Dressed up Kubota (updated with doors and heat)

[47sawdust]

My 1985 Kubota was looking a little shabby .I couldn't afford an up grade and the tractor suits my needs so I hit the refresh button and here's what I got.

I removed the cab, then the loader. All the hoses,cylinders,control valve and steel lines were remove and painted separately. The 3 pt. hitch arms were removed as well.The front wheels were taken off but not the back as they are too heavy for me to horse around. It was a nuisance to paint around them but I got it done.

I used a Devilbiss gravity spray gun with disposable cups and that worked really well with minimal cleanup.I primed everything with Sherwin-Williams Kem Kromik primer, then 2 different colors of Kubota factory paint. Lots of masking tape, a large roll of aluminum foil helped protect everything.

I've never done anything like this and I am glad the project is done.Next week the windshield,doors and heater will be installed then I can actually use it to plow snow and cut firewood.

 






 





 





 


Even put in some floor mats.




Thanks for looking . Just "staying busy and out of trouble"
Mick the hick.

[Bruno of NH]

Looks great 
That's alot of work

[thecfarm]

That looks good!!!! 
Looks like that bucket has not dug out many rocks!!  :D
I do put the garden hose to mine once in a while.  :D
Like the cab. You will like the heater too.

[Old Greenhorn]

Very nicely done! A project like that takes patience and then some. But now you have something really nice. That process also allows you to clean everything and find any hidden problems along the way and get them fixed while it is apart, saving lots of suffering down the road. 
 Very nicely done.
 Try to wait a little while before you bury it in mud like MM likes to do. ;D

[Banjo picker]

Lookin good.  Tim

[Nebraska]

I've got a blue one that could use a little sprucing up. Nice job it looks good.

[btulloh]

Nice job.  Looks like a new tractor.  Certainly worth the time invested.

[Sedgehammer]

Nice job! 

Do Kubota's fade? I know Mahindra's do, was going to buy one, but wont because of the bad paint fade. 

[kantuckid]

Judos to the OP for doing his own work! 8)
Prep is the heart of a paint job, application the finishing touch-look great!

Fading with Kubotas:
 orange, like red is a color far more likely to fade faster. My current and prior tractor are Kioti, the "other orange tractor". The orange is nearly the same hue as botas which are Japanese, Kioti is Korean. 
My DK40 Kioti was a 2000 model as I recall and not faded much at all when I sold it. My 2010 is not faded at all either and both normally go inside to sleep. 
With my 2010 Kioti I got an orange Land Pride box scraper that the guy bought new with the tractor. Land Pride is a high end implement mfg, located right next to Doc Henderson's neighborhood.
That scraper sits outside unless in use and is badly faded from UV but not rusty at all so a good paint that is lacking UV protectors. 
Best UV paint protection comes from a modern, two or three part, clearcoat finish. 
I've done quite a lot of AB work and painting and to my eye it appears my wheels are one coat paint and my body is base coat/clear coat as with road vehicles. Maybe the Kioti wheels are USA made (like the tires themselves) since they come on the boat without tires? 
I seriously considered a Mahindra tractor this time around. In looking at the mfg.'s finance companies re-possessed tractors sitting around the country, mostly outside too, many were already fading in what were late model machines.   

[kantuckid]

Nice job!

Do Kubota's fade? I know Mahindra's do, was going to buy one, but wont because of the bad paint fade.

They ALL fade! sooner or later...
Inside storage is one easy solution but has it's limits for an outdoor tool. 
 Mahindra makes some great tractors, buying a tractor that doesn't fade? 
Seriously, how is that going to be accomplished?  

[Sedgehammer]

They might all in decades, but in a few years. no, shouldn't be.

[samandothers]

Great job on the '85!  That was a lot of time and effort but looks great.  Have the hoses been replaced and hydraulic cylinders rebuilt?

[47sawdust]

Yes, the hoses have been replaced and the cylinders rebuilt. The front tires are new this summer. It has dual rear remotes feeding a hyd. top link and wet lines to the loader to power a skid steer sander or Fisher snow plow.

For me the best feature of this tractor is the hydraulic shuttle shift.After initial startup I hardly use the clutch.

Thanks for the comments.

[firefighter ontheside]

Looks great!  I was looking for a 3750 when I got my 4200.  I had heard great things about the 3750 for my needs.  In the end I think the 4200 is very comparable to the 3750 for size, power and lifting capacity.

[farmfromkansas]

My 4020 could use that treatment.  Helps if you keep those tractors in the shed, paint stays bright much longer.  Keeps water out of your hydraulics as well.

[711ac]

Nice job! I'd guess that you just "restored" $2-3000 in value if not more. 

[Walnut Beast]

Looks great 👍

[SwampDonkey]

Looks great, many more years in'er. ;)

[petefrom bearswamp]

 

[AK Newbie]

Nicely done! Just added a few more decades to the life of your tractor...

[47sawdust]

Finally finished the doors,windshield and heat.
The heat is a 15'' transmission cooler, might add another.

Fella told me it looked like an Amish  buggy :D

 








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[Walnut Beast]

Looks great 👍 

[thecfarm]

With all that closed in you will keep the heat in from the motor and tanny too.

[moodnacreek]

Good thing it was painted in the factory and not powder coated. That stuff causes rust like salt does and where it is good you can't get it off. It is a lot of work and expense to paint cars , trucks, tractors, etc. I have done quite a few. Yours looks great.