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  1. Allan M

    DPF v. No DPF

    I own a U55-4 Kubota Excavator and recently sold my first compact tractor and replaced it with a Kubota LX3310. Having read many forum threads here and elsewhere and watching a number of YouTube videos there seems to be a lot of avoidance around more than 26HP (the cut-off for diesel regen). I...
  2. Allan M

    Kubota LX3310 Tractor Hydraulic Surge in "M" gear range

    Hi all: Purchased a new Kubota LX3310. Overall very good tractor. I've noticed a little surge in speed while driving in 2WD at 1800 RPM on a slowly rolling asphalt driveway. It's minimal but seems like the hydraulics are catching up with the speed of the tractor as you change from going down a...
  3. Allan M

    Kubota U55-4 Damaged Engine Cover Looking for Parts

    Groan. While back grading on one of the mountain roads I've been cutting I felt a couple of bumps. Yes, bent the heck out of the engine cover panel. As you can see in the first pic I had to cut down about 10' on the hillside given the extreme slope to keep on virgin ground. This has left a lot...
  4. Allan M

    Compact Tractor Rescue with Kubota U55-4 Excavator

    I use a compact tractor on my 17 acre property for flail mowing, PTO wood chipping, spraying and general trail maintenance. (1550 lbs + 500 lb box scraper in pic) Over the last 18 months I've cut close to 1/2 mile of mountain trail with my Kubota excavator. California just experienced 3 weeks of...
  5. Allan M

    Excavator versus Crawler (Bulldozer) Pros & Cons

    I have a compact excavator that weighs in at 12,700 pounds. I have been using it to create roads and walking trails on my very hilly, 18 acre property. I love the excavator because it's versatile: I can remove heavy scrub brush without removing too much topsoil. I can trench. I can take down...
  6. Allan M

    Pros and Cons of Enclosed Cab v. Open Cab

    I've followed many threads where potential excavator buyers are contemplating enclosed cab versus open cab. Other than slightly more weight and certainly the additional cost I don't see any downside to an enclosed cab. In fact, I think an enclosed cab is safer, healthier, and ultimately makes...
  7. Allan M

    Leveling and Pushing Dirt Using Bucket Side Swing

    I've been clearing land and digging a road on a steep hillside. To make sure my downhill track is on virgin soil I've had to dig about 6 feet down on the uphill side as I notch a road below a ridge line. Doing so I create a lot of loose material. While using my 2 foot bucket I find that after...
  8. Allan M

    Track Ground Pressure "kPa"

    I'm curious to what degree track ground pressure is a factor in the purchase and use of excavators. I think a 20k lb machine might have the same track PSI as my 12.5k lb machine. Is it normal for excavators to have less that 10 PSI ground force exerted by the track? I would think that in some...
  9. Allan M

    Zerk Fitting Greasing Routine

    I have roughly 32 Zerks on the front end of my U55 Kubota excavator. I think it is recommended that before beginning work each day to hit all of those high use Zerks on the boom, arm, bucket, etc... I only use my Excavator once or twice a week for 1 to 2 hours at a time. The routine I've come...
  10. Allan M

    What Artifacts/Treasures Have You Found Excavating

    I have now cut close to 1 mile of hiking trails on my 18 acres of virgin land in Northern California. I'm getting better at it with help from my colleagues on this site giving me feedback on cutting techniques, etc... I'm cutting through heavy scrub brush, manzanita and oak. This is land that is...
  11. Allan M

    Advice Sought on Cutting Correct Slope on Hillside Roads

    I'd like to tap into those experienced operators on this site and get some pointers. I have about 350 hours logged in on my Kubota 6.5 ton excavator (so I'm relatively new at this gig). I've also cut about .75 miles of trail with some wide enough for a 4x4 truck to use and some cutting through...
  12. Allan M

    Excavator Without a Thumb?

    Hey Guys: I'm not a professional dirt mover. I'm a "learner" with a 12.5k machine. I don't get purchasing or owning an excavator of any size without the convenience of a thumb. I get that in certain applications you don't need it. But, there always must times when you need to pick up a rock or...
  13. Allan M

    Mice Issues

    Hi guys: My excavator is my Ferrari. I try to take great care of it. I recently noticed mouse droppings on my seat (Kubota U55-4 cab model). I had the machine covered in a tarp for a week between rain storms. Since I have put glue traps and traditional traps around and in the cab. Still getting...
  14. Allan M

    When does cutting through rock damage bucket teeth?

    I'm cutting a fire break near the house. Under two feet of top soil is mainly serpentine (a soft, decaying rock) that breaks easily under my excavator 18" bucket teeth (11k pounds of break force at the bucket curl). I have hit a few areas that I would consider Igneous rock (like granite right in...
  15. Allan M

    Safety Tips for Operating on Hilly Terrain?

    As an amateur operator (under 700 hours) I am cutting fire breaks and walking trails in very hilly (even steep) terrain. I don't tackle trees above 12 inches, make sure to cut deep enough on 30 degree + slopes to keep both tracks on virgin soil, and constantly assess my position relative to the...
  16. Allan M

    Excessive wear from driving in reverse?

    I have a U55-4 Kubota. I only have about 300 hours of excavator experience cutting trails, removing stumps, etc... very basic stuff for the pros on this site. In the Operator's Manual it cautions against driving in reverse because of "excessive drive train wear". When cutting mountain trails I'm...
  17. Allan M

    Where to mount a fire extinguisher on U55-4 Kubota?

    Has anyone found a good place to mount a fire extinguisher on a U55 excavator? Not much room to do so. I live in a high fire danger area and the diesel regeneration that periodically occurs has got me concerned. I'd better have an extinguisher with me in case of an emergency anyway. Thoughts...
  18. Allan M

    Seeking Advice on New rubber tracks for Kubota U55-4

    Hi all: I'm seeking advice on the best brand replacement tracks to buy for my 2016 Kubota U55-4 excavator. I have 2300 hours on it. Tracks are a little beaten up but not down to the wear bars. Idlers, drive gears, etc...on excavator seem in good shape. Any wisdom from members would be...
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