Toothbar, rear remotes, grill guard

canoetrpr · Nov 28, 2005

Just finalized a deal on a Kubota L3400HST w. FEL and BB60 Woods rotary cutter.

I'm about at the end of my budget but I was wondering if I ought to scrape together a bit more and get a toothbar installed before delivery. I've been quoted $550 cdn which doesn't sound unreasonble.

How about rear remotes? Don't think I need them until I add some other implements - at least a year away but should I try to get them done now while the tractor is still at the dealer's?

How about a grill guard? Worthwhile?

I'm definately getting a block heater added.

Just trying to think up things that might make my tractor more useful and I'm thinking that the toothbar is the best place for my $$.

What do you think?

txdon · Nov 28, 2005

Those are the first three things I added to my tractor. You will probably have to further protect the front with expanded metal on the grill guard by either welding or like I did with u bolts. Before I put the expanded metal on a limb poked a hole in the tractor.

The tooth bar is a must for several reasons - 1. breaks hard dirt for loading and digging, 2. pops shallow roots out of the ground, 3. allows you to carry long objects, 4. allows you to break limbs.
You might want to check with Markham if you don't have a bolt on blade, otherwise I would probably go with the dealer just to get it done.

Remotes - If you are planning on getting a grapple, or a box blade or a wood splitter then get them. Get a minimum of two and three if you can.
Post pics when it's delivered!

flusher · Nov 28, 2005

Just ordered a toothbar from Markham Welding

Markham Welding

for the LA302 FEL bucket on my B7510HST. It's 46.5" wide, $175 plus $50 UPS ground from North Carolina to Northern CA. Will be shipped next week.

Your bucket is considerably wider, IIRC, but I'll bet that Markham can beat that $550 cdn quote (1 dollar cdn = 85.4 cents U.S.).

A lot of folks in these forums strongly recommend the Markham toothbar, which is good enough for me.

wushaw · Nov 28, 2005

I am suprised that you didn't get the grill guard with the FEL since it is standard with the LA463, not unless you didn't get the Kubota FEL.

RalphVa · Nov 29, 2005

A grill guard came with my FEL. Bought a toothbar with my FEL, too. I've only used the toothbar once so far. Had to get underneath the edges of some fresh asphalt to break it off, because some got over the line onto my neighbor's. Don't think I could have done this without the toothbar. My toothbar was about $300.

A rear remote would be nice to use with a hydraulic top link on a brush hog, in addition to the other uses pointed out.

Check out your owner's manual or tech/repair manual/CD and see how the rear remote is done. You might be able to easily add this later.

I bought the toothbar when I bought the tractor, and the dealer did it before delivery. Found out later that the bucket on the JD detaches easily. Would have been fairly easy to raise the bucket into the back of the pickup, detach it and drive it to the dealer for them to drill those 2 huge holes in the sides of the bucket.

Ralph

ronjhall · Nov 29, 2005

I have 3 remotes on my tractor. If you are going to do much work with a Box Blade they will make job a lot easier.
Here is part numbers and pricing (U.S.) for up to 3 remotes. BL7303 1st remote valve $611, L8306/L8303 2nd remote $414, L8307/L8303 3rd remote $414, L8326 Top-N-Tilt kit $725.
Information came from Here.
Brush guard comes with loader. You may want to add something more to better protect grill. Here is what one TBNer did. Click Here

Soundguy · Nov 29, 2005

I' at least get the grill guard... too many things like to poke radiators..

Soundguy

canoetrpr · Nov 29, 2005

Shows you how new I am at this. I probably do get the grill guard with the FEL. Going to ask my dealer about this. Like you say I'm guessing its included.

I've got a limited budget as it sits for any extras - close to 0 actually. After reading a bit about box blade use I think I'd need remotes and a top-n-tilt to use a box blade properly and that's more dough then I can afford right not.

So I'm thinking that I'll go for the toothbar and add the remotes as I add other implements.

canoetrpr · Nov 29, 2005

( Just ordered a toothbar from Markham Welding

for the LA302 FEL bucket on my B7510HST. It's 46.5" wide, $175 plus $50 UPS ground from North Carolina to Northern CA. Will be shipped next week.

A lot of folks in these forums strongly recommend the Markham toothbar, which is good enough for me.
)

Wow - that does sound like a nice deal. What kind of installation effort is involved with the Markham toothbar?

I know I've seen pictures of folks who have added a grapple to their existing bucket. I can see a variety of uses for this. What would this kind of setup cost and who sells it?

flusher · Nov 29, 2005

Need to drill two 1/2" holes in the sides of the bucket. Pretty easy with a good drill and one of those white bi-metal hole saws made by Milwaukee and others that are good for both wood and metal.

The toothbar bolts on. Markham includes two 2"x2"x3/8" stiffeners that you can weld around the holes to keep them from enlarging with use. Not absolutely necessary, but nice to have.

Note that Markham's toothbar is designed for a bucket with a welded on, not bolted on, digging edge. The toothbar uses the digging edge as one of its support points and the bolts holding the digging edge would interfere.

BobReeves · Nov 29, 2005

Many people have used a BB for years without a hydraulic link. It makes it easier and faster but not a necessity. If money is tight, don't let it stop you from getting a BB. Next to a mower my BB is the most used implement I own.

SkyPup · Nov 29, 2005

The Kubota Grill Guard comes as part of the Kubota FEL package. You can always weld on some extra protection to keep sticks and such out of your radiator like we did on our L-3130 with LA723 FEL.

Grant1 · Nov 29, 2005

I would definitley get a toothbar from Markham Welding. Some of the nicest folks to deal with. Good value easy installation.

txdon · Nov 29, 2005

And, is here a "no weld" extra protection for your grill guard using expanded metal and U bolts. Expanded metal, U-bolts, and paint - $30

There are more grill protection ideas in this thread.

IslandTractor · Nov 30, 2005

( And, is here a "no weld" extra protection for your grill guard using expanded metal and U bolts. Expanded metal, U-bolts, and paint - $30 )

Nice work Don. That'll catch those sneaky one inchers that sneak past the grill guard!

RedRocker · Nov 30, 2005

Bob is right, you don't "need" hydraulics to use a box blade, they work fine without, just takes longer to adjust them.
If you're working in brush I'd for sure put a screen in your grill guard, they're pretty useless otherwise.

3RRL · Nov 30, 2005

( Just trying to think up things that might make my tractor more useful and I'm thinking that the toothbar is the best place for my $$. What do you think?)

In my opinion, your investment will definitely pay off if you include a boxblade as well.

I have used the FEL and boxblade more extensively than anything else since I purched the tractor. Of course my property is mostly raw land in the foothills below Sequoia National Park and is at the stage where I do a lot of road work and pad preparation. The FEL and Boxblade have been invaluable in moving large amounts of dirt around. My terrain is mostly large Oak trees on rolling hills and meadows, so there is not a lot of "brush" to deal with, so I did not get a front grill gaurd.

I did purchase the Top & tilt system for manuevering the boxblade using the rear remotes and just made things easier. But before that, I simply turned the top link turnbuckle to adjust it. And as said before, don't let that stop you from getting one.

I also just ordered a toothbar from Markham Welding and just found out today that they had a problem in the shop and did not ship it out yet. They plan to do so next Wednesday. I really could have used that toothbar for all the loader work I've done so far, but there will be plenty of use for it when it arrives. It cost me $332 which includes freight from NC to CA and is for a 72" bucket.

If your property is somewhere at that stage, I would definitely recommend the toothbar and boxblade.

jmckelvy · Nov 30, 2005

Where can "expanded metal" be purchased? I think my 4310 needs one of these grill guards.

Reading this forum has gotten expensive what with the new grapple with rear remotes which required a new welder to beef up the FEL bucket. There is also the matter of a new TSC 3pt log splitter, works great. I should have bought one long ago. Now you guys have me thinking about a Markham toothbar as well. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Jim

canoetrpr · Nov 30, 2005

You're not kidding about this forum getting expensive. When I got here I was looking to spend about $4k on a tractor. Little did I know what tractors cost. A few months later and I just dropped about $27k on a brand new one

I decided to go with the toothbar. I went with my dealer. Worked out more expensive than Markham but he's doing the install and I get the whole thing as a package.

At this point - unfortunately I'm out of money and have to stop spending it as a result. I have a laundry list of things I'd like for my new orange toy. Guessing they will be somewhat in this order:
- Quick hitch
- Rear remotes
- Rear blade.
- Snowblower.
- Box blade - with top-n-tilt if I can swing it.
- ATI grapple kit.

It's going to be a long time before I have enough $$ to satisfy this list.

rk246 · Nov 30, 2005

Rob,
Thanks for posting that about the marham toothbar, I am here in Oregon and am going to order one, so now I have a better idea how much. The only thing I was wondering on the toothbar was how long the teeth are? Would a little longer lend itself to easier brush raking?

As for the top and tilt? can somone clarify this further for me? or have a picture or a link to what it looks like, I am buying a new 3830 and am trying to decide if I need remotes and how many? I am assuming that one remote will only run one cylinder? So do you need more than one? If 2 would they both be on the back?

Thanks again and sorry for the basic level questions, obviously I have so much to learn, I am very thankful I found this site.