What is user UNFRIENDLY on your tractor?

   / What is user UNFRIENDLY on your tractor? #101  
I wouldn't go quite that far on mine. Great machine overall but there are several minor annoyances. Nothing deal-breaking, but some aspects that could be improved.

1. Seat belt - it keeps tightening and won't loosen even sitting still. So the longer you wear it, the tighter it gets. Eventually after enough bumps it is so tight and uncomfortable you have to stop, take it off, let it retract all the way, then re-fasten it. No problem on mine

2. Seat belt - female part is fixed with no flexible lead and mounted low. So my (normal sized - not a real big guy) left butt cheek is continually getting poked by the corner of it. Not on mine

3. No included toolbox. With all the NX features, lack of even a simple plastic one from factory is disappointing. Mine has the toolbox. yes plastic. But serves my needs. Gloves and rags, and a couple of tools

4. Radiator screen - mentioned previously, but you have to have the FEL arms up out of the way to remove it easily for cleaning. No big deal, but often don't remember to leave them up - not in habit yet. Nope, mine is two piece and comes up toward the open hood.

5. Hood latch/hood pneumatic arms. Very difficult to get the hood closed and latched. Either the latch is too stiff or the pneumatic arms are too strong. But real easy for it to appear closed and latched, then on first little bump, hood opens. Takes a lot of force to overcome the arms and get it closed - fairly strong slam and wife can't close it. No problem on mine

6. Seat sensor. If seat suspension is adjusted to where it won't bottom out on roughest bumps, any slight movement makes sensor think you're not in seat. Switching operators - wife ~45 lbs lighter than me - machine won't start for her or stay running since seat sensor thinks she isn't there. So seat suspension has to either be left too low for me or each of us has to readjust. Mine does not have nor ever did have a seat sensor

7. Seat/starting safety interlocks. Machine will not start if not in N, parking brake set, butt in seat. I can see that to prevent you from doing something dumb and running yourself over or unexpected movement starting in gear although unlikely with HST. But just raising up for a couple seconds to see pallet forks for example, machine cuts off. If not in N and parking brake set, you can't raise up from seat without cutting off engine. Gives you like 1.5 seconds.... But if you want to hop off and remove something in your path or pick up a stick, you have to set range to N and apply parking brake. Also irritating that just pressing the brake pedal isn't enough to start it - must set parking brake. Mine must be in N to start, BUT does not need to be in N to get off with it running or no need to set a parking brake and has no seat sensor. No problem when standing up to slip in the pallet fork tips

8. H/M/L range selector lever. Very awkward engagement and can be difficult to find M range. L or H range fine, but sometimes takes some coaxing to get it in M. Have read that smooths out over time but @ 50 hrs now still have to fiddle with it to get in M as much as day 1. Mine was a bit stiff to start but at near 500 hours no problem. Try just barely touching the either the forward or rev pedal if it won't go into N. Don't grind it, but just let the gears move a tiny bit. Don't shove. just finesse.

9. ROPS bolts. Shoulder bolts with nylock nuts. Very difficult/time consuming to fold ROPS. Replaced with 3/4" redhead pins which makes it real easy but the OEM shoulder bolts are slightly oversize and 3/4" pin allows enough movement that it makes ROPS noisy - buzzing vibrating sound at times. Since I need to fold ROPS to park it would prefer a simpler/better design from factory. Well, I don't and have never folded ROPS, so can't comment. Mine has always had the canopy so ROPS folding is out of the question.

10. Zerk at front of loader. Most forward 2 zerks cannot be reached with bucket on. SSQA so not terrible, but having to detach bucket to hit those fittings seems like poor design and they could have been located a little better to take a grease gun with bucket on. No problem with those zerks at all, BUT the hydro pedal shaft zerks should have been 90 degree zerks. I made an adaptor for my grease gun to grease these two stupid zerks.

These are all minor and can be fixed/worked around without much fuss. If we were making a list of what is awesome about our machines, I'd run out of room. But these things I've noticed that could be better.


Looks like some things have crept in since my DK35se was current. Mine is a joy to operate and service.

OH, the air cleaner housing latches could be better thought out, one you have to fumble with cause you can't really see it well. But how often do you really need to do that? And of course the two stupid zerks.
 
   / What is user UNFRIENDLY on your tractor? #102  
Do you have a pic of those, I知 just curios what they have changed, mine are all accessible.

Wish I'd have seen this sooner - just got home from working with the tractor... Will get next time I'm at the land... But it's the "ears" that guide you onto bucket - those get in the way of the zerks. One on each side.
 
   / What is user UNFRIENDLY on your tractor? #103  
One more minor complaint on my MF 1758. When I am done working, I usually try to set the parking brake first, then shift into neutral. The parking brake switch is at the edge of how far I can reach without "unloading" the seat. So sometimes when I go to set the brake the seat switch tries to kill the engine. If it was just a few inches closer it wouldn't happen.

Sometimes you simply have to redesign stuff the factory guys simply didn't get right to begin with. THEY don't actually use the stuff they sit at a drawing board and come up with.....otherwise there would be these type of issues.

Parking brake handle on my Yanmar was in the lower center of the steering column. Designed to be released by hand, if you set the brake really hard, no way you can release it by hand, so I would jam on it with my foot....which eventually twisted the lousy thin hunk of metal, and STILL wouldn't release the brake. Re-design time.

Cut their crappy 1/8" (slightly over) handle off, fabricated a new one out of 1/4" steel.

Theirs, minus the little plastic cover that fell off a long time before:

enhance


enhance


Mine:

enhance


Mine WITH a foot peddle it always needed. Theirs cut off the brake pawl, to the side.

enhance


Foot end w/red paint:

enhance


enhance


NOW instead of a lousy little handle, I have a foot peddle I can step on to release the brake. Worked great for the last 6 years.
 
   / What is user UNFRIENDLY on your tractor? #104  
Would pressing on the brake peddle while releasing handle not relieve the pressure on the handle? A lot of them will actually release the parking latch when you press down on the brake pedals.
 
   / What is user UNFRIENDLY on your tractor? #105  
Wish I'd have seen this sooner - just got home from working with the tractor... Will get next time I'm at the land... But it's the "ears" that guide you onto bucket - those get in the way of the zerks. One on each side.

That’s ok, sounds like the SSQA cradle on the buckets have changed recently. If it were mine I’d probably look into notching around the zerk area for clearance if you leave your bucket on most of the time.
 
   / What is user UNFRIENDLY on your tractor? #106  
Would pressing on the brake peddle while releasing handle not relieve the pressure on the handle? A lot of them will actually release the parking latch when you press down on the brake pedals.
That is how all our tractors are setup...

Aaron Z
 
   / What is user UNFRIENDLY on your tractor? #107  
Would pressing on the brake peddle while releasing handle not relieve the pressure on the handle? A lot of them will actually release the parking latch when you press down on the brake pedals.

Yes.....unless you set the brake REALLY hard, say on a hill or something like that.....then there is no more pedal TOO depress. I have a mountain terrain, and often have to set the brake hard to keep the tractor from moving if I get off on a slope....anything less than max pressure on the brake and the tractor tends to move while I'm off. In my case, a simple hand release just did not work.

Also, Yanmar did not design the brake to be released by stepping on the brake pedal. My neighbor's Kubota works that way, my Yanmar did not. I assume the brake release has a spring mechanism to allow it to release when further pedal is pushed.....assuming you can further push pedal.
 
   / What is user UNFRIENDLY on your tractor? #108  
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.

(2002) L4310 GST - This is a "luxury" model, so I have less complaints. Seat is adjustable fore-aft and backrest angle. Metal toolbox located very securely behind seat but within the cowling. Waterproof pocket on back of seat. Tilt steering wheel. Easy to rear instrument cluster. The gauges and needles are lit with "recessed" lighting instead of backlighting, so it doesn't look as fancy but is certainly readable at night. The high / low beams are adequate. Biggest complaint? The radiator screen. On this model Kubota uses heavy loader support arms that run along the hood side panels. The screen is a flimsy piece of junk like you'd have in your windows. It is entirely flexible, and you must bend it to get it out past the support arms. It is difficult to get in and out. Another complaint - you cannot open the "top" of the hood. If you want to add oil to the engine, you need to remove four bolts in order to fit a funnel to add oil. The side panels do come off pretty easily, but they can be a pain to refit. Aside from that, the usual complaints...no clock, no 12V outlet....and this tractor has no cup holder at all. But I really like this tractor as well.

(2018) MX4800 HST - This is an "economy" tractor like the B2920, but it still cost $30k. The missing handle on the right fender is inexcusable as others have mentioned. It not only removes an important function, but looks really cheap. Fortunately my dealer ordered the handle and installed it "free" as part of the deal. The lack of a tilt wheel (standard on a BX costing half as much) is pretty ridiculous...and it seems the steering wheel angle is a bit odd. The B2920 doesn't have tilt either, but the wheel angle seems more friendly. On a 2018, the lack of a clock and 12V outlet seems outrageous. This tractor has a digital hour meter, and it seems a simply button to toggle between "clock" and "engine hours" wouldn't have cost but a dollar or two more. A 12V outlet with a rubber cap cover would work very well to put in a USB adapter for the phone. A phone holder would have been nice, but at least there is a decent toolbox behind the seat. It even has a pre-drilled hole to install a small padlock if desired. My hitch pins and lynch pins aren't that valuable to me. Otherwise, this tractor is great. The instrument cluster is actually quite nice and well illuminated. The panel is lit at all times and automatically dims when you switch the headlights on, like in your car. The high/low beam headlights are decent. It would be nice to have the hazard light lit like my other Kubotas have.
 
   / What is user UNFRIENDLY on your tractor? #109  
Nothing really unfriendly to operate just a few gripes...
Wish the rear wiper was installed...
Not crazy about the latch on the hood and how it operates...
Stereo is a little weak...
Trying to figure out how to mount a fire extinguisher...
Too small a tool box...
Overall great tractor...
I actually look forward to bush hogging in August now...
 
   / What is user UNFRIENDLY on your tractor? #110  
Yes.....unless you set the brake REALLY hard, say on a hill or something like that.....then there is no more pedal TOO depress. I have a mountain terrain, and often have to set the brake hard to keep the tractor from moving if I get off on a slope....anything less than max pressure on the brake and the tractor tends to move while I'm off. In my case, a simple hand release just did not work.

Also, Yanmar did not design the brake to be released by stepping on the brake pedal. My neighbor's Kubota works that way, my Yanmar did not. I assume the brake release has a spring mechanism to allow it to release when further pedal is pushed.....assuming you can further push pedal.

Sounds like you need to adjust the brake then.
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

Pallet of (11) 10 Lug Misc Wheels (A48837)
Pallet of (11) 10...
2014 Chevrolet Silverado LT 4x4 Crew Cab Pickup Truck (A48081)
2014 Chevrolet...
2000 Freightliner FLD112 Truck, VIN # 1FUY3MDB4YDF65459 (A48836)
2000 Freightliner...
2017 Claas Jaguar 860 Forage Harvester (A50397)
2017 Claas Jaguar...
American Sanders EZ-8 Electric Floor Sander (A49461)
American Sanders...
SEAMAN-MAXON T0730HK TRAVEL MIXER/SOIL STABILIZER (A50458)
SEAMAN-MAXON...
 
Top