Post emissions used tractors.

[dodge man]

DPF= diesel particulate filter. Kind of like a catalytic convertor on a car but different. This is the part that needs a regen to get hot to burn it off. It basically catches the soot.

EGR=exhaust gas recirculation. It puto exhaust gases back into the intake which reduces the oxygen and makes it burn cleaner. (makes a lot of sense doesn’t it?). This may or may not require a EGR cooler to cool off the exhaust before it enters the intake.

DEF=diesel exhaust fluid. Usually synthetic urea that’s injected into the exhaust stream to help clean it up.

High pressure common rail= a very high pressure fuel injection system, usually computer controlled. Sometimes there are more than 1 injection events. This helps with emissions but also can make the engine more fuel efficient and give more power.

Depending on the tractor it may have all, some, or none of these systems.

 

[N80]

Thanks @dodge man. That helps a lot.

Did a little research on the Kubota M7060 and found this on another forum:

There is no DEF on a M7060, there is no OBD port to hook a scanner to, and there's no modification to raise the idle with a switch like there is on a OTR truck.

When it calls for a regen, you will have to manually raise your RPM's until the light with the arrow pointing up, goes out. You can continue to use the machine, just keep your RPM's up. After the regen is complete, all the corresponding lights will go out, and it's done. Takes anywhere from 25-40min. On the occasion that it calls for a parked regen, you'll have to put everything in neutral, turn off the PTO, set the parking brake, and keep the throttle down to an idle. Then you will push the regen switch with the "P" next to it, and the computer will take over and allow it to regen. At that time, you can not use the tractor, allow it to do it's regen and go do something else. When it's done, the lights will go out.

So, if this is true then the M7060 does not have DEF. That's good. I'd hate to have to mess with and pay for that stuff. But, if the part about regenerating is true them I'm out. My work/project time is limited to weekends and is of great value to me. I do a lot of low rpm work where running at higher rpms is just not an option (dragging piles of logs over rough and hilly terrain, lifting logs onto sawmill, etc) so doing a 25 minute high rpm regen would essentially bring work to a halt. The post above does not say how long a "parked regen" would take but if it is 25 minutes or more I would lose my mind. There is no way I'm spending big bucks on a machine that essentially has to stop and rest.

But, that brings up a question. Can you do preemptive regens? In other words, if the filter is not full of soot and I'm doing something that does not require the tractor, can I have it do a parked regen and thus avoid having to do it while I'm trying to work?

Finally, can these machines be modified to get rid of this crap? (If that is illegal or this is a taboo topic then no reply is necessary.)

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I'm telling you, you are going to be much more satisfied with a pre-emissions tractor for the work that you have described.

 

[dodge man]

In the diesel pickup truck world deletes used to be widely available. Some companies got huge fines. The stuff really got a lot of traction for tractors.

There are some tractors like already mentioned that don’t have a DPF but they are still meeting emissions other ways.

Some tractors show a percent the DPF is full, some allow a parked regen. The one you mentioned I don’t know. People live with this stuff, it’s not good but it’s probably not as bad as it sounds.

 

[N80]

it’s not good but it’s probably not as bad as it sounds.

Agreed. But any 70+ hp tractor in decent shape is a lot of money these days. I can't see spending that much on a machine that is going to need down time when I need the machine most. It is a bitter pill but I think I'm going to have to spend the crazy money on a decent pre-emission machine or do without.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

All our stuff is from the eighties. The very last thing I ever work on is a tractor. Maintenance, yes. Fix breakage or go outs, no. Ain't nothing went out. Big garden. Thousands round bales. Logging. Dirtwork. Have dump trucks too. Have tree cutters and log loaders. These tractors look good and get used a lot.

 

[deserteagle71]

As an owner of an M7060HDC12 for 4 years, let me give you MY perspective.

I have put ~ 400 hours on the tractor now. (bought it used)

The regen cycle has NEVER been a problem. I'll see the light come on in the dash for a few minutes - then next time I look it is out so the cycle is done. Most times I'm doing something like mowing; with the tractor's EPTO feature the engine turns at ~ 1860 rpm to give me 540 rpm at the PTO shaft so that's where I run the tractor. Almost never do I run the tractor over 2000 rpm.

The above quote you took from someone's forum post is misleading in that my tractor has never "called" for a regeneration; I see the light come on when the cycle starts and that's it. When the process is done the light goes back out. It is an automatic procedure and does not need operator intervention unless the engine is running cold - at too low an rpm. Perhaps the poster runs his engine at idle a lot and then, yes, the warning lights will come on to let you know that the tractor needs to do a regen cycle and you must raise the rpms so the exhaust gets hot enough to complete the cycle. My regen cycles have never taken longer than about 20 minutes - 10-15 minutes is what I would estimate most times for a cycle.

My tractor has NEVER called for a "Parked Regeneration" so I'm not sure what the poster is talking about there. There is such a procedure outlined in the owner's manual but it would be used only in some special situation. I've never had to do one.

Here are screen shots of the relevant portions of my M7060 owner's manual:

I have never had to "Inhibit" regeneration - that's done only if the tractor is in some location where the extra-high exhaust temps would be a problem.

I too was very concerned about the regen process when I bought the Kubota. After having used the tractor for 400+ hours I can say my concerns were without merit. I don't even think about it anymore when I fire up the tractor. As I stated, I see the regen light go on, and then a few minutes later it has gone out and the cycle is complete. Let me emphasize again, the regen cycle IS NOT a problem - else no one would be buying these tractors. If you end up with one of these tractors, just use it normally. Only difference between it and an older model is that the more you run it at idle, the more often it will have to regenerate.

To answer your other questions - no, the tractor does not use DEF. There is no DEF tank to fill. As far as I know, there is no way to have it regenerate early - but why would you? We're not talking about having to race the engine at full throttle - if you are at idle you may have to raise your rpms a few hundred. Also as far as I know there is no kit to get rid of the emissions equipment.

 

[deserteagle71]

I'm telling you, you are going to be much more satisfied with a pre-emissions tractor for the work that you have described.

No doubt we all would. Just try to find one of these that hasn't been beat to death - and even then, the price is exorbitant. I looked for a long time so good luck finding a decent one.

 

[N80]

@deserteagle71, good info. Thanks.

No doubt we all would. Just try to find one of these that hasn't been beat to death - and even then, the price is exorbitant. I looked for a long time so good luck finding a decent one.

Quite right. The best deal I've found so far, and passed on, was a 7040 for $28k. Every single visible thing on it was dented or bent. Having looked it over and driven it, I think it was sound mechanically. But I just could not spend that kind of money on something that I know was abused that badly.

I have seen a few M7040s with low hours. They were a long way from here and sold for around $37k.

I would love to find something in between. So would everyone else.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

There is an auction the second Wednesday of every month in Moultrie Ga called Weeks Farm Auction and the next day which is always the second Thursday of every month called Rebel auction in Hazlehurst Ga and there are usually always some nice pre-emissions tractors at each auction or at least there have been, some good deals can be had if you don't have to have green paint, red and blue tractors can be real reasonable and sometimes orange as well, you can look at every item online starting about a week before and if anything interest you , take a road trip and you can start the equipment operate it etc, then bid on it if it suits you, they (pre-emission ) tractors are still out there.