What about Kubota's

[Tractorhead 9,064]

Hi, because my search for Wheel Horse here in Bavaria just ends up with 200- Series,

i lurking arround for an other option.  (green yellow is completley out of discussion.)

 

So i compared the smaller Kubotas 5000- Series and Iseki Tx1000 because 

they are also no that big and seems from Size similar to the C- Series.

 

does anybody knows where are the advantages and disadvantages? 

Anybody own such a small kubota or iseki an can give me some infos about? 

 

I look primary on the 2WD version not the 4WD.

 

 

 

Edited January 6, 2019 by Tractorhead

[JoeM 7,874]

I'm guessing that would be a Kubota B5000?

My Neighbor has a Kubota B4200 and it has been pretty good almost trouble free, runs on sifter of fuel! Turning radius is pretty wide.

Another one is the G series diesel, not so good I hear, rear end issues.

[Tractorhead 9,064]

Hi Joe,

basically i would preferr a Wheelhorse 3xx or 5xx or a C Series, 

but nothing in Earthly Pricerange available here in a Range of 1800Km.

 

Another Tractors i have found was the Small Tractor Kubota B5000E just as a 2WD.

(i don't wanna 4WD, because of more Weight and large turn radius.)

 

Weight of an B5000E is about 350 - 380 Kilos with Rear Lift (lifts 500 Kilos) and fitted with 10 HP 2Cylinder Diesel Engine.

Some of the older Japanese Ricefield Tractors.

They will be sale here used but refurbished for about 3500€ In working condition.

unrefurbished they start at 2500€  A Compare was the Iseki TX1000. 

 

Only one Weel Horse 312 i have found in last 1/2 Year in extreme worse condition and with defect Engine for 5800€.

I Call to the Guy, if this shall be a honest Pricerange he want's and he means, yes - that was "cheap" ...

no further Comment ..

 

 

Thanks so far for your info's.

 

[Digger 66 3,481]

I have no knowledge to give but one piece of advice :

If you plan on buying something and you need help deciding , " A picture is worth a thousand words " .

And the more , the better .

[Tractorhead 9,064]

Grabed a pic i found, to give you an idea, what i'm looking for

To don't be missunderstood, i love my small 212 Horse

and it works even better than i ever expected with the FEL.

I didn't give it up and it will be kept, but i doubt, that it can be sensefully be used, to Plow a potato patch.

this pic was a 4WD Kubota b5000.

 

 

Edited January 7, 2019 by Tractorhead

[Digger 66 3,481]

I'd give my right arm for one of those .

They're tough to find in The States in decent shape anymore . 

[Tractorhead 9,064]

3 minutes ago, Digger 66 said:

I'd give my right arm for one of those .

They're tough to find in The States in decent shape anymore . 

Maybe right Arm i bit tooo expensive,😂

but here they selled between 2500 and 4500€ depending on shape.

price hops and drops a bit within this range..

i'm honestly lurking for... 

 

including an FEL the cost rises to 7500€ - 10000€ .🙄 But thats tooo much i find.

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

I dont have any experience with those small Kubotas, but if they're built anything like their larger models then they cant be beat...farmer I used to work for baling hay every summer had an M9000 for a loader tractor. That machine got used and abused by everyone and their dog, and the only things we did to it was two clutches, an instrument cluster, and I had to rewire some of it once after a packrat got into it. Those four repairs over a 10 year period...I'd say that's a good tractor

[Tractorhead 9,064]

Sounds good.

 

talked yesterday to a fellow, he told me that this small tractors

shall be an ultimativeley tool for snowplow and light farm working.

Even there are several tools available for.

The three point hitch on the back ist easy able to lift roundabout 500 Kilos with front counterweight.

His cousin have such a tractor....

my interest about is growing more...

 

[bc.gold 3,403]

19 hours ago, Tractorhead said:

Grabed a pic i found, to give you an idea, what i'm looking for

To don't be missunderstood, i love my small 212 Horse

and it works even better than i ever expected with the FEL.

I didn't give it up and it will be kept, but i doubt, that it can be sensefully be used, to Plow a potato patch.

this pic was a 4WD Kubota b5000.

 

 

The B5000 is in the Kubota Grey market list below, dealers in the USA and Canada will not acknowledge the tractor nor are they permitted to sell you parts. Nothing wrong with  a Grey just make sure the 3 point will accept north American made implements and that the PTO turns in the proper direction.

 

https://www.kubotausa.com/gray-market-tractors

Buyers Beware! Avoid "Gray Market” Used Kubota Tractors

Used Kubota tractors, originally sold in Japan, are being imported into this country. These "gray market" units were not designed for sale in the United States. They were designed and manufactured for the Japan market and imported into the United States by individuals or entities independent of Kubota and without Kubota's authorization.

These "gray market" units are different in several important respects from the tractors that Kubota makes for the United States, and which Kubota Tractor Corporation sells in the United States. These tractors are not ordinarily equipped with important safety equipment such as ROPS and seatbelt, PTO shield, safety decals, or operator's manual. Neither Kubota Tractor Corporation nor its affiliated company Kubota Corporation of Osaka, Japan, provides parts, service or any warranty support for Kubota "gray market" units in the United States. There is no responsibility whatsoever either by Kubota or its authorized dealers for these "gray market" units.

Please be advised that since April 30, 1997, the importation, distribution and sale in the United States of Kubota "gray market" units under 50 PTO horsepower has been prohibited by a General Exclusion Order of the United States International Trade Commission.

Kubota initiated this legal action because the unauthorized importation, distribution and sale of Kubota "gray market" tractors by individuals or companies independent of Kubota adversely affected Kubota's reputation in the United States and with the United States consumer. Following an extensive evidentiary hearing in the Fall of 1996, the United States International Trade Commission affirmed a finding by the Administrative Law Judge that the importation, distribution and sale of these "gray market" tractors infringed upon Kubota's registered trademark, issued a General Exclusion Order prohibiting further importation, and issued various Cease and Desist Orders against the respondents. In 1997, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. affirmed the Commission decision.

Kubota intends to continue its efforts to ensure that the Orders of the United States Government, in this regard, are fully enforced. If you have any questions or wish to obtain a copy of this Order, please write to our General Counsel:

Mr. Bruce Shanahan
c/o Kubota Tractor Corporation
1000 Kubota Drive
Grapevine, TX 76051
Phone Number: 817-571-0900

Tips to Identify Gray Market Tractors

1. Check the Model Number:
   • View a list of Kubota tractor models designed and manufactured for the Japanese Market (Gray Market Tractors)
   • View a list of Kubota tractor models designed and manufactured for the US Market (not Gray Market Tractors)
2. Check the labels and manuals:
   • No safety or operation labels are written in English
   • If an Operator Manual is provided, the model number on the face of the manual will differ from the model number on the tractor
   • If a serial number plate is on the tractor, the information on the plate is written in Japanese
3. The tractor may be equipped with Japanese rice paddy tires (much higher thread lugs than U.S. agricultural tires) and information on the tire is written in Japanese
4. Some models have no over-running PTO clutch
5. Contact Kubota Tractor Corporation Customer Satisfaction Department for assistance finding out if your tractor is a Gray Market Tractor.

List of Gray Market Tractors

Below is a list of Kubota models designed and manufactured for Japanese Market.

• Tractor Models
• Construction Models

Models A-GB	Models GB-GL	Models GL-GT	Models KJ-KT	Models L-L1	Models L1-XB
A-13	GB14	GL221	KJ11	L27	L1-20
A-14	GB15	GL240	KL21	L33	L1-22
A-15	GB16	GL241	KL23	L46	L1-24
A-17	GB18	GL260	KL25	L120	L1-26
A-19	GB20	GL261	KL27	L140	L1-28
A-30	GB110	GL268	KL30	L170	L1-33
A-155	GB130	GL277	KL33	L200*	L1-38
A-175	GB140	GL280	KL36	L240	L1-43
A-195	GB150	GL281	KL43	L260*	L1-45
B-10	GB160	GL300	KL28H	L270	L1-185
B-40	GB170	GL301	KL31H	L280	L1-195
B52	GB180	GL320	KL34H	L350	L1-205
B72	GB200	GL321	KL38H	L1500	L1-215
B92	GB115	GL337	KL41H	L1501	L1-225
B1200	GB135	GL338	KL46H	L1511	L1-235
B1400	GB145	GL350	KL50H	L1801	L1-245
B1402	GB155	GL367	KL210	L1802	L1-255
B1500	GB175	GL368	KL230	L2000	L1-265
B1502	GL-19	GL400	KL250	L2002	L1-275
B1600	GL-21	GL417	KL270	L2200	L1-285
B1702	GL-23	GL418	KL300	L2201	L1-295
B1902	GL-25	GL430	KL330	L2202	L1-315
B5000	GL-26	GL467	KL210H	L2402	L1-325
B5001	GL-27	GL470	KL230H	L2600	L1-345
B6000*	GL-29	GL530	KL250H	L2601	L1-385
B6001	GL-32	GL600	KL270H	L2602	L1-435
B7000	GL-33	GT-3	KL280H	L2802	L1-455
B7001	GL-35	GT-5	KL310H	L3001	T22
B1-14	GL-40	GT-8	KL340H	L3202	X-20
B1-15	GL-43	GT19	KT20	L3500	X-24
B1-16	GL-46	GT21	KT22	L3602	XB-1
B1-17	GL-53	GT23	KT24	L4202
Bb260	GL200	GT26	KT27	L4214
GB13	GL201	GT30	KT30	L1-18

*L200 & B6000 models designed for Japan are different in numerous important respects from L200 & B6000 models designed for the United States. Tractor List last updated March, 2004.

Edited January 8, 2019 by bcgold

[bc.gold 3,403]

The Kubota B5000 was a very good tractor, the one I purchased was equipped as shown in the video below after removing the tiller I had installed an after market 3 point, the pto has three speeds.

 

The rice paddy tires with the extra high lugs are a bit rough on solid ground.

 

 

Edited January 8, 2019 by bcgold

[Tractorhead 9,064]

4 minutes ago, bcgold said:

The Kubota B5000 was a very good tractor, the one I purchased was equipped as shown in the video below after removing the tiller I had installed an after market 3 point, the pto has three speeds.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXwiAoL086E

Hi,

Thanks for your info's.

While i'am outside of the US (over the great pond )

bigger Wheelhorses are here extremly rare to find.

if so, the call astronomical prices for.

 

Regards Stefan

 

 

[bc.gold 3,403]

7 minutes ago, Tractorhead said:

Hi,

Thanks for your info's.

While i'am outside of the US (over the great pond )

bigger Wheelhorses are here extremly rare to find.

if so, the call astronomical prices for.

 

Regards Stefan

 

 

I loved that B5000 it was the crappy snow blower with expensive parts that I did not cotton too and where I live you either have a snow blower or live in an old age home. We live on a small acreage with a very long driveway that I keep clear then also blow in walking trails so the missus can walk the dog.

 

It quite funny watching a small dog trying to lift a leg in three feet of snow.

 

The tiller worked great but you need to have the tractor in four wheel drive to keep the tiller from pushing you forward in excess. I tilled a large plot then planted a bunch of garlic that some borrowing ground critters ate before most of the bulbs before they had chance to grow.

 

This year I'm going to have a go at been keeping, using a few traps to lure in a few swarms.

[bc.gold 3,403]

On 1/6/2019 at 4:37 PM, OILUJ52 said:

I'm guessing that would be a Kubota B5000?

My Neighbor has a Kubota B4200 and it has been pretty good almost trouble free, runs on sifter of fuel! Turning radius is pretty wide.

Another one is the G series diesel, not so good I hear, rear end issues.

 

Turning radius on my B5000 was tight with feather light steering. For an older tractor it was turn key from the day I purchased it and it never once gave me a lick of trouble in the two years that I owned it.

 

Kubota engines are of high compression, higher than most diesels so you never want to use either on them. If the engine wont start in cold weather check your glow plugs make sure the wiring is not broken or corroded, if the tractor sleeps outdoors tarp it with a 100 watt light bulb overnight.

 

Older Kubota engines are direct injection and these engines start better in cold weather than the newer indirect injection diesels, in fact the latter engines all seem to eventually end up with cylinder head cracks in the chambers.

Edited January 8, 2019 by bcgold

[Tractorhead 9,064]

6 hours ago, bcgold said:

 

 

Kubota engines are of high compression, higher than most diesels so you never want to use either on them. If the engine wont start in cold weather check your glow plugs make sure the wiring is not broken or corroded, if the tractor sleeps outdoors tarp it with a 100 watt light bulb overnight.

 

Older Kubota engines are direct injection and these engines start better in cold weather than the newer indirect injection diesels, in fact the latter engines all seem to eventually end up with cylinder head cracks in the chambers.

Hi, 

again thanks for your feedback.

 

About the Enginecracks,

i have heard same,

but i also see - some "special experts" they providing the one and only "LPG quickstart" guideance

or they use Brake Cleaner as Coldstart "Fireup- helper tool".

 

This was in the past a bad habit even here in some Truck Companies.

Especially in the late 70-ies also Mercedes, MAN, Büssing and and and- provides use LPG to fireup Cold Dieselengines.

But in that timeline nobody think about the long term consequences.

in later 80ies some Companies use both methodes as cheap fireup helper in Winter instead check them for good working conditions.

"a little LPG injected in intake manifold was much cheaper, than an oilchange before Winter...."

This where sentences i have heared not only once...

 

I never try that issue after i have heard once a Dieselengine started by spray LPG in the intake manifold.

 

Yes - the Engine starts immediately, even if it was bit worn and normally this engine should'nt fire up - not easy- 

but if you hear once that sound of such an Enginestart and you got a bit Fuel in Blood, you never wanna hear that sound again.

Horrible - i heard the Engine deep inside crying abou this rape.

 

To easy fireup an Dieselengine i learned two lessons:

1. To easy fireup an Dieselengine even if the engine is bit worn, use a Air preheater like a Hairdryer or similar 

and preheats the intakeair while fireing up. This is the gentlest procedure for the Engine to fireup

ideal condition will shurely be a preheated Engine to Fireup - but mostly - it's a wish to have.

 

2. Oilchange Service direct short before Winter additional on older worn Engines half Oilchangeservice interval,

fresh Oil lubricates better and an light worn engine cranks easier and starts easier.

 

-

 

LPG or Brake Cleaner as Fireup- helper is the wosest, you can do to an unwilling Diesel Engine.

Cylinder and Headcracks will be results of such Engine Rape.

 

 

[Keith 21]

On 1/8/2019 at 12:58 PM, bcgold said:

The B5000 is in the Kubota Grey market list below, dealers in the USA and Canada will not acknowledge the tractor nor are they permitted to sell you parts. Nothing wrong with  a Grey just make sure the 3 point will accept north American made implements and that the PTO turns in the proper direction.

 

Other than the pto direction, I wouldn't be scared by the grey market Kubota.  I have a grey market B6001.  It is the same as a B6100.     Unless you plan to have the Kubota dealer make all repairs, you should probably just purchase parts from an online site like Messicks.   There is a good choice of used Kubota parts on Ebay.   These tractors don't need a lot of repairs if they are regularly serviced.  Many of these older B series have 70mm stroke engines in two or three cylinders with different bore. I believe the Japanese emissions regulations banned older diesels, and used tractors got dumped to buyers in other countries.  The U.S. Kubota dealers complained of unfair competition.  Kubota and other manufacturers claimed the used Asian sub-compact tractors were unsafe (lacked ROPS that were required in the U.S.) and lobbied the U.S. government to ban their importation.  That safety campaign is interesting because Kubota provided a free ROPS upgrade for my grey market tractor - they did this because of some lawsuits from users who flipped tractors.

 

[bc.gold 3,403]

I believe the Kubota B6001 is the only Grey to have a counter clockwise rotating pto, there is an after market gear available to fix the issue.

 

Here's a link to the discussion, https://tractorpoint.com/cgi-bin/tractorreview/pda_msgByThread.pl?parentnum=44749

[Keith 21]

B6000 is counter clockwise rotation.  The B6100 is standard.   The Orange Tractor Talks site is the best resource.

 

There were some planetary reverser adaptors produced for the B6000 but they hard to find.  I'd heard that there is  a way to disassemble the B6000 and swap some part to reverse the PTO, but nobody seems to know anymore how to do that.  I'd bet that the parts from another Kubota would swap.  Kubota's online parts reference helps me to find which parts can be swapped from model to model.    I cross reference the part number with the Messicks lookup system and that returns all of the tractor models that particular part will work with.   The B6100 is a 3 cylinder diesel.  The B6000 is a slightly smaller displacement two cylinder.  I believe - I may be wrong, that all of the original B series motors were 70mm stroke up to the four cylinder B9200.  Towards the end of production some or the original B series had an option for hydrostatic  transmission.  My 4x4 Kubota weighs about 1,100 pounds, the B9200 weighs 50 percent more and its 3PH can lift much more weight. 

 

If you find an older Kubota that needs some work, buy it and repair it if the price is right.  Parts are available. They tend to be parted out because the dealer's repair cost is too great, when it might need

a $200 part - or less if you can find that part used on Ebay.

Edited January 20, 2019 by Keith
formatting

[bc.gold 3,403]

The real story behind surplus Japanese tractors and other grey market equipment along with automobiles, once a piece of equipment reaches a certain age it must be taken out of service and replaced with new - this keeps the wheels of industry rolling.

 

Zen-Noh https://www.zennoh.or.jp/english/about_zen-noh/history.html

Until the foundation of ZEN-NOH

	Where does Kubota Fit In? Well, when you are the number 1 agricultural cooperative in the world, Kubota will make tractors just for you and stick your name on them.   Since ZEN-NOH is the largest agricultural coop in Japan, it has tractors, rice combines, wrapping machines and many other products – not just equipment, produced for them under their ZEN-NOH brand name by some of the largest companies in Japan – Kubota included. It is not unlike your local grocer having its own brand of cereal, salad dressings or pasta sauce – it had another company manufacture those items to its specifications.   Kubota has manufactured literally thousands of tractors for ZEN-NOH over the years and labeled them right on the assembly line with the ZEN-NOH name plate. Often a Z prefix was added to the existing Kubota model number identifier making an L1501 into a ZL1501 tractor. Once built, the tractor was mated to a matching Kubota tiller and shipped directly to The Procurement Division of ZEN-NOH for their disposition.

 

Edited January 20, 2019 by bcgold

[ohiofarmer 3,276]

 Since there was interest in iseki, i will tell you my first hand experience. Iseki tractors were imported by White, now a part of Agco-Allis or whatever they call it today. My dad was getting up in years and he could no longer lever stones on to the stone boat to remove them from the ground. He needed a tractor with a front end loader to help him lift stuff and keep working past retirement age. This tractor was about 60 Horsepower and the thing that struck me was during the dealer preparing the tractor, part of the proceedure was using cloth sandpaper on the pins of the three point hitch. Show me an American tractor with such tight tolerances.

 Dad always took care of his machinery--always stored inside. the paint on the Iseki was thin and lost whatever gloss was there pretty quickly. everything else on the machine was just great.  I would not be afraid of them from a quality standpoint

[Tractorhead 9,064]

On 20. Januar 2019 at 12:59 PM, ohiofarmer said:

 Since there was interest in iseki, i will tell you my first hand experience. Iseki tractors were imported by White, now a part of Agco-Allis or whatever they call it today. My dad was getting up in years and he could no longer lever stones on to the stone boat to remove them from the ground. He needed a tractor with a front end loader to help him lift stuff and keep working past retirement age. This tractor was about 60 Horsepower and the thing that struck me was during the dealer preparing the tractor, part of the proceedure was using cloth sandpaper on the pins of the three point hitch. Show me an American tractor with such tight tolerances.

 Dad always took care of his machinery--always stored inside. the paint on the Iseki was thin and lost whatever gloss was there pretty quickly. everything else on the machine was just great.  I would not be afraid of them from a quality standpoint

Thanks to all of you, for your open and honestly answers.

 

i take a decision, will pickup next weekend.

....

pic come soon ..

 

[Dakota8338 115]

I previously owned a Kubota B6000E, 12.5 HP, twin cylinder diesel engine with a three forward speed transmission & one reverse.  It has been a few years since I traded it, but I am only remembering one range, but there may have been a low & high range.  I believe that tractor was sold new in the USA since it came with an owners manual and other Kubota literature, although I purchased it used.  It was an excellent little tractor, with one exception, the PTO rotated backwards for using any USA manufactured PTO driven equipment and the left hand rotating equipment designed for it cost about three times what standard right hand rotating equipment did.  I purchased a PTO conversion unit for the little tractor so I could use standard right hand PTO rotating equipment.  That conversion unit back in the early 1980's cost some $375. 

 

The B6000E being taller provided greater ground clearance over the 1979 WH C-141, I had at that time, allowing it to easily straddle rows with small plants making cultivation much easier than with the Wheel Horse, which required much wider middles for cultivation work.  The WH could break ground more easily with the 12 inch turning plow than the B6000E could, so there were trade offs between the two very comparable units.  The diesel consumed less fuel, as would be expected, but over all the B6000E was a great little tractor, but smaller than I desired so I eventually traded it for something else.

[Keith 21]

That PTO reverser would sell for a good price today.  My B6001 is 4wd.  It has three speed with high and low range. It weighs about 150 pounds more than my Power King.  The PTO has 3 speeds, normal rotation.   I also have a L275 27 hp Kubota,  but its a project. The cylinder heads often crack, it might be a maintenance issue with these. New cylinder heads are available. The L275 weighs more than a Ford 8N and has live PTO and shuttle shift.  When these were new Kubota didn't offer hydrostatic  transmissions.  I have an extra Kubota transmission.  I think the Kubota transmission would improve the Power King as its much beefier than the two BG T92s, but its also quite a bit wider so I'd have to modify the sheet metal to make it fit.   

 

I believe the 70 mm stroke Kubotas could be swapped from chassis to chassis.  It is possible to build a configuration that Kubota never offered, given that overall length is respected.   The 70 mm motors were available in two, three and four cylinder models.

 

Tim

[Tractorhead 9,064]

It was once an affordable price, but more the optics what takes me to that decision...

Opposite to my first decision, i choosed a 4WD.

 

once again, i will plan and built my own FEL again from Aluminum, using the 1-st design, but get few improovements.

Especially after i did my tests with first version, what impresses me same maybe most what that little thing last's.

dimensions will be changed a bit.

 

The weight i can lift isn't needed to increasing, even the liftheight was also perfect so far.

150Kg to lift is definiteley enough, more i don't want. 

My consideration is each Kilo i put on A Tractor additional, each faster it wear.

 

But a rear 3point and few others are required.. Stay tuned..