on my BH bucket mount. If yours is like that, be sure to replace the spring pin with a double-nutted bolt. Otherwise something expensive can get bent when the spring pin falls out and that big pivot pin moves sideways. Easy to do when digging and really hard to spot in time. A real brain lapse by Kubota.
rScotty

The eye bolt does look like it is probably the simplest solution, and easier than welding on a grab hook and having to prep and later touch up the paint. Kubota did address the issue with the lynch pin on the bucket QA, and now supply a bolt plus nylock nut option.

I agree about avoiding mixing fluids with rental attachments. I am running the new SUDT2 fluid in mine by the way; no issues so far but I haven't done much with it yet being winter. I think I will get the hydraulic auger as I will need it for enough projects later to justify it after the pole barn build (wood shed, stock shed, fences, gates etc.; one can also get an auger-mount cement mixer). A nice thing about the M59 is the 16 GPM hydraulics, allowing low flow skid steer attachments to be used (it should work for a front mount snow blower as well).

It is good to see the bucket pictures - looks rather more used in these pictures, like mine! In your earlier picture of the chain saw mount the tractor looked awfully neat. Made me feel guilty as mine is still sitting out until I get some storage built.

 

[ManAtArms]

The 59 will run an auger just fine! I recommend you take a look at the Belltec H-300. It will drill into solid rock (not kidding) and in my opinion is of better quality than the mcmillan (larger internal gears and gear surfaces). The price surprised me too! I've rented skid steer mounted mcmillan units in the past with high-flow and when mounted on the backhoe the M59 will out drill them. I suspect it's because you can get more down pressure on the auger.

in action the first day I got it set up on the backhoe. I needed a bit of practice keeping level!

Belltec :: BelltecDirtDrillingM59.mp4 video by ManAtArms - Photobucket

 

[TBarD]

The 59 will run an auger just fine! I recommend you take a look at the Belltec H-300. It will drill into solid rock (not kidding) and in my opinion is of better quality than the mcmillan (larger internal gears and gear surfaces). The price surprised me too! I've rented skid steer mounted mcmillan units in the past with high-flow and when mounted on the backhoe the M59 will out drill them. I suspect it's because you can get more down pressure on the auger.

It seems to me that the M59 can probably supply more down pressure, especially on the backhoe - it must be 5-6Klb at the back, and the hydraulics are sufficient to turn an auger, so it should be quite competitive with a skid steer rental (although of course the tractor plus auger plus bits add up to quite a bit so one would hope so!). I have spent a lot of time reading all the posts and reviews and it does appear that the Beltec units are top of the line, but the McMillen augers are pretty good as well - for personal use I suspect either would do. I have been favoring the Beltec for a fixed-speed auger, but the McMillen 3k2 auger is intriguing. It is a 2-speed, with either 2k or 3K torque, so it can either spin a smaller auger, or provide high torque at lower rpm to a big rock auger. Seems like a good combination, although I have seen no reviews of these units anywhere yet. The Beltec might be sufficient and more rock solid though; I will look at it again more carefully.

On my land up in CO there are rocks everywhere, and one can't drive a pole into the ground, or even stick a shovel in the ground. I have a ridge which is even worse (that is probably why it is a ridge), and this is where I want to put a wood shed and firewood processing setup. I suspect it is going to take a rock auger and considerable down pressure to set the poles for that wood shed. I am pretty sure the M59 with a hydraulic auger and a rock bit can do it though given enough time. The pole barn site and the meadow is not as bad, but is still rocky soil.

 

[ManAtArms]

I'm not familiar with the 2 speed mcmillen unit. It seems to spec out similar to the H-300 but with the added benefit of 2 speeds. Is the auger output shaft replaceable on those? Belltec has a less expensive model but it doesn't have a bolt-on output shaft, it's a one piece unit.

When drilling through rock you have to get the right balance of down pressure and low speed. It can take some time...it could take 20 minutes...but it will do it.

I know how you feel about rocks!! I live in rocky country here too, same thing, you cant even get a shovel in the ground. You can't pound posts here either, they just deflect too much or more likely stop dead and the heads mushroom or crack.

It seems to me that the M59 can probably supply more down pressure, especially on the backhoe - it must be 5-6Klb at the back, and the hydraulics are sufficient to turn an auger, so it should be quite competitive with a skid steer rental (although of course the tractor plus auger plus bits add up to quite a bit so one would hope so!). I have spent a lot of time reading all the posts and reviews and it does appear that the Beltec units are top of the line, but the McMillen augers are pretty good as well - for personal use I suspect either would do. I have been favoring the Beltec for a fixed-speed auger, but the McMillen 3k2 auger is intriguing. It is a 2-speed, with either 2k or 3K torque, so it can either spin a smaller auger, or provide high torque at lower rpm to a big rock auger. Seems like a good combination, although I have seen no reviews of these units anywhere yet. The Beltec might be sufficient and more rock solid though; I will look at it again more carefully.

On my land up in CO there are rocks everywhere, and one can't drive a pole into the ground, or even stick a shovel in the ground. I have a ridge which is even worse (that is probably why it is a ridge), and this is where I want to put a wood shed and firewood processing setup. I suspect it is going to take a rock auger and considerable down pressure to set the poles for that wood shed. I am pretty sure the M59 with a hydraulic auger and a rock bit can do it though given enough time. The pole barn site and the meadow is not as bad, but is still rocky soil.

 

[TBarD]

I'm not familiar with the 2 speed mcmillen unit. It seems to spec out similar to the H-300 but with the added benefit of 2 speeds. Is the auger output shaft replaceable on those? Belltec has a less expensive model but it doesn't have a bolt-on output shaft, it's a one piece unit.

From the parts manual it appears that the output shaft is replaceable, but you would have to remove the planetary gearbox (a bolt-on) to do so, then unbolt the output shaft. The whole gearbox including shaft is a bolt-on replacement as well.

The two-speed capability is evidently provided by the hydraulic motor itself. From the diagram I would guess that is a vane motor. For low speed / high torque applications all vanes are used; the flow is teed and valved externally and input at two ports on the motor. For high speed / low torque mode probably only half the vanes and one input port are used. Shifting under load is permitted since it is all done hydraulically. I doubt if reliability would be much different from a single speed unit since it is all done in the motor, i.e., no gear shift complexities.

At 15 GPM it delivers about 2K foot-pounds of torque at 59 RPM (high speed / low torque), or 3K foot-pounds at 37 RPM (low speed / high torque). So one can run at high RPM for loose soil or a small auger bit. In rocky ground or with a big 18-24inch bit low speed / high torque would be used. Not bad getting 3K foot-pounds into an 18" auger at 15-16 GPM! The max auger bit it is rated for is 36 inches.

They also have a 8K2 if you have 50 GPM, for the big guys I guess. I found that Pengo has a similar two-speed auger.

 

[indianaEPH]

Well, I think I'm due to finally post a picture of my M59.

Here it is looking a bit out of place in the tall grass. I've been digging out stumps and digging some drainage.

This weekend I will remove the BH and install the 3 pt hitch so I can do some bush hogging.

 

[rScotty]

Well, I think I'm due to finally post a picture of my M59.

Here it is looking a bit out of place in the tall grass. I've been digging out stumps and digging some drainage.

This weekend I will remove the BH and install the 3 pt hitch so I can do some bush hogging.

It sure looks nice in all that green grass. Always nice to see pictures of another machine. There are so few M59s out there that we need to hang together. Every day I'm glad my wife talked me into getting it.

Let us know how the 3pt hitch exchange goes. I've never unmounted the BH from mine. There was some talk of that in the "M59 Discussion Thread". All I remember was that it was easier to do the second time, and not hard the first... Be interesting to hear how yours goes. Does the 3pt raise and lower smoothly?

Grass has already come up in our mountains too. In Colorado this has been "the winter that didn't happen". One of the warmest and least moisture on record. Of course it isn't over yet. We normally have at least one decent snowstorm in May.

Those hydraulic augers sure do look nifty. I've got an old PTO-driven auger that I use on the JD. It's a Cat II 3pt brute, and will do a reasonable job on rocks as well. But the darn thing is a terrible amount of work to mount up. Probably ought to sell it with all the augers as I haven't used it in a decade.

Now that Bradco QA Rock Bucket is another story..... It gets a lot of use sorting rocks from dirt and for carrying brush. In addition to sifting the good soil out of a pile of rubble, it turns out that a pile of cleaned rock has its own uses and is a handy thing to have as well. BTW, the rock bucket came from the Bobcat Rental. The rental place is a chain store and they sell their gear on a depreciated use schedule. Now there's an advantage of the M59 - the availability of good used Bobcat implements I mean - that I didn't fully appreciated when we bought it.
rScotty

 

[indianaEPH]

Well, removing the BH took about an hour. The next time it will take 10 min. The instructions said to raise the wheels slightly using the boom.....then remove the pins. WHen you do this it binds the pins completely. It should read. raise the rear wheels slightly , then slowly lower the wheels until the pin is unloaded/loose.....then the push right out with 1 finger:thumbsup:

Started to mow the grass but I did not have much light. I should be able to finish it tomorrow. Mowing was a breeze with the M59 hydro.

I have to say that the M59 3pt linkage is not all that great. The issue is with the check chain turn buckle. It is difficult to use. I really wanted my next tractor to have extendable lower arms but I will compromise on the point. The M59 is a beast and should serve my needs well.

 

[jdonovan]

The instructions said to raise the wheels slightly using the boom.....then remove the pins. WHen you do this it binds the pins completely. It should read. raise the rear wheels slightly , then slowly lower the wheels until the pin is unloaded/loose.....then the push right out with 1 finger

Hmmm when I pull the hoe of mine, it worked just as written.... Tho I have noticed level ground makes a big difference. Also a light coat of WD40 on the pins makes it easier to insert/remove the pins.

Started to mow the grass but I did not have much light. I should be able to finish it tomorrow. Mowing was a breeze with the M59 hydro.

What size mower, and how did it handle it? I'm thinking about a mower for keeping up the property trails, and a bit of brush clearing and am curious what folks have been successful using.

I really wanted my next tractor to have extendable lower arms but I will compromise on the point. The M59 is a beast and should serve my needs well

I got a quickhitch for my 3-pt. I can get the linkage setup snug and level with minimum load on the hitch, all the attachments are setup with QH bushings so swapping things out is very easy.

 

[indianaEPH]

I'm using a woods BB72. I bought it for the my previous tractor. The M59 can handle a much bigger unit. I wish I had a 8ft dual blade mower. The woods will do for now. Mowing today was a breeze. The tractor was very maneuverable. THe only issue I noticed was the ROPS being higher and thus I was hitting branches that I normally clear. IT looks like I will need to do some more triming. I also notice greatly enhanced stability which is really nice on the hills.

 

[jdonovan]

I'm giving serious consideration to a 88" Flail mower. As I'll be working in the woods/wood edge and I can't take the loader off, I'd like to control overall length of the machine.

The other consideration is the neighbor keeps/breeds horses that are valued in fractions of a million dollars, so I __REALLY__ don't want to inadvertently throw something at one. I'm sure they wont hang out too close when I mow... but I've seen some major rocks/sticks get thrown very far when hit and I don't want to buy a horse.

 

[indianaEPH]

I'm giving serious consideration to a 88" Flail mower. As I'll be working in the woods/wood edge and I can't take the loader off, I'd like to control overall length of the machine.

The other consideration is the neighbor keeps/breeds horses that are valued in fractions of a million dollars, so I __REALLY__ don't want to inadvertently throw something at one. I'm sure they wont hang out too close when I mow... but I've seen some major rocks/sticks get thrown very far when hit and I don't want to buy a horse.

A Flail would be very nice. THe offset would be great for getting under brush and trees.