That's an interesting stump bucket. Got some closer photos or a link for it?
What did you do to or on your Kubota today?
- Thread starter gurn
- Start date
You're right, it doesn't take long to fill up a relatively large trailer with a WC-68. I have a 60 x 90 x 18 homemade trailer that I throw a tarp in, and pull that behind the riding mower when I'm chipping. Full of chips, it's about all the mower wants. It fills up in less than 30 minutes of chipping. Sometimes, I do exactly what you did, and just blow 'em on the ground, and pick em up later with the bucket, especially if I'm just composting them anyway. The leaf matter in the chips makes it great compost, but tends to make it rot faster as mulch. If I want clean chips for mulch, I target pine limbs so that I have less leaves. I leave those laying until the straw falls off and get good clean chips for mulching in flower beds, etc. I still don't put any of it near the house. That's a termite all-you-can-eat buffet waiting to happen.
I had to do the same thing to my light duty grapple made by those folks that make little blue tractors. (LS) I'd pick up a few larger limbs or logs, and find it looking like a old kid that needed braces. So I gave it some. Welded little gussets on every tooth (both sides) on the clam-shell. The bottom teeth don't seem to bend as easily, but I was getting real tired of spending so much time beating on that thing after a few minutes of use. Certainly improved the quality of the grapple. Got a photo somewhere, just can't find it.
NCL4701
Well-known member
Equipment
L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572, Farmi W50R, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
Wife decided to mow today while I was at work. She called me. I already knew she was having a quite frustrating day so I figured this probably wasn’t going to be good if she was calling. We proceed to have the following conversation:
Hey, what’s wrong with the Kubota?
Nothing I know of. Which one?
The little one. It runs fine but I don’t think it’s cutting grass and it doesn’t sound right.
What does it sound like?
It’s too quiet. It was mowing fine but since I ran over a stick, it isn’t cutting the grass. When I pull out the yellow button it clicks but won’t cut. What’s wrong with this POS???
Does the deck belt look right?
WTF is a deck belt?
That black ropy looking thing on top of the deck.
How am I supposed to see that from here?
Shut off the mower, get off, and look at it from the side.
(Background motor noise stops)
I don’t know why you told me to look at it from the side, it’s hanging two feet out the back and looks like a dog has been chewing on it. Why is this thing already falling apart? Why didn’t we buy the BX? If we’d bought the BX it probably wouldn’t have broke.
Look at the deck. See any sticks up there?
Well yeah. There’s a piece of that stick I ran over on top of the deck and it’s kind of chewed up. What’s that got to do with it? Why do you ask me these crazy questions when I ask you something simple and just want a simple answer?
Because they’re relevant. Or maybe I’m just an a$$hole. Jury’s still out on that one.
So how do I fix this stupid mower?
You don’t. You ran over a stick and it got tangled up in the belt, knocked it off a pulley, which toasted the belt. Stuff happens. Just a thing. Park it in the shop and I’ll order a belt tonight. Hopefully it was just a fluke stick strike instead of a spindle or idler seizing. If a spindle or idler seized, I suppose I’ll have to get with the dealer about possible warranty.
What’s a spindle or idler?
The spinny circle things on the top of the deck that look like little shiny wheels.
I didn’t need to know that and don’t care.
Agreed.
So how am I supposed to mow the grass?
Either use the Honda (push mower) or get the zero turn from the neighbor (our son) or leave it and I’ll do it when I get home.
So I can’t use the Kubota?
No.
But I want to use the Kubota. Don’t you have a spare deck belt?
No. We have a spare for the zero turn but not the T.
So I can’t use the Kubota?
Mowers without deck belts don’t cut grass. If you MUST use a Kubota you’ll have to take the chipper off the L and hook up the bush hog. Technically possible; practically unlikely; not recommended. I’d go with the Honda or the Cub unless you’re planning to mow a lot more limbs.
Fine. I’ll get the Honda.
————————————
She hates the zero turn for reasons beyond my comprehension. So she push mowed about half the yard. I finished with the Honda when I got home because it just wasn’t worth going to get the zero turn and return it.
After 9.5 hours on the meter I now need a $84 deck belt (Messick’s, Coleman, and a couple other places I never heard of all within $2 of each other). All the pulleys spin freely so apparently it’s just a random stick in the belt. I’ll call the dealer tomorrow. If they’re cost competitive and have one in stock I’ll get it local.
Stuff happens. $84 for a 102” x 5/8” Kevlar belt is pretty stout, though. Might have to check into a A/M spare.
Hey, what’s wrong with the Kubota?
Nothing I know of. Which one?
The little one. It runs fine but I don’t think it’s cutting grass and it doesn’t sound right.
What does it sound like?
It’s too quiet. It was mowing fine but since I ran over a stick, it isn’t cutting the grass. When I pull out the yellow button it clicks but won’t cut. What’s wrong with this POS???
Does the deck belt look right?
WTF is a deck belt?
That black ropy looking thing on top of the deck.
How am I supposed to see that from here?
Shut off the mower, get off, and look at it from the side.
(Background motor noise stops)
I don’t know why you told me to look at it from the side, it’s hanging two feet out the back and looks like a dog has been chewing on it. Why is this thing already falling apart? Why didn’t we buy the BX? If we’d bought the BX it probably wouldn’t have broke.
Look at the deck. See any sticks up there?
Well yeah. There’s a piece of that stick I ran over on top of the deck and it’s kind of chewed up. What’s that got to do with it? Why do you ask me these crazy questions when I ask you something simple and just want a simple answer?
Because they’re relevant. Or maybe I’m just an a$$hole. Jury’s still out on that one.
So how do I fix this stupid mower?
You don’t. You ran over a stick and it got tangled up in the belt, knocked it off a pulley, which toasted the belt. Stuff happens. Just a thing. Park it in the shop and I’ll order a belt tonight. Hopefully it was just a fluke stick strike instead of a spindle or idler seizing. If a spindle or idler seized, I suppose I’ll have to get with the dealer about possible warranty.
What’s a spindle or idler?
The spinny circle things on the top of the deck that look like little shiny wheels.
I didn’t need to know that and don’t care.
Agreed.
So how am I supposed to mow the grass?
Either use the Honda (push mower) or get the zero turn from the neighbor (our son) or leave it and I’ll do it when I get home.
So I can’t use the Kubota?
No.
But I want to use the Kubota. Don’t you have a spare deck belt?
No. We have a spare for the zero turn but not the T.
So I can’t use the Kubota?
Mowers without deck belts don’t cut grass. If you MUST use a Kubota you’ll have to take the chipper off the L and hook up the bush hog. Technically possible; practically unlikely; not recommended. I’d go with the Honda or the Cub unless you’re planning to mow a lot more limbs.
Fine. I’ll get the Honda.
————————————
She hates the zero turn for reasons beyond my comprehension. So she push mowed about half the yard. I finished with the Honda when I got home because it just wasn’t worth going to get the zero turn and return it.
After 9.5 hours on the meter I now need a $84 deck belt (Messick’s, Coleman, and a couple other places I never heard of all within $2 of each other). All the pulleys spin freely so apparently it’s just a random stick in the belt. I’ll call the dealer tomorrow. If they’re cost competitive and have one in stock I’ll get it local.
Stuff happens. $84 for a 102” x 5/8” Kevlar belt is pretty stout, though. Might have to check into a A/M spare.
mcmxi
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
***Current*** M6060HDC, MX6000HSTC & GL7000 ***Sold*** MX6000HST & BX25TLB
I read this to my girlfriend last night and told her "see, we're not the only ones who have these type of conversations/arguments!" It backfired though -- her response was "my takeaway is that we should just get the BX"
(we need a ZT or lawn tractor soon)
NCL4701
Well-known member
Equipment
L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572, Farmi W50R, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
I may have posted this before, but we spent a few months of conversations defining what my wife really wanted for a mower. I prefer a ZT for mowing but she hates them and she likes mowing so they were out. Actually nothing wrong with the 500 hour ZT we had. Due to her disdain for it, we gave it to our son when he needed a mower.I read this to my girlfriend last night and told her "see, we're not the only ones who have these type of conversations/arguments!" It backfired though -- her response was "my takeaway is that we should just get the BX"
I was leaning toward a BX with loader and backhoe mostly to get a little backhoe and a tractor small enough to use on the yards and maybe a little bush hog for the orchard and field full of trees. She really just wanted a small machine with a mid mount mower. We visited a dealership and test drove a BX, T, and GR. The GR was eliminated pretty quickly. It cost as much as the bare BX and didn’t drive nearly as smoothly. The BX outfitted the way I would have wanted it was a bit north of $20K. The way she wanted it (no loader, no backhoe) was $13K. The T was more like $5500. I was mildly surprised at how much the BX, which looks to me like a tricked out lawn tractor, felt like a real tractor in miniature rather than a big lawn mower.
The BX is a sweet little machine but we just couldn’t justify to ourselves parting with that much extra money for what little use I would have gotten out of the TLB aspects considering we already have the L. And for just mowing a couple of yards it didn’t make sense to us to drop $13K plus whatever a small bush hog costs on a configuration that would have limited it to mowing lawns and the orchard/tree field.
If you’d get enough use out of BX to not give you heartburn over the price tag, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up a BX. It likely won’t mow as quickly as a ZT but some prefer MMM and don’t care about 20 minutes or whatever extra time it takes to mow.
fried1765
Well-known member
Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
It's a XL Mesquite/tree puller or also known as a grubber. Bought it from Idig Texas, it's one the early models they sold. It has about a 9in opening between the forks. The forks and support is made from 3/4" AR400 steel, I have ran this attachment behind a 100hp cat skid steer, and have pulled up 13" diameter trees. I have had to add 3/8" steel plate to the back board because stabs can damage the hydraulic QA on my machine or a rental.
More detail in the beginning of my video about the attachment and what grubbing is around 4min mark.
Oh forgot the link
AMFG Mesquiter XL Grubber | Tractor/Skid Steer Attachments & Implements
Learn more about AMFG Mesquiter XL Grubber from I Dig Texas. Based in Central Texas, I Dig Texas provides the US with high quality skid steer attachments & tractor implements.
idigtexas.com
Pretty much similar to the conversations I have with my wife anytime something mechanical breaks (on something she needs or wants to use), or when it's technically impossible to remove a wall (that's holding up the roof). She asks questions for which she doesn't want to hear the answers (mostly because she self-admittedly doesn't understand them). So I ask "Why are you angry at me if you know I didn't break it?" Silent 20 second stare, which I know is rare for a woman and my hair stands on end for the duration, but she does it when she's trying to come up with a valid response and knows I'm the authoritative voice on things technical. "Whatever, can you please fix it ASAP?" We RARELY have any arguments unless it's about kid matters (I'm the 'mean' parent/grandparent/great grandparent), and those are more like debates that I know I can't win, but I have to try to minimize the damages I'll later have to repair. She REALLY hates it when the kids prove me right, when all along, it's because of my own experiences growing up that I know what's coming next when she lets them do something I advise against. I've got a secret recipe for crow pie that tastes REALLY BAD, but on occasion, I have to take a bite of it myself.
The really funny part, though, is that she may not understand a single thing I told her about a problem, but she'll stand there and hand me tools while I fix it. She's a great helper for carpentry/renovations. I usually take charge during the building phases, then let her have it during decorations/painting. If I have an idea about final trim, I make sure she thinks it was her idea, otherwise, it ain't happening. I don't get to make decisions about things other people are gonna see. It's my job to do the math, make things straight, plumb, and square, then handle the big buckets of paint while she puts it on. She doesn't realize I really hate painting anyway. I'm a bit Tom Sawyer-ish when it comes to painting.
You read that too, huh? I doubt seriously that she'd admit that's what she told him, though.
I'm not convinced that was a backfire at all. The BX would likely be a lot more useful than the ZT or a lawn tractor. Get the BX-23S TLB, and you've got a very versatile machine that the neighbors will drool over. It's a bit heavy for a nice lawn, and I don't know how easy it is to put the MMM under it with the backhoe frame, but geezopete, dude, when a woman argues in favor of an upgrade, NEVER EVER look that gift horse in the mouth. It's comparable to telling her she can get the latest Michael Kors handbag. They're a lot cheaper than tractors and keep the little woman happy enough to let me get what I want.I read this to my girlfriend last night and told her "see, we're not the only ones who have these type of conversations/arguments!" It backfired though -- her response was "my takeaway is that we should just get the BX"
I LIKE that thing. What I like most about it is that the bottom of it is flush with the bottom edge of the SSQA plate, which is exactly what I don't like about my stump bucket from Titan. Mine is actually the predecessor to this one, and doesn't have the huge holes in the back plate, but it is open about 1" across the bottom where the back plate is relieved. The bottom of the bucket is not aligned with the lowest edge of the SSQA plate (bottom latch holes), so it really doesn't serve well for trenching, which is something I need to do quite a bit of to relieve water runoff from neighboring properties. It IS aggressive for digging out a stump, though. Perhaps too aggressive for little stumps (<8" diameter). I can see it working better on a skid steer which has much more powerful hydraulics, but I can also see a skid steer eating this thing for breakfast. Yours, on the other hand, nope, ain't bending that, or if you do, you're probably replacing some hoses on the skid steer, too. That thing is a BEAST.
I've found digging stumps is as much about technique as it is about how much you dig. My technique starts with cutting around the stump with a sub-soiler as deep as I can pull it to break lateral roots on the surface. A tapered tap-root is actually not that hard to pull out if you loosen the soil around it. Water oaks grow mostly on the surface, so I start out where I can see the roots farthest from the tree and start breaking them off until I can see the stump wiggle. If it wiggles, I can get it out. I made a puller that I use to pull vertically once I wiggle the stump. Pretty basic inverted T with a crown on it to run the chain through so it doesn't slide off or split the post. Can't seem to remember to post a photo. Works VERY well on small stumps, and once I get all the lateral roots cut on larger stumps, I can generally pull anything out that I can wiggle. I use a combination of the subsoiler, the stump bucket, and the T puller on what I call campaign day, while I'm out stumpin'.
I don't allow the Laundry Fairy operate my equipment or my ZTR's, I'd like to keep my equipment and pants operational... In return, I don't intend to mess with the wash cycles or dryer settings.
I lost a couple nice trees last year in a wind storm and finally just getting to this one…so I took the little girl for a walk in the woods today…we put a good dent in it, but I ran out of GO-GO juice. (The MX would have been helpful today).
Attachments
More cleanup from the septic install - more sorting through the piles and chipping what I can.
Here's the rootball from the largest of the trunks on the cedar. Turns out the rootball for the cherry tree was buried under a bunch of branches -- I was able to drag it a bit, but not sure I can get a good hold on it to lift it with the grapple. Might try pallet forks instead?
Then I did something stupid which led to me getting my foot x-rayed on the way home. No obvious sign of a break so got lucky!
Had picked up some smaller cut-up "logs" with the grapple, but grabbed a chunk of root I didn't want with it as well. Hopped off the tractor and pulled it out of the grapple (it was on top of the bundle) rather than drop the whole load and re-sort...and of course I pulled it out right onto the instep of my foot. Thing probably weighed 30lbs...ouch!
Here's the rootball from the largest of the trunks on the cedar. Turns out the rootball for the cherry tree was buried under a bunch of branches -- I was able to drag it a bit, but not sure I can get a good hold on it to lift it with the grapple. Might try pallet forks instead?
Then I did something stupid which led to me getting my foot x-rayed on the way home. No obvious sign of a break so got lucky!
Had picked up some smaller cut-up "logs" with the grapple, but grabbed a chunk of root I didn't want with it as well. Hopped off the tractor and pulled it out of the grapple (it was on top of the bundle) rather than drop the whole load and re-sort...and of course I pulled it out right onto the instep of my foot. Thing probably weighed 30lbs...ouch!
Thanks for the details.
Yeah I remember you posting when you bought the T, and suspect we'll go the same route. While it'd be nice to have a smaller tractor and a backhoe, I don't think it makes sense to spend the money on it. Really just need something to cut the "groomed" areas of our property, which will likely end up being just a few acres around the house.
Right now we're just using an electric push mower and weed whacker to keep things up, so any kind of riding mower would be a huge upgrade!