Kubota Rtv 1100C

[Wardo08]

Hello everyone,

I’ve been throwing around the idea of getting my grandfather a UTV for running around the farm now that he’s moved in with us. This June he will be turning 95 and I thought what a great present that would be.


My grandpa still drives his old truck and is very mobile but I think it would be easier to drive something smaller around the property. He’s still keeping busy, we have some chickens that he likes to poke around and help out with feeding and collecting eggs. He also plans on planting some potatoes in our garden this year and working in the garden a bit. I’ve been looking pretty seriously at the Kubota Rtv 1100C. Me and my girlfriend went down to the local dealership and took one for a spin around the yard. We were very impressed but had a few small concerns.

1) Does the gear shift get easier to move with time? My grandfathers 95 and I want this to be easy for him to operate.

2) How is starting in the winter? We live in northern Canada, He and my father will be out getting firewood in the winter so They will be counting on it to start.

3) Does any one have any complaints on comfort? It felt fine in the dealership lot for two young adults but how is it after riding for a while? Would it be comfortable enough for someone that’s 95?


Any feedback is greatly appreciated, thank you for your time!

 

[two_bit_score]

WOW! What a great idea for your grandfather! I can’t answer your questions but it’s a great idea. Glad to hear he is in good shape at 95 years!

 

[Wardo08]

WOW! What a great idea for your grandfather! I can’t answer your questions but it’s a great idea. Glad to hear he is in good shape at 95 years!

Thanks!

 

[Tomtint]

I have one. The shifter works better if you put your foot on the brake while moving the lever. It starts fine for me in the winter but we are maybe 15* at the coldest ..and the heat cranks really good, as does the AC. Im 6'-3" and 215 pounds..its comfortable enough for me with the limited use I give it. The most I have been in it in one day was probably 4-5 hours but I was getting in and out of it the whole time. My biggest complaint is that it is really slow and loud inside full speed.

 

[s219]

You need to press firmly on the brake pedal to shift, which toggles a pressure release valve in the HST to take pressure off the driveline and make gear changes easier. I have adjusted mine a few times (the cable stretched early on, and it wasn't toggling the valve anymore).

It's still not the smoothest and is fussy sometimes. Really no different than changing gears on an HST tractor, if you know what that's like -- it's always a fussy thing. I don't believe they have synchros or any sort of gear geometry that promotes gear engagement, they are straight cut gears and need to be jiggled into alignment.

 

[skipperbrown]

My neighbor is 82 and his wife is about the same age and they have the 500cc sidekick which they purchased about 4 yrs ago. It runs on gas. They use it to tool around their farm and to visit neighbors. They are very happy with their purchase.

I have a rtv 900. My issues are it is sometimes hard to shift. This condition is exacerbated by being on a hill with the steering cranked over to the stops and attempting to do a turnaround. If the steering is straight, shifting is not as problematic but it hasn't gotten better with time.

In cold weather (cold is 30 degrees F here), it will start quickly, but if it don't immediately rev it up, it will die a couple of times.

Another issue is when you back off the accelerator quickly, the vehicle comes to a halt like you slammed on the brakes. After many hours of running it, I can now feather the petal so this is a non issue for me and my riders, but my wife who doesn't drive it frequently just about throws me through the windshield whenever she slows down.

The vehicle is heavy. Mine weighs about 2500#. This makes it slow but weight is your friend when it comes to ride. The ride is very nice, much more comfortable than riding over bumpy ground than in my pickup. I have loaded mine up with 3 people and 12 50# bags of corn and it is slow (really slow) going up hills but it got us there every time.

Speed: Top speed is about 24 mph and going up a steep hill mine will sometimes drop to 7 mph. One rider suggested he get off and walk and would be at the top when I got there.

Fumes: You can't ride in the bed of mine. The diesel exhaust swirls right into the bed and sitting on the tailgate while underway is nothing short of miserable. This is bad if you have more than 2 people to transport. The gas model shouldn't have this problem.

Service costs: I spent about $250 doing a complete engine and hydraulic oil/filter change using Kubota products (except engine oil). That seems spendy to me, but UTD2 and the 3 required filters are expensive. And if I remember correctly, I had to drop the entire skid plate to change the oils (ask your dealer if I am right).

All that said, I would not complain at all if you bought me a rtv 1100. However, for the light work discussed, the sidekick will probably suffice quite nicely unless you want to spend a few thousand more for a diesel.

 

[i7win7]

Live in central Illinois, B and BX tractors never had cold weather starting issues. Must add anti gelling additives by Nov 1 till March/April. Sucks to get 1/4 mile away and have fuel filters ice up.

 

[wawajake]

I have had the same 1100 xc RTV for three years now. Shifter will always be fussy ...if he is mechanically inclined he will get to understand how to shift it when it is stubborn. I am 6ft 2 in and it does get uncomfortable after a hour if your tall like me. As for cold starting ....I live in Northern Ont Canada and use it for snow plowing but I store in a semi heated garage. In winter it needs patient warm up time if left in cold and would need block heater use. That all said I love it. Yes its slow and heavy but it is made tough for farm work .....deep mud is a problem due to heavy weight . ( over a ton ) also love the hydraulic dump box that can handle full heavy loads .

 

[wawajake]

Don't worry about claim that letting off throttle causes you to go thru windshield ....kubota fixed that after 2015 . Mine is 2016 and not as sensitive as older models. It's nice not to need to use brakes most of the time . Also my grandkids ride in back box all the time ....no problems with fumes. Top speed is 26 mph ...but in short wheelbase vehicles you don't need any faster on farm or back roads.

 

[s219]

My RTV-X1120D will top out around 29mph (more than fast enough for me). I think the 1100C tops out around 25mph.

 

[9973720wb19]

very nice idea. i believe the new ones are a bit better with shifting. anyway, when you pick one out, you should test drive it to determine if you think your GF will be able to run it. and if he's just running around he could probably keep it in Medium mostly all the time

 

[s219]

very nice idea. i believe the new ones are a bit better with shifting. anyway, when you pick one out, you should test drive it to determine if you think your GF will be able to run it. and if he's just running around he could probably keep it in Medium mostly all the time

There are only two forward speeds. Most people will be using H almost all the time. But, you need to shift to neutral to start it, and there is a need to go from H (or L) into R. So no matter what, there will be frequent shifting and fiddling with the fussy shifter.

 

[Wardo08]

Wow I wasn’t expecting so many responses, Thanks to everyone giving their input! It looks like the shifter will be a problem as my girlfriend was having a hard time in the yard shifting into H and back into R. The dealer said it was because it just came off the truck and they haven’t had time to go over it yet to check it out and that the shifting would improve with time. Maybe it won’t be as bad as it was when we tried it and it will improve some? The cab and the heat are a must for him so he is comfortable throughout all the seasons and it’s hard to beat the Kubota cab. I’ve looked at the Polaris rangers and the John Deere gators but those are almost double in price! I still have a little time yet to make a decision as his birthday isn’t until the middle of june. I just want to make sure I get him something that is easy enough for him to use!

 

[two_bit_score]

Is there a Kawasaki Dealer close to you?

SIDE X SIDE

 

[riptides]

I have an original RTV900. When they first came out there was a lot of conversation about shifting and stopping. I never made any mods to ours and it serves us well. Taught all three girls to drive on it...and is the most used vehicle on the property.
It has got to be close to 15 years old now and is still a workhorse with a fun factor. All 25mph of it.

 

[nbking]

My dealer told me the same thing, well it hasn't gotten any better, but now I'm used to the shifting. Its 6 years old now.

 

[Tomtint]

Wow I wasn稚 expecting so many responses, Thanks to everyone giving their input! It looks like the shifter will be a problem as my girlfriend was having a hard time in the yard shifting into H and back into R. The dealer said it was because it just came off the truck and they haven稚 had time to go over it yet to check it out and that the shifting would improve with time. Maybe it won稚 be as bad as it was when we tried it and it will improve some? The cab and the heat are a must for him so he is comfortable throughout all the seasons and it痴 hard to beat the Kubota cab. I致e looked at the Polaris rangers and the John Deere gators but those are almost double in price! I still have a little time yet to make a decision as his birthday isn稚 until the middle of june. I just want to make sure I get him something that is easy enough for him to use!

I call BS on what your dealer told you... The shifter is a flaw and does not improve over time... People just learn to deal with it.... I would tell your dealer to "fix it" and let you test it before you buy.... Almost certainly he will change his tune and say something like it needs to break in bla bla bla...

 

[otlski]

Agreed. I have had mine for close to a year and the shifting did not improve. That said, I love having mine, it is a real workhorse.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I could say the shifting improves but..... I bought my 1st Kubota RTV 9 years ago and then two more last year, trading in the 1st one I bought with the trade in amount almost what I paid for it.
The machine part stayed about the same but my method of shifting changed. One has to always stop then press brake and then trying moving the shifter lever and if it doesn't move then sort of "Blip" the throttle while applying steady pressure on the shifter lever. Some times I just sort of slap the lever into position while stopped and with brake on. I've even let it roll a bit down hill while applying pressure on the shifter lever. One of the methods aforementioned will make it work or always has.

 

[Wardo08]

I’ve started looking at some used ones so the shifter is more broken in. I’m currently looking at a 2014 with 1700 hours and 12,000 Km are those good numbers for a machine that’s 6 years old? What kind of problems could I be running into buying a machine that’s been used opposed to new? Thanks again everyone for your input!