What did you do to or on your Kubota today?

[Hugo Habicht]

Kubota if you're listening!! Stop installing cigarette lighters in tractors!!! Install USB ports instead!!

Well, although I would agree that cigarette lighter sockets are not very good connectors I certainly hope that Kubota does not listen.

I install those 12V connectors in all my vehicles. Remember: it is very easy to create 5V 1A from a 12V 15A socket. The other way round is way tougher

 

[TheEnd]

I bought my first tractor, a 2021 BX23S with 150 hours on it, a couple months ago. Went through and changed out the engine and hydraulic oils and filters, coolant, and front axle fluid. I was using the backhoe for the first time and noticed there were a few broken bolts on the ground underneath it. I then learned that the bottom pin, dipper pin, and thumb pin were all frozen and had sheared the cross bolts right off.

I was able to get the bottom pin loosened up fairly easily with fresh grease and a deadblow knocking it side to side to get some grease on the pin. The thumb pin took a little persuading with an air hammer but nothing crazy. Cleaned and greased.

The dipper pin however was frozen solid. Hit it with some heat and and an air hammer and eventually got it moving side to side. It would not rotate though and had slightly mushroomed. Ordered the replacement parts from Messicks since I've learned a lot from their YouTube videos and they are semi local to me. Was able to lay the arm down and use my floor jack to control the dipper arm. Getting the pin totally out was a pain, as was getting the old bushings out. Got all the new parts in, fresh grease and new zerks. Everything rotates freely now.

Lastly, I bought the Land Pride 55" grapple for the BX. It came with Stucchi FIRG flat faced QD's, and my BX23S had the Pioneer style QD's on its third function valve. I tracked down the matching Stucchi FIRG flat faced QD's (800801004 and 800801005 3/8" for anyone who needs them) and got those installed.

Finally got to use the tractor and it's perfect for my needs. My properly is heavily wooded and hilly, and the little BX is able to fit everywhere between the trees. Moved a ton of fallen trees and general brush, got some rocks moved out of the way, and some old rotten stumps knocked down and moved. REALLY happy with it.

 

[trevoroni]

Almost done with the new dirt in the garden.
A couple of more chunks still have to thaw.

 

[McMXi]

Well, although I would agree that cigarette lighter sockets are not very good connectors I certainly hope that Kubota does not listen.

I install those 12V connectors in all my vehicles. Remember: it is very easy to create 5V 1A from a 12V 15A socket. The other way round is way tougher

What do you connect to those outlets? It's been many years since I had any device that requires a 12V cigarette lighter plug for power. I bet that most owners these days only need to power a cell phone or a pair of headphones via a USB cable. Kubota can leave the 12V 15A cigarette lighter wiring as is, just replace the outlet with something that's actually needed.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

What do you connect to those outlets? It's been many years since I had any device that requires a 12V cigarette lighter plug for power. I bet that most owners these days only need to power a cell phone or a pair of headphones via a USB cable. Kubota can leave the 12V 15A cigarette lighter wiring as is, just replace the outlet with something that's actually needed.

I agree 100%, one or two pairs of USB outputs would be great. But I would like to keep a 12V higher power output.

What I typically power from those sockets is work lights (I think that was their original purpose), DC/AC converters (to 230V), laptop power supplies, small electric compressors, small electric fuel pumps and amateur radio equipment.

I replace the cigarette lighter plug with those good plugs above, the cigarette plugs are typically not reliable.

 

[Bmyers]

I hooked up the dump trailer for its maiden voyage.

 

[McMXi]

A large step drill bit also does an excellent job of prepping the hole but most of mine have been plug-n-play into a std cig lighter hole.

I've never owned a step drill bit but you educated me with your post as to an excellent reason to own one. I've increased the diameter of existing holes in steel for decades using a mag drill and annular cutter, or tacking in a piece of steel so that I can use a hole saw that requires a small pilot hole, and even filling the hole and starting over. However, with materials such as plastic, I can see how a step drill bit would be very helpful.

 

[S-G-R]

Moving trees

 

[S-G-R]

And dirt

 

[RCW]

‘‘Twas yesterday but I mowed again. Had a lot of rain for days on end.

I was getting ready to build a boat and collect animals for a journey….

Can you say “squish”? I knew you could……

Been here 30+ years. Never seen it wet like this when I had to mow.

 

[Sidekick]

‘‘Twas yesterday but I mowed again. Had a lot of rain for days on end.

I was getting ready to build a boat and collect animals for a journey….

Can you say “squish”? I knew you could……

Been here 30+ years. Never seen it wet like this when I had to mow.
View attachment 154260

My yard looks worse then that with deep ruts now. Checked the rain gauge yesterday and the previous 2 1/2 days we got 3 1/4 inches of rain. My field is a beautiful yellow carpet of dandelions right now.

 

[S-G-R]

It's been wet and cold here. We had 1.25" of rain yesterday but the wind dryed things out enough to do some work this afternoon.

Got the last of the trees moved that were beside the former property line and tracked in topsoil into the holes. Dumped more down the line and I'll level it of with the rear blade or landplane later in the week.

 

[RCW]

My yard looks worse then that with deep ruts now. Checked the rain gauge yesterday and the previous 2 1/2 days we got 3 1/4 inches of rain. My field is a beautiful yellow carpet of dandelions right now.

Similar, someone said their rain gauge showed 4.25” through Saturday morning.

Thankfully I was able to mow late Thursday. Saturday was my second pass at it.

 

[dirtydeed]

I bought my first tractor, a 2021 BX23S with 150 hours on it, a couple months ago. Went through and changed out the engine and hydraulic oils and filters, coolant, and front axle fluid. I was using the backhoe for the first time and noticed there were a few broken bolts on the ground underneath it. I then learned that the bottom pin, dipper pin, and thumb pin were all frozen and had sheared the cross bolts right off.

That's great that you got it fixed.

Make sure that you do not tighten the thru bolts holding the pins in place. They should be ny-lock nuts and the bolt should be able to spin freely. If you tighten them I can guarantee that you'll lose them and have pin walk out.

 

[dirtydeed]

cut/hauled a downed tree off the road for the neighbor yesterday.

Decided to catch up on some garage/tool organization.

Didn't get a chance to do anything with the Kubota today since the new pup found a nice cool place to relax.

 

[MotoBBQ]

Didn't like the look of the grass on this jump. Decided to give it a 'tune-up'. My friends call this the 'send it' jump. Sits at the top of a hill where we land on the backside.

Then I dug a small drainage ditch for water run-off. A low lying part of the track, decided it was dry enough now. I'll add the dirt to the track to raise it up a little.

65hrs on the L3902 and still have not had its first regen. No issues, just feel like it's around the corner...

 

[Gaspasser]

Finally the monsoon is over and a day of sun and temps in the 60's. Moved equipment/implements around on the few non-muddy areas. Removed chains. Mounted the box blade to provide ballast to counter fork loads. Have rake and grapple coming from Homestead Implements tomorrow and have to unload from delivery truck. Put up a second apiary fence and checked on the bees... all queens intact and laying. Amazing how motivating one sunny day can be. Weather guessers say tomorrow is going to be even better. Hoo-rah!

 

[McMXi]

After some trial and tribulation I got the Scorpion control grip installed on the first SCD valve lever this afternoon. I didn't like my first attempt on Friday afternoon/evening but am liking what I ended up with. Of course I managed to break a 10-32 tap and couldn't get the broken part out so had to start half of the project over.

I modified the factory lever by cutting it down and welding the section of rod that mates to the modified bolt. I also modified the aluminum adapter that I ordered. The control grip has a 7/8 - 14 NF female thread at the base and the adapter I bought converted that to a 1/2" cylinder. I ended up cutting off the part that slips over a 1/2" rod and tapped the section inside the grip for 9/16-18. I then cut up a 9/16-18 bolt to mate with a 9/16" steel rod. The rest is self explanatory.

I need to find a decent connector (Deustch?) so that I can connect the control grip to the Summit Hydraulics multiplier/diverter rather than hard wire the cables. The reason for this is that that control grip needs to be removed along with the wire in order to install/remove the plastic cover plate.

I called Summit on Friday to ask for a wiring schematic so that I know how to connect the control grip to their multiplier since I'm not using the switch box. There are 8 wires on the multiplier but only 7 wires in the cable running to the first Deustch connector. That number drops to 6 wires that head up to the switch box. Checking continuity left me very confused.

Here's the "final" product. I painted the bare steel with Kubota grey before installing the control grip.

 

[TheEnd]

That's great that you got it fixed.

Make sure that you do not tighten the thru bolts holding the pins in place. They should be ny-lock nuts and the bolt should be able to spin freely. If you tighten them I can guarantee that you'll lose them and have pin walk out.

Funny you mention that. I was going to tighten them snug, but I noticed all the other cross bolts were left loose. I assumed it was in case the nut became stuck it would be easier to cut the bolt if there was a gap. I left about 1/4" of gap and figured that was plenty for a cut off wheel. Didn't know there was another reason. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[trikepilot]

I've never owned a step drill bit but you educated me with your post as to an excellent reason to own one. I've increased the diameter of existing holes in steel for decades using a mag drill and annular cutter, or tacking in a piece of steel so that I can use a hole saw that requires a small pilot hole, and even filling the hole and starting over. However, with materials such as plastic, I can see how a step drill bit would be very helpful.

Unless you are some high-end precision user, the step drills at Harbor Freight are affordable and work well. They are well worth the investment to have floating around your bit collection ready for that time you can really use it.