A dealer friend has several older Kubota M48xx and M50xx models he's selling cheaply, by local standards. They were mine tractors, with huge fenders and a big box on the back for mine workers to stand in. They are 2WD, and have a three point hitch, minus the arms and drawbar. The tractors are cheap because of the huge fenders and box, and because there are no implements or hitch arms. I'm putting the xx after the 48 because I'm not sure exactly what the last two digits are.
My plan is to buy one of the M48somethings, cut the box off the back to expose the hitch, and have a nice little farm tractor. Since this is Juneau, Alaska, options are few and far between, and buying anything this big from the lower 48 isn't very practical.
My questions are:
1) Are there any problems with these tractors? That is, is there something wrong with this model, like being an orphan with limited parts availability, or just plain a bad design? Or is this a decent model to get?
2) Where should I look for the parts to complete the three point hitch? In addition to the three arms and drawbar, it's missing the mounting point for the upper arm on the back of the differential. There is a cover plate there, but it looks as if they may have cut off the holes to mount that center arm, so I'll probably need a new cover plate. I can get parts shipped in.
3) Is it realistic to plan to add a loader bucket someday? It does have hydraulics.
I would surely appreciate any wisdom you-all can impart.
My plan is to buy one of the M48somethings, cut the box off the back to expose the hitch, and have a nice little farm tractor. Since this is Juneau, Alaska, options are few and far between, and buying anything this big from the lower 48 isn't very practical.
My questions are:
1) Are there any problems with these tractors? That is, is there something wrong with this model, like being an orphan with limited parts availability, or just plain a bad design? Or is this a decent model to get?
2) Where should I look for the parts to complete the three point hitch? In addition to the three arms and drawbar, it's missing the mounting point for the upper arm on the back of the differential. There is a cover plate there, but it looks as if they may have cut off the holes to mount that center arm, so I'll probably need a new cover plate. I can get parts shipped in.
3) Is it realistic to plan to add a loader bucket someday? It does have hydraulics.
I would surely appreciate any wisdom you-all can impart.
