Using a 5030 Kubota for running hay, especially a commercial operation is about unheard of around here. Around here, we are used to using at the very least a 4050 JD.
I've been a Kubota fan for about 20 years now and in the past, I never considered using one for any farm work other than mowing the grass (we have about 7 acres to mow), stacking and feeding rounds (we raise Percheron draft horses, or should I say my wife does), cleaning out the barns, loading the spreader and miscellaneous chores.
Anyway, last year during our 3rd., cut, Our old reliable 4020 blew a head gasket and our 4050 was split for a clutch. We have much larger row crop articulated Deeres in the 150 hp. pto range, but you can't run haying implements with them because of their size, wheel track, visibility and turning radius. Besides, with that much power on tap there is no feel for the mower let alone a baler. So....
I, at the time had an
L3710, no cab, turf tires with a 72 mid mount that I mowed with. In desperation, we dismounted the mower and pressed the 3710 into service. We bailed about 45 acres with it in front of our 335 JD square baler with a flat rack hooked behind. I ran it in 4wd and other than the shake from the plunger, it did a fantistic job. We also used it in front of our JD 225 Kicker with a bale wangon behind and other than no hydraulic remotes on the 3710 to hook to the 225 to control the angle of throw, it worked fine at that task too. I used the 4050 on the rounder as we only round 1st. cut. Anyway...
Around Christmas time I got the urge to go tractor shopping. I've bought all my Kubota's from Dans farm Supply in Adrain, Michigan. I trust Dan and his staff and they have never steered either me or my partner wrong. As I am getting along in years, I wanted a cab tractor, but the M series was a little to tall to fit in my at home shop overhead door. I looked at pictures and poured over the specs on the new GrandL's and settled on the 5030. My utmost concern was that the 5030 could handle not only the toungue weight of our 13 foot JD MoCo without being horsed around but that it had the pto power to run it in heavy haying conditions. I was also concerned about the 5030 being able to handle the rounder. I discussed these concerns with the Kubota Regional Sales Representative as well as the sales staff at Dans'. Kubota assured me that the 5030 was capable of handling the mower and rounder. Iwas also told by Dans' that if the 5030 was not capable, they would take back the tractor and refund my full purchase price. Needless to say, last week I set the MoCo on the back and mowed a field of extremely thick, tall orchard grass and the 5030 took it in stride while I sat in the cab with the AC on with a Travis Tritt c.d. in the player. The MoCo will horse the 5030 in a tight corner if I don't lift the head but the tractor dosen't feel at all light in the front and I have no suitcase weights on the front bar either. I run the drawbar as close to the hitch mount as practical and still allow the drive shaft and shields not to hit the lift arms on a tight corner. The tongue weight of the MoCo is around 1,000 pounds and it dosen't affect the balance of the tractor at all.
The rounder also does fine on the 5030 and I broke 6 shear bolts while baling the orchard grass due to the fact that I had to get it up quick and could'nt roller crimp it. The Kubota engine must have really good torque rise as the baler never seemed to strain the engine. I ran the rounder at about 425 indicated pto rpm and the MoCo at 525. My mowing speed was 5.5 mph in mid range, 4wd of course.
My partner and I spent some time this winter at various forage and hay growers seminars in Michigan and Ohio. One thing that farmers like to do is overpower and overweight their tractors. Michigan State University did a study of hay fields using infrared cameras. The study concluded that increases in forage productivity increase up to 20 percent if you make the least amount of trips across the field and use the lightest tractors possible. Hay is money for us and to increase production by having less damage to the plants warrants the use of lighter tractors. The 5030 fills that bill for us.
As far as limitations go, the only problem I have is the fact that the loader will not lift rounds high enough to stack 2 rows high on a semi trailer. Of course we have our "utility vehicle" for that job.
Another problem with the 5030 is that the R4 tires stick
way out from the rear fenders. When travelling from field to field on dirt and gravel roads, they tend to hurl missles and if I run through a puddle, the side galss doors are immediately covered in mud. I had dan's check with Kubota and Kubota has designed a rubber fender extension for the cab model Grand L's. I requested a prototype set if my dealer can get them. They are most certainly a necessity.
A problem that I have is keeping all these different model designations in order. I have a 5030, a 4020, a 4050 and a 3020. My partner has about 5 more. That's why I had to change my sign in name here on TBYNet from 3050 to 5030 sort of Deere to Kubota /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
