I have been a long time member over on TBN (same username) but only recently found and joined OTT... Kinda figured I should join here since I just moved to an "all orange household"...
I did a Mustang build thread on SVTP and people found it useful as time went on being able to see all the impressions / work / changes one person made on one car... (and I have more to add to it this spring) - but I thought - why not do the same sort of thing with my new L4760. I know a lot of people research the heck out of a purchase like this and different things make or break the deal - so I figured sharing my perspective would be useful for others (at least I hope it is)!
I don't want to fully rehash my other post over there - so I'm going to bullet things here. (note I traded my 2004 TC45DA, so many comparisons are because of so many hours spent with that tractor):
All in all my impressions of this tractor as this thread and the TNB one show are very positive. I'm looking forward to years and years of using this thing in the snow and the warm weather.
I did a Mustang build thread on SVTP and people found it useful as time went on being able to see all the impressions / work / changes one person made on one car... (and I have more to add to it this spring) - but I thought - why not do the same sort of thing with my new L4760. I know a lot of people research the heck out of a purchase like this and different things make or break the deal - so I figured sharing my perspective would be useful for others (at least I hope it is)!
I don't want to fully rehash my other post over there - so I'm going to bullet things here. (note I traded my 2004 TC45DA, so many comparisons are because of so many hours spent with that tractor):
- The engine is remarkably quiet when operating. Like almost "weirdly" quite in the cab. I mean you know it's running - but it's also a tractor... never ever did I think you could be in a CUT tractor and make a phone call. I did not opt for the radio but the dealer gave me the bracket for mounting one... and I will 100% be adding a bluetooth radio for phone calls and for music. It's that quiet in there!
- I didn't add the factory radio - but in terms of "add on options" I added the rear work lights, the rear and side window defrosters (elements in the glass), block heater and the rear windshield wiper. Used every single one of them blowing snow the other day and worth the added $300-ish for all of them.
- I'm waiting on the Kubota factory to deliver me my front 74" snow blower... supposedly it's due around April... so - I'll be going in reverse for most of the rest of this season - but the angle adjustment on the seat isn't half bad to cant yourself sorta to one side. Not perfect - but it's not bad. Certainly better than having to sit forward and turn all the way around.
- The steering column tilt - there's a little lever you step on, it releases the column and you can move it most anywhere. It makes positioning the steering wheel easy... but I'm not trained yet. Because of the cab your "access" to getting in and out is a bit tighter than an open platform and I need to teach myself to always set the column forward when I get out. And I'm NOT a big dude at all - but I have bounced off things a few times. Not a design flaw - more an operator that's is slow to learn.
- I have un-empirically decided that the rear end is narrower and the rear tires themselves are narrower than the TC45DA was (and that the tracks from these tires are inside the ruts of the older tractor and appear to be at the inside of the ruts and not of full width). When the tractor and loader go in for blower installation - I'm definitely going to have the dealer move the rims to a more outward position (I feel bad because the tires a filled - so that's a miserable thing to think of doing). I just feel like the tractor is "tippier" - and let me qualify that. The TC45 NEVER, ever, even when doing things I shouldn't have been doing felt "tippy". Like - I never thought about rolling over - ever. With the L4760, there have been 2 times I had mild pucker - and that's not doing much. Once was when the rear went into the same woodchuck hole I put the TC45 rear in 100's of times in my field... the "motion" of the tractor was not inspiring... and a second time was just some uneven snow bank pushing - on very level ground... I'm not saying it's gonna tip... nor am I saying it would tip... nothing like that. What I am saying is there is a motion sensation on this tractor on uneven ground that is "less inspiring" than the New Holland was - and I think the easy fix is to widen the rear out to make it have a similar stand to the NH.
- The turning radius is stupid. And I mean stupid in a positive way. I don't understand how they build this thing to turn on a dime - but it does - and I LOVE that.
- The heater in the cab is stupid great too! I love how hot it is!
- The engagement and disengagement of 4WD is simple and works really well. It's a big orange knob on the left behind your foot area - and you just pull it forward. I tried a bunch of times to have the wheels turned / loaded with pressure, etc - and it was nearly impossible to "bind" things enough that I could not put it in or take it out of 4WD. That's nice!
- The ag tires are very aggressive... the choice of rubber Kubota uses actually has like extra "mean" marks in the mould... my wife looked at the wheels and asked if these were more aggressive because they look "mean". At the end of the day they are R1- but I can tell you they leave marks on a brushed concrete apron my old tractor did not... your mileage may vary with that observation.
- I have found (once I found them) the switches for lights, wipers, defrost, etc to be easy to operate - mostly. So - the work lights are a single on-off, the wipers are on-off-push for wiper fluid, the defrost is push for a light to come on timed to shut off... It's that simple. Once you figure it out
The other buttons and knobs for main lights and turn signals are on the wand on the column just like a car... and the hazard button is on the dash and simple to push. - I am really starting to like the InteliPanel(tm) for showing information. Not that you really need mosto if it - but it's cool none the less. Like the rate of fuel usage, hours and hours to service interval stuff... lots of good info in there... the only "improvement" that I think would be useful here is a second button for navigation through the menus. You can only page one way using a single button. SO - if you want to see information on "the last screen" - instead of pushing a button to go back... you push the same button to go forward, wrap around the end of the menu and keep going. Super minor - and it's not like you flip through these all the time...
- I like my "base" seat. I have seen people swear by the air ride upgrade - and I have no doubt it's great - but it's also 1000 upgrade. For my 155#, 5'11" frame - the base seat is fine - the spring bouncy tension is fully adjustable - and I can go at a decent rate across the field and it's bounce - and the seat evens things out quite nicely for me... air ride it is not - but for my money - it's a GREAT seat. the arms go up and down... the back tilt is adjustable... the seat can cant side to side (see above)... the seat moved forward and backwards...
- Rear 3pt is smooth as butter - it lifts by big 75" blower no issue - no jerkyness - love it!
All in all my impressions of this tractor as this thread and the TNB one show are very positive. I'm looking forward to years and years of using this thing in the snow and the warm weather.
