Kubota M9960 Rides Rough Please Help

brushcutter · Sep 15, 2015

I was wandering if anybody else has a Kubota M9960 and noticed that it rides rough. My current 2014 M9960 with cab and rear weights is the roughest tractor I have ever drive. Could it be my tractor or is it a Kubota problem. I am comparing the ride to the M9540 and L3800 I currently own. Me and my dad have driven the two side by side in a pasture and the M9960 canç¨š keep up because I am being bounced out of the seat. Any suggestions or thoughts would be appreciated. It is so rough we are currently getting trade in prices from John Deere on a 6M series or a Kubota 126GX.

I also own a Cat 299D CTL that I do brush cutting with and I would rather be in that machine all day than even drive the M9960 because it is so rough.

dusty3030 · Sep 15, 2015

Why type of tires?
What pressure?
What kind of seat?

Wheelbase / weight / size it isn't really different from the 9540 you have so before you loose money getting rid of a tractor see what is different between the new Kubota and your 9540 as far as tires, tire pressure and seat before you get rid of it.

brushcutter · Sep 15, 2015

That is why we can't figure out why the 9960 is so rough. The tires are all the same on both tractors. We have tried different air presser with no change in ride. The 9540 only has one set of rear weights and the 9960 has two but we only put the two on because we hoped it would help the ride. The only reply from the dealer is that they have heard from a few customers that the 9960 is rougher but they don't know why. Like you said from what we can tell everything on the tractors looks to be the same. It is a mechanical seat. Have thought about an air ride but the ride is so rough now that the air ride seat could not change it enough to want to keep the tractor. When we did the side by side drive I was coming out of the seat in the 9960 at about 6 mph and the 9540 was doing 10 easy.

MtnViewRanch · Sep 15, 2015

I have found that having the tires loaded made a huge difference, not only in tractor capabilities, but the ride was immensely improved. Much smoother and basically eliminated the basket ball bounce. This is not a Kubota that I am talking about, just saying how it worked out for me and what I have. And this held true for 2 completely different sized machines. For me, filled tires, (all four on each machine) equaled a soft and smooth ride. :thumbsup:

Tx Jim · Sep 15, 2015

Welcome to TBN
According to Tractordata 9960 wheelbase is 90'' & 9540 is only 88.6'' which means 9960 should ride easier than 9540 all other things equal.

MHarryE · Sep 16, 2015

I have a neighbor with a 9960 and he loves it as an all around chore tractor. His other tractors are larger and so will be smoother riding but he has no complaints for what he does - lots of loader work doing things like moving bales for his livestock operation. You don't mention whether yours is loader equipped. He has KRS on his loader (Kubota Ride System) which does soften the ride. I have KRS on my 135GX and the difference is significant even with air ride, much larger radial tires, etc.

brushcutter · Sep 16, 2015

Have tried different air pressure in the tire no help. Just hired a guy who started yesterday to help on the farm to feed and fix fence. Had him put a bale of hay out with the 9960 first thing he said when he got out of the tractor was that was the roughest riding tractor he has ever been in. Can not find anyone else having the same problem on the internet everyone seem to say they love the tractor. Think my next step will be to contact Kubota. Really don't want to have to buy a new tractor again but this 9960 is going to put me in the doctors office. We have added rear weights to the 9960 since the picture.

MtnViewRanch · Sep 16, 2015

I know that you said that you have messed with the air pressure, but from the picture, the 60 has too much air in the tires, zero bulge where as the 40 has some. Try drastically reducing the air pressure, just to see if it makes any difference at all.

Also, you mentioned that the tires were the same, are they? Do they have the same ply ratings? I ask, because on a couple of our tractors, both of which are suppose to have 8 ply tires, one has 10 ply and the other has 12 ply. If yours happen to be different, even being the same size there will be a ride difference.

Just grasping at straws here to try to help out. There has to be a reason that it is bad. The statistics show that it should be better. Isolate one thing at a time, go down a list and confirm what is what on each tractor, although the cab and weight positioning of that weight has to play some part in this.

Good luck.

brushcutter · Sep 16, 2015

You have good eye sight. You are correct the 9960 did have to much air in the rear tires when that picture was taken. I took that picture about a week after we got it and the tires came over inflated from the dealer. We have also since tried different pressures and added 2 sets of rear weights with no luck. The 9960 and 9540 have the same size, brand and ply ratting on the rear. If anyone has a 9960 what type of tiers do you have on the rear and at what air pressure?

MtnViewRanch · Sep 16, 2015

brushcutter said:
You have good eye sight. You are correct the 9960 did have to much air in the rear tires when that picture was taken. I took that picture about a week after we got it and the tires came over inflated from the dealer. We have also since tried different pressures and added 2 sets of rear weights with no luck. The 9960 and 9540 have the same size, brand and ply ratting on the rear. If anyone has a 9960 what type of tiers do you have on the rear and at what air pressure?

Go waaaaaay low on the air pressure just to see if it makes any difference, like 10psi. Not that you would run it at that, but just to see if it does anything.

Again, I know it was a big improvement on my tractors with the tires loaded. I have wheel weights also, it does not give you the same result ride wise as loading the tires. :no: