Tractor won't start

Doc

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Yesterday I posted this:

Yesterday was a good day.
I got plenty of seat time. Finally removed the blade from the PTO. Hooked up the tiller and tilled the garden. Late, I know, but it's been a muddy mess around here and the ground has finally set up where I can easily till.

Then I hooked up the bush hog and got a couple hours of tearing up brush, multiflora, old tree, and vines, so many vines. Vines growing on dead trees, live tress, anything they can cling to. I love using the FEL with the teeth to tear down the vines, pull them back away from the tree and then run over them with the bush hog. Yeah, I am easily amused. But that is so satisfying to me. :D

Anyone else getting seat time?

Today I go out to the barn to get the tractor and do a little more bush hogging. Turn the key and nothing. Dash lights dim as if trying to start but no click and no turn of the engine. Lights come on and stay bright. No safety switches except the clutch has to be engaged and that appears to be working as it should. Battery is a year or two old and it came from Kubota. The original battery lasted 13 years without issue.

So I'm scratching my noggin and I'm at a loss. What the heck could be the issue? Any help with troubleshooting this would be appreciated. It's a Kubota Grand L 3010. 2002 model.
 

bczoom

Senior Member
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I don't have a Kubota but my Deere has had those symptoms. For me, it was a bad battery cable. The exterior of the cable looks fine but it was corroded inside. Enough amps can get through to run lights but not enough to crank.


Take a jumper cable and connect it in parallel to the existing wire and see what happens. (For me it's always been the ground/negative cable so maybe try that side first).
 

Doc

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Thanks Brian. Good info. I worked her hard so I might have messed up the cable. Funny part was I chainsawed a tree that was hanging over the trail and shut down the tractor while doing that. She started right up after done chainsawing and after that I headed to the barn. This is the first trouble I've ever had with the tractor.
 

California

Super Moderator
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Not quite the same but when my smaller Yanmar won't start it's always because I forgot it has a second starter safety switch under the pto lever. The larger Yanmar doesn't have one there.
 

Doc

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Good thinking Chris. I thought of the PTO lever after I had given up and posted this thread. I should have moved it to make sure it was in the neutral position. I had just moved it to shut down the brush hog before parking and I'm hoping it did not seat completely and needs moved around to make contact. Fingers crossed.
 

Doc

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I am thrilled to report that the problem was between the seat and the key. IOW … me. Like Chris guessed the rear PTO that I had used with the brush hog was not seated all the way. I moved it from off to on and back to off and wala, the tractor fired right up. Whew. I'm a happy guy. :D
 
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