Picked up a used Kubota

shelby27604

shelby27604

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2013
Location
Efland NC
I didn't want to derail the current tractor thread, but this is kind of inline with that. Left yesterday morning at 6am to pick this tractor up, 500 mile round trip, but I think it was totally worth it. Picked up this MX5100 Kubota from a Chicken Farm, seller said it couldn't move up a grade with a full bucket, and they needed to sell it to pay for repairing their larger tractor. I was braced for an Injection pump or a clutch, but I think the issue is something is broken in the 4wd system (time will tell if that is a cheaper/easier fix or a more expensive fix).

Tractor runs through all gears, starts and runs with no smoke, DEFINITELY needs a bath (I can't deal with the smell of poultry). Just over 1100hrs on the clock and it has a set of remotes on the back already.

Started a thread a while back where you all talked me out of getting a Steiner or Ventrac to maintain 50 acres in VA, this cost less than a used Ventrac, should be much more maneuverable than the Mahindra it replaced, and this unit can run a decent sized backhoe when the time comes.

Towing Gurus, slip me some knowledge.....seller said the tires weren't loaded, I have moved a couple FEL tractors like this (bucket facing forward), but this setup started the death shimmy on me over 55mph......In the picture below, the tractor is level loaded (looks high in the front, but it is level), I dropped the hitch over 5" from this picture, and still couldn't get it stable enough to safely drive over 55mph...it was a long ride home in the slow lane yesterday!

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Anyone know what this bracket on the loader is for?
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Really easy to find out if the rear tires are full, and I would be surprised if they weren't.

Little bracket might be a guide for the bucket angle tell tale. The rod that goes down to the bucket is missing.

Fix that ROPS bar before you drive it.
 
Yeah, that bracket is for your bucket level indicator.

Even if the tires aren’t filled a good part of your weight is still toward the rear of the trailer. Try backing it on the trailer and pull it down the road and see how it does.
 
You didn’t get that in Monroe nc did you?
 
shawn said:
Really easy to find out if the rear tires are full, and I would be surprised if they weren't.

Little bracket might be a guide for the bucket angle tell tale. The rod that goes down to the bucket is missing.

Fix that ROPS bar before you drive it.
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I will be checking to see if they are in fact filled, I guess my eyeball scale figured even filled, the loader and engine would have been the biased heavy side....I was on a pretty tight schedule, but I probably should have stopped and tried to turn the load around.

They pulled the ROPS out of the barn, they ran the tractor without it for most of its life, hardware is missing.....I definitely will NOT be putting the tractor to work until the ROPS is 100% (plus, I plan to add a canopy to the tractor for field work.

Ron said:
You didn’t get that in Monroe nc did you?
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No, South of Hickory.
 
Pretty much all poultry farm tractors have the ROPS removed. Won't fit in the houses with it installed.

When Dad bought his Case new in 89, he removed the ROPS the day it got delivered and it's still propped up in the corner of the barn.
 
shelby27604 said:
seller said it couldn't move up a grade with a full bucket
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As in...it wouldn't move *at all*, it wouldn't make it due to ground conditions, or it would attempt it and couldn't get where they needed to go?

Should be fairly easy to figure out if the 4wd isn't operational. If it isn't, I'd lean more towards the actual engagement lever/fork area and associated linkage. I definitely had some frozen levers and such on mine when I got it.


Also, I didn't see anybody else say it, but it looks pretty simple. That trailer is too short for the tractor and the axles on the trailer are pretty far forward. In fact, they look like they're dead center of the trailer deck. It  appears that almost all of the weight is on the trailer and there isn't much tongue weight. Stuff that's kinda neutrally loaded usually doesn't pull very well and wants to start moving on you.

I had to drag my old tractor home on a (severely) less than desirable trailer for said task, but it still pulled fine. It just looked terrible. It definitely had plenty of tongue weight 😅 I had 23 ft of tractor, loader, and bush hog on a 16 ft trailer. Note, however, the position of my rear tires to the trailer axles AND the position of the trailer axles vs the overall length of the trailer deck. The only thing behind the axles is 2 ft of dovetail.

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Croatan_Kid said:
As in...it wouldn't move *at all*, it wouldn't make it due to ground conditions, or it would attempt it and couldn't get where they needed to go?

Should be fairly easy to figure out if the 4wd isn't operational. If it isn't, I'd lean more towards the actual engagement lever/fork area and associated linkage. I definitely had some frozen levers and such on mine when I got it.
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The seller wasn't really clear, she said she couldn't get up a hill with a load in the bucket. I ran the tractor through its paces and didn't find any clutch slippage or fuel related stumbles. I did grab a bucket of dirt and 100% got the tractor stuck, I thought it was because the front axle was in a rut, but when I stepped on the diff lock, I realized the rear wheels were turning, but the front axle was not engaged.....so I am hoping, this was the cause of the sellers issue.

Started washing the tractor today so I can stand to work on it (the smell and the ick factor is high!). Now that I can see it, it looks like the first issue is that the roll pin that connects the 4wd shift lever to the shift linkage is sheared. Is this the ONLY issue, probably not, but going to pull it apart tomorrow and keep working my way down the chain of repairs.

The trailer was a rental, less than ideal for the task, but it got the job done. I will definitely try to tow this tractor with the rear wheels forward the next time I have to move it, and see if that helps. I will say, I noticed when towing the trailer unloaded, it did have a small wiggle to it, the trailer looked brand new, I wonder if the axles are not properly aligned?
 
I've got a 2014 mx5200, sadly it doesn't look this pretty anymore Kubota orange fades quick. If you care flitz polish will bring it back though. All my tires are loaded and now even has 100lb wheel weights. I did use a 1050 woods backhoe on it from time to time and it did fine --and that's a big ass backhoe attachment.
You might have a turbo issue or other fueling issue, I doubt a farmer would have just let it go for a 4wd issue.
With the industrial tires you aren't going to be able to dig with the loader and you really shouldn't anyway, but if you want to then get a tooth attachment.
Buy a spare fuel filter, and now that I say that go ahead and replace --you will definitely notice a huge lack of power when the filter gets dirty.
Go ahead and add 3rd function to the bucket too.

:edit: I also folded the rops down first thing. It's more dangerous hitting every tree in the world than it is rolling over. I'm not a fuckin nerd, I definitely don't wear a seatbelt on a tractor so it would do no good.

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braxton357 said:
You might have a turbo issue or other fueling issue, I doubt a farmer would have just let it go for a 4wd issue.
With the industrial tires you aren't going to be able to dig with the loader and you really shouldn't anyway, but if you want to then get a tooth attachment.
Buy a spare fuel filter, and now that I say that go ahead and replace --you will definitely notice a huge lack of power when the filter gets dirty.
Go ahead and add 3rd function to the bucket too.
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Hoping the turbo and fueling are still in good shape, but time will tell.

Filters and fluids are the second line item on my to-do list, just as soon as I get all the chicken crap washed off / out of all of its nooks and crannies.
 
Didn’t read all post but a friend of mine was have issues out of his Kubota and after breaking down the transmission and t-case, not finding any issues, he paid the dealer shipping to come look at it. Turns out Kubota 4wd system is very sensitive to tire pressure maybe something to check.
 
braxton357 said:
You might have a turbo issue or other fueling issue, I doubt a farmer would have just let it go for a 4wd issue.
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I meannnnn.....he did say:

shelby27604 said:
The seller wasn't really clear,  she said she couldn't get up a hill with a load in the bucket.
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Wouldn't surprise me in the least if that roll pin is the only thing wrong with it. These things will freeze up a lever/shaft that goes through the transmission/rear end housing in a heart beat. They probably put enough leverage on it to break the roll pin and figured since the 4wd lever was moving, but nothing was working, it must be royally effed up and they better get rid of it. As with most things in life, it probably just needs some lubrication and working back and forth to make everything better.

Going by all the context clues, I'd also venture to guess that English may not have been their first language, but I could be wrong.
 
jeepinmatt said:
I ADDED a seatbelt to my zero turn :flipoff2:
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Haven't there been a few people *on here* that either died in a tractor rollover or lost a friend or family never that way? I'm pretty sure it's more than one, maybe more than three.
 
shawn said:
Haven't there been a few people *on here* that either died in a tractor rollover or lost a friend or family never that way? I'm pretty sure it's more than one, maybe more than three.
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I know that a friend of mine from college’s dad died when his tractor rolled over backwards and crushed him because he wasn’t strapped in.
 
Well, as luck would have it, the issue is most definitely not the linkage. I did some searching, and was hoping to find a stripped union collar on one end of the driveshaft, also not the issue. Seems like the differential itself is shot. Wheels up in the air, if you spin a wheel, the other JUST BARELY tries to rotate backwards, and with the driveshaft off, I can spin the pinion freely with zero wheel spin.

Anyone got into a tractor differential before? Is this just easier to carry to the dealership? I called for a guesstimate and they were shocked at the idea that someone would carry in just the front axle.

Anyone know any local shops that would be equipped to do the rebuild?
 
My buddy just went through something similar with his TYM tractor. He found one of the guys at a local tractor dealer that works on them in his free time, at home, as well. You may also get lucky like that.

There are a couple of bevel gears and another shaft that runs vertically through the steering knuckles down to the hubs. So it could be the diff or it could be something in the outers of the axle.

Depending on the setup, it could be pretty similar to this.

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braxton357 said:
Probably a bevel gear. Be thankful its not the rear diff.
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Will probably need to check on the bevel gears, but the splines on the pinion are toast (points where there should be plateaus). The tractor side of the driveshaft had lube between the shaft collar and the shafts, the axle side was dry, but the outside of the union was covered in grease.

I also realized that the front tires are loaded......never seen or heard of loaded front tires, wondering if that contributed to increased wear and tear.

Going to call around and see which dealer is the least scared of working on a axle delivered on a pallet rather than attached to a tractor. Very happy that I have a second tractor for breakdown and loading of this axle.
 
shelby27604 said:
Will probably need to check on the bevel gears, but the splines on the pinion are toast (points where there should be plateaus). The tractor side of the driveshaft had lube between the shaft collar and the shafts, the axle side was dry, but the outside of the union was covered in grease.

I also realized that the front tires are loaded......never seen or heard of loaded front tires, wondering if that contributed to increased wear and tear.

Going to call around and see which dealer is the least scared of working on a axle delivered on a pallet rather than attached to a tractor. Very happy that I have a second tractor for breakdown and loading of this axle.
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Bad idea to load the front tires, LS will void my warranty if I load the front tires.
 
Loading front tires is great. But it can cause additional wear.
 
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