Kubota Pokey

[ValGilbert]

Hi, I recently bought a Kubota B7100. I don't remember the year but it is an older model. I am a horseman and thought it would be fun to turn the Kubota into a "Pokey" so my daughter painted a mane and eyes. I added a forelock and tail. A Pokey rides on the steering wheel and a Gumby hangs from his tail. I am definitely on a learning curve right now as I figure out the angles I need to put the gannon box in order to level and rip a couple inches. As of now I often end up with mountains and craters when the tire goes in a little hole from a horse the box goes up dumping the dirt only to in a few feet the box goes down and digs deep as the hind tire ends in the same hole. So I definitely have to figure that out. As well as while going around the round pen to not have the dirt pile up around the edge. I want to be able to move dirt into holes the horses will create from rolling or digging or just nervous new horses that pace back and forth. I am finding the gear that raises and lowers the box sometimes gets stuck and goes on auto pilot and continues to raise and lower after I release. My friend who spent months taking apart the whole tractor and rebuilding it to be sure it was all safe said it might just need some oiling. So hopefully that will be fixed. I just need to really learn the angles. I saw a few threads on this subject and will be studying more. Thank you for having such a great site that obviously has a lot of great information from people who know.

 

[bcp]

Welcome,

If you have a float capability*, it will let the box follow the ground level, not the tractor level. You may then have to adjust your top link so the box doesn't cut too much or too little.

Bruce

*Some will float if you hold the handle down

 

[ValGilbert]

Thank you Bruce. I don't think it has float. I drove a bobcat a while that had float. It has tip & tilt but no float. If you leave handle pushed down it just whines at you. Right now after I make too much of a mess & its over 100 here so don't want to run in heat too long, I have a triangle heavy metal drag I used to pull behind my truck. I just pull that behind Pokey & it fixes most of my craters to only valleys. Eventually I hope to not use that much.

 

[bcp]

A substitute for float is to use a chain, or a slotted or hinged top link connection.

Hinged:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/173487-chain-top-link-flail-mower-2.html#post2176521

Slotted:
http://www.tractorforum.com/f50/chain-rigid-top-link-pictures-wanted-17742/#post134537

Chain: and post 6 refers to a box blade
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/176659-chain-top-link.html#post2012672

Bruce

 

[ValGilbert]

Great. Thank you. I will pass this info on to Dave who did all the safety repairs on the tractor.

 

[creekbend]

Welcome aboard. It would be in your best interest to obtain an Operator's Manual for your make and model.

 

[ValGilbert]

Yes. The man who did the makeover has it. I didn't read it yet. Will soon. Most often manuals read like manuals though. I didn't figure it would have info on angles. But I might be wrong. As soon as he done with all repairs I will sit and go through the manual. Thank you very much.

 

[Briana03]

Welcome to TractorByNet!

I moved your thread to the Kubota Owning & Operating forum.

 

[ValGilbert]

Thank you Briana.

 

[Grandad4]

Using a box blade takes some practice, and the technique you end up using is often something you figure out based on how the tractor works. Your 3 point lift should hold a fixed position so the blade won't drop any further but it should allow the blade (or whatever attachment you're using) to lift if it goes over something. The top link can be adjusted... shortening it makes the blade dig in more when you're going forward; lengthening it makes the blade better at smoothing out loose material.

One technique for getting rid of ruts and humps is to use a criss-cross pattern as you work an area so you're not tracking over the same dips and rises with each pass. And for really deep ruts, it pays to put the scarifiers down and loosen up several inches of material so you can fill the "box" and relocate it into the low spots.

Explaining all this is difficult... kind of like learning to ride a bike by reading a book... it's something you best learn through practice.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

The 3ph is a or has float on my Kubotas. There is no tractor provided hydraulic pushing down pressure except for the weight of what ever is on it. The hydraulics drop to the point where it's set or incremental drops or to the bottom if lever is pushed all the way forward and released back to center position, then it's floating and should be floating as far as raising up unless it's pulled all the way to the top. It raises with hyd lift as the lever is pulled back. Believe this is the way 3ph's work on most tractors, no down force except from weight of implement on the 3 ph.

 

[ValGilbert]

Thank You Grandad4. Practice is something I am good at... heee.... seems I do a lot of it. I was just confused at what angle I needed the box to be at. I saw a few videos on YouTube that showed people grading, but none showed the bottom edge(s) and what they should look like for what was needed. Everyone talks about these links. I don't think I have any links. I have levers at my right hand that tilt the bucket side to side and forward and back (for lack of proper terms) as well as up and down. So I am assuming that when it is said to lengthen the links that mean I should move the levers so the top of the bucket goes further away and the bottom of the bucket essentially gets closer which would take the back loose blade closer to the ground and the front digging blade on more of an angle. This is where i was confused. I thought the cutting blade should be more upright so it didn't grab so much dirt. But I am obviously thinking incorrectly on that. I have the teeth at the highest setting as the ground can be a bit tough on a few parts and the tractor will get stuck (I have 4WD) do to not enough power to get through it. So I figured a more shallow cut for several turns to break it up a bit then I can gradually go down further if needed. This picture is the best picture I have of the back part. Dave is driving it off the horse trailer. Then this picture I took when I finally made enough of a mess and used the triangle drag to help me level things out a little. .

 

[Grandad4]

The end of your top link is just visible in the lower right of the second picture. Evidently the tractor has a hydraulic adjustment for it since you can adjust it using a control. I suggest you try working with the blade at different angles of forward and back adjustment to see what effect it has. On my equipment, if you shorten the link (bringing the top of the blade forward) too much or if you lengthen it too much, there is little or no digging action, but there is a "sweet spot" in the adjustment where the front digging edge peels a nice slice of the ground with each pass. Just a little bit of adjustment can change how much the blade digs.

Also, just fyi, be careful about digging going backwards instead of forward. The tractor and the hitch linkages are designed for pulling and have less strength going in the other direction. OK to do light pushing in reverse, but avoid the heavy work.

 

[ValGilbert]

thank you again Grandad4. I will take a closer look to find the links. I only push backwards after I oops dug a trench. The dirt is pretty much sand like so if it gets too heavy the tractor doesn't move. Just spins the tires. But I will now keep in mind to be more careful to not get much behind it. I'll keep playing with it. I told a few of my clients that this is repay for when they tell me... but Val I'm not asking the horse to go sideways... and I say - but yes you are! I'm driving around thinking.. but I'm not asking it to dig that deep. And the tractor is saying - but yes you are!

 

[ValGilbert]

hmmm interesting. I'll have to look at that a little closer. I know if I push the lever "just right" and release it, it continues to move the box even though I released. Kinda like the auto window on your truck. Maybe I'm getting to the float but not realizing it and going past it or something. I was thinking it was getting stuck. maybe not.

 

[ValGilbert]

Thank you everyone who replied to my post. Yesterday I took my newly acquired knowledge of the angles for the box and did a MUCH better job. It isn't perfect yet but at least it is WAY closer to looking like a groomed riding area than a giant gopher was on the loose. Thank you so very much. :thumbsup: