This is the loader that's used on the B50 series tractors including the B2650/3350 and B3350SU. Both are open station and cab variants. We're going to do a quick walk around here on this loader to show you some features and how it's removed from the tractor. On the front of this loader here you'll see we have installed a skid steer quick coupler. This isn't optional in these series tractors but it is something that we think really should be standard equipment for most people.
Putting a skid steer quick coupler on here allows you to lift these two handles in order to release the bucket from the loader and swap it out with oversized buckets pallet forks or other attachments. If you look at the front of most universal skid steers or a lot of other tractors in the business, you'll notice that about three-quarters of the machines that are out there use this universal coupler on the front. Making it really easy to find a lot of use and affordable or aftermarket options to go onto your front loader.
Kubota also includes a leveling rod on this tractor. You notice this arm that's right in here gives you a visual indicator back here at the operator station of exactly where the front lip of your bucket is located. That way when you go to push into a bucket to a pile of dirt you can have a visual reference up here that your front bucket is level when you push into the pile to keep it from riding up the pile and not filling up when you go and push into it. You'll notice on a lot of economy loaders, features like this aren't offered in order to keep the cost down. On Kubota's machines, here they are including that.
Kubota's model numbers do actually mean something. This LA534 Loader means that this tractor can lift basically 534 kilograms at the pivot point on the loader. If you multiply that 534 by 2.2 that tells you roughly 1100 pounds that this loader can lift at the pivot point. Now, we do want to be cautious to watch that that 1100 pounds, which is a spec that many manufacturers rely on as a marketing number, isn't reality for what this loader will lift. Because you don't lift loads back at the pivot point, you lift loads out at the center of the bucket.
If you're looking for a real true lift capacity for a very specific application, make sure you're looking at your lift capacities at bucket center at full height, not at the marketing numbers that some companies use at pivot pins or at carrying heights. Kubota is very conservative in their loader measurements. Whenever we give a number on these things, we've never really seen an application where somebody's not easily able to meet and exceed those numbers. You'll notice that the process of removing a loader from a Kubota tractor is nearly universal across all the models. The first thing that we'll do is start the tractor and lower a parking stand then pull some release pins and roll the loader away from the tractor.
Right on the bottom side of the loader, here, on either side or two parking stands, the first thing that I do is pull this cotter pin out and lower the stand down, slide it over a can and put it right back in place. Once that's down, we'll use the loader in order to lift the front tires of the tractor up in the air. When you do that, you force the orange part of the loader here and the socket down here on the bottom into alignment and these black pins here on the side will be forced into perfect alignment and slide right out. I did not prep this tractor ahead of time, this is a random one that I picked out of a parking lot.
Now, if you don't ever do this and these things sit for months and years without ever coming out those pins can solidify themselves. Putting a little bit of oil and grease on them to keep them fresh and clean does help. Once you've pulled those pins out you simply curl your bucket closed. You'll see back here that when I curled it, my loader socket and my loader itself pulled apart from each other. Once I'm free there I could take my parking brake off and back up.
For the valve, when the loader tractor right here Kubota is now locating it over here off your side. If you've ever used a loader foul before they all basically have the same functions. Kubota has a little chart right down here in the bottom, that shows all the different positions and exactly what they do. Essentially, what you want to do is push the valve forward in order to raise the loader up and down and go left and right in order to curl the bucket.
In addition to that there's also corner positions and float functions in here as well. When I push forward I can feel a little detent and the loader stick will click and it will stay forward. Essentially, what that does is it takes the boom cylinder down here and it locks the valve open, allowing the boom to ride up and down on its own. If you're going to push snow off of your driveway, for instance, you simply push the loader up into the float position so that the bucket will scrape and contour with your driveway rather than digging out the low spots and being too high on the high spots.
There's also a float in the dump circuit as well and you can feel a small detent in there that. What that does, is when you go and dump your bucket down you can throw the whole way over to the side into a speed dump position that will simply open the valve up and let the bucket flop right over and go. While you're working this stick you can also pull into the corners and stroke those functions simultaneously. This is one of the things that Kubota does best.
You'll notice that a lot of loaders that are on the market doing functions like, raising and curling at the same time are really difficult. Kubota uses a type of valve where all these functions can be operated at the same time, making functions like lifting and curling really easy to do. You can look at a lot of other leading loaders on the market and see that you go up and then over and up and over and up and over and up and over, which is just not nice to operate.
Even though they have those corner functions like the Kubota loaders do, they won't move both functions at the same time. You'll get one or the other because the valves aren't balanced as well. Just because you see a loader that shows those functions and has those positions, don't assume that it works this well without getting in the seat and actually working the loader around and seeing how the functions work.
That's a really significant contributor to being able to work quickly and efficiently and predictably. Predictability is one of the biggest things that I like on a tractor because when I move a stick or a control, I want to know what's going to happen. When your valves aren't balanced well you're not always sure when you're in a corner position if your loader is going to lift or curl. Rather than getting that herky-jerky motion the Kubota loaders do a great job of being very balanced as they go up and down.
That's a Kubota LA534 loader. If you have any questions we can help you out with Kubota Parts for your equipment, give us a call.
There are two chassis sizes in the B series, this is the larger of the frames that are offered in this size. Let's take a quick walk around here, we'll take a look at these models and see if this is a tractor that may be right for you. Kubota offers several different configurations of these tractors depending on exactly what your needs are.
We're out today with several Kubota machines, and we're going to take a moment to show you some of the differences when you move from a B-Series tractor into an L-Series tractor. Take a walk here with me around these two machines, and we'll show you some of the things that make these tractors tick.
We’ve done a lot of technical overviews on a BX series and a lot of overviews on a B Series but there are certain things that will cause a customer to opt for one tractor over another. We’re going to do a quick walk around and explain some of the demands that your application may have that would push you into a potentially larger or smaller machine.
