MX seat is giving up the ghost, replacements?

[bdhsfz6]

I just bought a cordura fabric Durafit seat cover soon after I bought my tractor. The cover was less than $40 and protects the seat from UV and keeps the seat cool in the sun.

All the Kubota tractors I've owned had seats that flip forward to keep them dry and out of the sun. I never had cracking problems on any of them.

A fabric cover does help though to absorb sweat on a hot day.

 

[CADplans]

All the Kubota tractors I've owned had seats that flip forward to keep them dry and out of the sun. I never had cracking problems on any of them.

A fabric cover does help though to absorb sweat on a hot day.

Thermoplastic parts are made out of long chain molecules.
The item that is molded has molecules that look like a bunch of tow chains laying next to each other.
The reason seats crack today, compared to long ago, is that there is lots of "regrind" in the plastic.

Regrind is previously molded plastic that is ground into small pieces, and remolded into the new object.

EACH time a piece of plastic is ground, the long plastic molecules get shorter.
WAY BACK WHEN,, there was no used plastic, all plastic molded parts were virtually unbreakable.

The long molecules bond to other molecules with greater strength than short molecules.

The first ever part I designed out of plastic was a door handle for an industrial case.
Everyone thought the handle would break,, but, I specified the part would only be molded out of virgin plastic.
The handle was unbreakable,, it ended up being stronger than the aluminum handle that it replaced.

 

[sea2summit]

Why are seats cracking? Its just another thing to service and maintain now. The tractor companies with their China suppliers have removed the UV protective additive from their formulations. Seats in the past lasted 20+ years, today, the expensive seats only last 5 years if you are lucky enough.

On the Yanmar Tractor Owners Forum with the Deere siblings, we've gotten tired of the $80 to $200 seat replacements every few years now. Its gotten so bad, the only viable solution now are Marine boat seats with the thicker material and UV protection like before.

Atwood makes this really nice seat,
Needing orange, there are far and few choices. People just go with black or the camo.

View attachment 2611892

You get two of the seat for the price of 1 lousy tractor version sold today.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/HTYSUPPLY-High-Back-Folding-Fishing-Boat-Seat-Camo-2-Seats/5004352501

• DESIGN:high-back boat seat design ideal for fishing and boating, aluminum hinges enable backrest to be flipped down, creating more space.
• DURABLE: durable seat can withstand the long-term rigors of a marine environment.
• BOAT SEAT DIMENSION: Height 21.5 ” X Width 17.3 ” X Depth 17.5 ”， Weight Limit :250 Ibs.
• MATERIAL:compression foam padding remains firm after long-term use.Marine grade heavy duty polyester.
• INSTALLATION: easy to install on any standard 5" X 5" fishing pedestals or swivels, 4 stainless steel mounting screws included. No swivel/pedestal included.
• NOTE: Photo may slightly different from Actual Item in Terms of color due to the lighting during Photo Shooting or the Monitor's display.

Some of the Deere 50, 55, 70 and 90 series compact tractors have the option for the 30 degree seat swivel. Basically it's just the boat seat swivel. And much of the time the seat mounting is identical to plenty of tractor seats too from the 1980s to now.

I found a Wise boat seat at an estate sale this past summer for a mere $15. And it came with the swivel on the base. It was never used.

View attachment 2611893

Yes, this is a very low end marine seat as the bottom uses the plastic typar, yet it will outlast any of the modern tractor seats out there today. I have laid in an underseat bezel to keep material from coming loose. Hey for $15, I couldn't pass up the deal. The seat goes for $25 and the swivel for $20.

Atwood does have one with some orange in it,
View attachment 835892

Wise makes this one,
View attachment 835893
other gray/black types,
View attachment 835894

View attachment 835896

Get 2 for the price of 1. Thus, a spare,
View attachment 835898

View attachment 835899

Well in fairness, the seat has never cracked. The glue bonding the foam and the cover has let go. It's also 8 years old with thousands of hours on it.

 

[sea2summit]

Did someone mention CORDURA!!?? I got mine from Rural King,,

That seat is called a zero-turn mower replacement.
I guess some people spend lots of time on zero-turns??

The seat on my 584IH is all-day comfortable,, it is a forklift seat.
Look at forklift seats,, there are some REALLY nice ones.

They opened a rural king 2.5 hours from me a few years back...I'm embarrassed at how many times I've made that drive to go to a single store.

 

[5030]

Bottom line is Kubota OEM seats SUCK big time and I don't care what the are made from or who made them. Great tractors (all I run) but the seats suck and no way around that. Kubota builds high quality tractors but their seats are suck quality. They need to get a new supplier.

 

[dj1701]

I had to replace my BX seat because it was killing my back. I could not get out of bed the day after mowing.

I purchased a Grammer suspension seat. It made all the difference in the world. I also got some of this UV protectant.

 

[Texasmark]

IMO, a quality tractor seat is worth every penny, especially as you get older.

I spent the extra money on a Kubota air ride seat, made by Grammer, for my MX5800.

Yes, they are pricey but if you put a lot of hours on your tractor, your back will thank you many times over!

When I first saw it I thought it was a great idea to sit on an adjustable cushion of air. So, I bought a new tractor in 2007 with an air ride seat and even though it had a cab, the air ride function was problematic and Pneumatics was the source of the problems. So I trashed it and bought a mechanically tensioned, adjustable, premium seat with 4" of vertical travel and have been happy with the change.

 

[Texasmark]

Still vinyl and vinyl blows in hot weather as in sweaty crack...lol I much prefer Cordura at least in my open station, my cab tractor had a Seats, Inc., cloth seat i some sort of textured fabric but that in the cab and not out in the weather and Cordura is impervious tp the weather, even though I put a large plastic garbage bag over it to keep the cats from sleeping on it and leaving fur behind.

All seats today adhere to the ISO standard for threaded bolt holes so most (unless real cheap) are basically plug and play and as far as a swivel base goes, I want a locking swivel base so I went with a Seats, Inc., swivel base on my cab unit and it mated right up to the air suspension Grammer base I left in the cab when I canned the crappy Grammer seat that had no lumbar support and the armrests were cheap blow molded plastic. Least they did adjust. I spend a ton of time on my tractors during the summer and I want to be comfortable and no sweaty crack either.

My cab tractor will always have a cloth (breathable) seat. My open stations get vinyl, usually with a removable fabric cushion since they sometimes sit out in the weather and weather can get under the sheds where they are normally parked.

For a removable cushion for vinyl seat tractors, the OTR truck, cloth covered, air type (manual air valve...blow it up) adjustable pressure is tops and for about a hundred bucks in today's dollars well worth the investment.

 

[5030]

Whatever blows your dress up I guess. I sat in a class 8 truck for about 35 years and I don't have any desire to sit on a truck seat cushion now. I avoid truck stops like the plague. Fuel prices Diesel are inflated, truckers cannot park for beans and attendants are generally rude and no good food anymore unless you want Popeye's chicken or a Hardees taste less burger or a McDees anemia burger. I sill own a big truck and grain trailer and I have not been in a Truckstop in years.

 

[Brily Farms]

My MX5800 came with a MILSCO XB200 as the OEM seat. After 8 years, the foam cushion separated from the plastic shell. I replaced it with the same MILSCO XB200 seat purchased on Ebay for $145+ tax with free shipping. This is the second time I've purchased the MILSCO XB200 -- had to replace seat on New Holland TC33D (2003). Highly recommend this seat. Easy to install with predrilled holes to accommodate a variety of tractors.