B7500 Pros and Cons After 20 Hours Of Operation

[MikeFLA]

Pros

4WD - Gives the pulling power and traction of a larger tractor in a compact size.

Power Steering - makes long hours behind the wheel comfortable.

Tractor Feel - not the feel of a big tractor but not the feel of a garden tractor…just right.

R-4’s - give good traction in the sand but doesn’t hurt my grass.

Plenty of Power - tires spin before I run out of power.

Easy on and off the tractor with the flat deck

Ground Clearance!!! This is huge for me and my property. I would have been very disappointed with anything less that what the B7500 gives me.

Handles my 60" nearly 600lb finish mower with no problems. I cut the grass at less than the 2600 rated rpms for a 540 PTO.

Cons

Does not always shift into H or L from Neutral. You have to play with the accelerator. The owners manual refers to this problem. You would think that they could figure out how to solve this. It is a pain.

The owners manual for my $39 Timex watch is more comprehensive than this high dollar tractor’s operator manual.

Checking oil is a daily event. The dipstick is difficult to reach if you don’t take off the engine side cover. I can’t imagine removing this every time you check the oil. Over time the fasteners are going to loosen up and or break. Dipstick should be accessible without removing anything.

Don’t particularly like the HST pedal arrangement. Forward is fine but I still have to feel my way to find the reverse pedal. It should be right there. Also, I have caught my pants leg on the rear pedal on more than one occasion.

Front axle hubs have a "shelf" around them. A great place for dirt, and grit to accumulate and cause front seal leaks. My Kubota dealer told me this is a common problem with this design.

There is a rattling noise under there somewhere. Hopefully I can find it.

 

[Lizard]

I now have 28 hours on my B7500HST using FEL, box blade, tiller and Woods 48" rotary mower and I agree on all points. A lot of hours were by my father (retired heavy equipment operator) and we both would like to add a few comments:

My father states that this set-up can do things that it most likely wasn't intended to do. Example is clearing very rough, dense brush and small trees. Lifting loads heavier than spec'd and over-all a very "tough" tractor. Trust me, he is very critical of equipment and compliments are not often given.

Cons: I also have problems with shifting into H or L.....moving the pto lever slightly helps.

removing the panel to check the oil is a pain.

the down stop adjustment on the 3pt arms is very hard to access and set. This should be a quick thumb nut adjustment on the raise/lower lever.

the fuel bowl is very exposed when mowing heavy brush. No problem yet but is a very real possibility.

I'm also building a retaining wall and the FEL beats the living crud out of a wheel barrel. Lovin' every minute of it.

Vance

 

[Will]

Re: B7500 Pros and Cons After 20 Hours Of Operatio

You might want to post your message under the Reviews portion of this site. You've made a lot of good points, and it would make it easier for people in the market for a tractor to find.

 

[Jeff396]

Should the "easy on and off the tractor with the flat deck" be under the pros or am I not understanding this one?

I would also add one more con which probably isn't an issue for you in Florida with so much sand. I find it hard to engage the differential lock pedel because it is so far back. Add to this that when you get a bit on mud on your shoes your foot will just slip off the pedal.....very frustrating!

Jeff

 

[looch]

One very minor con: at idle the 3ph lever rattles back and forth inside the fender slot and makes one heck of a racket. Another is the color and material of the hydraulic fluid dipstick: the only sure way I've been able to check the level is to take a dark colored rag and blot the dipstick on it to reveal where the wetness is. Things that you should be handling regularly should not be made out of flimsy plastic. I'm thinking about my last tractor, 1981 B5100E, and I miss all that sheet metal.

 

[GlueGuy]

Something you might try for that dipstick is to blow a small amount of baby powder on it (wipe it dry, then dust it with a touch of the powder). Then dip in/out. This makes it very easy to see the level, and I doubt that little tiny bits of baby powder cause any harm; will be caught in the filter anyway.

 

[looch]

Good idea - kind of like celery salt on the rim of my Bloody Caesar /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif.

 

[JATO_RaT]

Mike, do you really think it is necessary to check the oil level each and everytime you use a tractor, or a car for that matter? I never do. If the last time you used it, checked the oil and noticed it to be adequate, drove it for a couple of hours did not notice any oil burning (or found that through experience with your newer tractor it doesn't based on prior use), did not see any oil puddles after it sat, why would it be low. I understand the problem with old engines that burn it like fuel, but on newer equipment, I have not found it necessary to do it each and everytime. I think very few folks check the engine oil in their cars and trucks each time they hop in and go somewhere, and yet there is easily as much or more investment there and undoubtedly the engine will run at a higher RPM and run as hot. If folks insit on checking the oil each and everytime as the manuals most often say to do, thats fine, but I find it most unneccessary for me. Rat...

 

[Von]

Re: B7500 Pros and Cons After 20 Hours Of Operatio

I found that a black magic marker made the yellow dipstick easy to read. And the hydro oil did not remove the marker from the dipstick.

 

[MarkV]

Re: B7500 Pros and Cons After 20 Hours Of Operatio

Ineresting Von, I thought about that and figured the oil would remove the marker ink. I burned mine with a lighter to darken it up. With all the things I like about my Kubota, the guy that came up with yellow for that dip stick------well dip stick pretty much says it.

MarkV

 

[RAllen]

<font color=red>the fuel bowl is very exposed when mowing heavy brush. No problem yet but is a very real possibility</font color=red>

I have a B2910 and yes I did break the fuel bowl and fitting. Had diesel leaking everywhere, used a visegrip to clamp the hose. Cost about $40 to fix. A short log, buried in mud, was thrown up breaking the plastic bowl.

Rick

 

[MikeFLA]

Jeff,

You are right. Easy on easy off belongs in the pro's. I edited my original post.

I guess I don't use my differential lock enough for me to consider it a problem, but if I did, I would have to agree with you.

 

[MikeFLA]

Re: B7500 Pros and Cons After 20 Hours Of Operatio

Will,

I will do this as soon as I can remember what my password is. It is a requirement.

 

[MikeFLA]

Paul,

A simple way to check the hydraulic level is to lay the dipstick down on your index finger and drag it back towards you. You can immediately tell where the level is on the dipstick in relation to the wetness on your finger.

 

[Lizard]

Mike, good tip, tried this and it works like a champ.

Vance

 

[Jeff396]

I had the same problem shifting from low to high or back. I finally realized after reading many posts here that it will shift very easily on the fly and you won't feel or hear anything that would indicate it is bad to do. I just make sure I am going in a straight line and that the tractor is not under load. Give it a try and it will shift as smooth as can be. It makes me think of when I drove truck and had a good old time shifting without using the clutch....great fun but more difficult to do without clashing the gears.

Jeff

2001 B7500HSD, LA302fel, 60"mmm, grass catcher

 

[MikeFLA]

Jeff,

I have done this "accidentally" and did not hear any gear clashing. At the time it made me wonder if it was okay to do because it sure was a breeze.

We probably won't get the Kubota people to endorse it but in my mind it is a way to deal with the "problem".

As many times as I shift from L to N to H, this is a critical deficiency as far as I'm concerned.

 

[TresCrows]

Mike, the gears are not synchromeshed. If they stop rotating in an opposed condition then it will not shift. That is why it is needed to bump the hydro pedal etc. Your 7500 is brand new and very stiff. It will become easier to shift as time passes. Of course there will be times it does not want to shift and then just bump the hydro pedal to rotate the cog and try again, this is possible on the PTO also especially when going from center PTO to rear. The BX does not have a clutch and when I first got it it would hang up often, now it is a rare thing. I have noticed also on the 2410 having a clutch makes it easier to shift ranges but sometimes I forget to use the clutch. I have about 30 hours now on the 2410 and it has begun to loosen up, it is shifting better and the hydro is beginning to quiten down.
You will learn to handle these oddities quickly and soon you will begin to like the treadle hydro pedal also, I cannot imagine having it any other way now, it will grow on you.
Good luck with the new tractor.
j

 

[chrisjbell]

A warning about shifting from L to H, etc., "on the fly" - my B7300 has the same condition. I figured out the shift while moving trick and it worked great most of the time.

Until the day I was on a slope (going down), and tried to shift from L up to H. The *non-synchro* (as pointed out in a previous post) didn't mesh and I found myself *in neutral*, which would have been fine if I'd been prepared and had my foot on the brake. As it was, I had a few moments of terror as my tractor started accelerating down a 10% grade with a heavy load of gravel in the front.

Fortunately, I found the brake pedal pretty quick. But I don't use that trick any more. Much easier and safer to stop - the way I get the synchros to mesh is to put it in neutral and then just kick the HST pedals. It only takes one or two trys to get it in gear.

BTW, I find the HST pedals to be very usable where they are, and hit the diff lock all the time with my left heel. I have trouble adjusting to the different pedals on my JD rider, but I've had the Kubota longer.

And one more "con" (although I love my tractor). I think this applies to the 7500, but that may have a different cooling system. But on the 7300 the coolant drain valve is exposed much like the fuel filter bowl. One day, I'm out mowing and the thing just up and dies. Got the dealer out there "real quick" and figured out that the thing drained and overheated. Fortunately, I didn't keep trying to flog it so there shouldn't have been too much damage.

 

[Jeff396]

It's really not a problem as long as the engine is not under load which would include either pulling something or going up or down a grade. If you do, the engine will speed up when it hits neutral and you would no longer be able to get into the other gear without a synchronized transmission. I wouldn't even think of trying it if I was on ground steep enough that the tractor wouldn't just stop if the clutch were pressed.

Jeff