Anti freeze for L or M Kubotas?

[sixdogs]

What anti freeze do you use in your L or M series Kubota? In the past, I used Deere anti freeze just because I thought it was better. It's also $35 for 2 1/2 gal pre-mix.

After some research, I wonder if WalMart Supertech anti freeze is just as good for much less in price?

What do others use in their Kubotas?

 

[rScotty]

We have a 2008 M59 50 to 60 hp TLB powered by Kubota's turbocharged version of their 148 cubic inch 4 cylinder. All stock so far. 1000 hrs. I usually run it at half the rated rpm.
for the coolant I use a pure ethylene glycol containing about 2% anti-corrosion additives. ZEREX "Original Green" is a typical example & is the one I used last time. It comes in concentrate or pre-mix. I buy a gallon of their original ethylene glycol concentrate and mix it 50/50 with distilled water.
The M59 cooling system holds just under two gallons.
luck, rScotty

 

[number two]

Kubota factory fill is conventional green ethylene glycol coolant like we used in our cars until the 1990's.
About $10 /gallon at the parts store or the dealers parts dept.
I drain and refill every few years with mix of green and distilled water.
Why overthink this?
Your Kubota is a parent bore engine without cylinder liners

 

[RjCorazza]

I use Zerex G05 hoat coolant, mostly for the 5 year interval. With (3) Kubotas, a 5 year interval vs. 2 year interval is a big deal to me.

 

[FTG-05]

Unless specified otherwise, I use nothing but CAT EC-1 rated ELC in all my diesel engines (Kubota L4330, RTV and ZTR, F-350). Shell, Cat, Fleetrite all make antifreeze to this spec.

 

[oosik]

View attachment 573464

 

[Green Acres Homestead]

Engine over heated due to fan belt break. Lost some coolant. I have green in the tractor but only have red available. Would you mix it.

 

[RjCorazza]

Engine over heated due to fan belt break. Lost some coolant. I have green in the tractor but only have red available. Would you mix it.

It is generally considered a bad idea to mix coolant types. I personally would not ever consider mixing different coolants, regardless of what the the manufacturer may claim.
If you are talking a small amount of coolant loss, consider adding distilled water to account for the amount lost, as long as the resulting concentration will remain high enough to provide freeze protection for your needs. You can always add the correct coolant later to get back to 50/50 later.

 

[5030]

We have a 2008 M59 50 to 60 hp TLB powered by Kubota's turbocharged version of their 148 cubic inch 4 cylinder. All stock so far. 1000 hrs. I usually run it at half the rated rpm.
for the coolant I use a pure ethylene glycol containing about 2% anti-corrosion additives. ZEREX "Original Green" is a typical example & is the one I used last time. It comes in concentrate or pre-mix. I buy a gallon of their original ethylene glycol concentrate and mix it 50/50 with distilled water.
The M59 cooling system holds just under two gallons.
luck, rScotty

What I do as well. Early model Kubota's all specify conventional green glycol antifreeze in a 50-50 mix. Later. common rail Tier4 Kubota's specify Global extended life coolant (orange). Follow your owners manual as to the requirement, it's listed in there and it's in the Workshop Manual as well as the recommended change interval.

One thing owners do and that is, forget about changing the coolant in a timely basis. I change mine in both my M's, every 2 years and flush the system as well. With the newer units and Global AF, flushing is not needed.

AF is AF no matter where you buy it, all the same, different packaging so I'll wait for a sale and purchase what I need for the on road vehicles and the tractors and if the 50-50 premix is on sale, I'll buy that too. Premix is AF and deionized water, again, brand is inconsequential.

One thing I do when I change mine is I inspect all the hoses and clamps for leakage and tightness and I don't use Kubota's wimpy rad drain cock either. I remove the lower rad hose from the rad and drain that way. That cheap plastic drain cock is real prone to failure

 

[5030]

Never exceed a 50-50 mix either. The larger concentration of AF versus distilled water (Always distilled water because tap water has too many minerals in it and will eventually clog the rad). Exceeding a 50% AF concentration lowers the efficiency of heat exchange in the rad and Kubota's are noted for marginal cooling anyway. Straight water is the best conductor of heat, but that only works if you live where it never freezes.

My suggestion is follow your owners or shop manual. No point in asking on here because all you'll get are opinions whereas the actual facts are in your documentation. Opinions are like butt holes, everyone has one, most stink.