Tractor Sizing MX Front Tire spacing issue (need to achieve 60" tread centers)

[plesciad]

I'm a small scale vegetable farmer and my partner and I are in the market for a "do-it-all" machine. For us, that means, ~50hp, 4wd, front end loader, HST or creeper gearing that can go <.5 mph, and 60" tread centers (front and rear) with thin rear ag tires. We need to be firm on the 60" tread spacing issue.

Our Kubota dealer, however, is firm that they cannot get an MX to 60" tread center on the fronts (it is fixed at 53"). I am in denial, which brings me to this forum.

Both John Deere, and Kioti say they can flip their front 4wd wheels on comparable tractors (JD 4052M, Kioti NX5010) and get us to 60" front and rear (+/- an inch or two). Why can't Kubota on the MX? Is it a front end loader issue (loader arms hitting the tires?) Could we do it ourselves with aftermarket parts, or would that void any warranty?

We'd love to stick with Kubota, I have heard enough to be convinced that Kubota is the best mid-sized tractor maker and we have a good dealer in our area.

Any mechanics out there with intimate knowledge of newer Kubotas who could provide closure on this issue?

 

[murphy1244]

I'm a small scale vegetable farmer and my partner and I are in the market for a "do-it-all" machine. For us, that means, ~50hp, 4wd, front end loader, HST or creeper gearing that can go <.5 mph, and 60" tread centers (front and rear) with thin rear ag tires. We need to be firm on the 60" tread spacing issue.

Our Kubota dealer, however, is firm that they cannot get an MX to 60" tread center on the fronts (it is fixed at 53"). I am in denial, which brings me to this forum.

Both John Deere, and Kioti say they can flip their front 4wd wheels on comparable tractors (JD 4052M, Kioti NX5010) and get us to 60" front and rear (+/- an inch or two). Why can't Kubota on the MX? Is it a front end loader issue (loader arms hitting the tires?) Could we do it ourselves with aftermarket parts, or would that void any warranty?

We'd love to stick with Kubota, I have heard enough to be convinced that Kubota is the best mid-sized tractor maker and we have a good dealer in our area.

Any mechanics out there with intimate knowledge of newer Kubotas who could provide closure on this issue?

Do you own a Kubota now? How are you doing with it?

 

[plesciad]

Do you own a Kubota now? How are you doing with it?

No, we're just tooling up our farm. I've spent a lot of hours on a Kubota (M7060) on a farm I worked on and lots of farmers in our region swear by them and warn against JD and Kioti. We also have a good Kubota dealer nearby. But I'm not set. I just put up a posts in the Kioti and JD sections asking about those warnings.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

I can confirm that in my manual for MX4800 and MX5200 the front wheels are not adjustable to 60" (the rears are).

Again, I'd encourage you to look at a M5660 (a true utility tractor)

 

[plesciad]

I can confirm that in my manual for MX4800 and MX5200 the front wheels are not adjustable to 60" (the rears are).

Again, I'd encourage you to look at a M5660 (a true utility tractor)

The transmission isn't geared slow enough on M5660 I believe. We need to be able to run at or below .5mph.

 

[motownbrowne]

For growing veggies, HST is the cat's meow. Seriously, for preparing a seed bed, nothing is better for running a tiller than a HST. For running a water wheel transplanter, nothing beats HST.

Luke, I don't know how much small scale veggie growing you've done, but the way I do it, I wouldn't want to be without a medium sized hydrostatic tractor. Once you hit a bigger scale, it makes sense buy a bigger geared machine (read: used and not expensive) for plowing and discing, maybe putting in cover crop with a drill, and a few other tasks, but until that time, a tractor like the MX series can do darned near every task a veggie grower needs.

To the OP, first, welcome aboard! Great to have other produce growers on TBN. I hope you stick around. Second, in the future, don't start multiple threads with only slightly different topics. You'll get a more consolidated string of answers, and people who want to help won't have to repeat themselves.

 

[oosik]

I checked the specs on my M6040 and both front & rear tire spacing can be set at 59.8". This applies to the M5040, M6040 & M7040. You can get any of the three with HST and creeper gearing. I don't know if these specs apply to the newer '60 series but this might worth checking.

BTW - Welcome to TBN & the forum

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

For growing veggies, HST is the cat's meow. Seriously, for preparing a seed bed, nothing is better for running a tiller than a HST. For running a water wheel transplanter, nothing beats HST.

Luke, I don't know how much small scale veggie growing you've done, but the way I do it, I wouldn't want to be without a medium sized hydrostatic tractor. Once you hit a bigger scale, it makes sense buy a bigger geared machine (read: used and not expensive) for plowing and discing, maybe putting in cover crop with a drill, and a few other tasks, but until that time, a tractor like the MX series can do darned near every task a veggie grower needs.

To the OP, first, welcome aboard! Great to have other produce growers on TBN. I hope you stick around. Second, in the future, don't start multiple threads with only slightly different topics. You'll get a more consolidated string of answers, and people who want to help won't have to repeat themselves.

Absolutely makes sense especially as the m5660 doesn't have the appropriate ground speed gearing. It isn't physically much bigger than a MX :drink:

 

[motownbrowne]

I checked the specs on my M6040 and both front & rear tire spacing can be set at 59.8". This applies to the M5040, M6040 & M7040. You can get any of the three with HST and creeper gearing. I don't know if these specs apply to the newer '60 series but this might worth checking.

BTW - Welcome to TBN & the forum

Perhaps you're using HST to refer to a "hydraulic shuttle transmission". Unless I'm very much mistaken, you can't get anything bigger than an MX or the biggest L with a hydrostatic transmission. A hydraulic shuttle with creeper gears is a cool setup, for sure, but it still doesn't allow you to infinitely vary your ground speed relative to your PTO speed. That's what makes a hydro tractor perfect for veggie growing. Seed bed look a little chunky? Lift the pedal just a tad, the PTO stays the same, but your ground speed drops just a touch. Gear tractors certainly have their place, but d@mn do hydros make veggie growing easy!