Fender mount FEL joystick on B3030

[bandit67]

As I said, they installed it the way the installation manual says it should be installed on a ROPS model. There is a formed metal horizontal brace that attaches from the vertical fender mount to the seat pan, so it looks to me like there is really only one location to install the joystick.

It appears from the instruction manual that the CAB version has the cables fed through a pre-drilled or pre-punched hole in the floorboard. That is the only difference, as the cables are still exposed and visible from the joystick to the floorboard. And if someone has to drill the floorboard on the ROPS model to run the cables through, I'd prefer it be me.

I MAY drill the floorboard to run the cables through, and add a painted sheath to hide the hoses from the floorboard to the joystick. But, since it is a tractor, not a sportscar, I figured rather than get too caught up in how it "looks", I would go for the convenience of the fender mount joystick.

I wish Kubota had come up with a cleaner looking setup, but I wanted the 'uglier' fender mount joystick more than the cleaner looking joystick mounted up at the valve that I'd have to reach for. I really like being able to rest my elbow on the armrest while operating the loader, like you can do on the true TLB's. If the look bothers me that much, I can fabricate my own custom, nice looking sheath and make it look like a nice factory installed option. But when I'm sitting in the seat working, I don't really care how it looks from the side.

 

[Ductape]

Bandit,
It looks to me that your joystick is in the same position as my cab model. You are right, its located by the brace that runs back to the seat pan. The cab model has sort of a built in grommet in the floor mat. I'm with you that i would rather be the one to drill a hole in the floor...... and its most likely what i would do just to keep the cables from snagging on anything. I think even the cab model needs some sort of plastic trim around the base of the stick....... something nice looking like New Holland puts around theirs. Maybe next year Kubota will have the 3030 come that way from the factory, and we can both just purchase the trim and retrofit it to our joysticks.