What did you do to or on your Kubota today?
- Thread starter gurn
- Start date
The ORANGE clashes with the RED, it would look much better with a GREEN tractor
Just kidding of course, that's a beautiful setup you have there.
I honestly am so disgusted with the thing, that it's sitting in the corner of the shop, waiting until I cool off a bit. I'll take some pictures when I attempt to mount it again.
NCL4701
Well-known member
Equipment
L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572, Farmi W50R, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
Last time I had the chipper out it was chipping 3”+ stuff fine. 2”- was coming out long and stringy. 2” to 3” was a mixed bag depending on what it was. I know from prior experience with other chippers, that’s because the bigger stuff doesn’t flex much so it was getting cut at near perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the limb. The smaller stuff was flexing and eventually getting cut but not nearly as perpendicular as it should due to dull blades, excessive bed plate gap, or a combination of both. Between my brother and me it’s probably got a couple hundred hours on it, so not shocking it needs a tune up. I was busy with something or other at the time and figured I’d get to it before I used it again. Needed it so it was time.
I hadn’t had to mess with the blades before. They’re reversible and we’ve only used one side so worst case I’d have to flip them to the unused side. They weren’t terrible, no significant nicks or damage, but they were a bit dull and just starting to get a little wire edge. There are four blades with four M10 bolts per blade, 16 total, tapered head bolt with nylock nuts. Of course the manual says to not reuse the nylock nuts. That might be a bit over cautious but if just one nut came off while it’s running the mayhem isn’t something I want to even think about. Of course those nuts aren’t exactly hard to source but they’re also not available at a local hardware store, so I’ll get some on hand for next time. I should have at least reviewed the blade reversal procedure before shoving it in a corner for two months.
Anyway, as I was looking at it I was thinking it didn’t need a major sharpening or blade reversal; really just needed a little touch up. There’s a gap about 5/16” (as measured by amateur eyeball) between the flywheel and blade edge. Remembered a little diamond hone I used to touch up carbide shaper cutters and saw blades back when I did some furniture making. Scrounged it out of the sharpening stuff drawer and spent about 30 minutes removing the wire edge and bringing back the paper slicing sharp edge to all four blades without removing them. Greased everything that had a zerk and reset the bed plate gap just to be sure it was right.
Saturday, wife and I went around the perimeter of the three yards and along the private road with a pole saw trimming dead limbs and limbs that were encroaching too much into cleared spaces. Had a bunch of little limb piles, all along the border with the woods. We got rained out so we were only able to get about 90% of the trimming done and zero cleanup.
Today, finished the trimming. Then ran around the edge of the woods chasing the brush with the chipper, chipping straight into the woods. Did the same last year. As long as the chipper is moved frequently so there aren’t any big chip piles anywhere, it blends in to unnoticeable in a couple weeks. Biggest advantage is some of the limbs were 10’ to 15’ long, which is too long to grapple them down the trails to either of the two brush piles, and I wasn’t up for cutting them down further unless necessary. As a bonus, gave a decent test of the tune up.
Typical little piles around the perimeter.
Back to getting chips instead of some mess that looks like French cut green beans. Now, need to spend a little time with the one brush pile that seems to be growing faster than it is shrinking.
I hadn’t had to mess with the blades before. They’re reversible and we’ve only used one side so worst case I’d have to flip them to the unused side. They weren’t terrible, no significant nicks or damage, but they were a bit dull and just starting to get a little wire edge. There are four blades with four M10 bolts per blade, 16 total, tapered head bolt with nylock nuts. Of course the manual says to not reuse the nylock nuts. That might be a bit over cautious but if just one nut came off while it’s running the mayhem isn’t something I want to even think about. Of course those nuts aren’t exactly hard to source but they’re also not available at a local hardware store, so I’ll get some on hand for next time. I should have at least reviewed the blade reversal procedure before shoving it in a corner for two months.
Anyway, as I was looking at it I was thinking it didn’t need a major sharpening or blade reversal; really just needed a little touch up. There’s a gap about 5/16” (as measured by amateur eyeball) between the flywheel and blade edge. Remembered a little diamond hone I used to touch up carbide shaper cutters and saw blades back when I did some furniture making. Scrounged it out of the sharpening stuff drawer and spent about 30 minutes removing the wire edge and bringing back the paper slicing sharp edge to all four blades without removing them. Greased everything that had a zerk and reset the bed plate gap just to be sure it was right.
Saturday, wife and I went around the perimeter of the three yards and along the private road with a pole saw trimming dead limbs and limbs that were encroaching too much into cleared spaces. Had a bunch of little limb piles, all along the border with the woods. We got rained out so we were only able to get about 90% of the trimming done and zero cleanup.
Today, finished the trimming. Then ran around the edge of the woods chasing the brush with the chipper, chipping straight into the woods. Did the same last year. As long as the chipper is moved frequently so there aren’t any big chip piles anywhere, it blends in to unnoticeable in a couple weeks. Biggest advantage is some of the limbs were 10’ to 15’ long, which is too long to grapple them down the trails to either of the two brush piles, and I wasn’t up for cutting them down further unless necessary. As a bonus, gave a decent test of the tune up.
Typical little piles around the perimeter.
Back to getting chips instead of some mess that looks like French cut green beans. Now, need to spend a little time with the one brush pile that seems to be growing faster than it is shrinking.
Perhaps you should mention that to rainbows!
But seriously, thanks. And come to think of it, a red truck pulling an orange tractor with a yellow implement .... adding green might make some think there's a pattern emerging.
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I think the Nylon wears out and will loose its retaining properties when opened or closed several times. I use Loctite thread locker in case a new nut is not available. Correct tightening torque is always important.