Kubota RTV500: Issues Resolved?

[redlevel]

I am about to buy a Kubota utility vehicle. I am leaning toward the 500 for several reasons: (1) I understand it is quieter than the diesel 900 (2) the 500 will go on the back of a pickup (3) increased maneuverability of the 500 vs. the 900. It is a couple thousand dollars cheaper than the 900 of course, but I really believe the 500 will suit my needs better. I have farms that are 20 miles apart. I would like to just run my UV on the back of my pickup rather than hitching to a trailer. One of my trailers is a tad too small, and the other is overkill. Twenty-five mph is plenty of speed. I need a workhorse, not a racehorse. I need to be able to hitch my small trailer to the vehicle, loaded with 800-1000 lbs of fertilizer, and pull it to the field where I'm going to spread it. I need to haul various tools, sprayers, etc, and I need a fairly nimble machine, something with a fairly tight turning radius, etc. One farm has about 40 acres of pine woods, the other about 80 acres of peach orchard. There are pastures and wetlands also, of course. Just one fairly steep hill, mostly level.

My question is about the issues that were addressed on this forum several years back. It seems that there was some dissatisfaction with this particular machine, and with Kubota's response to the problems. In particular, of course, I am talking about the power issues and the squeaking steering problem. There were other issues, but it seemed that these two were most addressed. Have these issues been addressed and remedied on the later model machines? I have a good dealer, at least when it comes to tractors, only about thirty miles away. I have owned a couple of Kubota tractors, and they were very satisfactory. One of my best friends has had a RTV 900 for about five years, and he has been pleased. His only complaints are noise and vibration. He and I both believe that has to do with the three cylinder diesel. I would like to go ahead with the purchase, but I figured I would get a final bit of input from the esteemed membership here. Have the problems, particularly the power issue, been satisfactorily addressed by Kubota?

 

[DIXIEDOG]

I know they advertise it to be able to move the RTV 500 in your pickup but I can't imagine anyone doing it often. The RTV 500 weighs in at around 1400 lbs with a full tank of fuel...add your weight to that and that's what you're going to be driving up ramps onto your pickup. A quad that weighs 500 lbs is one thing but I don't think you'll want to be loading it in your truck very often, even if you have a solid truck like a Super Duty that's a lot of weight on your tailgate when you're driving up....you'll also have to "hop" the tires over your wheel wells and you'd need a 8' box with nothing in it. Not particularly practical.

The squeaking and power issues are both still there, it is in their design and that has not been changed. The steering squeak can be fixed temporarily by removing the steering wheel and spraying the bushing down with silicone spray or fluid film....it lasts about 6 months and it will squeak again. The power can be helped by increasing your top RPM to 4k (Requires an inductive tach similar to one found on a timing light) and adjusting your servo to allow it "downshift" easier. I was able to spin the tires on dirt with mine after those adjustments, you'll still lose speed on large hills and run out of power if you're plowing large amounts of snow but it's very livable and it easily does more work than it's rated for after the adjustments.


To me the biggest reason I got rid of my RTV 500 was the ride quality was extremely poor, it has virtually no suspension travel and you will feel it everytime you're in rough terrain. My other big complaint was the paint quality...the paint on my RTV 500 was peeling on the box badly....it would lift and a large 4"+ piece of paint would fall off revealing rust underneath. I dealt with the rust by sandblasting the bed and spraying it with bedliner but it was still upsetting for a less than 1 yr old machine. When I switched to the Gator 825i the biggest reason was suspension, don't underestimate what suspension travel will do even at slower speeds in the 10 mph range.....the new RTV they are releasing now might address that problem but not on the 500's.

 

[timswi]

Once I shook the few bugs out of my RTV500, I loved it. The steering wheel squeak is a minor annoyance and easily fixed with some white lithium grease. As a work machine that is reasonably sized, they are hard to beat. I personally wouldn't try putting a 500 in a pickup bed. I hauled mine on a 5x10 utility trailer and that worked perfectly.

If I could, I'd still have mine, bought the 1100 for the HVAC during snow plowing. BTW, the 500 is a very good plowing machine--Used mine in a 3' snow storm, went out twice during the storm to get ahead of it. Had no problems with 8-10" of snow in low range. Ran out of traction before I ran out of power.

Guess the 500 doesn't ride like a Cadillac, but I never really noticed it being an issue. I wasn't running the Baja with it, it was a work machine.

 

[kuboman]

There is no problem hauling in the back of a truck. It just nicely fits in the back of a regular sized truck and you can close the tailgate.

 

[jeff9366]

The suspension springs on the RTV500 have five adjustment positions, it ships from the factory set in center position, #3.

It is easy to adjust the springs with a pair of Channel Locks over the housing, using a rag as padding. Set in the softest position, the ride is much improved. When you look underneath, the adjustment positions are evident. Adjustment is covered in the Owner's Manual using a special tool, which is NOT available from Kubota. Channel Locks perform adjustment fine.

I have optional Turf Tires, which may also improve the ride. (?) I recommend $250 Turf Tires/Rims to you.

My two year old RTV500 was rated at 15.8 horsepower new. There is only so much less than 16 horsepower can do. With its HST transmission, a key feature, the RTV is clearly descended from a tractor. Other utilities are descended from hot rods, none have HST transmissions.

I used to pull a ground contact ATI Gravel Rascal behind my RTV500 in HST LOW + 4-WD.. Few other utility vehicles could manage that. Once I got my Kubota B3300SU tractor, a Box Blade and a Landscape Rake, I sold the Gravel Rascal.

I pull a MUTS Trailer most of the time. On level, paved road I have pulled 1,000 pound loads of dirt. It takes a long time to accelerate and as long to stop, without jack-knifing. Fertilizer loads of 800 pounds may be possible to tow over smooth ground, with ruts, I doubt it. Remember, less than 16-horsepower!! Five hundred pound loads will be easy in fields or up moderate slopes. The frame receiver socket is short. Ask your dealer to cut your draw bar to the correct length. I suggest a Curt's ATV drawbar with a fixed ball and a pin socket.

The steering still squeeks a bit. I use compressed air to blow out dust occasionally, which eliminate the squeak for awhile. A "suicide knob" is a functional addition to the steering wheel.

I wear ear plugs when operating either the RTV500 or the tractor. Without hearing protection you will have hearing loss beginning at age fifty-five and you will be sorry then. "An ounce of protection...."

I have not experienced paint problems.

BALL HITCH LINK:

Curtatv Ball Mount for 2" ATV Hitch Receiver with 7 8

 

[timswi]

The only reason I wouldn't put my RTV in my truck bed is that I really don't trust tailgate cables that much..True, it would certainly fit but I've seen the cables fail and the results weren't pretty.

Forgot about the adjustable shocks...Good point.

 

[redlevel]

Thanks for the comments. I am still wavering. I talked to a JD dealer yesterday. I keep coming back to the Kubotas because of the 0/60 financing, the proximity of the dealer, the fact that the Kubota is or seems to be a dedicated work machine rather than a mixture of trail/utility, and the reputation for quality the K tractors seem to have in this area. Right now I seem to be leaning more toward the diesel 900. In my fifty years of farming, there have been few things as reliable as a diesel engine. Another question: I have seen videos of a three-point-hitch used with the 900. Is this really feasible? Does the Kubota actually have the same transmission as the tractors? It would really be nice to hook a five foot harrow, or a planter, or even a light plow to the UV. I don't mean for daily use, but for planting a garden, or getting a food plot ready. The thing just needs a pto to really make this feature highly usable.

Still thinking about it. It is a lot of money.:confused3:

 

[jeff9366]

There was an exhibitor at the 2012 Southeast Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia, showing ATV three point hitches. Seemed like gimmicks to me.

Use one of your tractors for working gardens and food plots. Tractors are designed for garden, field and food plot work.

The ABI Gravel Rascal I owned was good for farm road maintenance and leveling repeatedly disced ground but trying to open ground with it would have overtaxed the RTV500, not the Gravel Rascal.

 

[Will_C]

I think an RTV 900 could do a good job with a 3pt hitch for food plot work, but why would you? 4-5000 dollars should buy a tractor that would do the job much easier, and cheaper than the 13,000 you'll spend on a RTV.

Will

 

[Tkblacktail]

So, what did you end up doing?