My new 6500 4WD experience

awill99 · Jun 8, 2007

To much HP for one. Already bent a new 3 pt Howse Middle
Buster attempting to dig a water line. This Texas clay is really tough! Having a new 30X40 metal building going up and the 42 ft flatbed weighting 22 tons got stuck delivering steel. 1400 rpm low gear in 4WD and out he came. The SKZ 165 coupled with the 6500 4WD and it's Shuttle transmission can really move dirt. I can move more than twice as much dirt in same amount of time as my 5005 DI with the ML 214.
But alas it went back to dealer today as right front seal at tractor hub leaked pretty bad from the time it was delivered (5.8 hours now). Not sure if it hub or diff seal. Brake lock never worked- would roll even on mild grade. Also had engine lope. I'm traveling for 12 days so they can take their time to fix. I miss the oil pressure guage and ammeter(now has idiot lights). The "Glove Box" is a joke unless they left out internal compartment. It opens like a glove compartment but it just a space behind the door that has no bottom. Stuff placed in there will just fall out.
The tool box is better than nothing but I found a nice big 16" Tractor tool box with tools at Tractor Supply for $25. Will be mounting it on fender.

bindian · Jun 8, 2007

Your find that Howse and KingKutter brands tend to be at the lower end in toughness (quality), hince the lower cost.

Your middle buster might have been made for an under 40 hp tractor. What size buster is it? Our Texas clay can be as hard as concrete.

Try mutliple passes, starting shallow. Even watering it down will help.

You may have to step up a knotch to match the toughness of your 6500. Sorry to hear about your hub leak.
hugs, Brandi

awill99 · Jun 8, 2007

It was the Howse MB15U.
Middlebusters made 2 passes and third pass was to be last. Got about 40 ft and hit the hard clay. The engine picked up and I looked back and the 2 Cat 1 pins on Howse were bent forward. Some welds were stressed as well. By the way I started by subsoiling down 21 inches. Middlebuster I was down maybe 15-16 inches in subsoiler path when this happened. Of course subsoiler is only about a 2 inch wide path .

Maine_Polack · Jun 9, 2007

Yes, the 6500 is sometimes a destructive beast. Pics of a Pat's easy change. (which they replaced), and a rake after it had been heated and straightened. Not straight, but goodnuff'.

I backed into a tree with the rake and just crinkled it. Never felt a thing sitting and running the tractor!

Maine_Polack · Jun 9, 2007

However....when the power can be applied in a constructive way.....

Pushed and dug hundreds of pines last summer. 6" to the one shown in pic. When the moisture was right in the soil, I could shake and beat the stump some so the dirt fell off. When I was done there was just an easily filled depression. No back hoe needed.

Dougster · Jun 9, 2007

awill99 said:
To much HP for one. Already bent a new 3 pt Howse Middle Buster attempting to dig a water line.

Now there's an "owner complaint" that you don't often see with ORANGE or LIME GREEN!

Dougster

awill99 · Jun 10, 2007

It's not a complaint- just a user going thru the learning curve. Need to put a rear looking video camera on so l I can see what's happening at implement level. This is almost twice the HP I am use to.

Dougster · Jun 10, 2007

awill99 said:
It's not a complaint- just a user going thru the learning curve. Need to put a rear looking video camera on so l I can see what's happening at implement level. This is almost twice the HP I am use to.

Just kidding you Arnold... but I can't wait to see your camera arrangement.

Might be cheaper just to buy a couple clamp-on rear view mirrors and some seriously heavy-duty 3-pt implements.

Dougster

Maine_Polack · Jun 10, 2007

I, at one time considered a video setup for the front. I use the forks a lot and am usually flying blind.

I know they use them in combines etc., but figured if I mounted one, it would probably last about 30 seconds in the woods.

Same for a mirror setup.

I do have a magnetic rear view mirror that I use frequently. It is good for traveling on the road and seeing trees that one might back into....

awill99 · Jun 22, 2007

Picked it up today. Was a bad seal at right front hub. Also adjusted brakes.Said they couldn't do anything for the engine "lope" which I was disappointed about but it's minor. Got it back to farm and got truck stuck in wet Texas Gumbo but the 6500 didn't even use governor to pull it out.