Kubota RTV Plastic

[TWO GUNS]

Must be behind on something, or it just come about, or I just smooth forgot.

How many has seen the OEM Plastic windshield ? Seen many homemade, and aftermarkets, but OEM KUBOTA ?

Seen one today on a new machine. It has "KUBOTA" shadowed in the
plastic, so it's OEM.

When did they slip these on us.
This one, was tinted. Installed with clamps ( with rubber grommet bushings of course) on the ROPS.

Somebody fill me in .....
thanks,
jamie

 

[Heatwave]

I don't have documentation or other evidence to back up my comments, so treat them as mere opinions.

Kubota doesn't "manufacture" or "make" a lot of the components and parts for its machines. Kubota buys components from other manufacturers and installs them during the RTV manufacturing processes. I suppose those items count as "OEM."

Other parts are made specifically for Kubota by various vendors ... Curtiss makes the Kubota windshields and cab add-on components ... but those are dealer-added post-manufacture items rather than OEM.

I've had windshields made by Curtiss ... the glass models ... and a windshield made by a plastics fabricator. Both were sold by Kubota. Plastic models are considerably cheaper (in all senses of the word) than glass. I suppose Kubota dealerships are installing them as an after-market item; I expect they turn a little more profit selling RTVs with windshields, even plastic ones, than selling RTVs without windshields. And the price of glass windshields might be sufficient to turn away prospective buyers who are comparing prices of other utilitly vehicle brands.

In any event, I respectfully offer this little suggestion: don't waste your time, money, patience, and aggravation-level on a plastic windshield. It will be one of those things that makes you want to kick yourself every time you take a spin in your RTV. I know.

 

[TWO GUNS]

don't waste your time, money, patience, and aggravation-level on a plastic windshield. It will be one of those things that makes you want to kick yourself every time you take a spin in your RTV.

We have glass. Since new.
Matter of fact, it's been replaced once.

I would not go no other way.

In my application, could not do plastic ( plexi / acrylic etc ) ...
for the travel threw swamps / woods would scratch it up, no matter
what we did to protect it, it wouldn't work.

Now the "KUBTOA" embossed plastic windshield that I seen. It looked good. But it's still plastic, and the whole windshield was tinted. Dark windshield would not do me any good late evenings in the woods.

.......... two guns

 

[bczoom]

Kubota doesn't "manufacture" or "make" a lot of the components and parts for its machines. Kubota buys components from other manufacturers and installs them during the RTV manufacturing processes. I suppose those items count as "OEM."

Other parts are made specifically for Kubota by various vendors ... Curtiss makes the Kubota windshields and cab add-on components ... but those are dealer-added post-manufacture items rather than OEM.

I agree with Heatwave that Kubota uses other companies to make their products.
OEM = Original Equipment Manufacturers.

Think of vehicles over the years. Companies like Delco, Fisher... all made parts and they went into the big 3 manufacturers of vehicles.

In any event, I respectfully offer this little suggestion: don't waste your time, money, patience, and aggravation-level on a plastic windshield. It will be one of those things that makes you want to kick yourself every time you take a spin in your RTV. I know.

Can you elaborate? I made a non-glass windshield almost 9 years ago. It still looks and performs like the day installed it. I know there's different kinds/types of plastic but if you get the right material, it works nicely.

I used Lexan MR10 which is what's used for doors and windows in stores, hospitals, schools etc. It can take impacts, doesn't fade or yellow.
Here's a link to the product I used.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23753

 

[cov62431]

Those windshields are produced through a different manufacturer and sold through Kubota like the Curtis cab enclosures. They are proprietary and supposed to be sold through Kubota dealerships only. We contacted Curtis before to get a replacement glass for a glass windshield, they would give us part numbers (reluctantly) but said we had to go through our local dealer to purchase it.

 

[D&D Farm]

For me, the plactic windshield is not practical. This is after experiencing plastic windshields, of various types, attached to motorcycle fairings. This is only based upon perhaps 400K road miles of cleaning off bugs, stopping gravel, hail, Mexican street urchins cleaning it with rotten filthy rags for a few pesos, and trying to remove the occasional deep scratch when manuevering through brushy areas to get to a camping spot.
If I take a look at my plastic fenders, roof edges, door edges, etc, and imagine what plastic would look like, well lets just say I may as well be driving blind.........So yes, for areas that are brush free and not succeptable to other scratch damage, I say......GO FOR IT......For me though, glass works best........God bless.........Dennis

 

[bczoom]

This is only based upon perhaps 400K road miles of cleaning off bugs, stopping gravel, hail, Mexican street urchins cleaning it with rotten filthy rags for a few pesos, and trying to remove the occasional deep scratch when manuevering through brushy areas to get to a camping spot.

I'm chuckling while I think of a RTV in those conditions. Bug splats? Heck, our bugs are passing us when we're driving down the road and some hit the inside of the windshield when passing.

 

[TWO GUNS]

May I make a suggestion. Even though I don't have acrylic/plastic/lexan/plexi-glass on our RTV.

We do have it on the Honda Gold Wing & Honda VTX >>>>

ALWAYS clean with Lemon Pledge. Never use any cleaner. Never use
any alcohol base anything. Never use anything like "Rain-X" ....

Just use the Lemon Pledge. Not only does it work wonders.

It's the RIGHT thing to do !!!!!


............. jamie

 

[Heatwave]

This is in response to bczoom's #4 Post: Can you elaborate?

Yes: I drive through moderately heavy wooded areas and small ends of tree limbs frequently drag across the windshield, leaving small scratches. When driving into low, bright sunlight, the scratches are highlighted. I find that distracting.

After a bit of driving, dust and crud will accumulate on the windshield. I can hose it off and wipe it down quickly if the windshield is glass. Same situation with plastic: gotta be a lot more careful ... the towel will leave tiny scratches, or mars, on the plastic. Those scratches and mars are amplified when driving into sunlight.

I tried buffing out scratches using Novus #2 plastic cleaner ... works, but it's time consuming and aggravating. If I have a choice between plastic, whether acrylic or Lexan, I'll choose glass.