Kubota ride on mower?

[Dry Rot]

OK, I admit it, I am a sucker for what ever looks like a bargain! So I bought a Kubota GR1600 ride on mower for what seemed like a bargain price and the owner seemed honest. The machine is certainly very tidy which is reassuring but on the assurance that they will plough through long wet grass without a problem, I set it to work. In very short time, there were clouds of very pretty (and expensive looking) blue smoke! So I haven't tried it since! Asking here first as I know the dealer's eyes will light up when he hears about the problem.

I have watched the videos and read everything I can lay my hands on and it seems the problem is either the mower deck or the cutting height control. The knob for the latter was seized (apparently a common problem) but with the help of Plusgas I have freed it up. Not sure if it actually adjusts the height yet but it turned between 1 and 4. I gather the actual adjuster mechanism above the deck can become worn and need replacing? The belt appears to be slack but I didn't detect any excessive wear, but as soon as I can work out how, I'll get the deck off and have a closer look. I gather it could be the belt, pulley, or a bearing in the pulley.

Any experts on Kubotas on here? I could do with some hand holding and a shoulder to cry on!

 

[Dave W]

Just to clarify? You think it was belt smoke coming from the deck?

My instant first thought it that you're asking a lot for a gr1600 to "plough through long wet grass"
Depends what your definition of long wet grass is though really

 

[Flat 10]

Buy a manual? Could well be cheapest purchase in the long run?

 

[JLLM]

PTO belts at the front of the engine go on our G17 and G21 quite regularly, yesterday in fact , get them off ebay, genuine belts are silly money. If the tensioner pulley on the pto belts is not running super smooth it will smoke the belts pdq.

 

[Dry Rot]

Just visited my local engineer on another matter and he confirmed the belt I can access through a gap in the shielding should not be slack. He has also advised me not to buy Kubota belts which are grossly over priced, apparently he has a source. A very clever man, so I take his word absolutely. So, probably just the belt.

Thanks JLLM and everyone else. Manuals for most things are available for free on the internet these days but I have complained elsewhere that the guys who write them all seem to have learning difficulties. As for ploughing through long wet grass, have a look at this (and I was only going half as fast! ) :

 

[tomlad]

I own a gr1600 ,II had from new
Cant really fault it
Bit heavy possibly, like to get stuck and front to heavy to really lift .
Previous countax u could lift front and twist, prob drive off then , countax roller leveled better i think , this can leave ruts .

I like this one, next one more than likely will be kubota again
Obviously red diesel is nice.
I unplugged and bagged the sensor for bag full years ago cuz it lied.
Also bought the rear distarge with it use that abit too were im only cutting and no need to collect

 

[BillyBobs]

We had one, didn't get on with at all, constantly stalled in anything damp or over a few inches and the dial adjustment did nothing, and to top it off ever time I went over a bump the deck would lower so if I wanted it up I had to hold up the handle......

I feel they are trading on the name, I suspect the larger engine would be better, sold it and bout a stigma with Kawasaki engine, amazing machine in comparison

 

[Battlefield Machinery]

Always make sure you fit a genuine belt on the deck, the usual issue we find!!!
We have fitted good quality non genuine belts in the past and regretted it!!

 

[Dry Rot]

I expect removing the cutting deck is quite easy but all the manual says is to do the reverse of putting it on! Is that correct? Do the "discharge duct" and "mower duct" need to be removed to get the deck off? Sounds a bit like a Haynes Manual where "just do the reverse" means "take it to your local manufacturer appointed dealer as you haven't a hope in hell of managing it yourself".

 

[Battlefield Machinery]

Once you’ve sussed getting it off which is the grim lever and the back 2 pins, make sure you have the drive shaft lined up correctly when you put it back on, and that it’s got plenty of grease on it!

 

[2CE]

He has also advised me not to buy Kubota belts which are grossly over priced, apparently he has a source. A very clever man, so I take his word absolutely. So, probably just the belt.

He may be clever but he has limited experience of Kubota mower decks if he thinks that. Having said that, I suspect some are very fussy about the belt spec. and others are not. Mine will eat a non-genuine belt in under 20 minutes, the genuine Kubota ones (which are Kevlar re-inforced) last for hundreds of hours. Its all to do with how tight the reverse bend radius is around the tensioner pulley.

 

[Dry Rot]

He may be clever but he has limited experience of Kubota mower decks if he thinks that. Having said that, I suspect some are very fussy about the belt spec. and others are not. Mine will eat a non-genuine belt in under 20 minutes, the genuine Kubota ones (which are Kevlar re-inforced) last for hundreds of hours. Its all to do with how tight the reverse bend radius is around the tensioner pulley.

So Kubota has it's own factory producing belts solely for it's own machines? That's amazing!

 

[Battlefield Machinery]

So Kubota has it's own factory producing belts solely for it's own machines? That's amazing!

Interesting question ! I’ll ask our parts guy!

 

[2CE]

Probably not, but I've tried both cheap and premium brand non-genuine replacements and they all only last a matter of minutes.

 

[Dave W]

So Kubota has it's own factory producing belts solely for it's own machines? That's amazing!

Why ask for advice if you're going to belittle it?
Can assure you that genuine belts will far outlast non gen. even if to the same spec

 

[Dave W]

I look after a cub cadet for a gardening lad. Non gen Kevlar was doing 2 a season. Not serious considering the hours he puts on it.
tried a genuine cub cadet belt and it did 2 seasons.

 

[Dry Rot]

Why ask for advice if you're going to belittle it?
Can assure you that genuine belts will far outlast non gen. even if to the same spec

Probably because I've lived a long time and learnt to be cynical. I am always interested in people's opinions. I asked whether the chutes needed to be removed when dismounting the deck.

 

[Wellytrack]

I would shop to a certain extent but never skimp on good chain, belts and bearings. False economy.

I remember back in the ‘good old days’ of taking a week to cut the silage with pooled machines the guy who ran the Kidd 346 was notoriously tight.

Bought the most rubbish belts for next to nothing, fitted one morning at 10am.

3.00pm and 5 loads later my father was back in town and bought the correct ones costing three times as much as the dirt ones.

Belts were still on it when it was converted to a topper.

 

[L4048]

No they don’t but most people fit ordinary v belts and the pto belt on the Kubota hasn’t a deep cross section and normal belts sit too far into the pulley and burn out. Check a genuine one against a normal belt and you’ll see the difference