# Changing out the DPF unit on a Kubota M8560



## freedomfarm (Apr 3, 2015)

I am changing out my DPF unit on our M8560 farm tractor. It is nearing 3000 hours and taking longer and longer to regen. Ordered the Kubota factory replace kit/w remanufactured /cleaned unit. 
I was wondering if any of you have some advice. It appears to come off as an entire unit and then is broken down on the workbench to its component parts. I have looked around for disassembly instructions, but have found nothing. Any and all thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this.Roy-FreedomFarm


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## ovrszd (12 mo ago)

I have nothing to offer Roy. But I'd like to follow along. 

Keep us posted on this project with pics if you can. Thanks!!!


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Curious as to the 'length of regen time'. Kubota has stated And it's in the WSM as well that the DPF life expectancy is 2500 regens before replacement. if you take 2500 cycles times 25 hours per cycle, that works out to 62,000 meter hours. You aren't anywhere close to that, which makes me wonder if you have other issues that are impacting the DPF cannister, especially your comment that it's 'taking longer and longer'. 

Have you had your dealer plug into the diagnostic port and check for codes? I'd do that before replacement and I presume you know that under Federal Law, emissions components are (including but not limited to the DPF cannister) are warranted for 5 years from the date of purchase with no exceptions other than obvious abuse and or modifying the emissions systems. Your dealer should be able to do that with a farm call, especially if you have Internet availability and a wireless router so they can log on to the Kubota dealer only portal.

Far as I know, the 'element can be removed from the cannister by loosening the ring clamps and removing it. What I'm wonder is, the pressure differential sensors on the cannister might be failing. They monitor the pressure drop across the element and when they reach a pre determined drop, they notify electronically, the ECM to initiate a regen and also notify the ECM when the differential has returned to normal running parameters. How it was explained to me by my local dealer's lead mechanic. Both mine a pre 4 tractors, glad they are actually.

I believe (I'll have to look) that there is a supplement in the WSM that goes into taking a cannister apart, You might want to peruse either Kubota Books . Com or Manuals . Lib as you can download from both sites pertinent WSM's and supplements.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

The lead mechainic at my dealer told me that the percentage of cleanable elements is low and I found that to also be true with big trucks. I retired from a Freightliner - Western Star dealership and they actually bought a cleaning machine (not cheap), but the machine also checks the element for compatibility as it relates to cleaning and in the case of big truck elements, the machine rejected to majority of them.


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## freedomfarm (Apr 3, 2015)

This is where the DPF is coming from.




 (Kubota Engine America)
I have the owners manual in hand. I have found many of my questions can be answered by merely reading the owners manual. It does not discuss the number of expected regens per PDF. But it clearly states that at 3000 hours the PDF filter needs to be professionally cleaned. Went to the dealer that I purchased the tractor from . The turnaround time at local truck PDF clean was too long to get the unit cleaned. Kubota Engine America had one (refurbished to like-new) on the shelf. I will have it in my hands on Monday. The dealer would be happy to install it, but it is very expensive (800-1200) for install. 
So I have decided to see how I do. 
We use this tractor for all things hay. The tractor and I can be seen feeding the highland cattle daily, northeast of Syracuse, NY. I can not be without this tractor for too many days. Yes, I do have other tractors, but they are either too big , and they are not 4wd. I was hoping not to purchase a workshop manual . . . .but I might just have to anyway. In the process of doing a motor rebuild on our other 4wd tractor . . . .so, things mechanical as a rule do not scare me.
We will drop the loader off it tomorrow. Then off with the hood, which takes a couple of guys. Then, I can get a better look at the DPF. It definitely does not just slip apart. But, I can hope you are right.
We purchased the tractor used about three years ago. It had a little over 1000 hrs on it. 
The hardest thing for me to get used to is running the tractor at such a high rpm at idle. they suggest 1800-2000 rpm.
It just is counter-intuitive to me to listen to it race all the time . . . .so, I do not always run it at the 2000 rpm 
If you can find where you saw that number of regens per PDF, I would appreciate it. I have been getting about ten hours. Lately less. My fear is that the computer will shut me down when I can least afford it. So this is me trying to get ahead of the coming problem.
I will keep you posted. I value your time and thoughts on this.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Roy-FreedomFarm


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

The regen number came from the Kubota mechanic that works on my tractors and I believe it's in the workshop manual as well. I would also replace the pressure differential sensors as they are what initiates the regen process., No clue what they cost as neither of my tractors are T4 Final. I'd have to ask Dennis (the Kubota tech that works on my 2 M's) but I believe 10 hours is way to short an interval for regen which is why I'd replace both the differential sensors when you replace the catalyist. I'm also wondering if, upon replacement, if the ECM must be reprogrammed. Again, don't know. All that is above my pay grade. Don't know what your shop rate is but here, 800 to 1200 bucks is a pile of labor time or in my case 8-12 hours.

All I can say is, I'm glad I don't ever have to deal with that. You have urea (DEF) injection in it as well?

I don't ever fool with either tractor I own except necessary maintenance. I have Dennis attend to every thing else. Just had the overhead adjusted on one and the injectors spray tested and all is good at 6000 hours plus. I stick right with all the recommended maintenance intervals as well and I use Kubota filters, no aftermarket stuff. I don't use SUDT in the gearbox or the front axle. My front axle has 85-140 Spirax in it and the gearbox had Chevron All Weather THC synthetic in it (both units). The Chevron is actually a bit more expensive than the SUDT but it's cold here and I've found the hydraulics work much better with it. Besides, it's dyed orange of all things. SUDT is impossible to see on a dipstick. I use Rotella T6 in the engines and Archoil Nono Borate additive as well.

Let us know how it all pans out, I for one am very curious and next time I see Dennis, I'll get his thoughts on the finer points.


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## Firefight-100 (Aug 28, 2021)

This is not your tractor model, but I think it will give you the idea how it is assembled and testing specs. Let me know if you need anymore pages, this is for a mx5xxx


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## freedomfarm (Apr 3, 2015)

Thank you for the PDF file on the DPF. Mine is all bolted together . . . .no visible clamps. I will try and posy a picture of it later today. In the meantime, I have ordered the WSM for the M8560 from Kubota. Now, I am having difficulty downloading it. Go figure. One more thing to figure out.
Yes, when it is all said and done I will call the dealer, who will send out the service truck with his laptop and clear and set all the parameters for the new DPF.
Disassembly of tractor starts after morning chores. 
I will do my best to keep you posted.
Roy-FreedomFarm


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Interestingly, that is the supplement I have in my WSM I downloaded as well, why I mentioned clamps not a bolt up One thing I would most certainly do and that is, if your cannister is NOT cleanable, I'd want it back and I'd be taking it to your local scrapper. The metals that are on the substrate honey comb are valuable as scrap. Why thieves are cutting of converters and selling them. Diesel and gasoline convertors are similar far as noble metals are concerned.

Keep us informed, I'm curious as well. Not that I'd ever own a post 4 tractor but it's always enlightening to experience new stuff.

Only way that would happen is if one of my M9's suffered a major mechanical failure and I don't see that happening, besides, I have them insured for full replacement value.


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## freedomfarm (Apr 3, 2015)

Ok, all stuff that was in the way came off the tractor (Kubota M8560)








Ok, lets see what it takes to get the DPF out.








This is the DPF/Muffler as seen from the ladder in front of tractor. Hood bracket had to be removed to gain clearence to lift the DPF clear. After that , remove the 6-8 bolts holding the entire unit to tractor. Muffler had to come off first.
It took us about three hours to get the DPF out of the tractor. Now to split the DPF and see whats up . . . .








Ok. Here is the entire unit with the DPF removed. About 16 bolts hold the unit together. The section on the left is called the DOC. The missing middle part is the DPF, The 3rd part is the actual muffler pipe connection/with a sensor. The whole unit is a handful to pull out. More awkward then heavy.
I picked up the newly refurbed DPF (just the middle section). It comes with all the gaskets you need to replace the DPF.Tonight I will put it all back together and torque it to spec.
All in all, I was impressed with Kubota Engine America refurbished DPF. Whites Farm Supply is the dealer that ordered the DPF(alsdo the dealer we purchased the tractor from). Canastota, NY. Very good service from them.
I will continue the story as time allows. This project has taught me much . . . .I have learned much about DPF/Muffler systems. The DOC (diesel oxygen catalyst) is also a very important and needs to be paid attention to. We did not replace the sensors . . .we will wait until we have it on the dealers computer. THey are expensive (265.00 each) and there are three, actually four.
Tomorrow night, we will hopfully slip it back in. 
Will keep you posted on our progress.
Roy-FreedomFarm


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## unsquidly (Jul 13, 2021)

From my experience of running DPF/DEF over the road semi trucks for over 10 years now, 10 hours between regens is 100% BS.......If I was only getting 10 run hours between parked regens on my road truck, I would push the SOB over a hill.......I am also thinking that 3,000 is way too low of hours for a DPF to fail.....Even the last Volvo road truck I had was not that bad for failures of the DFP.....Sounds to me like you have something else going on to cause this premature failure of the DPF........Also, how long was it taking to do a regen before you tore into it?


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

I believe the 2 farthest apart are the differential pressure sensors, the closer ones I believe monitor the exhaust temp to initiate the regen cycle. They are expensive for sure. I see you have some nice looking rounds and they do make good tables, did that before myself in the past. I used a round on my forks to get my overhead door on the header on the top of the clearspan truss arch building I keep all my equipment in and a couple insane friends to help out...

I see your air cleaner is the same as the ones on my M9's and Kubota sells a air cleaner deflector that slips over the intake end that keeps snow dust out of the cannister. My M9cab came with the full what Kubota calls 'Arctic Package' comes with that deflector as well as a block heater that I have never used. You can buy the deflector at your dealer and it goes a long way towards keeping snow dust out. Summer time I face it forward. winter time I face it backwards. Honestly I didn't know what it was for until I asked, didn't even know there was an 'Arctic package'.

When I bought my M9 cab in 2004. Kubota had already ceased production in Japan of them and switched to the slope hood models (mine is an old style square hood, in fact both of them are (2002 and 2004). I had to special order mine and my dealer did some finagling to get it. I waited 6 months for it. Had to be built in Japan, shipped over in a container, loaded on a semi with others and delivered to my dealer. I believe it shipped with the loader as well. I don't believe my loader was made in Georgia. Interestingly, most all the parts on my 2004 are tagged with various painted on numbers too. I presume all the parts to build it came from excess inventory. I believe I have the last square hood M9000 sold here. Kind of makes it special, at least to me it does. Last one in the line and I own it. Came with every option that Kubota had at the time.

I have a feeling that you will wind up replacing at least the outboard sensors but you'll find out when the dealer plugs into your diagnostic port. You might want to have the tractor near the house so they can access your wifi and router as I believe they have to communicate with the 'mother ship' to diagnose any issues.

All I can say is, I'm glad I don't have to deal with any emissions related hardware or software, not that it's all bad because it isn't but not having any of it sure makes life simpler for me and my wallet too.

When you pulled it apart did the substrate appear to be plugged? IOW can you see through it or not. Cannot tell from the picture. Dennis (my Kubota mechanic at my dealership) told me he had one come in where the owner kept ignoring and over riding the regen and it plugged the substrate and he kept on pushing it and it destroyed the engine, but Kubota replaced everything, paid for all the parts and he paid for the labor. Bet he don't do that again.

I take it you don't have DEF injection on yours? That is a whole other ball of wax from what I hear. I know before I retired from the truck dealership, a full 80% plus on emissions related repairs was the DEF injection and related sensor failures. 

As an aside, how is your climate control working? I see the hay chaff on the firewall behind the engine. Hay chaff has been a continuing issue for me. Gets in the ac evaporator and clogs it up and I have to pull the unit apart every spring and clean both the ac evaporator and the heater core. Pretty much a yearly thing on mine. The roof filter don't seem to arrest it all and I run the activated charcoal filter on mine because I pull my sprayer with it too. Even went so far as replacing the foam gasket between the filter and the roof. Helped a little but didn't cure the issue entirely. Took my roof entirely off and insulated the underside with Reflectix foil-bubble-foil sheets. In the summer with the sun beating down on the roof, my ac gets marginal at times. I also installed a shut off valve in one of the heater lines so no hot coolant can get into the heater core. Not overly trusting of the OEM shut off valve..

Appreciate the play by play. Not a lot of large frame Kubota owners on here but there are a few of us. Oversized has one, I have 2 and I believe there are a few others too.

Mine has to make a trip to the dealer shortly. Dennis has to pull the electronic controls out and install the new Kubota /Kneverland controls for my new Kubota bailer which is sitting at the dealer and has been since fall. Kubota was somewhat puzzled about that when they called me and asked how I like my new bailer and I told them I didn't have it but I was making payments on it anyway. Told them my dealer had it and not to get concerned, all was good. How we do things here, Not only are they my dealer, I'm good friends with the owners and all the employees too. Everyone (including me) are pretty laid back about that stuff. Not like I needed it anyway. You don't bale hay in the winter. In fact my dealer took it to the county fair for his fair exhibit. Equipment was hard to get last year and probably will be this year as well. asked him if I got a 'fingerprint discount'... he laughed. My next purchase (maybe the end of this year) will be a Kubota - Kneverland disc bine. My NH disc bine is getting up in hours. Time to replace it. I'd like a center pivot with flail conditioning. My NH has chevron rubber roll conditioning. I hear flail conditioning is better and maintenance is less.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

unsquidly said:


> Also, how long was it taking to do a regen before you tore into it?


Read his previous posts before asking...., 

He explains all, of that there. So you drive a Volvo?? I feel for ya. No hood and a royal PITA to service too. I was raised on extended hood Western Stars with double bunks are real Caterpillar engines. Still own an extended hood Star (I drove company trucks for a living). It's in the barn, hooked to a 40 foot hopper trailer I haul grain in now. 3406 with a 13 double over, 265" wheelbase on air with 11.00 x 24'5's on polished alcoa wheels. No emissions either, just like my farm tractors. Sometime I'll put up a picture of what a 'real truck' looks like...  I keep forgetting you are a door slammer. I wasn't. I hauled oversize loads and steel for the company. 8 axle trailers and a 45 foot detachable gooseneck. Only doors I ever dealt with were dock doors.


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## unsquidly (Jul 13, 2021)

SidecarFlip said:


> Read his previous posts before asking....,
> 
> He explains all, of that there. So you drive a Volvo?? I feel for ya. No hood and a royal PITA to service too. I was raised on extended hood Western Stars with double bunks are real Caterpillar engines. Still own an extended hood Star (I drove company trucks for a living). It's in the barn, hooked to a 40 foot hopper trailer I haul grain in now. 3406 with a 13 double over, 265" wheelbase on air with 11.00 x 24'5's on polished alcoa wheels. No emissions either, just like my farm tractors. Sometime I'll put up a picture of what a 'real truck' looks like...  I keep forgetting you are a door slammer. I wasn't. I hauled oversize loads and steel for the company. 8 axle trailers and a 45 foot detachable gooseneck. Only doors I ever dealt with were dock doors.



Hmmmmm....I must be missing something then because I have read this entire thread twice and I don't see anywhere that he says how long a regen on his tractor takes to run.......And nope, no Volvo anymore.....My last truck was a Volvo but it went away two years ago and was replaced by a Freightliner Cascadia.....And as far as the "door slammer", I guess I am now but have not always been.....I don't mind the "reefer gig" I have now.......I make good money and am only out a night or 3 a week and home every weekend.....Right now, out two nights a week and home on Wed and the week end.....


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Try post number 5 about 2/3rds of the way down....

Freightshaker, another cookie cutter truck with a slope hood. Probably an auto shift too....


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## freedomfarm (Apr 3, 2015)

Here is my son checking for exhaust leaks on the running tractor.It was a pretty much straightforward re-install. The most difficult item was reinstalling the muffler. Could not get it to line up . . .a little farm ingenuity took care of that.
Now for the magic moment, starting. We decided to run it for five minutes without the hood, checking for parts flying off, leaks etc. The tractor started right up. It was 18 degrees at the time. Not plugged in. Just the glow plug(which is automatic). Ran great. Installed new air filters, primary and secondary.
We took a video of the start-up. But I have not figured out how to post it here yet!

Took the tractor out yesterday after re-installing the loader (five-minute job). Flattened snow in drive circle. Ran fine. Put out a couple of bales to the herd of 70 plus Scottish Highlands. Ran well. Keep in mind that the computer has not been reset yet. Then a delivery of 50 wrapped rounds arrives. Unload four loads and the regen light goes on. I upped my rpms to 2000 grand. 15 minutes later it was done. All appears to be well. I made note of the hours on the clock for this first new DPF regen. The computer still thinks the old unit is in the tractor. We will see when it calls for another. Having a hard time getting the dealer to the farm to reset the ECU. I do not think we are harming anything, but I will keep the tractor use to a minimum until reset. Hopefully, next week sometime.


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## freedomfarm (Apr 3, 2015)

Will answer all the questions and comments soon. See you all soon.
Roy-Freedom Farm


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

I'll be curious to hear what codes the ECM stored and if the Diagmaster requires any sensor replacement.

I see you also have the same issue I have with my M9's. Your mirrors are on non adjustable arms. I'm going to have to dismount mine and extend them to see around the new Kubota-Kneverland round baler I bought. It's quite a bit wider than the roll belt NH I traded in so I'll have to add some length to the arms themselves. Probably either machine a length of mild steel round or use a length of black pipe and weld it on to run them out enough and I believe I'll also add a base for an LED amber warning beacon as well. Roading here is getting to be an adventure with the inconsiderate motorists we have. Might as well have maximum presence.


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## freedomfarm (Apr 3, 2015)

Lets see . . .now to the questions
1. how long does a regen take to run? It varies. But mostly about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. How many hours between regens. It was about 15-25 when we first got the tractor(more like 150 Tractor had 1085 hours on it , not quite three years ago.) If I was doing a lot of slow work (moving or unloading bales it would regen earlier)
Here is a link to the best overall explanation I found on the Kubota Regen .








What Is DPF Cleaning? - Kubota DPF Reconditioning | Bobby Ford


Do you know how to regenerate a kubota tractor DPF? Kubota DPF issues can arise from not knowing how to handle this feature of your exhaust. Learn today!




www.bobbyfordkubota.com




It is a simple and straightforward explanation of the process.
Now, all of this is new and confusing to me at times. We have/had Internationals 1566 Turbo, 826 Hydro, Long 2610FWD, Allis WD 45. I am very much used to starting them up and letting them run. A comfortable idle.
The new Kubota has changed all of that. They want you to run it at 1800 to 2000 rpm all the time. I still do not do that. It just feels wrong and counter intuitive . . .But I am trying. For example I had to move bales to feed in the barn in anticipation of big winds coming. Ran the tractor at 1800 rpm . I will continue to do this until the dealer comes out with his laptop. Then to be honest with you all, I will probably slow the rpms down to 1200-1500 rpm for the repetitive/slower work.
When we purchased the tractor, I was aware of the 3000 required service on the DPF. But, at the time that seemed along time away from purchase day. That, and I did not have a real good handle on just how many hours we do in our tractors.
The operator's handbook is a pretty precise book. It is not the WSM. But even the WSM leaves a lot to the imagination.
For example, the WSM mentions nothing about the servicing of the DOC. Whats a DOC ? Diesel Oxidation Catalyst . . .When we took the unit apart, I could see immediately that it too need attention, merely because it was made of similar substrate material. Yet, I have yet to find any procedure for cleaning the Kubota DOC. So what we did was to crank the compressor up and reverse blow it out. It took a while, but we got out a lot of heavier particulate. Next time I may pressure wash it carefully from a distance(back off a bit) A new doc is 3700.00 (Wow)
No matter how often your factor regens, the required cleaning/service occurs at 3000 hours. So , I will not worry too much how often it does the process. Once the Engine Control Module is reset, I will watch and let you all know. 
I learned a long time not to sweat the small stuff . . . .and worrying about the hours between regens is just that. It all depends how hard you are running the tractor. Fact is I do not push any of them hard. When I rush across a field, things break . . .parts are easier to find if you are taking it easy....Just kidding. We cut, rake, and bale of upwards of 200 acres of hay. Many long days. And this year, the Kubota did the lions share.. If I keep typing, here my next 3000 hours will be popping up.
Total cost without the dealer ECM reset/service charge is 875.00. That includes the refurbished/cleaned DPF from Kubota Engine America, with all the required DPF gaskets.There is a 675.00 core charge which is not included 825.00 DPF price. So it pays to have it ready when the new one arrives. We just gave them the old one and there was no core charge. It also includes all new air filter elements. Be sure to order the exhaust outlet/to muffler flange gasket. We did not. But we were lucky. I will order a spare ASAP. Toatal time to do this job was 6-8 hours. 
when we do again at 6000 hours it will be in the 4-6 hour range. Some of the engine bolts were hard to use a torque wrench on.The DPF was easy to disassemble, and a bit tricky to get back together, only because of the stainless steel gaskets.
All in all. A two man job that was not that difficult. I forget which one of you said it, but once we got all the stuff out of our way, the DPF came out easily. We did not use a hoist. It weighs about 40 lbs. More of an awkward lift , but made easier with two guys/gals( got be correct-ha)
If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.
Do not forget to use anti-seize on all mounting bolts. You will glad you did when you do it next time.
Later. 
Roy-FreedomFarm


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

No questions other than a comment or 2. One, I find it counter productive to constantly run any diesel engine at high rpms. A diesel by it's very design is a slower speed engine compared to a gas engine. That flies in the face of longevity from my perspective and two, I'm very curious what your dealer comes up with when he plugs into your proprietary ECM link (something else I don't care for)...

Far as the DOC is concerned, at Freightliner when I worked there, the DOC dosing apparatus was what gave us the most issues (and repairs).

I wasn't aware you had a DEF tank on yours actually.

I'm sure the ECM needs to be reset or reflashed and I still believe a sensor or 2 will need replacement but the ECM will tell you that.

Finally, I sure am glad both of mine are basically emissions free. Only thing I have on mine is a 'puff limiter' that modulates the fuel so they don't blow smoke when throttled up quickly. I can do that just fine.

If I was in your boat, I'd be on my second replacement on the one unit and coming up on the first replacement on the other.

Curious as to what brand of baler you have? Like I said previously, I'm gonna have to extend my mirrors a bit so I can actually see around the Kubota-Kneverland 4x5 I just bought. It's quite a bit wider than the NH rollbelt I traded in. Don't believe I can refit the extendable late model mirrors to mine.


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## storytellerflutes (11 mo ago)

Just in from straightening a bale spear fork. Bent it a wee bit the other days when 50 wrapped rounds arrived. The torches did the job.
Sidecar, no def fluid on the kubota. Just a DOC followed by the DPF. Then there is muffler sensor. See photos. 
Our balers. Just got NH 648. Back up is a 855. Love the 648. Beautiful bale.wish it was net wrap. Mirrows have not been messed with by me. I bale with the IH1566 on the 855. Use the kubota for the 648. The 855 makes a 6x6 bale. Big and heavy.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Traded my roll belt net twine for a Kubota-Kneverland net twine. Got a 45 grand baler new for 10 grand after everything was done. I much prefer net over twine. Easier to load in feeders and quicker to make in the field too. Takes me about 20 seconds to wrap and eject a net bale. The new one I bought has on the fly varible density so I can do the core loose and then run up the density for weight. NH held one extra roll of net, Kuboya holds 3 if I need them. and 10 mega balls of twine which I'll never load anyway. Other thing I like about the Kubota is, I can start wrapping with twine and switch to net with out stopping. Good for making combined wheat straw bales where you loose a lot of product pretty quick and the Kubota has overlapping criss cross twine arms. My NH had 2 parallel arms. My verdict is out on it, I won't really know until first cut anyway. Will be a while yet, we still have snow in the shady spots.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

storytellerflutes said:


> Just in from straightening a bale spear fork.


I tweak mine regularly. I just roll it down to where the tip is on the ground and bend it back to level. The replaceable spears are pretty ductile.


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## freedomfarm (Apr 3, 2015)

Good Afternoon Folks. Hope all is well with you. Cold and snowy NE of Syracuse,NY. Very windy.
Ok, this past Tuesday, the Kubota Dealer that we purchased the M8560 from arrived in the early am to reset the ECM aka the computer . . . .He checked for codes. There were no error codes. All was good. . Sensors were all reading as they should. Soot load reset and DPF time interval reset were completed.
Now to see how long it goes before first regen since the new DPF/ECM reset. It already "feels better" , if that makes any sense . . .the tractor is just running stronger/better. 
WE will see as time goes on. Normally, it would have regened again, 5-10 hours. It has not. 
The picture above is the certificate that comes with the refurbished DPF from Kubota Engine America. There was a bit of paperwork involved. Before the dealer could do the ECM reset, he needed to get all the particulars and hours etc. New DPF number was inserted into the ECM. Pretty interesting to watch. It did not take to long. Maybe 15-20 minutes.
Just happy to have it official . . .and done.
Now we just keep an eye on things and make some notes.
Relatively painless . . . .
Next we rebuild the motor on the Long 2610 FWD. 
Think I will wait for some warm weather though . . . .too bloody cold to work in an unheated barn.


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## freedomfarm (Apr 3, 2015)

SidecarFlip said:


> I tweak mine regularly. I just roll it down to where the tip is on the ground and bend it back to level. The replaceable spears are pretty ductile.


That new baler of yours sounds great. I am relatively new to round bales. About 5-7 years ago we switched over. Picked up the NH 648 about 50 miles from here. After doing some work on it, it worked awesome. Very nice looking bales. 4x5.
It is a silage special. string tie only. I did bale some nice hay with it. So the NH 855 will be our backup. Always nice to have a plan B.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Sounds to me like a good ending though it cost you some bucks. I keep wondering why Kubota states 2500 regens before replacement / cleaning. I wonder where they come up with that interval or if it's just an 'educated' guess. At least no sensors were compromised.

Not something I need to be concerned with and I'm glad of that. Keeping my pair of M's up to date maintenance wise costs enough as it is.

I bet the weather is not all that nice there, it's not nice here either on the east side of the Great lakes. Been cold 9in the 20's and teens at night and we just got 2" of new snow, though it is supposed to warm up starting tomorrow. It is time for spring to emerge.


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## freedomfarm (Apr 3, 2015)

Good Morning Folks.
To answer Sidecars question about the 2500 regens that was spotted in the WSM.
I purchased the WSM for the M8560 /M9960 before we started the hands on portion of this job . . .I checked it again in my spare time this week. I could find no mention of the 2500 regens by Kubota. 
What it says is that the DPF will need to be cleaned and serviced at 3000 hours.
From what I can gather, the number will vary depending on how hard you work it. The hotter the better if you want a low number of regens. But, if your looking for 2500 regens , it would have to regen every 1,5 hours. 
There appears to be more than a wee bit of confusion on the topic. If you run it past the suggested service of 3000 hours you risk engine damage.
So here is what I know as of right now. The newly cleaned DPF has definitely given me more time between regens.
I have yet to regen since the computer was reset. My guess is going to be between 15-25 hours. Although, I am now running it at 1800 rpm when at idle. I am also more inclined to shut her down instead of letting it idle why I go check the mailbox. I do idle down to let it cool a bit before shutting it down, which is something I have
learned to do with our internationals.
The tractor has been working flawlessly since . Will be re-checking the torque on all the fasteners soon. Probably when I do the spring fluids/filter change.
Quick question. Does anyone have any thoughts on the International 1086 or the Ford 8210 FWD 
Thinking about picking up another tractor . . . .
I would like to thank those of you that have added your thoughts and questions. . . .it was and is helpful.
Be well
Roy-FreedomFarm-Verona-Ny


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

freedomfarm said:


> Good Morning Folks.
> To answer Sidecars question about the 2500 regens that was spotted in the WSM.
> I purchased the WSM for the M8560 /M9960 before we started the hands on portion of this job . . .I checked it again in my spare time this week. I could find no mention of the 2500 regens by Kubota.
> What it says is that the DPF will need to be cleaned and serviced at 3000 hours.
> ...


Kubota must have altered their policy on the 2500 regens before service then. That tid bit came from my dealer btw, not from any WSM. I usually take whatever my dealer says as gospel.

I find the 'method' of prolonging the life of the substrate to fly in the face of what is considered 'proper' diesel engine operation. I diesel is designed to operate at lower rpm and have a 'cooling down' period after working it hard. I see what Kubota wants and what has always been acceptable practice with a diesel are polar opposites. All I can say is, I'm sure glad I don't own a post 4 Kubota.

Far as a 1086 Barnyard Buick goes, Have a buddy that has one and he's had pump issues in the past, Other than that, I know little about them.


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## LouNY (Dec 15, 2016)

Interesting read on the dpf. Just a note the hours add up much faster on these newer tractors as they are clock hours compared to the old engine hours at rated speed.
I don't have any tier 4 to worry about now and my diesel pickup is gone also. The little RAM 1500 with the V6 regened quite frequently, every few hundred miles.
Most of them occurred while driving.
As far as additional tractors I am well pleased and impressed with the CIH Magnums on the farm, they are the original Magnums the 7100 and 7200 series.
They aren't cheap by any means seeing $40-$60,000 depending on hours and reconditioning. But comfortable and durable with the 18 speed power shift and
the air ride seat.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Lou.. I suspect a gas motor catalytic converter regen and a diesel regen are 2 different animals in as much as there is no soot left behind to clog it up. My diesel pickup truck has no emissions hardware on it, glad of that. Straight 4" from the turbo to the tailpipe.


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## LouNY (Dec 15, 2016)

SidecarFlip said:


> Lou.. I suspect a gas motor catalytic converter regen and a diesel regen are 2 different animals in as much as there is no soot left behind to clog it up. My diesel pickup truck has no emissions hardware on it, glad of that. Straight 4" from the turbo to the tailpipe.


That was the little V6 diesel in the RAM 1500!
That was a 2015 RAM diesel 1500, ran her to 99,000 miles then traded for a 5.7 gasser miss the little diesel.


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## freedomfarm (Apr 3, 2015)

SidecarFlip said:


> Kubota must have altered their policy on the 2500 regens before service then. That tid bit came from my dealer btw, not from any WSM. I usually take whatever my dealer says as gospel.
> 
> I find the 'method' of prolonging the life of the substrate to fly in the face of what is considered 'proper' diesel engine operation. I diesel is designed to operate at lower rpm and have a 'cooling down' period after working it hard. I see what Kubota wants and what has always been acceptable practice with a diesel are polar opposites. All I can say is, I'm sure glad I don't own a post 4 Kubota.
> 
> Far as a 1086 Barnyard Buick goes, Have a buddy that has one and he's had pump issues in the past, Other than that, I know little about them.


I totally agree with you on running them at a higher rpm. To me it is the hardest part of this tractor. Yet, I figured for a while, I would do as the operators manual suggests. No more letting her idle while I eat my sandwich under the tree in the hay lot . . . .I bet you all right now that I end up slowing it down and enjoying life at a slower rpm!
Be well my friend


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

freedomfarm said:


> I totally agree with you on running them at a higher rpm. To me it is the hardest part of this tractor. Yet, I figured for a while, I would do as the operators manual suggests. No more letting her idle while I eat my sandwich under the tree in the hay lot . . . .I bet you all right now that I end up slowing it down and enjoying life at a slower rpm!
> Be well my friend


With the current fuel pricing issue, I won't be 'idling' mine under a tree with the ac on eating my sandwich either, nor will I let it on elevated idle to keep the cabin cold when I'm out of it doing something implement related as much as I would prefer to. The cost of fuel is going to change what I do this year.

The elevated rpm required for the 'emissions' components just flies in the face of how a diesel is designed to operate and again, I'm glad I don't have to deal with any of that. Both mine are 100% mechanical, the only 'electronic' thing on either is the fuel cut solenoid.

I've always operated mine with a 'cool down' period to allow the turbocharger bearings to reduce temperature and keep them, from 'coking' up from overheated lube oil. Something that was instilled in my mind for years and years and I'll still do that anyway. Both my turbocharges have no shaft play in them at all so I presume the ceramic bearings on the hot side are good to go.

If something happened to them (highly unlikely), I believe I'd quit farming entirely and rent the ground out. The main reason why I stick to required maintenance schedule without fail, use high quality lubricating oil and transmission fluids in them and do spectroscopic analysis of the oils regularly. I do not want any mechanical (engine) related issues, ever. The VT engines we have are really issue free mechanically anyway.

I realize that most pf the posts and threads on here don't really pertain to the size of equipment and tractors we run but there are a few and one thing about this forum that I like is that the few that are here can converse about issues and situations without a bunch of inane comments, so don't go anywhere. it's always a plus to compare 'notes' about what we do and how we do it.

Went out to the barn this morning and realized I was missing something. I'm used to having 2 tractors in there and now I have one...lol Kind of empty presently but I know it's in good, competent hands. I just dread getting the bill...lol Least I don't have to remit the full amount and they don't charge me a finance charge on the unpaid balance either.

Hang around and keep us up to date on how and what you are doing and burn that ORD wisely, it's expensive today.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

LouNY said:


> That was the little V6 diesel in the RAM 1500!
> That was a 2015 RAM diesel 1500, ran her to 99,000 miles then traded for a 5.7 gasser miss the little diesel.


Considering the price of diesel today versus regular unleaded, do you really miss it all that much? ORD diesel here is bumping $4.75 a gallon. Regular unleaded is a buck cheaper.


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## ovrszd (12 mo ago)

SidecarFlip said:


> Considering the price of diesel today versus regular unleaded, do you really miss it all that much? ORD diesel here is bumping $4.75 a gallon. Regular unleaded is a buck cheaper.


My Grandson drives a newish GMC with the large gasser engine. Can't remember the size exactly. He told me the other day if he babies it on long highway trips he can get 12mpg. Normally 10mpg. My old diesel gets 15mpg almost everywhere. So depending on fuel prices isn't it almost a wash?


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

All hinges on the size of the engine and your ability (or inability) to regulate your right foot, I'd say. Myself, I run both the Suburban (350 V8) and my roller skate Ford Focus, 2.3 turbocharged on cruise as much as possible, even local driving. Both will run down to 25 mph on cruise. The fuel computer in the Burb shows 25 mpg average, the rollerskate stays planted on 40 mpg. We don't motor the Suburban much as it costs a bundle to fill it, last time I filled it, it was north of a C note. It's supposedly requires mid grade but it gets regular and likes it. I did disable the GM cylinder cut out feature immediately, used a Holley 'Range' module that defeats it and has it run on all 8, all the time. It's a bad design all around. My wife's mini van 2.3 naturally aspirated transverse 4 gets fairly good mileage I think at least. No fuel computer in it to tell me but she runs it as well on cruise as much as she can. It's her 'pick up grocery, haul the dog and go to Township meeting vehicle. Ever since the covid crap went down, we really don't go anywhere so we don't use a ton of the now expensive fuel. We might go out to eat once a month at most and we have certain places we go to, all pretty close.

The tractors use more fuel than the cars do and my diesel pickup truck sleeps most all of the winter and only gets used for farm related stuff anyway or probably less than 5K miles a year. it's a 97 F350 turbo diesel with under 100K miles on it. Never been in the snow or on salted roads either.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

I might add that my 97 full size 4x4 long bed diesel with the full Banks kit gets around 20 give or take empty and I do the cruise deal with it as well and I don't drive it at warp factor one on the highway either. Faster you go the less mileage you get. Simple physics.

At my age, warp factor one is a distant memory...lol


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## LouNY (Dec 15, 2016)

SidecarFlip said:


> Considering the price of diesel today versus regular unleaded, do you really miss it all that much? ORD diesel here is bumping $4.75 a gallon. Regular unleaded is a buck cheaper.


Actually I do, right now regular here is $4.29 and on road diesel is $4.99.

My 2015 eco-diesel consistantly pulled better then 22-24 mpg in the summer and 20-22 mpg in the winter for my daily driving,
this 5.7 Hemi in my 2019 was 13.5 mpg this winter and 15.5.-17 mpg in the summer with my every day driving.

Trips the eco-diesel was 24-26 mpg the Hemi is 17-19 mpg.

And then there is the drivability of the high torquing diesel just pulling so smooth at lower rpms, the Hemi is faster and
the exhaust sounds nice at the higher rpm and when loaded.

None of my every day driving is good for mileage it's short runs, lots of hills, starts and stops and even considerable idleing.
Then when I hit my driveway for 1/4 mile it shows between 1-3 mpg.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Chrysler Hemispherical combustion chamber engines have never been noted for their efficiency mileage wise. Power wise yes. In fact, it's been my experience that Chrysler (now Stellantis) products have never returned good fuel mileage. They always make excellent power however.

Also been told my a couple local garages here that they are having issues with the camshafts being poorly heat treated and failing too.

Not a fan of any one make. I try to buy a vehicle that is efficient and mostly without issues. Of course I would never buy a new anything. A new vehicle, especially one that is financed has to be possibly the worst investment you can make. Depreciation eats them up quickly in the first couple years. Why I only buy late model off lease vehicles. I let the first owner take that hit and buy at an extreme discount off the sticker price.

Probably isn't playing well today but then I don't need to replace any of mine either.

Fuel cost is becoming a critical issue when buying ANY vehicle today, no matter what it is and in my opinion, American automakers have been caught once again with their drawers down, cranking out high profit full sized boats with poor mileage and then the gas goes way up and bingo... Stuck with vehicles no one wants.

Read in an industry quarterly that many people who ordered full size pickups and lugs your arse cars with bigger motors are cancelling their orders, chips or no chips.

I suspect soon, there will be a glut of unsold guzzlers (chips or no chips) on dealers lots unsold and I also suspect that the buy at MSRP or stuff it attitude will give way to deep discounts to purchase. The automakers not the dealers want to be sitting on excess inventory, not how business works.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

I've been saying that for years about the "Big Three" ! Marketing from these manufactures has made everyone believe they need a 4 door crew-cab pickup with 4 wheel drive! As Sidecar said, selling high profit behemoths to masses! The city and the car lots are full of them. If you find the need for one, by all means get one. I have one myself. I do haul lumber, farm supplies and pick up my own hay from a local farmer. I find that I have use for it. I suspect that most folks on the site here also have a need for a decent pickup truck, but for the majority of folks I see at the stores in town don't seem to be the type that "need" crew cab 4x4.
I also have a car that gets great fuel mileage that we use for most daily duties except for the winter. No sense in have both vehicle rusting out!


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

And no DPF on either the car of the truck!


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## freedomfarm (Apr 3, 2015)

*The Final Chapter*
We finally got the bill from the farm tractor dealer for the service call to the farm to reset the ECM (computer).
Roughly 200.00 to check and clear and reset the DPF.
The entire task maybe took fifteen minutes . . . It .makes me very glad I did the work myself.
We have priced ourselves into oblivion . . . . .Between all the new environmental tech on farm equipment and the ability of the mechanics to keep up with it all . . . I fear for our futures.
This DPF job has taught me a lesson. Trust myself, Do a lot of research. . . .With that info in your tool bag, you can do anything. 
A lot of folks are afraid to try . . . . .
So it all cost about 1200.00 to do this job. I highly speak for Kubota Engine America's refurb plan. Simple. Straight forward and very quick service. 
Total time . Under eight hours all told.
Our next tractor will be one without all the pollution gizmos on it.
Technology is a wonderful thing until it passes you in the left lane . . . . .
Be well guys. Thanks again for your support and help
Roy-Freedom Farm


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

I will never own a T4 unit and at my age, my T2-3 tractors will outlive me anyway.

I've always found it interesting that some government 'expert' comes up with stuff like T4 and then it's mandated but the people that come up with that stuff never used any of it in real time.

Not ever in the cards for me.

Looks like in the near future I'll be an employee of my Kubota dealer, only part time...lol I'll get to fiddle with all the newest stuff without the 'pride of ownership'....

You might want to look around for a used, well cared for M9000. Both of mine have been 100% bulletproof and easy to maintain as well. I don't see many used for sale. I believe people that have them are like me, not willing to sell them.

I now my dealer's head mechanic always tells me, it's the best and easiest large frame units Kubota ever built.


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## Tx Jim (Jul 28, 2020)

I've been advised air conditioning system on earlier Kubota cabs didn't provide as much cooling as newer models . I know for positive all other things equal air conditioning operation on my M7040 has more cooling output than the M4900 that it replaced. Good air conditioner performance is very important in the Texas temps where I live.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Tx Jim said:


> I've been advised air conditioning system on earlier Kubota cabs didn't provide as much cooling as newer models . I know for positive all other things equal air conditioning operation on my M7040 has more cooling output than the M4900 that it replaced. Good air conditioner performance is very important in the Texas temps where I live.


That is up for debate. I did have to modify my ac system but now it will freeze you out, no issue.

My modifications include... Replacing the refrigerant with dry propane versus the R134, removing the cabin roof (something I do yearly anyway and clean the ac coils and the heater coils of dust and dirt that gets past the cabin air filter), I lined the underside of the roof with foil-bubble-foil Reflectix as the orange roof is a heat magnet in the sun. The Reflectix reflects the heat quite efficiently. I also added a 12 volt automotive pusher cooling fan right in front of the ac condenser under the hood because the stock Kubota belt driven fan cannot pull sufficient air unless it's running a speed. I have the rad, the oil cooler, the air to air heat exchanger and the condenser that fan has to pull through so I help it out with a 12 volt pusher fan wire with a relay into the ac compressor mag clutch circuit. When the ac compressor is energized, the fan runs too. Did that on my old gone 5030 HSTC as well plus on it I added rubber air concentrators to channel the cooling air more efficiently. My ac works as well, or better than a new unit now. I also added a WOG valve in the coolant line to the cab to isolate hot coolant as the Kubota water valve has a habit of leaking. It can be 90-100 with high humidity outside in the sun and my cab is a comfortable 70 degrees and the compressor is actually cycling.

I agree, in stock form, the climate control is marginal but mine isn't after I modified it. One thing I do recommend on any of them is remove the roof and clean under there at least once a year. Heck of a lot easier to remove than a JD. 12 screws and it's off.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

I might add that I do not like the new version of the climate control hard parts under the seat. hard to access and clean. I much prefer the overhead components. Easy to access and everything is right there once the roof is removed. You still pull ambient air through the roof mounted filter (I also changed the gasket to a much thinker, more compressable gasket). the air flow is through the high mount filter, down a duct to the underseat components. I don't care for that arrangement at all. All that to achieve das mounted vents. Don't need them either. I have no less than 7 adjustable air outlets on my M9. Plenty for my uses.

Did a long explanation post on TbyNet a while ago in the Kubota sub forum.

Bottom line is, you have to mitigate the radiant heat produced by the roof and enhance the air flow through the condenser to achieve good cooling. Pretty simple really and I don't run aftermarket tint on my windows either. Standard tint is plenty enough. Did the dry propane thing because it's a more efficient refrigerant than 134 is and the components require no upgrading to handle it either so it's basically a painless switch other than the cost. Dry propane is about 2 times the cost of 134.

I may switch the 134 system in my car and my wife's Suburban to dry propane as well. I do pull the 134 and then pull a vacuum to purge them before adding the propane and propane is 100% compatible with PAG oil as well. I have all the required ac tools in the shop.


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## Tx Jim (Jul 28, 2020)

I haven't felt the need to remove seat & clean evaporator on my '11 M7040 since I purchased it used in 2012. My M7040, Ford 6700 & my JD 4255 cools fine with R134 & no tint on windows.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

I suspect it all depends on how much fine chaff gets by the filter element. I also suspect that my gasket that was originally on the filter recess wasn't overly good at sealing. Why I replaced it. I realize you have to do a major dissection to access the under seat components as well. Not so much with the old style. You'll know when it's time, when you turn on the ac and it smells musty.


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## Tx Jim (Jul 28, 2020)

My JD 4255 with overhead AC evaporator I purchased in '93 has spent over 8,000 hrs in dusty/fine chaff conditions with majority of those hrs pulling rd balers in order to make over 100,000+ rd bales


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Interesting. My buddy with the seed farm down the road pulls the tops on all his JD's and cleans them every year. Guess you are inordinately lucky. I'm not. First time I pulled mine, my ac evaporator was caked almost solid with wet moldy chaff and it had a definite musty smell to it as well. Took 3 flushes with Purple Power is a garden sprayer and 3 rinses with clear warm water to get it clean and all that crud came out the condensate drains under the tractor. Now, every spring, I clean it even tough I modded the roof, changed the perimeter gasket and resealed the side mount cabin filter.

I will say that running on dry propane with the other mods I did, I rarely ever turn the blower up over setting 1.

Maybe I bale my hay when it's drier than you do????? My rule of thumb when bailing is, if the bailer isn't enveloped in a chaff cloud, the hay is too wet. Keep my Delmhorst set at 15% RM too.


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## LouNY (Dec 15, 2016)

I haven't had to pull mine apart on my 8050 yet but I have considered it as it can be marginal in high humidity and hot days.
The cabbed tractors on the farm have benefited from pulling the roofs and cleaning as they have accumulated a lot of fine dirt and dust over the years.
And propane does do a good job.


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## Tx Jim (Jul 28, 2020)

SCF
Possibly AC evaporator not requiring regular cleaning could be due to lower relative humidity in Texas vs Michigan. How often in Michigan can you cut grass for hay & without ""tedding the grass"" bale it the next or following day & moisture of hay will be 16% or lower? My neighbors & I normally perform that task regularly during hay season. I will state relative humidity in Texas is a much higher now than it was 60 years previously.
Jim


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Nice thing about propane is unlike a R11-12 to 134 conversion, you don't need to do any seal refits. Far as my seat of the pants tells me, the propane does a much better job at heat exchange than the 134 did. Not cheap but is anything cheap today?

Lou, if it gets a musty smell, that is s sure sign you have crud on your heat exchangers up there. Especially the ac evaporator because the crud gets wet and then molds and then it stinks. It is nice to also have an open station unit. No roof to worry about but no ac either. SOP is a small cooler iced with cool beverages inside..... 


Tx Jim said:


> SCF
> Possibly AC evaporator not requiring regular cleaning could be due to lower relative humidity in Texas vs Michigan. How often in Michigan can you cut grass for hay & without ""tedding the grass"" bale it the next or following day & moisture of hay will be 16% or lower? My neighbors & I normally perform that task regularly during hay season. I will state relative humidity in Texas is a much higher now than it was 60 years previously.
> Jim


Interesting comment and most likely true, it is higher here. One reason why I went to the Kuhn Masterdrive 3 point mounted rotary rake, because it 'fulff's the windrow and allows the air to course through it and basically eliminates tedding for me. I own a tedder but I prefer not using it. Tedding tedding tens to remove the leaves from cut alfalfa.

I'm always dealing with humidity so the crud on the evaporator could very well be from just that scenario. I gage the amount by the musty smell...lol Like I said, my cabin filter wasn't sealing against the gasket properly either so I replaced it with a perimeter gasket of closed cell self stick air conditioner gasket which is quite a bit thicker than the OEM gasket and compresses better. Again, I'm bailing mostly alfalfa, not grass and alfalfa has it's own issues for processing. Used th have a picture of me bailing it (cannot find it) but the bailer is running in a cloud of chaff.


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## Tx Jim (Jul 28, 2020)

Normally me & my neighbors only rake hay just before baling. We never rake to dry hay unless raked hay accidently gets rained on. Several local custom balers have tractor/rake/rd baler combinations. Very, very small amount of Alfalfa has been attempted grown in my area. I've never seen a windrow formed by a rotary rake in a photo that I liked the shape of for rd baling. I like my windrows wide, flat & uniform in density which I normally get from my H&S Hi-cap 14 wheel rake gathering 28 ft of grass.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Tx Jim said:


> Normally me & my neighbors only rake hay just before baling. We never rake to dry hay unless raked hay accidently gets rained on. Several local custom balers have tractor/rake/rd baler combinations. Very, very small amount of Alfalfa has been attempted grown in my area.


Just the opposite here and my one big customer requires the content to be at least a 50-50 mix of alfalfa and broom (Brohme grass). If I was running grass hay only, I imagine the crud issue would be a lot less. My farmer friend down the road cleans all his JD's every spring. He don't do hay at all but he does do a lot of soybeans and of course seed corn and dry beans create a lot of dusty chaff as well. Got it down to a 'science' removing the lids. I rigged up a 4 point lift in the big barn I attach to the 4 corners of the lid and I take it off, raise it up so I can access the internal components and as long as I don't move the tractor, I can lower it right back the way it came off, which eliminates a helper. Not heavy, just cumbersome. I'd say the lid weighs maybe 10 pounds at the most. You never want to replace it so don't get a hole in it or crack it. Wholegoods price on a new one without the perimeter gasket is 1500 bucks. The gasket with the 4 corner pads is just north of 100 bucks. I replaced it last spring as my old one had gotten brittle.

Maybe I'll start getting dealer price when I start working there, who knows. One can only hope right? Candidly, I don't believe my dealer mark's up the cost on parts all that much anyway. I'm thinking maybe 10% at the most for me at least. Not sure about other customers. Wife gave me permission to work there part time, so long as it don't interfere with my 'honey do' chores, or the hay business.

Interestingly, I've been 'fixing' a lot of screw ups that Kubota has been sending out lately like welded bushings not jigged properly and out of line and poor welds on various components.. I don't know if it's a lack of training at their Georgia assembly plant or just being in a hurry but I'm finding it interesting. I've always considered their quality to be exceptional and their attention to detail beyond reproach. Not playing that way today.


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## ovrszd (12 mo ago)

Tx Jim said:


> SCF
> Possibly AC evaporator not requiring regular cleaning could be due to lower relative humidity in Texas vs Michigan. How often in Michigan can you cut grass for hay & without ""tedding the grass"" bale it the next or following day & moisture of hay will be 16% or lower? My neighbors & I normally perform that task regularly during hay season. I will state relative humidity in Texas is a much higher now than it was 60 years previously.
> Jim


45 years ago my neighbor could mow grass hay early morning, rake late afternoon, bale just before dew fell. Watched him do it many times. Normal here is mow one morning, bale next evening.


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## LouNY (Dec 15, 2016)

Depending upon the ground moisture around here, mow one day, ted the next day rake and bale the third day if lucky.
Even for haylage it's usually mow one day double up windrows and chop the next, or later in the day round bale for silage.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Not something I do Lou. It's all dry hay (15% RM) with me.


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## ovrszd (12 mo ago)

I see guys respond all the time that someone might not be doing it right, regardless of topic. I try to refrain. A lot of variables come into play. Especially with hay.

I maintain 50 miles of country roads. They aren't all ready for maintenance on the same day.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Grading country roads and running hay are completely different animals and the location is the determining factor as well as the plant content. Grass is a damn sight easier to deal with versus alfalfa right from the get go. What works for me locally and what works for Jim or Lou may be entirely different from what I've found to work.

Like I always read about mergers and multiple rakings. I have no use for a merger and I always try to rake the minimum times and not ted if at all possible. Think the last time I used the Tedder was 2 years ago actually. Have the equipment just in case but hardly ever use it. Nice thing about a rotary is I can 'merge' windrows into doubles by just going back the way I came from the previous rake. Only time I do that is on 3rd cut anyway because the volume is much less.


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