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-Neil from Messick's here with the Kubota LA534 Loader.
This is the loader that's used on the B50 series tractors
including the B2650/3350 and 3350SU.
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.
[engine noise]
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.
[engine noise]
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
so we can help you out with these things, give us a call.
We're available at 800-223-373 or online at messicks.com.
To see a video on the tractor that goes along with this loader,
click right up here
or to check out our website click right over here.
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