Kubota L5018SP users manual in English?

Stargazer

Surin Legend
I just ordered a new L5018SP tractor, disk and tiller in Surin for our small farm. I've managed to get a pdf of the user's manual in Thai, but they say there is no English version.

Does anyone know how to approach this? Google Translate does a fair job of translating the manual, but I'd prefer an English one to avoid mistakes. The models made in Canada are rather different, hard to find a sure comp. I don't know about Oz.

Second question: it says that it supports using B20 diesel as well as B7. Any user comments on the pros and cons of this?

I've a fair amount of John Deere tractor experience in USA, and the Kubota seems pretty similar. Still, I like to know my machinery well.
 
I just ordered a new L5018SP tractor, disk and tiller in Surin for our small farm. I've managed to get a pdf of the user's manual in Thai, but they say there is no English version.

Does anyone know how to approach this? Google Translate does a fair job of translating the manual, but I'd prefer an English one to avoid mistakes. The models made in Canada are rather different, hard to find a sure comp. I don't know about Oz.

Second question: it says that it supports using B20 diesel as well as B7. Any user comments on the pros and cons of this?

I've a fair amount of John Deere tractor experience in USA, and the Kubota seems pretty similar. Still, I like to know my machinery well.

Might I suggest contacting Kubota's Worldwide HQ in Japan directly for an English pdf of hardcopy since you're a buyer.
 
Second question: it says that it supports using B20 diesel as well as B7. Any user comments on the pros and cons of this?
Most industrial Diesel motors will run on just about anything even @Yorkie old chip oil. BUT!
There are important facts to consider. B20 has less energy content than petrodiesel. On a volume basis, B20 in Thailand since it uses palm oil has around 4percent less BTU’s/litre this also corresponds to a 4 percent rise in fuel consumption.
Biodiesel is slightly denser than petrodiesel. However, it contains about 11 percent oxygen, where as petrodiesel contains no oxygen. This helps it burn better. You get less emissions. But!
The oxygen will corrode out everything in the fuel system. I would want to see the warranty that allows the specific use of B20.
In conclusion there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that the farmers around here say. They say used in their tractor, they don't like the drop in power and performance from their machines. I would think 4% would not be that noticeable. Well maybe its more or its all in their minds. I will let you decide.

Did you meet the boss lady at Surin Kubota and did you pay in cash?
 
Probably not boss lady. Cash. Counting in 6 disk and rototiller accessories, the package with a L4018SP was 644,000 THB, then a 35,000THB discount, plus I guess 3600 registration charge, net 609,100. L5018SP package 801,900 less 40,000 discount. My wife favored littler one, but I prefer the extra 10HP and wider front blade/tiller/disks. So I offered 17,000 less on the bigger one, they countered, and we settled at 756,000. I once hosted an exchange student from Turkey, and she said we had no chance of out bargaining the merchants in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. She was right, of course. Perhaps we could have ground it down a little more here, but the price seemed pretty good for the goods, so we went ahead. Delivery free to our farm in 3 days. Thanks for the biodiesel comments, sounds right. A similar issue with gasohol in USA, corrodes system.
 
After studying the Google Translate version of the users manual, it looks to me pretty straightforward. This is not rocket science. 4 gears and reverse, plus two speed = 8 speeds, and forward/back lever. Very similar to USA John Deere tractor. I presume that disking and tilling is best done in one of the lower gears, depending on soil. Do people use 540 or 750 RPM for the tiller? I haven't seen 750 option before. The front blade is kind of unique to Thailand/Asia maybe. Don't see it in USA at all. Of course, all mini-excavators have one. I know I'm forbidden as Farang from construction work even on my own property. Am I likely to get kicked out if I drive the tractor some?
 
After studying the Google Translate version of the users manual, it looks to me pretty straightforward. This is not rocket science. 4 gears and reverse, plus two speed = 8 speeds, and forward/back lever. Very similar to USA John Deere tractor. I presume that disking and tilling is best done in one of the lower gears, depending on soil. Do people use 540 or 750 RPM for the tiller? I haven't seen 750 option before. The front blade is kind of unique to Thailand/Asia maybe. Don't see it in USA at all. Of course, all mini-excavators have one. I know I'm forbidden as Farang from construction work even on my own property. Am I likely to get kicked out if I drive the tractor some?
You are a little confused. There is a big difference between paid work and unpaid. Is your wife going to pay you to build and drive the tractor if she is not. Don't worry about it.
Any other payments in kind please keep private. I don't want to know. :tongueout::tonguewink::tonguewink::tonguewink:
 
You are a little confused. There is a big difference between paid work and unpaid. Is your wife going to pay you to build and drive the tractor if she is not. Don't worry about it.
Any other payments in kind please keep private. I don't want to know. :tongueout::tonguewink::tonguewink::tonguewink:
My wife prefers that the financial transactions are one direction only. A pilot friend warned me that farang husbands in Surin are considered to be ATMs, which seems accurate. I've had to set up some limits on money spent on behalf of relatives per month. Eventually, I had to put a cap on 'loans' to relatives, too. My wife has a certain amount out in loans, and that 'fund' is closed. No more loans until the open ones are paid back
 
My wife prefers that the financial transactions are one direction only. A pilot friend warned me that farang husbands in Surin are considered to be ATMs, which seems accurate. I've had to set up some limits on money spent on behalf of relatives per month. Eventually, I had to put a cap on 'loans' to relatives, too. My wife has a certain amount out in loans, and that 'fund' is closed. No more loans until the open ones are paid back
You will not regret your decision to place a cap on personal loans to your wife's relatives. After a period of time, you will realise that personal loans to your wife's relatives are usually never repaid. Mind you, that does not stop them from asking for another loan to repay the loan that is/was still outstanding. :) :) :)
 
My wife prefers that the financial transactions are one direction only. A pilot friend warned me that farang husbands in Surin are considered to be ATMs, which seems accurate. I've had to set up some limits on money spent on behalf of relatives per month. Eventually, I had to put a cap on 'loans' to relatives, too. My wife has a certain amount out in loans, and that 'fund' is closed. No more loans until the open ones are paid back
There is good news and bad news on this front. Bad news. You will never get the money back. (Well almost never, does happen I have heard).
The good news is. The people doing the borrowing can never again bother you. Its like a once of payment to get rid of them for good. I have a long list. :)
 
We received and are using our tractor. Kubota's delivery was flawless, with lots of freebees (tools, etc). Then a guy came out a week later to train us, which was nice for my neophyte farmer Thai relatives. I was doing my best with my limited Thai to teach them tractor operation, but the dealer trainer was very good. We're happy so far with the power and performance and accessories. We had a problem with rice straw and mud jamming up on the end 6 disk, which we solved by removing the scraper for that disk. Locals also advised us to adjust the scraper position further away from the other five disks, which has worked ok. As an experienced excavator operator, I was unpleasantly surprised that the front blade does not apparently have a 'float' function like excavators all do. That is a great help when leveling, as you float the blade while backing up at high speed, which smooths very nicely. Odd, as Kubota excavator blades all have float.
 
We received and are using our tractor. Kubota's delivery was flawless, with lots of freebees (tools, etc). Then a guy came out a week later to train us, which was nice for my neophyte farmer Thai relatives. I was doing my best with my limited Thai to teach them tractor operation, but the dealer trainer was very good. We're happy so far with the power and performance and accessories.

Mel, is this as far as you got for your requested Kubota Manual in English ?
 
Haven't squeezed one out of Kubota yet. But I've gotten what I need for the most part from a translation by Google Translate. We're tilling away.
 
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