It is time for another installment of KubotaTube, where we scour YouTube to surface some interesting videos featuring our favorite orange tractor in action. Instructional videos are handy but sometimes its more fun to watch others do the heavy lifting, or pulling, in minus 30 degree weather. Without further delay…
2 Engines, 8 Tires and 5 Gallons of Diesel Fuel
I like this video because it demonstrates the can do spirit, even if it looks a little out of control at times. These two gents managed to chain together what looks like an L245 and L225 to generate enough pony power to get that bottom plow moving. They plowed 2 acres like this.
Orange and Yellow Team Up to Save the Bacon
Skip ahead to the 1 minute mark in this video to watch a Caterpillar backhoe team up with our hero to have a semi truck with a load of hogs stuck in a snow ditch. Family entertainment folks.
Not a Kubota – But it is Orange…
And there’s a horse in this one so we will let it in! Continuing the theme of ropes strung between pieces of heavy equipment moving somewhat dangerously – we have a 4WD Zetor pulling a truck up a muddy embankment – all of which is pulled by a single horse at the top.
Same road, but different truck this time. We also get a glimpse of what not to do behind a muddy heavy piece of moving equipment.
Man and His L3400 Knock a House Down
Demolition and a Kubota L Series. What else does a man need really? Jump ahead to the 0:40 mark to watch the carnage.
Next Best Thing to a Ski Hill
Believe it or not, this is only the second video of a Kubota gray market B1600DT pulling a skier I have seen.
Ahhh yes, the battery. Really handy when it comes to starting your Kubota but after that just seems like its along for the ride. Still, it is important that we think about the battery every now and then to avoid a situation where we are 5 miles away, sun going down, wolves starting to come out… you know the drill. Let us look at some ways to make sure your battery is the best it can be.
Cold Cranking Amperes
The CCA rating, or cold cranking amperes, of your Kubota’s battery is a measure of its ability to deliver current at a temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 Celsius) for 30 seconds – hence the reference to cold. We know that as the temperature decreases the efficiency of the battery decreases. This explains why the battery CCA rating is lower than its cranking amperes, or CA, rating measured at a warmer 32 degrees. Most cars have batteries around 500-600 CCA.
The engine in your Kubota is of high compression which means it takes a lot of muscle to get it going in the first place. We recommend at least a 850 CCA rated battery or even 1000 CCA if you live in a cooler climate. It is important to remember that even if the battery is fully charged and fresh, if it lacks the ability to deliver enough current to get that engine turning over your equipment will not start – especially on cold days.
A battery that we pulled during routine service. Although the battery was fully charged, the CCA rating here is 525 which is too low. Replacing the battery with one that offered higher CCAs will greatly decrease starting effort.
Hold Down Bracket
Most of Kubota’s lineup ship from the factory with some sort of battery hold or tie mechanism. Usually it is just an angled bracket that holds the battery snug with a couple of long bolts. The purpose of this bracket is to reduce the amount of shock and vibration transferred to the battery during normal operation – and operating a tractor can be a bit rough sometimes.
A battery and hold down bracket.
The reason we want to reduce vibration to the battery is to prevent the parallel lead plates inside of the battery from colliding and destroying themselves. There are 6 cells in a standard battery. Each time a cell is destroyed expect a drop of 2.1V across the terminals – not good. Vibration is a quick way to destroy your new battery.
Does this mean you need to purchase an expensive anti vibration battery too? No. I do not think that the value is there for anti vibration batteries. Make use of your battery hold down bracket or get one if you have lost it and you are set.
Know Your Battery Terminals
Inspect your battery terminals. They should be free of chalky white corrosion and nice and snug on the battery posts. Make sure you have a solid ground connection to the frame. So far, easy right?
Comparison between old connectors that need replacement. The old connector had a crack all the way through its right side. This meant regardless of how tight the connector was closed around the post, a good connection would never be made.
Something that is often overlooked is caused by the type of terminal connector itself. There are typically two types of battery terminal connectors:
enclosed style – these have the terminal connector and wire lead as one piece
clamp style – these sandwich the wire from the lead at the back of the connector
What can happen over time with enclosed connectors is the wire inside the sheath can wear and break at the base of the connector. Since everything is enclosed you cannot actually see that the wire is making poor contact with the end of the connector! You will pull your hair out testing everything else (battery, alternator, belts, regulator, etc) before you realize the base of the connector is at fault.
We prefer to use the open, clamp style connectors. It is plain and easy to see if the wire lead is making proper contact. Case closed.
Left - clamp-style connector. Right - enclosed-style connector where the wire can break at or inside the base of the connector leading to unexplainable electrical malfunction.
Test the Voltage
As mentioned earlier, your Kubota’s battery has 6 cells in it producing 2.1V. When organized in series inside the battery the combined voltage is 12.6V. Take a volt meter across the terminals of your battery periodically and confirm that you are in the neighborhood.
Anything too far off 12.6V and start looking at the rest of your charging system to make sure everything is up to snuff. Unlike our road vehicles, when the battery is not being charged properly it can take months or even a year before that problem manifests itself as a failure to start. It simply takes that long to run the battery down when you do not have a radio, air conditioner or DVD player to power (with exception to the newer M and Grand L series of course!).
Using a volt meter to measure across the terminals. 12.5V reading here means this battery is well charged (but still not enough CCAs to be useful in our Kubota).
Battery Recommendation
Again, you do not need an expensive antishock battery here. We use Energizer batteries rated at 850+ CCA from WalMart. Others have had good luck with Exide or Allstate Mega-tron (sounds like a gun or something). All priced around $80-100 + battery disposal tax.
Summary
In short, some things you can do to make sure your battery is in good working order for when you need it:
use a battery rated at 850 CCA or higher
make use of the battery hold down bracket to prevent premature failure
make sure your battery terminals are clean and tight on the posts
use open, clamp-style terminals if you can opposed to enclosed terminals
periodically measure the voltage across the terminals – a properly charged battery should be around 12.6V
Having Other Problems?
Read through this article, checked your battery and starting to think it might be something else? We have segment coming up that looks a little deeper into your electrical and charging system. Stay tuned!
A chalky and coarse steering wheel - commonly found on older B and L series Kubotas.
If you own an older L or B Series Kubota tractor chances are pretty good that the steering wheel on it looks like it has seen better days. It is probably chalky, scratchy, white and coarse. Seems like most Kubota steering wheels end up like this after a couple of years in the sun.
Why the Steering Wheel Degrades
The steering wheel on your Kubota tractor is made from a vinyl chloride polymer resin that degrades as it is exposed to the elements and ultraviolet light from the sun. This gradual chemical breakdown in the material of your steering wheel shows up as a chalky white residue, almost like the wheel is flaking apart.
Some creative owners, dissatisfied with the appearance of their Kubota’s steering wheel have:
wrapped the wheel in electrical tape
installed an aftermarket steering wheel cover
gone to the expense of replacing the wheel with a new one – average cost for a new wheel is around $150+
Quick Restoration Tip
Before doing any three of the above, try this tip: using a propane torch, on a relatively low setting, work the flame over the wheel inch by inch. You will be able to see the old resin melting and the wheel returning to its former black state. Keep the flame moving slowly, watching the resin turn black and move on before you burn it. If you do burn it a little, wait a few minutes and go back over the area, remelting it.
Set your torch to a low setting and work the flame over the wheel to melt the resin.
Take your time and keep going over all black parts of the wheel and center cap. The process takes about 20 minutes but afterward you have a wheel that looks almost new! Worth a try before you experiment with electrical tape or order a new wheel.
Ahhhh yes, YouTube, now the internet’s number 2 search engine behind Google. There is nothing you cannot find on it, including plenty of videos of Kubotas in action. Remember, watch these in high definition if available. Without further ado, I present to you 7 must-see Kubota videos:
Snowblowing Action Video
I like this video because it shows what looks to be a Kubota BX24 with a rear snow blower tossing snow 15 feet in the air – what’s not to like? Also at 51 seconds into the video we see a dog with what appears to be a very large udder wander into frame. Worth a look.
Kubota M108 Hauling Bales Like they Weigh 50lbs
Here we get to see Kubota’s new 108 horsepower M108 in action. It has a pair of pallet forks and spears 2 bales at once and hauls them around – the Kubota does not skip a beat. You will note that at almost 9500lbs, there is no need for this M series to ballast the rear against the weight of those bales. Right around 45 seconds in we get a nice 1st-person view of what it looks like to operate this beast! Watch the video to the end and count how many bales on the trailer.
M9000 Really Stuck
I’ve posted this video on OrangeTractorTalks before but it is always worth a look. This M9000 is stuck deep in the mud and the suction keeps it there.
Kubota Tug of War
A couple of guys got together and wanted to settle the question of “in a tug of war between a Caterpillar forklift and a smaller Kubota BX series who would win?” I will not spoil the video for you but I’m guessing that this equipment is not their own.
Box Scraper in Action
YouTube user wilsonoutdoors brings us a handy video that shows us a box scraper used to grade a driveway. Sometimes we can forget about the trusty box scraper, but this video does that attachment justice. Their other videos include mower decks and stump removal so check those out too.
Abusing Your Father’s Kubota when He’s Not Around
Here is another video out of the “I do not personally own or pay for this equipment” file. Skip the first 20 seconds and have a look as two teenagers repeatedly ram the equipment into a snow drift and perform numerous, high speed and dangerous doughnuts in a snowy field. Something tells me they will be needing that ROPS sooner than later.
Kubota Export Yard
I’ve included this short clip of Japanese Domestic Market (soon to be gray market) Kubotas prepped for export from a Japanese shipping yard. These Kubota tractors are due for destinations all over the world and typically collect in yards like these before being distributed by the container load. Just like their newer cousins, the wheels are unbolted and the units undergo minor disassembly for transport. If they are used, like these ones are, they will also be pressure washed as required by the importing country duty and customs department. Most countries have strict regulations when dealing with imported agricultural equipment that still has mud or vegetation on the equipment.
Here is a subject that is sure to ignite discussion amongst many Kubota tractor owners. If you shed park your Kubota in sub zero temperatures you might be tempted to use some other kind of starting fluid to get your Kubota tractor firing. Every now and then we hear the question, “Is it OK to use starting fluid on my Kubota tractor?” The simple answer is no!
A Kubota L185's 2 cylinder diesel engine with a huge hole in the block.
What is Starting Fluid?
Starting fluids are comprised of volatile hydrocarbons, heptane, butane, hexane and a mixture of up to 60% diethyl ether. Ether is clear, colorless liquid that has a low autoignition temperature – handy when the engine you are attempting to use it on it cold. The temperature at which ether auto ignites is 360 Fahrenheit or 182 Celsius. Ether also has a high cetane number, a measure of fuel ignition delay – ether has a high index and so the delay from fuel injection to fuel combustion is shorter. Finally, ether has no lubricating properties like normal diesel fuel does, making it harder on gaskets and seals. Starting fluid is widely available at any automotive supply chain and typically costs $4-5 per spray-can sized can.
How a Diesel Engine Fires
When we take a closer look at the basic mechanical principles of a diesel engine it become easier to understand why reaching for the starter fluid when you are having a tough time getting your Kubota to start is not a good idea.
In any diesel engine, only air is introduced to the combustion chamber. The compressing of this air raises the cylinder temperature to over 1000 degrees F (550 Celsius). At this precise moment, the tip of the injector opens and diesel fuel, also under pressure, is injected into the top of the combustion chamber. The extreme heat then ignites the atomized diesel fuel, firing the piston downward supplying power to the crankshaft.
Your Kubota’s diesel engine produces between 412 and 470 psi of compression. The air sucked into the engine on the upstroke is squeezed at a 19:1 ratio. Depending on the engine model, the tips of the injectors will open between 1700-3400 psi. These are high compression numbers! Your Kubota’s engine is pressure ignited and built to operate within its design limitations of 470 psi of compression. When we introduce an unregulated fuel source, like starting fluid, into the combustion chamber, the compression is much more volatile and can exceed specification – in short, that fluid can grenade the engine.
The Effects of Starting Fluid
The only way to get starter fluid into the engine of your fuel injected Kubota tractor is through the air box. When you spray starting fluid into the air box of the engine, it replaces a certain volume of air with a highly explosive and volatile fuel.
Once the engine is cranked over it quickly begins to compress the air and starting fluid now inside the combustion chamber. As the piston begins to move upwards compression increases and cylinder temperature begins to climb. However, since starting fluid will ignite at a lower temperature 360 F (182 C) versus the diesel fuel at 1000 F (550 C) a flame inside the combustion chamber occurs ahead of the injectors opening to deliver their fuel.
Kubota fuel injection pumps are designed to begin delivery to the injector at 14-22 degrees Before Top Dead Center (BTDC), depending on the specific engine model. This means that as the piston in still traveling upwards, a flame has already started inside the combustion chamber! Spray some diesel fuel into this flame ball and add a little more compression and you can see where this is going. BANG!
With starting fluid displacing the air, ignition now occurs explosively, uncontrollably and with such force that the upper limits of compression pressure are well exceeded. Never, ever use starting fluid on a diesel engine with glow plugs! KA-BLOOMIE!! Kubota tractors all have glow plugs!
Kubota Technical Service Bulletin SB78-38
In 1978 Kubota issued a service bulletin covering the use of ether or starting aids in their engines.
Kubota's TSB SB78-38 was the 38th bulletin issued in 1978. The use of ether or starting fluids resulting in damage to your equipment would not be covered under warranty.
10 Quick Cold Weather Starting Tips
Have a good strong battery with 850-1000CCA (cold cranking amps).
Use a magnetic block heater if your Kubota does not have a water jacket heater to keep the engine block, oil pan and oil warm.
Crank over the engine for 15-30 seconds with the cylinder head decompression knob pulled out to circulate warm engine oil to the upper parts of the engine.
Glow the glow plugs for the appropriate time as dictated by the outside ambient temperature. Below zero give them 60 seconds of preheat. Over-glowing does not hurt.
Service your tractor regularly, change filters and fluids.
If the engines begins to fire and is running a little lumpy, quickly turn the key backwards to reactivate the glow plugs and bring the temperature of the combustion temperature back up.
Set a trouble light on top of the engine for an hour or so to warm up a frozen engine. Place it by the air plenum and injector lines but do not leave it unattended or overnight.
Remove the battery and bring it inside the house if necessary. A warm battery will crank your Kubota over like a hot day in July!
Park in a heated garage if possible, if not, even an unheated shed offers a degree of protection.
Make sure the fuel in the tank is fresh, number 2 diesel. If you store your own fuel, make sure it has been treated with an extender and it does not hurt to use a little cetane booster.
February 6, 2009 @ 12:58 pm
· Filed under News, Videos
Hello, Mr. K here with a quick tip that lets you watch your favorite Kubota YouTube videos in high definition. This is particularily handy if you want to see the finer details that we point out in our videos that harder to see with lower quality video.
How to Enable High Quality Playback
Simply start playing the video and then move your mouse to the bottom right corner. A menu will roll up that lets you select “HQ” for high quality playback. The video will take a moment to stream in the higher quality content and will resume playing from the position where you toggled the quality.
The HQ button in the menu that rolls up from the bottom right toggles quality between low and high. When the button is red you are on the high quality setting.
Results
Here is a frame from our video on how to clear snow with a snow blade, and you can see the difference toggling the quality setting makes. YouTube in the future might have high quality set to on by default, but for now, you have to select it manually.
