KUBOTA

The farm as a work and home environment

It is perhaps you need to farms that many families grow up on them and as such get involved in the running of the farm from an early age. In other types of household children would do chores around the house and run errands for the family. In a farm these chores and errands are effectively translated into part of the work environment from an early age.

At the other end of the spectrum many people who own or run a farm will do it most of their lives, there is not a point at which they retire. This means that at both ends of the age spectrum there are people involved in the work of the farm and special care and consideration needs to be given to their protection.

Young people and children who work on a farm, are perhaps especially vulnerable simply because they are exposed to dangers and hazards that they do not perceive as being out of the ordinary, or which are out of their normal range of abilities to deal with at a specific age.

Many of the dangers they will be exposed to are simply day-to-day mechanics of the farm either concerning plant or machinery or toxins or poisons that are used on the farm. Extra care must be taken to ensure that any risk they are exposed to disproportionate to their age and ability to understand what the risk is.

At the other end of the spectrum are people of a much older generation or age who simply never retire. They may well have worked on a farm or their life, and it is important to recognise that their level of experience is a vital asset. Equally the older they get their physical and mental faculties are likely to become more impaired, quite often without them realising it.

Given that the farm is likely to be their livelihood they may well feel in denial of the own physical or mental reality at times. Both these factors need to be taken into account by whoever has active day-to-day responsibility for the running of the farm and looking after kubota tractors and equipment.

Especially difficult is that it is different to many other businesses in that it is not possible often to transfer people to different or lighter duties and difficulties arise. The nature of a farm but not lend itself to this.

Children or people who grow up in a farm to not have too enter the workforce and be subject to physical or mental examinations in the way that other businesses require. There is unlikely to be any type of ongoing assessment or evaluation of the capabilities of the people employed on the farm.

This means that special care has to be taken to ensure that employees are well cared for and assess raided by other means to make sure they are cared for in a proper manner. The farm operator will have a duty of care to look after everyone on the farm, be they employees or relatives or both.

The nature of people who work on a farm will vary hugely, ranging from those you see it as an agricultural profession, often people with degrees in horticulture or other types of qualifications from agricultural colleges, through to people who simply see farming as a type of lifestyle option.

In between will be many people who spend the majority of their lives on a farm at as family members, or as full-time or part-time labourers are earning a wage, by the short-term or long-term.

The diverse nature of these personal factors means that whoever is responsible for the farm must insure that the workforce is popular but after in whatever way is practicable given the nature of the farm and its environment.

The farm as a workplace – environment

The term environment in an agricultural or farm setting makes people think in terms of either the layout of the land, or the type of practices that are used on a farm that can range from organic farming through to a farm that uses all types of pesticide that it can. The time environment makes people think of an eco-friendly system that is beneficial to the earth beneath it.

Whilst all this can be true to a farm, the time environmental factors relate much more to the external and internal environment that characterises the nature of the farm. Perhaps more than any other business if farm is subject to the weather.

The weather characterises what can and cannot be done at any particular time of year on a farm, but also determines that work, farm must be carried out irrespective of what the work is. Many farms situated in areas that experience extremes of weather, and have to adapt and run themselves accordingly.

Another issue concerning a farm is that there is an overlap in terms of boundaries, both physical and emotional between the farm as a workplace and the farm as a place where the family live. This is not unique to farms and often occurs in retail or other types of businesses.

Where it matters perhaps more narrowly is that people who live on a farm are pretty much on call at all times bail night if the situation warrants it. This could be done to weather or other factors to do with animals on the farm. As long as people who live on the farm recognise there is no clear boundary they can adapt to it but it does make it a more difficult working environment to be in.

People who work on a farm are possibly by nature much more self-sufficient than other people. The nature of most farms means they are quite isolated geographically, and are not easy to get to by any medical or emergency services if needed.

That may sound a bit dramatic, but the nature of work, farm is often quite hazardous and people who were, farm need to know how to deal with any emergency that arises as best they can. This means that emergency services may take a considerable time to reach a farm, and workers and residents of the farm need to be aware of that and plan accordingly.

People who work on a  farm, often using kubota tractors, can feel quite isolated, both physically and emotionally.

The nature of work means that people will be on their own quite a considerable period of time during the day or night, with little backup or support from other workers. The sense of isolation can potentially be a problem but can be planned for, if thought through and adjusted accordingly.

Any farm is going to have a number of environmental hazards such as noise, vibration, lighting etc which are a byproduct either of the environment or the work that is carried out on a farm.

The issue from a health and safety perspective is that there is unlikely to be any monitoring or regulation of these hazards in the way that they would be in most other types of businesses take place in either an office or industrial setting.

This means that people who work or who run the farm need to be especially aware of these at hazards, and make sure that both themselves and their co-workers are protected accordingly as best as possible.

Equally there will be no or very little control over personal hygiene of workers on the farm, which can actually be quite a sensitive issue and is down to the individual and their own sense of personal responsibility. There is unlikely to be any type of statutory or legal requirement on personal care or hygiene of workers in the way that they would be in other industries.

The farm as a work environment – general safety concerns

Thinking in terms of a farm as a work environment, is really important in terms of understanding the health and safety issues involved in working on or running a farm. It is important to appreciate that a farm can vary hugely in terms of size and scope of activity. In terms of size it can range from a small holding of a few acres to a large area of land could cover tens of thousands of acres.

A farm can be involved in many different types of agricultural activities. It can be used to grow different types of crop, such as corn, soy bean, wheat, hay or even grass or tree or flower plants. If farm can also have a considerable amount of livestock on it, and many big industrial farms produce beef, dairy, hog, sheep and poultry. There are also many types of fruit and vegetable farms, and in addition many types of garden centres that are of a significant size could also be classified as farms.

The type and layout of land can also vary hugely on a farm. In some areas land is incredibly flat, other areas if farm can have a lot of almost mountainous type terrain, whereas some farms will be a mix of both.

Farms will have a multitude of different types of buildings, with different types of machinery, both fixed and mobile. There will be a wide range of vehicles used on a farm, ranging from heavy duty industrial tractor type diggers, through to normal tractors, through to atv and quad bikes.

A wide range of people will also be involved in running the farm. using Kubota tractors and Kubota equipment. If farm is slightly unique because it is likely to employee people as any business does, but it is also likely to employee or at least make use of the services of family members as well.

Many children grow up on a farm and get used to the way of life from an early age. This can also raise significant issues concerning health and safety, and particular importance needs to be paid to the welfare of young people in any agricultural or farm setting.

There are four main areas of activity that give rise to safety issues surrounding a farm.

These are environmental, personal, work activity and social economic and political factors. All these areas are to an extent unique in the running of a farm because of the nature of safety and how these factors need to be treated in order to make a farm safe environment to work in, but at the same time make sure it is not a risk averse environment.

Kubota BX 1860

The Kubota BX 1860 is one of a series of tractors that Kubota make that they  assign to their category of rural lifestyle.

This  in effect means that they are tractors that can be used on small farms for grounds maintenance as well as for land mowing or gardening and are landscaping gardens as well.

The Kubota BX 1860 runs on a diesel engine as do all the Kubota tractors the diesel engine is a eating horsepower engine.

All Kubota tractors are powered by the own brand specifically built diesel engines which they claim the used typically less than between 20 and 30% less fuel. They also are meant to be more efficient.

Diesel engines are meant to be more powerful on the whole, and one advantage is that they don’t prove require that the fuel be replaced after long-term storage.

This can be particularly useful with certain types of tractors which are only used at certain times of the year.

All the Kubota BX tractors are featured with four-wheel-drive.

This is especially useful given the type of work they do and comes as standard on all their machines.

The BX 1860 also comes with a category ID3 – point H as standard this is hydraulically controlled it allows the tractor to have a wide range of implements attached to it which increase its use and versatility considerably.

The Kubota BX 1860 also comes with a quarter inch fouls which means that it allows the implements that are attached to the one three-point edge to be regulated much more easily because it gives them a much more specific basis on which to be attached and unattached, as explained in kubotakubota.net

Another feature of the Kubota BX 1860 is that it has the radiator positioned in the middle of tractor rather than at the front. This means that the hotair is pushed towards the front of the machine/tractor rather than remain in the middle. This means that the operator area of the Remains much cooler and also there is less chance of the engine overheating.

The operator area of the Kubota BX 1860 is particularly well thought out. It has a high back reclining seat easy to operate controls and is generally spacious. The BX 1860 has a true pedal HST operation which is especially useful. It also comes with hydrostatic power steering as standard on the BX 1860 and has a optional facility for cruise control, like most tractors written about in kubotakubota.net

The Kubota BX 1860 also comes with a space for a cup holder which is an essential part of any maintenance regime to allow you to keep your cup of coffee fresh and warm by law driving a tractor.

Kubota BX 1860 – technical

The Kubota BX 1860 is also known as the Kubota BX 1863. The engine is made by a Kubota and is one of the standard diesel engines stop model number is the 7 to 2 it is known as a liquid cooled three cylinder diesel engine and has four cycles it has three cylinders and its aspiration is natural.

Its displacement is 43.9 in.³ aka 719 cc has an 18 power horsepower engine gross act rpm has a 16.6 HP engine net at rpm and 13.7 PTO at rpm.It has a liquid cooled cooling systemwith a pressurised radiator and has glow plugs as a cold weather start a. As an under the hood muffler with side exhaust has a paper filter with Cyclone Prix cleaner air filter and has a replaceable treated paper element while filter, explained fully throughout kubotakubota.net

The Kubota BX 1860 has a forced lubrication cooling system and has a reverse air flow radiator situated away from the operator. The tractor has a 6.6 gallon fuel tank capacity, a 2.6 gallon cooling system capacity, and a 3.1 gallon transmission oil capacity.The Kubota BX 1860 is a hydrostatic early power steered has a shaft drive and wet disks break type.

The drive transmission is hydrostatic, to range. The HST pedal is a single pedal rocker type. The cruise control is available for the BX 1860 but only as an optional extra.

In terms of speed, which isn’t something you normally satiate with tractors but actually you should do it has a maximum forward speed of 7.8 mph or 12.5, it is in our and has a maximum reverse speed of 5.7 mi./h or 9.2 km/h. Important to know that

The hydraulic system is of a type known as open centre with a gear pump as its main pump. The power steering pump is a hydraulic pump. The total hydraulic flow is 6.3 GPM or gallons per minute or so 24 L and it. The auxiliary hydraulic flow is 4.2 gallons per minute or 16 L per minute.

Kubotakubota.net explains how the three-point hitch comes as standard category one and there is a lift capacity of mine hundred and £92 or 450 kg act in this points and a lift capacity of £661 or 300 kg at 24 inches behind live point.

The electrical system of the BX 1860 is that it has a standard automate. It’s charging system capacity is 40. Its battery voltage and capacity is 12 V there. There is an optional block heater and an electric key shut-off. It has standard dash mounted switch indicator lights and an illuminated instrument panel. It has two very bright halogen headlights and an optional rear worklight can be fitted.

The dimensions of the Kubota BX 1860 are its height is 69.4 inches it overall length with the three-point hitch is 92.1 inches it overall width is 44.5 inches its wheelbase is 52.6 inches its ground clearance is 9 inches, it’s turning radius without break is 7.2 feet, and its weight how unit is 1255 pounds.

The safety equipment on the BX 1860 is it has a standard ROPS, an electrically shot of the engine test, standard retractable seatbelts, parking brakes are standard, grab handles that entry and X it is standard, brakes as standard, and that operators presents control as standard.

Kubota BX 2360

The Kubota BX 2360 is a tractor in the BX series that Kubota make and is one of their smaller tractor is, but mother tractor in the category normally associated with gardenor small tractors.Kubota described its usage is described in kubotakubota.net as being for a rural lifestyle.

This can mean a number of things but is aimed primarily at people who have small farms and possibly larger grounds maintenance. People who need a tractor to do general agricultural duties but don’t need a heavy duty industrial machines. The Kubota BX 2360 comes with a number of standard Kubota appliances and features.

The Kubota BX 2360 is powered by Kubota as standard diesel engine debuts with all their tractors. Diesel engines recognise as generally being more powerful and Kubota estimates that there diesel engines use on average between 20 and 30% less fuel than typical gas engine.

The other advantage of a Kubota diesel engine is that they are on the whole require less maintenance. It is also not necessary to remove fuel when the tractor isn’t being used for long periods of time stop this is especially useful when the tractors individually used at certain times of year and stored at other times of the year.

This means that the fuel tank doesn’t have to be drained when it isn’t going to be used and can be left. The Kubota BX 2360 is a 23 hp engine, and comes as standard four-wheel drive. Being a four-wheel-drive tractor is pretty essential for most types of work and gives the Kubota BX 2360 a distinct edge on other competitors.

The Kubota BX 2360 comes with a number of implements that have to be bought as optional extras. The tractor itself has a three-point each which is hydraulically controlled and allows these implements to be fitted in a relatively easy and safe manner.

The operator control unit has access to a quarter inch fouls which means it has increments of a quarter of an inch at the lower link end which allowances implements to be controlled much more easily. Often when attaching and detaching implements they need to be done very slowly and very carefully and this quarter inch valve allows very small movements to be controlled.

BX 2060 has a reverse air flow radiator situated in the middle of the tractor rather than at the front of the tractor. This is standard on most Kubota BX tractors. It has two main advantages. One is that it keeps the area in the middle of the tractor much cooler, which is where the driver or operator of the tractor situated.

The other advantage is that the air is drawn to the front of the engine and as such helps to stop the engine from overheating.

As already mentioned the 2360 is power steered and its power steering is hydrostatic. This makes the driving and manoeuvring of the tractor much easier especially in fairly tight or small spaces. This is actually really important because it helps prevent fatigue and tiredness with the operator. Using a tractor will normally involve a fair level of stress, and the operator is quite likely to be in the tractor for a reasonable period of time, normally longer than you were so shaped with simple garden maintenance work.

Kubotakubota.net writes about the importance of having comfort and manoeuvrability both inside the tractor and outside is really important. The BX 2360 has a well thought out and designed interior operator control, with a high level of comfort and space. It has a fairly sturdy reclining high back seat.. 2360 also comes with cruise control as standard.

Kubota BX 2360

The Kubota BX 2360 comes with a standard Kubota diesel engine. This is a liquid cooled three cylinder diesel engine as is standard on all the Kubota B series tractor range. It has four cycles and is naturally aspired and comes with three cylinders as well.

The engine size of the BX 2360 is gross 23 hp engine nets 21 hp and PTO 17 1/2 hp. The cooling system is a liquid cooled system with pressurised radiator. The tractor also comes with glow plugs which are a coldweather starting a.Kubotakubota.net shows how  the tractor also has an under the hood muffler with side exhaust.

The air filter is a paper. With a cyclone preteen and the whole filter is a replaceable treated paper element.

With regard to fluid capacity is the fuel tank has a capacity of just over 6 1/2 gallons or 25 L. The cooling system capacity is 3 gallons Stover 3.3 gallons and the transmission oil capacity is 2.1 Karen. The travelling speed the Kubota estimate is a maximum travelling speed of 8.4 mph when going forward or 13.5 km/h.

The reverse maximum travelling speed which I wouldn’t recommend is 6.2 mph or 10 km/h. That she seems quite fast especially if you’re going backwards and can’t really see where you go silly quite careful with those speeds.

The hydraulic system is what is known as an open centre type with the main pump being a year pump, and the power steering pump being an hydraulic pump. The total hydraulic flow is estimated by Kubota at 6.3 GPM and the auxiliaries hydraulic flow as 4.2 GPM. There is a state optional standard loader valve.

Kubotakubota.net writes about how the dimensions of the BX 2360 are similar to the other tractors in the Kubota BX range. Its height is estimated at just over 17 inches its length is estimated at 95 1/2 inches and that includes three-point hitch. Its overall width is about 44 1/2 inches .

The Trent width of the BX 2360 is just over 35 inches at the front and 32 inches at the rear. The wheelbase is estimated at 55 inches and grandparents at 8.7 inches.

Safety is really important with all the Kubota tractors and the Kubota  BX 2360 comes with a standard rigid ROPS. There is a standard operators presence control, and electric key shut-off, and an optional spark arresting muffler.

Seat belts come as standard and retractable, the Kubota also has two very bright halogen headlights which are a really important safety feature. Tractors of this type are often used by the very early in the morning or quite late at night when the light is going, and having really powerful headlights action is a very important safety feature.

Kubota BX – implements – standard cut

Kubota tractors can be fitted with a wide range of implements that are designed to be particularly useful in certain areas of farm work or ground maintenance work. One of these is what is known as a standard cut. This is a mower deck designed and built by a Kubota and intended to be used on their BX series range of tractors., as detailed in kubotakubota.net

The standard cut deck is designed to be fitted to all of the Kubota BX series tractors and is intended to build cut grass quickly and safely. It has what is known as a tunnel deck design which means that it lives the grass at its cutting and then discharges it quickly to the right-hand side.

There are certain features that make this especially useful for all types of groundwork and lawn maintenance stop there is a motoring height adjustment dial on the back which adjusts the height of the mother in one quarter inch increments as your cutting. This gives the operator of the tractor in great deal of flexibility as to how high the grass is cut and this can be changed very easily.

The Kubota BX tractors have a fairly high clearance level of about 6 inches off the ground, which means that is much easier to know when going over difficult areas of land that are bit bumpy all-weather grass is uneven it gives the operator much greater flexibility when using the tractor as to how to approach and deal with certain difficult areas of land maintenance work.

Some of the specifications of the standard cut are as follows, and are explained more fully throughout kubotakubota.net The deck model is known as eighty eight – 188X, also as  K54 – 238X, and also as K608238X.

It is a side discharge deck type with three blades and has a mounting method known as suspended linkage. The cutting width is 48 inches – 54 inches – 6 inches.

The cutting height is between one and 4 inches One quarter of an inch increments. The overall height is 10.5 inches – 11 inches. The overall width is 60.8 inches – 66 1/2 inches – 76 inches. The weight is hundred £80 – hundred £89 – £250.

A used kubota tractor – a guide

Buying a used kubota tractor or new tractor is a major investment, both in terms of time and money.

A tractor is most likely to be used as a part of farm machinery, and as such as part of a business. It is imperative therefore that you research thoroughly before you buy, because if you get it wrong, it wouldn’t just be an inconvenience it could well have an adverse effect on your business profitability.

There are many good manufacturers of agricultural machinery out there, and many people buy by brand loyalty, as they do an auto. Kubota is one of the leading manufacturers of tractors and engines, and has been around a fair while, since 1890 to be precise. They have established a good reputation for quality and levels of service.

Any company of agricultural machinery, whether its Kubota, or John Deere, or Massey Ferguson have established themselves over long periods of time, and this is an important consideration in terms of stability of the company. When buying a new or used kubota tractor from a dealership, there are a lot of variables that can work to your advantage.

You can probably negotiate on price, on length of warranty, on deals to do with servicing and maintenance scheduling, and these are important pricing factors. Dealing with a company like Kubota, you should also be able to negotiate a zero or really low interest rate on your final purchase price, and also be able to negotiate a good deal on your training needs after purchase.

Any good salesman will see any sale as an opportunity to build along term relationship, and you can work this to your advantage. Buying a used kubota tractor is likely some thing you will repeat over time, and you will always retain that choice of where you buy, but there will be a lot of ways a good dealer can help you post sale, both in terms of training, and in terms of supplying manufacturers parts and trained service personnel.

This is where a brand like Kubota come into its own, partly because it is a well respected company in Japan, and Japanese companies have an excellent reputation for reliability and long term commitment to their customers, and partly because it has been around in the United States since the early 1970’s, and people know it as a company.

There is extensive information and reports available on-line, both by way of the official Kubota website, but also by way of sites that have extensive discussion forums. These can be really useful by way of finding out issues that current owners have, and how they have resolved them. Be mindful that they can appear a bit negative at times, as only people with queries or problems tend to post to them, so they can seem a bit one-sided. Good luck!

 

 

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