New 7040--thanks and a wheel question

[mopiflyer]

First, I would like to thank all of you for your helpful and interesting remarks. I got the green light from the wife about 2 weeks ago to replace my old Minneapolis-Moline. Unlike some...that be you Glowplug... I cannot shop very long.... I am a hip shooter buyer and get no thrill out of the "chase". My Minnie was a good runner ( 670 LP... 66 hp) but I was looking for a 4WD and a cab... tired of getting stuck...tired of breathing hay dust...why is the wind always behind you no matter what way you go in a field??? About all I do these days is mow pasture and put up big round bales for my cattle ( Vermeer 605 F..big ole chunk of iron). I also wanted a loader and a hayspear for the front. We have had so much mud here that it is getting ridiculous...my applogies and sincere good will to all of you guys out in Kansas and westward..course, you can't read this because you don't have any power either...Well, I first looked at a Branson 6530...seemed like a pretty good tractor....then I looked at a NH TN75...liked it too... then a NH L80 with 400 hrs... nice...then a JDeere 5025 i think... too much green... and finally a Kubota M7040. Well, I REALLY like it although i was a bit leary about the weight. It has cast wheels and i had "beet juice" put in the tires. Well the real hook was this board. I would have been asking questions, but I didn't get activated until today... so I was regulated to a lurker status. However your banter is filled with a great deal of good advise and most of my questions were answered. I do have one left..probably more later... it just came at noon and my son has driven it more than me already. My question. It looks a bit narrow... especially when i think about a big round bale on the front and one on the back... don't want this puppy to lay on its side or worse. I have looked at the operators manual ( page 46) and maybe if I'm with the tractor it will make more sense, but right now it doesn't appear to be a piece of cake to widen the pretty orange gal out a bit. What am i up against... and should I ask the dealer to do it?
Secondly, and probably too late.. how will this handle the baler. Miss Minnie weighed in at 7600 lbs... right now I am probably 5500-6000 if you count the cast rims and 'beet juice." Thanks again for all of your help.

 

[Blksim]

Mopiflyer,
Congratulations on your new tractor. I think you'll be pleased with it. I too, looked hard at the New Holland TN 75A. Real nice tractor, my neighbor bought one. But due to my experience on Kubotas (this is my 4th) I went orange again. Weight was one of my concerns also. That was one of the reasons I kept looking at the TN75. I didn't know about the cast iron discs. Sounds like a good deal. But I figure my old M5030 made it around these hills for years with just filled rears so I guess the 7040 will be O.K.
When I looked at the 7040 I told the dealer if we could set the rears out to match the spread I had on the 5030 I might go with it. I had the dealer do this before it left his shop. He didn't think it would be necessary until he delivered the tractor and then saw my reasoning.
I 'm not familiar with the CI disc, but I had mine set out to the max with the standard disc as shown in the book and it gave me the same spread as my old tractor. I wouldn't want it any less than the 67.7 inch (max) spread. Once you study the book while looking at the tractor you'll find it's not difficult just heavy. If you're close you may get your dealer to do it for you. Would be a lot easier on a concrete floor.
I've changed them on my smaller L series and it's wasn't that hard but that was a lot lighter work. Changing wheels on the larger rigs I've had to use the FEL on the other tractor.
I pull a mower conditioner and small round baler with mine also. I like the extra 13 PTO hp the 7040 gave me. If I could have gathered a little more change I would have gotten the 8540 but this tractor will fill all my needs.
Good luck with yours and enjoy.

 

[Glowplug]

It's ironic you would mention this. When I was at my dealer yesterday checking out my soon-to-be M7040 I asked him about the width of the rears. It seemed to me the ones on this tractor were set more narrow than the others I had seen. Measuring from outside edge of tire to outside edge I believe it was about 75", but I can't say for sure. This one has CI wheels too. He said he usually mounts the wheels a little differently. He said something that seemed like he was talking about mounting the wheel rims "inside-out" from the way these were mounted. He said that pushes them out about 2-3 inches or so on each side giving you a wider footprint and not having the edge of the tire so close to the fender. I didn't think too much of it at the time and didn't pay too much attention because I had to get back to work.

I'll see if I can ask him more specifics about it tomorrow.
Sorry I can't be more help right now. But, of course, I don't even own a tractor.
I can't wait to join the ranks of the M7040 owners. Only a few more days.

 

[mopiflyer]

Thanks guys,

I'll take a look at it in the morning...gotta hae an excuse... and take my tape measure. It's raining here... again, so I must do something inside.

I checked the weight in the operators manual and it said 5379 lbs...I'm assuming that that is with the cab because the specs I saw in the brocure were lower. The CI wheels add 700 and the Beet jusice adds 1400, so I'm up to 7479 within 200 pounds of my old Minnie... I really had a had time parting with it. Isn't it awful to become attached to a piece of machinery!

I think I will end up asking the dealer to get it as wide as possible. If my calculations are correct, I'm playing with about a 1000 lbs /tire...that'll mash your toe for sure. He still has to bring me a V-rake and a bale spear...so I don't think he'll be too upset if I ask him to do bit more. That is also a reason i bought the 7040 from a dealer that was a bit more money, but closer.


Don

 

[keving]

Congrats on the new 7040. I had my rear wheels set out directly from the dealer before I picked it up. The width at the outside of the rear tires is 84" now and seems very stable. As far as weight goes, the dealer and I added up (from the Kubota 3 ring binder) all the items including the 7040 Cab, 1153 Loader, 72" Bucket, Quick Attach, CI Wheels, tires filled, tooth bar and came out to be around 9300lbs without anything on the 3PH.

Note: If you have a grapple or snow plow that requires the front remote, I suggest getting the Kubota 3rd Function Valve. It's much better that the previous aftermarket valves.

I have about 10 hours on mine and can't wait for seat time. Not looking forward to the 50hr service though...

I look forward to hearing about your 7040 adventures!

 

[m7040]

I am at 135 hours on mine keving, did the 50 hour service myself. Be sure to have lots of buckets for the fluid

 

[mopiflyer]

Thanks for the wheel dimensions. Currently, miss kubby is 70" from outside to outside. I went up to talk to the dealer and they are going take her back with them when the deliver my rake and spear; then they give her a wider stance. Seventy inches (especially with a loader and bale in the air) is just too narrow to be safe unless you live on a cookie sheet. Here we have lots of rollin' ground.

I didn't get a signed commitment, but he was talking like they wouldn't be charging me... and if they do, it shouldn't be much...certainly worth more to me than the possibility of being squashed by a 1000 pound tire... or not doing it and being fattened by a 7000 lb tractor.

Don

 

[Glowplug]

Seventy inches (especially with a loader and bale in the air) is just too narrow to be safe unless you live on a cookie sheet.

I totally agree. 70" is a pretty narrow stance for the M7040. Like I said, the one I'm getting is about 76" I think and it could be widened more. Keep us posted on the fun and games on the M7040. No loader-induced rollovers please.

 

[Glowplug]

When I was at my dealer today checking out my future tractor I asked him to explain what he meant about mounting the wheels to make the stance wider. It has to do with how the rims bolt on to the cast iron disks. If the little "tongue" that the bolt goes through is on the inside of the disk the wheels will be closer. However, if it's on the outside the stance is wider. Hmmm, wait a minute. It may be the other way around. It's difficult to figure out what I'm talking about without actually looking at it. Around the inside of the rim there are several pairs of bolts which attach the disk part to the rim. You can put the disk on the inside or outside of the "tongue" and that's be one thing that changes the tractor stance.

I don't know if I am any help or not.

 

[Glowplug]

Maybe this is a better way to explain the wheel issue. The cast iron wheel discs are bolted to the hub--which basically drives the wheel. The rims, which have the tires on them are bolted onto the disks. Now, if the tongue on the rims is placed on the inside of the disks the stance will be more narrow. If the tongue on the rim is placed on the outside of the disk for bolting the stance will be wider. My dealer changed the method of attatching the disks and rims on "my" tractor to the wider stance. It basically gives you the width of the disk more in width of stance on each wheel.

Hope that's as clear as mud.