Hydrostatic drive and foot brakes

[nbryan]

I find the brake steering really handy in winter running the front mount snowblower.

 

[JWR]

I have not took possession of my B7800. I am a fabricator and engineer, maybe I will look at moving those foot petals to the left hand side next to the clutch.

If you have a clutch and wheel brakes you have no problem in the first place. Maybe you misspoke ?

 

[ptsg]

If you have a clutch and wheel brakes you have no problem in the first place. Maybe you misspoke ?

Those older Kubotas have a clutch that is mainly used for the PTO and probably to start the tractor.

 

[suntreemcanic]

I have a clutch but you have to engage the hydro with your right foot to go forward. The left and right brake pedals are on the right side. These early hydrostatic Kabotas were probably designed by people that did not realize a real tractor has steering brakes, funny how they got past the first test out in a field.

 

[Mat4644]

I have a 2006 L4330 setup like this. Don't know when Kubota switched to brakes on left side. Don't think in 15 years I've ever used the brakes for steering. When I had a 2WD tractor with smaller front tires used brakes for steering many times.

 

[k0ua]

I have a 2006 L4330 setup like this. Don't know when Kubota switched to brakes on left side. Don't think in 15 years I've ever used the brakes for steering. When I had a 2WD tractor with smaller front tires used brakes for steering many times.

With chains on your rear tires, and icy conditions on even a slight sideways slope, Steering brakes are often the only way to keep the tractor going in a straight line. Often turning the steering wheel has no directional effect. You have to keep applying slight pressure to the "uphill" side brake to make the tractor go in a straight line.

 

[nbryan]

With chains on your rear tires, and icy conditions on even a slight sideways slope, Steering brakes are often the only way to keep the tractor going in a straight line. Often turning the steering wheel has no directional effect. You have to keep applying slight pressure to the "uphill" side brake to make the tractor go in a straight line.

This.

 

[Rebeldad1]

I guess if you know you need to use the split brake pedal you should get a gear tractor. Have had tractors for years and not once a need to unlock the brake pedals for anything. For me a hydrostatic pedal is great.

 

[rScotty]

As noted almost all compact hydrostat tractors have the brakes on the opposite side from the hydro pedal(s). Why a few are designed with them on the same side has always been a mystery. Once you have a properly designed hydro tractor, you are unlikely to want go back to a clutch.

Our Kubota M59 has the HST and brakes on the right; the clutch pedal is the only pedal on the left. It does not have cruise control. That is about the worst combination of control layout that I can think of and makes it very difficult to use the brakes for steering. The only thing that saves it is that the platform is large enough so that we can stand up under the canopy to swap our legs from side to side.

So it can be made to work, but is a long ways from being good. This is far and away the best tractor we've ever had, but it does have a few real odd features. Filling the fuel tank from a 5 gallon jug would challenge an olympic gymnast.

rScotty

 

[suntreemcanic]

I pick up my tractor on Wednesday and I guess I will get to know it. It is a 2005 model, with 103.6 hours and never been serviced. It looks brand new. So my first thing is a complete service including draining everything and changing out the original battery that requires jumping every time you start it. Do you change out the hydrostatic oil like engine oil or just change the filter? Guess I could look this all up in the operator manual when I get it and just rely on you guys for the hard stuff!