Old Kubota sizes

mot krig · Aug 17, 2020

Hello,

I grew up running the tractor dedicated to kids, a b7100. Thing never broke despite my beating it. Your meter stopped years ago at 3500 and has just never skipped a beat. Runs great to this day. Since then I grew up and bought a b21 and now own an l3130. Both have been plagued with problems as a result of fancy electric crap that doesn't provide any functionality.

Question is, what's a Kubota that's a b7100 vintage Kubota that's 30-40 HP? I need the lift capacity of my l3130 but am tired of chasing electrical gremlins and subpart build quality of the old days.

Btw, mechanical maintenance doesn't bother me so I don't care if I find something with high hours. No, I don't care about HST vs manual.

Thanks for your help.

Thomas · Aug 17, 2020

:welcome: to TBN.
My first Kubota was 1995 B7100HST and it was working mule never gave one problem,sure wish it had power steering tho.

Try tractordata.com for the answer your seeking may help.

newbury · Aug 17, 2020

mot krig said:
Hello,

I grew up running the tractor dedicated to kids, a b7100. Thing never broke despite my beating it. Your meter stopped years ago at 3500 and has just never skipped a beat. Runs great to this day. Since then I grew up and bought a b21 and now own an l3130. Both have been plagued with problems as a result of fancy electric crap that doesn't provide any functionality.

Question is, what's a Kubota that's a b7100 vintage Kubota that's 30-40 HP? I need the lift capacity of my l3130 but am tired of chasing electrical gremlins and subpart build quality of the old days.

Btw, mechanical maintenance doesn't bother me so I don't care if I find something with high hours. No, I don't care about HST vs manual.

Thanks for your help.

I've got an 1995 M4700. Maybe a little big but darn reliable. I bought it when I was looking for a tractor that would lift a ton on the 3pt.

rScotty · Aug 17, 2020

mot krig said:
Hello,

I grew up running the tractor dedicated to kids, a b7100. Thing never broke despite my beating it. Your meter stopped years ago at 3500 and has just never skipped a beat. Runs great to this day. Since then I grew up and bought a b21 and now own an l3130. Both have been plagued with problems as a result of fancy electric crap that doesn't provide any functionality.

Question is, what's a Kubota that's a b7100 vintage Kubota that's 30-40 HP? I need the lift capacity of my l3130 but am tired of chasing electrical gremlins and subpart build quality of the old days.

Btw, mechanical maintenance doesn't bother me so I don't care if I find something with high hours. No, I don't care about HST vs manual.
Thanks for your help.

You can still buy and use those good old style tractors and yes, they last pretty much forever. They were solid and infinitely rebuildable. I've found that parts are available and reasonably priced. You just have to shop around to find a pre-1998 model - because that is when they went from mechanical to the first electronic injection. i.e. computers...
Not many were HST if any. The hot modern transmission setup was either syncro, shuttle, or power shift. Basically those were hydraulic clutch pacs built right into the transmission and actuated by the shifter. Many people people simply bought manual transmissions - which had become pretty much bulletproof. Even clutches lasted decades.

The tractor world was really stable for decades. Compact and Utility size tractor engines and transmissions didn't change much from from the B7100 era (mid 1970s) up until the mid to late 1990s. For 20 years they were your old style mechanical injection (no common rail) diesels. Very simple with no need for electronics or computer control. The mechanical fuel injector was simpler, completely worked out, and less expensive anyway. Diesels from that era really only needed an electric starter and a token generator for lights. Some didn't even have that. We hardly ever talked about reliability in tractors. It was a given. 10,000 hrs was common, and then rebuild it.

The first emission regulations for under 75 hp offroad diesels - which includes most of our TBN tractors - came into effect for the 1998/99 model tractors. All of a sudden tractors were hugely different. Tractors became much more more expensive, as well as less reliable. since they now had electronics and computers, manufacturers used those same models to introduce the variety of electronic and electro/hydraulic extras that define today's models. The newer ones do have greater efficiency and less pollution. Also more problems and maintenance required. Ultimate reliability is still unknown - IMHO.

But anyway, those older tractors are still out there for the mechanically inclined. Real good prices too. Stay with models before the mid 1990s. The actual year doesn't matter much, since they were made in factory runs and warehoused until sold.
rScotty