agriculture

Kubota Tractor Control Levers

There have been many attempts by manufacturers of all tractors including Kubota to standardise a number of the control mechanisms and levers that operate or allow an operator to use a Kubota tractor.

This standardisation applies to most modern day Kubota tractors, but care should be taken when operating an older version of a Kubota tractor to ensure that the controls are located in a manner that is understood by the operative of the tractor.

It is a golden rule when using any piece of machinery or operating any vehicle to fully understand the various controls that you need to be able to use. This is important both from a safety aspect, as well as from a simple point of view of be able to use the tractor effectively.

In order to do this a number of controls have been standardised. The brake control on a Kubota tractor, such as the Kubota B series B 2320 HST, will be a foot pedal, which will be located, or should be located on the right-hand side of the Kubota tractor.

In addition there may be a handbrake, which is a leader which would have to be pulled to be engaged, and could be located on either the left-hand or right-hand side of the Kubota tractor

Clutch control is normally by way of a foot pedal. This should be located on the left-hand side of the floor space underneath the steering column or steering wheel of the Kubota tractor.

It is possible that there is a hand operated clutch mechanism, and this may be located on either the right or left hand side of the Kubota tractor if a hand operated clutch is fitted, it must be moved towards the driver in order to be disengaged.

The control layout for floor pedals is similar to that used in a manual or stick shift automobile.

A power takeoff control system is most likely to be a hand operated system, and can be located on either side where the driver sits in the control system of the Kubota tractor.

Kubota Tractor Safety Symbols.

There are a number of symbols that are used throughout the tractor world to symbolise various functions and malfunctions of both the machinery and the operation of the tractor.

These will be fully covered in the operator’s manual or the owners manual of the Kubota tractor that you should have. Any symbol that is unclear to as to its meaning, or seems confusing, make sure you refer to the operator’s manual for clarification.

These are some of the more common symbols and their meaning that are used.

Diesel – there will be a symbol which is normally that of a gasoline pump with a big D in the middle you that the Kubota tractor uses diesel rather than gasoline. When refuelling the Kubota tractor make sure that diesel is used otherwise it could be a very expensive and costly mistake.

There will be a symbol of a man sitting on a chair a strap across his knees remind you to use the seatbelt, if fitted.

Most if not all current Kubota tractors should be fitted with a seatbelt which in conjunction with the rollover protective system is the most effective safety device available to be used which will Kubota tractor, such as the Kubota B series B 2320 HST. There is a temptation or tendency to dismiss a seat belt is being unnecessary.

This part is because of the misconception but a Kubota tractor does not do the speed normally associated with an automobile and therefore a seatbelt is not needed. A seatbelt is needed on a Kubota tractor for two reasons and should always be used. The first does relate to the speed of the Kubota tractor which whilst not matching that of an automobile can nevertheless get up to a significant speed level.

The other reason much more common, is that in the case of an overturn a very tight a seatbelt should help protect the driver of the operator from serious injury.

There will be the common symbol for alert, which is normally found in conjunction with another symbol such as that for the oil gauge. This, in addition with the ammatter symbols are designed to draw attention to the fact that there may be problems with the pressure operation.

If either of these lights come on you should stop the Kubota tractor immediately and seek advice as to how best to deal with the situation.

Kubota Tractor Control Systems

The control lever will work by being moved forward or upwards to engage and backwards or downwards to disengage.

There is a possibility of a combination clutch and PTO control. If this is fitted on a Kubota tractor it will be a foot operated combination which will be on the left-hand side of the floor space underneath the steering column. The operation will most likely be to move the pedal forward and possibly down as well to disengage the clutch and the PTO.

There is a possibility of a combination clutch and brake as well. If this is fitted to a Kubota tractor it will be a foot operated combination which again will also be on the left-hand side of the floor space underneath the exterior columnof a Kubota tractor, such as the Kubota B series B 2320 HST.

There is likely to be some type of control mechanism for regulating the speed of the engine of the Kubota tractor. This is likely to be a hand operated control and is likely to be situated on the right-hand side of the seat where the operator sits in the Kubota tractor.

It is possible that the speed control is also situated near the steering wheel. There can be a difference in terms of the direction the control needs to be moved in in order to increase or decrease the speed of the engine. In which case make sure that the operator of the Kubota tractor is clear about firstly where the engine speed control is, and in which direction it needs to be moved both increase and decrease the speed of the Kubota tractor.

There will be an engine stop control fitted on the Kubota tractor. If this is a key switch, it needs to be rotated anticlockwise in order to stop the engine. If it is more of a pool push control it must be located within 6 inches of the key switch. It will need to be pulled in order to stop the engine.

Kubota b technology panel

It is also necessary to be clear about what the various controls do and where they are located in a Kubota tractor. They are likely to be three different mechanisms or types of control that are used in the functionality of the Kubota tractor. These are foot controls which are virtually always pedals.

There are hand controls which can be either levers, knobs or buttons. And there are likely to be one or two controls such as the throttle for the engine which are a combination of both hand and/or foot controls.

These controls operate the clutch, affect the speed of the engine, steer the Kubota tractor in the direction in which you want to go, stop the engine both in normal usage and an emergency, engage the PTO, and control a number of the electrical and hydraulic flow systems within the use of the Kubota tractor.

A modern day Kubota tractor, such as the Kubota B series B 2320 HST, will have one if not more computers built into the running of the instrument panel. As technology increases more and more functions will be added to the instrument or control panel of the Kubota tractor.

These may be areas of technology deemed useful such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Internet usage. It is possible that modern day tractors, including a Kubota tractor also follow the route that a number of automobile Manufacturers are going down. This is where the manufacturer includes an automatic Facebook or Twitter account login screen in the instrument panel.

This may sound horrific to many people, but it is something that you might need to be aware of is a risk in the future.

Technology can play a major part in terms of automating some of the functions of a Kubota tractor. The real freedom is in the operator being able to adapt and use functions in a way that suits them and make their operation and usage of the Kubota tractor safer.

Kubota Tractors – Multitasking

The phrase multitasking has become commonplace, and is liked and disliked in equal measure by many people. It has a better meaning in an industrial or mechanical sense, and is actually an ideal phrase for understanding the nature and diversity of the work as a modern day Kubota tractor can do. It is not simply that a modern day Kubota tractor can do several tasks at once just for the fun of it because it is more productive.

It is actually in the nature of the work that a Kubota tractor is likely to do on a modern-day form a large area of land, that it is necessary, often vital to be able to manoeuvre several different tasks at the same time. The driver of a Kubota tractor will need to be able to control and use steering controls, shifting controls and use remote hydraulic controls at the same time.

This obviously depends to an extent on the nature of the task, but there are numerous examples where the work of a Kubota tractor will involve negotiating rough terrain or land, whilst engaged in the work that the Kubota tractor, such as the Kubota B series B 2320 HST, is being designed to do.

Over the years all contract manufacturers have tried to standardise as far as possible the type and colour of control needed for different functions within the instrument panel or control panel of the tractor.

As such, if you’re using a modern day Kubota tractor is likely to be standardised with other manufacturers by way of colour coding of various controls, and where those controls are located within the operating cab of the tractor.

Whilst this is true of many modern day tractors, it will not necessarily apply to older tractors which may well still be in use on many farms and agricultural holdings nowadays. It is important therefore when using any Kubota tractor or any tractor by any manufacturer to be clear as to the age and stability of the tractor.

Kubota – why black is the new red

A Kubota tractor is by its very nature a far more complex industrial piece of machinery and many people will assume it to be.This is in part because of the technological advances both in terms of the nature of the work that a modern day Kubota tractor is expected to do, but also in terms of the nature of the design and manufacture of the Kubota tractor itself.

In addition there are a wide range of implements attachment that can be used on a Kubota tractor that will either transform the nature of the work that needs to be done, or make such work possible in the first place.

Thinking about safety on a Kubota tractor, such as the Kubota B series B 2320 HST, is built into the design and manufacture of the tractor itself. Colour coding for many of the controls that are used on a Kubota tractor has become standard. This is an important design and feature of all modern day tractors, as it helps to group the various controls together into different functions.

It give the operator or user of a Kubota tractor the felt sense and confidence about what they are doing, which can be very important.

The colour black is used as an industry standard colour in the colour coding safety scheme to designate controls which position or adjust accessories or implements that are used on a Kubota tractor.

Some examples of these controls that are given to illustrate the nature of the colour coding system are – the control mechanism for the remote hydraulics, implement hitches, the choke for the engine, the control mechanism for adjusting the position of the steering column, lights flashers signals etc. Also items that are sometimes thought of as comforts in the operating cab of the Kubota tractor such as fans, radios etc .

As tractors of all manufacturers and makes, including Kubota, become more advanced, more and more technology would be built into the dashboard and instrument panel of the tractors. Things such as Bluetooth, MP3 players, Wi-Fi will all become standard on tractors, presumably including Kubota tractors.

These advances in technology will allow operators of a Kubota tractor to use them the tractor in a safer and more efficient and effective manner. As such it is likely that controls for these items will become colour-coded as an industry standard.

Any controls that become colour-coded should be adopted by Kubota as well, but the operator or driver of a Kubota tractor will need to identify for themselves what these controls are and what they do. This is needed to guarantee safe and effective operation of any Kubota tractor, whatever their controls may be.

Kubota Safety – Colour Coding

The instrument or control panel on a modern day tractor, including a Kubota tractor can seem almost overwhelming in terms of the number and nature of the controls. To aid in understanding how the Kubota tractor works there are a number of colour-coded systems that differentiate the various controls of the Kubota tractor, thereby making it easier to understand what they are various functions are in running and using the safe operation of a Kubota tractor.

These should be industry-standard colour-coded controls, but in any event check the operation of the Kubota tractor you are to use with an owners manual is available, if not then with an authorised dealer, or similar.

In the context of colour controls for the safe operation of a Kubota tractor, the colour yellow is designated for the various controls which operate and engaged mechanisms that use the tractor as a remote power source. These controls are often known as the PTO controls.

There are a significant number of different uses at a Kubota tractor can be engaged with, and some of these will use attachments or implements that need to be added onto the Kubota tractor before they can be used.

A number of examples are often given as to what colour-coded controls are on a tractor, including a Kubota tractor, such as the Kubota B series B 2320 HST, can be – these include PTO, cutter heads, feed roles, elevators and winches.

By far the most effective way of understanding the various controls of all colours on a Kubota tractor is to find one and play around with them. Playing around means using them and finding them and work out what their usage is with the tractor turned off and not in use. It is also a good idea if possible to find tractors made by other manufacturers and compare similar layouts and controls.

This might initially seem a bit confusing, but will actually give the owner or operator of a Kubota tractor a better felt understanding of the need for different controls, and how different manufacturers approach the layout. A Kubota tractor can vary by make and model from other manufacturers, and it is important for the operator or user of a Kubota tractor to familiarise themselves with the layout and functionality of the controls of the specific Kubota tractor that they will themselves be using.

Kubota run overs – safety

News report of an accident in Murphy’s California highlights the dangers of tractor run overs.

The incident involves a seventy five year man who was driving a Kubota tractor, parked it without engaging the break properly, got out of the tractor and was run over by it.

Apparently the tractor rolled over his legs stomach and chest before coming to a stop.

The news report says he was airlifted with moderate injuries, which must be a God send if that turned out to be the case. A sober warning for all of us.

Full story – The Union Democrat

Rebuild a Kubota engine

Repairing or rebuilding a kubota engine can be a major decision, and an expensive one, whether you get it right or not.

This site gives calot of really useful info about new engines, rebuild and kubota parts.

Rebuilt kubota engines can be used with some other manufacturers, so worth checking out.

County Sales and Service – click here

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