Wildfire

Well I bought my Kubota Grand L 4240 Cab tractor in Aug. of 08. It got 124 hours on it now but I've added a few items to it that makes it very pleasurable for me to operate. If there's anything that might crab your interest just ask and I'll post more details on it.


The modifications are as follows:

- Modified the FEL tubes for storage area's.

- Modified the truck plow to adapt to the tractors FEL.

- Modified the bucket by adding a top guard and hooks.

- Added custom built emergency light bar and strobe light to the top of the cab.

- Added L.E.D. strobe lighting to the rear of the snow blower and built custom boxes to house them in.

- Added custom build boxes to the plow so Super Nova L.E.D. strobe lights could be installed adding extra lighting to the FEL side on when plowing.

- Added a reverse beeper. (not a small task on these tractors)

- Added a reverse camera with a color 7" LCD monitor that is also inferred and has a built in microphone in the camera it's self. The camera was adapted to the top rear light making it appear that it was always there.

- Gauge pods were added to each side of the LCD monitor and an ambient air temperature and digital volt gauge was added to each pod.

- Two RAM mounts were added in the cab for mounting various items like my phone and MP3 recorder.

- A moisture sensing system was adapted to the wiper system so when I'm using the tractor the wipers will work automatically when snow or water is present on the windshields. That way I don't need to be switching the wipers on and off myself. The system takes care of that for me.

- Mud flaps were added to the front fenders to help keep the water off the front glass when traveling the machine.

- AC power outlet on side of dash.

- All common steel hardware that was present on the snow blower was replaced with stainless steel to prevent corrosion.

- Some custom badging and company lettering was added to the tractor.

- Custom trim was added to the rear fenders to give it a more refined look.

- The rear factory lollipop top lights that came with the tractor were replaced with L.E.D. lollipop lights.

- Added a few cool rubber holders on the snow blower to hold a shovel and bar.



Although there has been allot of stuff added to the machine you would never notice it at first glance. When I add or customize anything my goal is to make it look as if it's always been there. One guy said to me the other day who has a Cabbed Kubota " I'm going to order one of those light bars" I had to tell him that It's hand made and Kubota don't sell them. I now have to make one for him.

Here's some YouTube video's related to the tractor and the things I've done to it:


YouTube - Custom rear Kubota lights

YouTube - side leds.mp4

YouTube - Reverse beeper

YouTube - The Rain Tracker

JohnDeere4300_KY

I've seen just about everything on you tractor except what you added to your bucket... It's all nice!!!

Why did you add the top guard ??... and do you have any pics of how it's attached ??

I've thought of adding something on the back of my bucket so I can haul more firewood.

Your tractor is nice... But you need to bring it down here and get it dirty!

''Nothing Runs Like A Deere''

Bill

WilliamBos

Beautiful!!

Did you build the flaps, or buy them? If so, from who? Would you car to share more detailed pics of the front fenders (mud flaps.), including the mounting brackets. Would like to make a set for out MF 1635, for the same reasons you did.

Thanks,

Will


http://dsdownham.com/Home.aspx

Wildfire

Bill. One of the things I didn't like about my tractor was it's bucket. I used to operate heavy equipment one time and all the loader buckets I used had an added lip on top of the bucket that acted as a snow or rock guard so I wanted to have the same on the tractors bucket. The next lot of photo's will show how I did it. I also added two hooks and cut two access holes in the added top guard so the hooks could be easily used. It won't see any dirt. It's only for snow clearing and It HAS to be clean snow.



Here you'll notice I have my parts cut and ready to add to the top of the bucket.










Now I don't have to worry so much about snow falling off the bucket and hitting the windshield and it gave me a little more capacity for moving snow.



Will. The Canadian Grand L's come with a few extra things that the US ones don't have such as a higher output alternator, Rear work lights are standard equipment, rear defog on the three rear windows and most of them come with front fenders. I attached a few pics of the set up. I did add the mud flaps to them but there great. There made out of a flexible plastic/rubber type material and I think it really was one of the selling points to me buying the tractor.










The small brackets on the front fenders that were powder coated started to peel and seeing I had the day the other day I went out in the shop and removed all the brackets and replaced it all with stainless steel hardware. I cut the new brackets out of some stainless steel flat bar I had here. Now I'm sure it won't peel. I know I shouldn't be to caught up with this but I like to keep up with it all and there's no snow today to push and I needed an excuse to work on the tractor.











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Kan1ck

LOVE IT! Also, got a kick out of the name "Kioti Killer". Rock on!

PaulChristenson

Nice custom features...thanks for the reference to Rain Tracker...
Rain Tracker Rain Sensing Windshield Wiper Controls
My buddy has been asking for something like this...

Paul in VT

I used to own an ant farm but had to give it up. I couldn't find tractors small enough to fit it.
-- Steven Wright

http://www.wunderground.com/US/VT/Bu...typeclick=big2

mjncad

What's nice about the Kubota front fenders is that they attach to the wheel hub assembly and pivot with the wheels when you make a turn. The Deere's bolt to the main axle housing and stay straight ahead regardless of which way you turn the steering wheel. I just wish Deere wasn't so $$$$ proud of their front fender kits.

Measure it with a micrometer, mark it with chalk, cut it with a torch, beat to fit, paint to match, inspect it with a microscope.

My albums of stuff I've made.

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjncad

Wildfire

The Kioti Killer ended up there for a reason. I had a new Kioti in my sights when I was looking for a tractor. Had the pricing figured out but the dealer never had the machine in stock and said it MIGHT arrive by mid October which was the 11th hour for me because I needed time to prep it for our winters and having it show up that late was risky considering I had a couple of really good snow clearing contracts.

I was driving by the local Kubota dealership and noticed the Grand L so I stopped to have a look and fell in love with it. It had more bells and whistles that the Kioti and the company seemed much better to deal with so I purchased the Kubota so when I got it home I named it " Kioti Killer"

That being said the Kioti appears to be a very fine machine and I wouldn't rule one out if I were in the market again for a tractor.


Your welcome. I think this was one of the least expensive additions I put on the tractor and without a doubt the best. The down side to it was there was no tech help from the Rain Tracker folks. They just kept saying that they didn't understand how the wiper system was set up on the machine after I faxed them the schematics so I dug in a did it myself. I figured for the price of it there wasn't much of a loose if I let the smoke out. I've installed a pile of auto starts in the past and automotive electrical systems is my specialty so I was confident I could get it to work. Great system.

Matt the fenders were one of the selling points to me buying this tractor. They sure keep the mess off the glass while traveling.

JohnDeere4300_KY

That's a great job!!!.. and if you didn't tell anyone that you built it, they would think your bucket was made like that from the factory!

That looks like a easy add on..(very well thought out!!).... I like how you used the pipe for support on the top, and the hooks was a good idea too!

I agree that buckets should have a lip on the top... Great pictures as always!!!... I have a thread asking members about a larger bucket, and when I heard some mention "extra weight" on larger buckets...I didn't want to go that way...But I could use a lip like you did so I can haul more firewood and dirt for the garden.(so I may do mine like yours, if you don't care)

On the metal you used to "box in the extra lip"... How thick is the metal ?? ...It looks like 1/8 inch.

I also noticed something else on your bucket where the 11 bolts are... Did you add "another cutting edge underneath the cutting edge ??

If so, That is another great idea!!!

Thanks for sharing!...Hope your snow stays clean.

''Nothing Runs Like A Deere''

Bill

WilliamBos

Thank you. If our 1635 front axle has the same mounting points on it, off to our dealer I go, because they also deal Kubota too, so getting those will not be a problem.

What size are your front tires??

Thanks,

Will


http://dsdownham.com/Home.aspx