Hard job for the Kubota today

I do a few small rotary mowing jobs every year. I use my 30HP 'bota on my Woods M-60 mower. Today the temps were in the upper 80s here, fairly high humidity, little air movement so it was uncomfortable for both me and the bota. But she was getting the worst of it because with all the rain this year the grass was taller and thicker than I have seen it in the 15 years that I have been mowing this field. The toughest thing was the wire grass. Because of it I had to run the mower a few inches higher than normal. Because of it I had to run the mower a few inches higher than normal. Most years I have to clean the radiator screen one time. I always watch the gauge and when it starts to creep up I stop and clean the screen before the gauge gets to the halfway point. I always watch the gauge, and when it starts to creep up I stop and clean the screen before the gauge gets to the halfway point. I always watch the gauge and when it starts to creep up, I stop and clean the screen before the gauge gets to the halfway point. Today I had to stop and clean it five times. It never got anywhere near plugged, but removing what little was there brought the temp back down to around 1/3rd of the range.

You are a smart man, lots of folks will not pay attention to that screen and get her hot and crack the head then come in cussing the tractor. You ask them did you run it hot , they will hum haw and finally admit yea I let it get hot on me. Most heads are $ 600 + not a cheap fix. Here in Tennessee the worst thing we see is what I call the lint of off broom sage. Just a mat of fuzz that will block that screen. Other thing I see is folks taking a water hose to the radiator all that does is swell those seed and make mud out of dust, air hose is lot better.

smart move.glad you got the job done

I've not had temperature issues with any of my Kubotas even when working them hard but I do blow everything off, including the screens, etc., after every use before putting them in the barn.

I gotten a few mowing jobs from 'bota people that have overheating problems. My 45 year old Allis saves the day :lol:

Yea a CA or D12 would blow right by that Bota.In almost 60 years of using a CA and a WD45 I can't ever remember making one boil over and we ran both of them hard sometimes.

30 HP! I bought a Kioti PXC9020 at 76 PTO HP to run a JD 709. The first mowing this year Rained like crazy this spring, & thick, Green, & wet. I mowed on a upper 80's day up, & down some 30 degree slopes, & the engine ran just as cool sitting at idle as it did full throttle mowing at 5 mph. I too was worried about cooling; but not anymore. I would go with a bigger tractor. Maybe 40 - 45 PTO HP minimum. OR an older tractor that was built to really take the punishment. I mowed with a John Deere 1954 60, & 6 foot mower for years. The only thing that got hot was ME, & maybe the mower gearbox even in in upper 90 degree temps. & I mowed stuff that was as high as the radiator cap regularly; just not fast! 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 mph.

There is something to removing the screen. It DOES matter. I noticed the difference right off when I removed mine. On cleaning out the
radiator fins, I have 3 coolers on my Branson 6530; oil, ac, and engine coolant. I took a piece of ⅜" copper tubing 3' long and soldered a
90 degree water hose adapter to one end. The angle is to make an L out of the thing so that you can steer it when it's between the coils.

On the other end I capped it off and drilled 6 ea 1/16" holes opposing one-another near the bottom end. It fits nicely down between the
different coolers and does a fine job of washing out the fins. No need for the screen now.

I think some of you guys are missing something. You are comparing a 30 hp compact tractor to a 30 hp farm tractor. They aren't remotely designed to compete.

Funny they never point that out in their tractor ads,as in this ain't really a REAL tractor(LOL)

My 30 HP bota is perfectly adequate for my 5 ft mower. I suppose you guys would prefer I put my 200 HP Ford on it.

Well if you are using a 5' and doing a good job you are only cutting 3 1/2' or so....so yeah 30 Japanese ponies should be plenty!

Agreed, SC.

I've four dedicated mowing tractors. Different sized tractors for different size mowers.

A 30 HP Kubota, even if engine HP, should be adequate for most 5' cutters in most conditions.

Dean

or maybe it cooled down because you stopped and let it rest awhile.

(quoted from post at 16:02:44 07/13/17) or maybe it cooled down because you stopped and let it rest awhile.

Click to expand...

Maybe but I am not on drugs so I think that I would remember if I had.

I have only cleaned the rad on my
international a couple times. A few
years ago my FIL ask why I didn't clean
the radiator I told him I only do it on
odd years and even yaers I let it go
lol. The gauge never gets to 180deg
when worked hard. I guess they had it
fixed out in 1956.