Making the salvaged Kubota mini tractor safer, then clearing an old atv trail.
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- In the previous videos about the rescued mini tractor, I had lots of viewer comments about how I can improve it and make it safer.
Lots of good ideas, so in this instalment , I'll follow viewer advice to make it a better machine.
Mrs Marty T - • Time lapse Painting of...
Always nice with a little helper and commentator :-)
I thnk I've watch all your videos now, does help to keep my mind of the man flue!!
You helped me get through Covid Marty, watching your videos is such an escape. I greatly appreciate the time you put into them to produce the quality content. With the videos you're the gift that keeps in giving, best wishes to you and all of your family from Ireland 🇮🇪
Well said I agree wholeheartedly..
Lovely comment 👌🏻
Christ. It would be lovely to go home. Got this dratted Omnicron thing over here now, so it looks like another year. Slainte, and have a lovely christmas.
@@ancientbuilds3764 Same here mo chara, Omnicron is here. People are resilient though, I hope you make it back soon lad..
Ha ha ha .thank for the how too fix .
Another great video, loved by my 3yr old. Very interesting for us both to watch.
Marty the super dad, heartwarming
I'm totally envious of your new toy!
You are lucky to have such a good helper !
Watching your videos from the Caribbean with enthusiasm. 🙃😗😊😇👍💪
Flip rear wheels for wider stance, good idea. Flip front wheels and get many negative effects, don't! My recommendation as as a mechanic.
Awesome night time relaxing viewing, thanks Marty ..
Leave the front wheels since they match up with the back. You can add fluid in the tires for a lot of weight with a low center of gravity. You can lower the roll bar it seems to be too tall. You can also add steel weights in the front and a heavy belly pan could add a lot of bottom weight.
I’ve been enjoying your videos for a while. Thanks for keeping me entertained!
I agree on the front wheels & liquid in the rear tires 👍
I agree too. Great idea adding the grease nipples. I'm surprised that Kubota did'nt installed them from the start.
I was laughing when you "reingineered" that plastic bucket to accept your chain saw 🤣
Nice, powerfull lil' machine ! I'm jealous.
@@phillovelace Putting water/fluid in the front wheels would also help with reducing the tipping of it and lower the CofG a bit. Would do the same job as the steel weights that @Stan suggested though. I don't know how the baby tractor engine would handle the extra weigh in/on it.
⁶
@@josephking6515 adding fluid to the wheel doesn’t really affect the engine power too much but water will freeze in cold climates so use ethylene glycol
You should make scrub rails to force low hanging branches to run up and over the roll over bar..
I have several comments, forewarned I think that is very nice your son Haynes around with you when you're working on the tractor. I'm sure he will remember that all his life, and I also think flipping them back tires around is a good idea, I think and I'm no expert but just watching the tractor drive besides being good with mud I think they would also be good for the traction, just my opinion would be a pain in the butt that now you have to put air in the tires on the backside. But that's no big deal, I think you're absolutely right about leaving the front tires like they are, I do also think it would put unnecessary stress on the front and. I think the grease fittings on them knuckles was a very good idea.
That chainsaw blade is begging to get hit. Nice little tractor for the investment. My nephew just got a JD 3038 & has 18 grand in it.
It doesn’t surprise me at all that it fell over. Those tires are way too skinny. Reminds me of when I drove my Tall tippy CLASS A RV through Buffalo NY during a wintery windstorm. The ac shroud blew off.
Luckily I was towing a car on the very trailer I just ruined a few days ago. It probably kept me from laying on the passenger side window.
I love the videos. I actually try to get anyone to hop up on my tractor and drive it.
Best 400 bucks ever! 👍
Your boy is a bright one. "All of your machines are my favorite" great line.
Great job of editing. Thanks Marty.
Nice job, you are so lucky to live in such a beautiful place, 😁👍
Had a SAME tractor with the orchard I had years ago and used to half fill the inner tubes with water to lower the centre of gravity when running along the side of slopes. Improved the stability quite a bit.
you might don't do a half fill on a Mountain!
think better is none!
✌
@@t.r.l.4377 huh?
@@t.r.l.4377 What happened to ya mate? How did it go south?
At least mix antifreeze in the water
If your in a colder climate use an anit-freeze mix
Those rear tyres were the correct way round. At 0.42 we can see the arrow indicating direction of rotation.
Coming first hand from my Depression-era farmer grandfather, he would mount tires backwards for field work (like cultivating) in the soggy spring. Tires would spin early before sinking too deep going forward and then allow the farmer to back out of the soggy spot to reattack from another direction. Tractors do work in both directions and on some farms or seasons they do more work backwards than forwards. Obviously many three point earth moving implements have the tractor primarily working in reverse also.
That makes sense
you have an absolutely lovely family, keep up the good work much love from Iowa
Love that you are willing to spend some time for safety. So many youtubers that i otherwise really like will say this is unsafe dont do what i do then just do something unsafe. Only cool kids have rollbars 🎉
You ALWAYS need more tractors mate !
Hi Marty I had missed this video😕 But as always good. You may have received this suggestion hundreds of times, but I "can't" go through more than a thousand comments😉 Placing the chainsaw where the saw blade sticks out is not optimal. Very easy for it to catch in a small tree when you reverse. Suggestion position the saw so the saw blade does not stick out so far. But absolutely the best 😉 you make a holder from some parts you have on the farm. Which is available to buy for ATVs.
Greetings from Sweden 🇸🇪
That engine really sounds great. It purrs like a kitten. The tractor is
big enough for heavy pulling but small enough for your small trails. You
really got yourself a good deal with that one!
Per 400 dollari quel trattore è un affare. In Italia sarebbe costato dieci volte di più! Monta dei pneumatici larghi avanti e dietro e così aumenti stabilità, trazione e galleggiamento sul bagnato! Bel video!
I'd leave the front wheels the way you found them. I agree with you it would place too much load on the bearings and the king pins.
I would have added that greasing them is fine, but the grease will attract dirt so a rubber boot over the king pin might help to prevent premature wear in that respect
Center line thru vertical pivot points( ball joints, king pins) should intersect the centerline of the wheel bearings @ the tire contact patch on the road. It's the geometry of all wheel loading. Installing reversed rims, or turning wheels around in your case is basically re-engineering. Good way to snap a spindle, or break a thumb! Don't do it.
@@edwinhsingmaster9135 I wondered why Marty didn´t swap left and right wheel - so u can mount it as it should and tire pattern as desired as well.
@@el_micha Same thing i have been saying.
You are correct Marty. Change the rear tires and not the front. Roll bar a bit high. Kind of encourages a roll.
Otherwise, you are a good mechanic. Always nice to see machines recycling into new roles.
Salute from NJ.
Not sure if you were being cheeky or not Marty, but I like how you focused in on the tire direction instructions on the sidewall while you spoke to commenters telling you the tires were on backwards ;) Clearly the manufacturer states that they can be mounted in either direction with leading v for traction and trailing v for reduced rolling resistance (eg. hard surfaces).
That's interesting about the trailing V setup. Never heard that one before. Normally with the deep V lugs it's for agricultural use and that means traction is required. There is often on smaller tractors an option for industrial tread for harder surfaces and a less aggressive tread. Thanks!
I was very amused by that as well, but he was a good sport about it.
He ended up with a wider track , less tippy tractor though.
Trooper of a tractor.
Thought about a little blade on the front to make clearing a little easier?
Oh, a short a-frame trailer with an inverted Y frame and vertical-lifting winch/ram at the rear to lift the front of the logs off the ground? Make dragging out logs easier.
Lovely bit of country you've got. I've got to make it back to NZ again to take in the countryside.
I think I would let the front wheels the way they were. If it were mine, I would have started sanding and painting the tractor. I would have painted the roll bar before mounting it. Thats just me. You're doing a good job fixing it. Thanks for the video.
Morning marty is there nothing you cannot fix it seems nothing is a problem for you keep up the good0 work and i will keep watching be safe untill next time.
I think your intuition is right about reversing the dish of the front wheels.
In any case there would be little to no stability increase untill the axel rotated all the way to one side or the other, hitting the stop. Cool machine! Chris
We have a Ford Boomer (little bigger than this Kubota) and cut the roll bar off and added sleeves on the top section so you can pin it on or remove it to shed, etc.
As I have been told by people who drive tractors a lot, you reduce tyrewear when driving on tarmac if upu hade the tyres on "backwards" like they where to start with. The idea is that the outside parts of the trads hits tarmac first and it takes up wear better than de centre part of the thread.
Very well done recovering and fixing your little tractor! Greetings from Sweden!
Best wishes to your awesome family!
Aww that son of yours is just too cute
Mechanics here in the US are a dying breed. Parts changers is what we got.
I learned to drive on a tractor like that :-) love it
Great use of resources, good little tractor, enjoyable video!
It’s great to see your son watching. He will learn much and you will have a nice memory.
Very useful piece of kit now well done.
Flipping the rears and leaving the fronts is the right way to go. Glad you got the rops. You got a great deal on that tractor and saved a ton by fixing it yourself. Your fixit videos are great! Thanks for sharing with us!
It’s so similar to the Iseki I have had to do the same repairs to it when we picked it up here in Australia. Wife said the same thing about no more tractors lol
On a lot of the older tractors you turned the wheels around when using planters and cultivators. When tilling they were set in closer.
I would not reverse the front wheels. I agree that there is too much leverage for the steering knuckle. The grease fitting on the top is a good idea. My 2 cents worth, anyway.
That little Kubota looks about perfect for your narrow trails. That front wheel assist seems to have helped going uphill a bit. Looks like some of your overhead brush will need trimmed so that new roll bar doesn't catch.
Love your little helper, seems to really take to the tractors as well.
Thanks again
Marty, my wife and I live in Broken Arrow Oklahoma. She would never Let me bring home so many machines. I hope you find many more machines to work on. You are one of the best mechanics I’ve ever seen
Count me among those recommending that you NOT turn the front wheels around. I believe your concern that it will put too much strain on the front axles and pivots to be well founded. You son is an absolute gem and knows Dad's machinery. Well done my friend. The tractor is a true little jewel.
love it the story progresses! Love the lad too haha more tractors don't tell mum" :P I've only recently found your channel but am loving the content having recently obtained some old gear myself. South Canterbury based so have to travel further to find the goodies! Thanks for such entertaining and informative footage!
I really enjoyed seeing the work you have done on this little Kubota machine.
good handy little tractor, great find!
Oh man, as you were driving off down the road with that chainsaw blade sticking out I was thinking, "Oh no.... I hope you don't run into something and bend/break that!!!" Nice work as always, Marty. I adore your little one, he's a right sweet little guy.
The rears tires look great! The truth is it’s your tractor and you do as you please.
It's fun to watch someone with the ambition a few parts and a little know how take a piece of junk and make a good machine out of it. Love your videos.
That my pal is a nice small capable machine good video, from the UK
Have you considered cutting down the roll over bar a little to reduce catching?
That's a very capable tractor Marty, watched the other two on it as well, nice work👍🏴
I hope to see the mini clearing the trail to the bottom soon
Very therapeutic, thanks! 👍🏻🚜
good day when marty posts
Looking good pal. Front wheels are better in the original fitment. You might be lucky and pick up another set of rears to make it dual on the rear. 👍👍👍👍
Marty, I have twitched out a lot of trees for firewood. I have what they call a twitch bar which goes on my 3 point hitch, with 2 shackles on the bar, so
I can hook chains too. By doing this , I can back right up to the butts and lift them off the ground so they don't dig in and making routs.
A lot easier on the tractor. I'm sure you could make one that would work for you and keeps the dirt off them too.
Yeah there is a tool called a nine hole bar that hooks up to the 3pl
I think that's what I call a boom pole, very handy.
Always keep the attachment point of the chain below the rear axle when dragging a load, otherwise you're asking for a rear rollover. He had the 3-pt arms raised too high.
If you check the relief valve to make sure it is not blocked up as that will put pressure on the axle seal
You could add several gallons of windshield washer fluid to the rear tires for added ballast. It won't freeze and is not very expensive. Glad to see you switched the rear tires so they are facing the proper direction. Nice little tractor!
Rv antifreeze is the usual go to as it won't rust out the wheels and is slightly more environmentally friendly.
We use beet juice as ballast.
Marty you always show & teach tips and tricks that are very valuable. I know I have learned quite a lot from you. Please turn on the monetize option for your channel. You deserve & should be making compensation for your content. I think all would agree on that.
You’re going to look back on this video in 10 or 20 years, see your boy so young, and truly realise what a gem this video is. ❤️
☺I see you have your assistant mechanic and trusted advisor with you today. What a sweetie. Everything he sees and watches is a learning experience for him. That's how I learned. Watch dad. Keep up the excellent work.
Looks like you found a diamond in the rough and polished it up nicely.
I think the front wheels should stay as is, changing the rear wheels seems to be a good idea.
I'd shorten the height of the ROP bar by about a foot or 30 cm.
Great little workhorse.
Cheers from Tokyo!
Stu
I couldn't spot anything done wrong here, I recommend a hinged exhaust lid though, keeps the worst stuff away from the valves.
Loved the moving box attachment up front, was internally suggesting to cut through and you proceeded to do just that!
9:20, I see what you did there! Seriously though, it struck me she said that before giving thought to the fact that every equipment purchase you make generates more than enough views to be worth it, plus you can always sell some off to make more space, you did your part in giving them a new lease on life so it's on the next caretaker from there on out ^^
My mantra with smaller tractors is always keep half a dozen of them, never know when you might need one when another is in limbo awaiting parts/repair.
Better to have 3-4 with intended roles, and 2-3 without any attachments that you can press into service should anything happen.
A man can never have too many tractors 😄
Rear wheel weights might help too. 👍🇬🇧🇬🇧
Far out more and more I'm regretting the fact I haven't subscribed sooner 🙃
Nice work Marty, I agree with you front wheel rim direction. They are quite a light built tractor in comparison with David brown. So keeping it standard is a good idea.
Reversing the tyres is doable at home. Using a technique. But you done the right thing turning them out.
The back end oils and hydraulics are important to keep serviced on them, there hydraulics and pump are sensitive to any poor quality oil, a costly problem when it turns to custard.
You can home rebuild the fuel injection pump on them to that really helps it power and clean efficiency. A set of new injectors is worth doing too. There cylinder heads don't like poor fuel burn and get hot on the injection area or insert.
If your keeping it long term that is. You can always de-carb the injectors and free the return valve out.
But it appears your really pickup a great little 4x4 runner. Scored 😁🤣.
Have a great time with it.
For dragging logs out you might want to buy or build a logging arch. These mount on the three point hitch. These pick up one end of the log toa add weight to the rear wheels as well as lifting the log off the ground keeps the log cleaner. Clean logs won't dull you chain saw chain as quickly.
Late addition but it also helps reduce the risk of a log snagging on rocks and roots
Don’t I recall Marty finding, repairing and using one of those?
It's obvious that you have taken a liking to the Kubota. I would too. Glad you've made it safer.
In addition to the roll bar, please consider adding two pipes mounted at the front corners of the hood with a swooping bend back to the corners of the roll bar. weld attachment points for un bolt removal. This will add to the rigidity of the roll bar. Please consider mounting a bracket from the front of the tractor for removable weights. These weights will aid in keeping the front end down when pulling, and giving the tractor a heavier and longer tipping distance from the rear wheels. This looks like it will be your narrow trail clearing tractor, if prepared properly it will do what you need it to do without undue risk to the operator or the next generation of little helpers. Good stuff as always Marty, looking forward to many more.
My husband and I love watching your videos. Watching from North East Texas..
Great video 👍 really impressed that you take on board comments from your viewers I have always been of the opinion we're never to old to learn 🤔as for turning your front wheels outside in if they had been designed with that option in mind they would have lined up perfectly with the rears so your spot on leaving the fronts alone 💪 seems like a very good running an capable little tractor 👍
That turned out to be a good purchase. Especially with the approval of one of the little partners of the company!
These were great little tractors, so low geared, could just about do anything with them. Some farmer bought the imports in here in Aussie as GP and back up tractors, a bit to small for any real heavy work but great little scrapers, They were rice field tractor in Japan were they needed small light machines. Glad you turned those back wheels around, they are unstable enough without having them with a narrow wheel track, I have heard some blokes have also used spacers to take the wheels out (front as well) further. Have fun with it they are fun to work with. You could add weight to the back with adding water to the back tires no more than a third to a half max and add weights to, --- damn I just saw someone else has said the same thing. but it is a good idea it also help with traction.
i dont know if it's too late for this, but you can make a branch deflector for this tractor if you're so inclined. it's two bars straight from the bumper, set wider than the hood, then a bend/cut once 20cm above hood height and then just two straight bars to the rollcage. it wont run the risk of tipping from heavy branches if it can slide underneath. also provides mounting points for a toolbox/counterweight further out. it should clear your head w/ no problems.
Like I said before in my comments after the last video. Your little Kubota is going to be perfect for the narrow and tight places. Especially considering the price! It has a PTO so you should consider getting a few more attachments such as a roto-tiller or a small chopper. It'll make work easier at home in the garden. Great video content! Thanks again for your time and videos. Have yourself a great rest of your week.
Just a thought. It may be to your benefit to lower the height of your roll bar about 12 inches or so, so that there is about 4 inch difference between the top of the bar to the top of your head while your sitting upright in the seat.
All of your machines are my favorite too Marty! inspirational patience my friend. Makes me believe I can do better...keep it coming. Alberta, Canada
Nice work Marty….. I had a old 1985 3-cylinder deisel kabota, I regret ever selling it….love the videos.
The roll bar is called ROP or roll-over protection. It should also have a lap belt. Many a person has been caught under the ROPs as the driver was not wearing the lap belt. Also glad to see you towing with the drawbar and not the lower links.
I was just getting ready to make the same comment. The only thing a ROP protects is the tractor (maybe) unless you're wearing a seat belt.
One would think it to be counter-intuitive to wear a seat belt on a slow moving tractor? I'd rather have the option of quickly bailing from either side of the tractor living on steep slopes such as they do.
n don't forget the signal west!
✌😁
I agree. Also...
...I would add structure to both sides of the ROP to make them flush with the rear tires. It'll help minimize fender damage and keep the rear tires from digging in if you do go sideways.
@@merlepatterson I have this tractor. I'm 6' tall and getting into and out of the seat is quite difficult since it is designed for small riders. I wonder if I could jump out in time. I'm definitely going to flip the rear wheels around and now that I see how the ROP could be mounted I will have to fabricate something.
Our 1976 B6000E came with U shaped weights that were bolted to the front frame to help keep her front wheels down. What a great little tractor, logged 100's of hours bush hogging our land in the late 70's.
Bullet proof little machine!
I've owned several Kubota's over the years and every one of them had a paragraph in the manual that said "Do not turn front discs to obtain wider tread" or something along that line. I talked with one of my Kubota service technicians after I bought my first one and he said that by adding more width to the front of the tractor you actually cause the tires to turn in an arch instead of pivot. This causes excessive side loading of the front bearings on the wheel and the pivot point in the housing.
I second adding some ballast to the wheels. It isn't recommended for the front though. They always recommend adding weights to the front if you don't have a FEL (Front End Loader). I don't know if you get the weather we get here in the northern US but if you do a good substitute for freezing temperatures is windshield washer fluid. It is a slow process filling a tire and they even make spouts that attach to the bottles that will screw on to a valve stem to help add the fluid. Personally given how many gallons you would add to tires that size I would skip the pouring them through the valves and just pop the bead on one side and pour it in while the tire is laying down. 70% fluid, 30% air is what is recommended.
@@RubenKelevra according to the book tire, wheel, and ballast chapter it actually says 75% liquid ballast. I tried to attach a picture but it doesn't allow that
@@RubenKelevra it has a picture of volume but there is a table just above it that lists weight based on tire size. The range is 85 kg to 94 kg or 187 pounds to 207 pounds per tire based on size.
Keep in mind this is for a Kubota B2650 and although I believe that all tire manufacturers will align with this... Consult your dealer or FSM.
Amazing tractor. Good find 👍
Looking good!
What if you cut a foot or two off the hight of the roll bar for lower clearance.
You could also perhaps, add a small roof?
Lovely to see the boy so interested in machinery.
Obviously, takes after his old man.
😀👍
Yep, the ROPS is too tall. Lower it to 6-8” over your seated head height
The front wheels are good and the back now make my eyes feel better. Your little helper is getting better by the day.
Nicely done, great little rig. Whip yourself up a 3 point log skidder attachment, super handy. Mine is just a large U upside down with a hook for chain, works great. Not only gives you a lift for lifting logs or anything else on ground but also puts weight on tires for traction. It also keeps bulk of log out of dirt while dragging saving your chainsaw chain later. Just be aware with bigger logs they can swing in from momentum or pulling tractor back and tap your pto shaft. So build a bolt on guard or run a heavy duty pto cap like I do.
Yes I could use my log hook but there is a steep section at the start of the track so I wanted to keep the pulling point low to reduce chances of tipping backwards
Nice little tractor Marty,your son seems pretty interested in everything you do.👍👍
Hi Marty,
Introduction of greasable points to the top pivot is clearly a great improvement. And the return of the ROPS is certainly a wise move, not only from side ways roll overs but also front liftoff and rotation around the rear axle. Also the reversing of the rear wheels to increase track. The old Massey and others allowed for multiple increases in both rear and front trace, but the front track was acheived by haveing a split arm with multiple bolt positions which moved the pivot point outwards.
You could add some weights to the front to help with stability if it looks like a real issue, most Kubotas have the hook plate on the front and you simple add steel blocks by hooking them on, adding weight at a low level.
You may also be able to find a manual for it on line, I found both the operators manual and full workshop manual for my L3410.
Love you little son, as you said he is on to it, the only difference between men and boys is the size and cost of their toys!
Regards Dennis
That track is barely wide enough for that trator, you may have to get a small excavator to do some widening.
Front liftoff is a serious issue, especially if you're transporting any weight in the back! I helped clear up the aftermath of an incident like that a few years ago, fortunately no one got hurt but still not a pretty sight! The driver obviously lost steering when the front wheels lifted off, drove up a small slope on the side of the track, dislodged a manhole cover, nearly put one front wheel into the manhole and bent the three-point hitch badly enough to threaten one of the rear tyres. Getting the box full of grit safely off the tractor was quite tricky. I think the same chap actually had three near-misses with that tractor until he was banned from driving it by the landowner.
my old MF has reversible rims but not the adjustable track. That was only an option on some tractors and obviously not a thing for trike gear.
Dear Dennis L.
👍👌👏 Well said, Sir, well said indeed! I wanted to comment very similar but fortunately you already did all the writing work. ;-)
2) I would add weights to the rear wheels/rims and a bit to the front (attached to the frame). Maybe Marty T. can use weights out of old washing machines for both occasions!?
3) I would at least add 2 rounded 90 degree pipe (el)bows to the roll bar so that branches could slide out of the way easier. To cover the top of the complete roll bar, maybe even a kind of rounded metal cladding would be useful.
4) Marty T. already owns a much smaller excavator than the rescued Hitachi is. Additionally: A good friend of his owns even a really tiny one.
Best regards, luck and health.
If there was ever such a thing as mechanical porn stories, this would definitely be one.
Ragnar8504 hi ikk
Howdy Marty. I am tractor mechanic and farmer.
just wanted to give you a word of advice about the front wheels idea.
The only reason to spin the front wheels the other way is if you are using the tractor in very light duty tasks on areas with lots of sand. But for what you use it for that would put way to much strain on the front and actually cause a loss in traction as the wheels are to far from the center of gravity.
Spinning the rear tires as you did is a very simple and effective solution to having tipping problems. Another thing you could do is get or make longer studs and put a spacer between the wheel and tractor to both add weights and widen the stance
Mighty work from a Mighty Impressive Little Machine
Out off all the equations you have I dig this Kabota the most it looks very handy for many jobs with the right implements .
It’s heaven there. 🇬🇧👍👍
two observations, chainsawing a tub is piss funny, and you live in absolute paradise. nice work