Farms & Farm Machinery #385

UTV/ATV REVIEWS
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True to form
In 2018 the RTV X900 was
one of Kubota’s most popular
utility vehicles. Barry
Ashenhurst found out why
Kubota RTV X900
Engine
Output
Trans
Front diff
Rear diff
Park brake
Front susp
Rear susp
Tyres
Wheelbase
Three-cylinder, 898cc diesel
21.6hp
Kubota VHT-X hydrostatic
Limited-slip
Foot-operated locker
Hand operated on rear
wheel
Dual A-arms with adjustable
spring preload
A-arms with coilover shocks
25x10-12 (six-ply)
2045mm
Cargo bed load 500kg
Fuel tank
30 litres
We like Kubota gear. It’s solid, well-engineered and well
made. It’s not the fastest utility vehicle in the shed, true,
but the people who buy it are notorious sticklers for reliability
and value for money, and care nothing for top speed.
Located in the mid-range utility market, the base model we’re
testing here is known as the ‘general purpose’ model with ATV
tyres and a manual cargo bed.
You get what you pay for in this business and Kubota offers a
lot for the money. A hydrostatic transmission and hydrostatic
power steering for example, along with a highly rigid steel frame,
under-seat storage, independent suspension front and rear and
heavy-duty skidplates.
The cab has a ROPS, as you’d expect. Steel bolsters help
prevent driver or passenger exiting the vehicle involuntarily,
though we don’t really like steel bars for this purpose.
Controls are sensibly laid out and easy to use. There’s no P in
the gearbox but a ratchet-type handbrake. The shift pattern is
what manufacturers like to call ‘linear’: L-H-N-R, with no P to
complicate things. The shift action was very notchy on our test
vehicle but the thing was brand new and that’s a good excuse.
As most people know, you can expect the shift action to freeup
after several hundred kilometres. The digital instrument pack
was centred in the dash and easy to read. To start the machine
you make sure it’s in neutral then turn the key. Visibility toward
the front was good; important when you’re scrambling over
rough terrain and need accurate wheel placement.
My first imp ession climbing into a Kubota was that the
vehicle feels compact and that you sit high where you can see
everything. The passenger grab-bar is set into the vertical ROPS
pillar in front of them, but to me this was a stretch to reach and
spoilt an otherwise comfortable seating position.
PERFORMANCE
Having a hydrostatic transmission on a small vehicle like this
may seem like overkill but it’s not. With high and low range,
a limited-slip front diff and a foot-operated lock on the rear
diff, the only obstacle to make an X900 flinch is a hill equiring
more than the 21.6hp (16kW) its three-cylinder diesel produces.
Meagre horsepower is its only limiting factor, more so when
1. Split bench seat accommodates two, sitting high for greater visibility
2. Controls are well laid out, though the pedals are slightly offset.
3. Access to daily maintenance items is what you’d expect in a
modern UTV
4. Independent suspension at each end gives a nice ride for such a
small vehicle
the vehicle is laden to capacity with two blokes up front and
a steel tray full of heavy gear. Suspension front and rear is by
dual A-arms. Adjusting ride height is done by changing preload
settings on the shocks, though how many users would actually
do this we have no idea.
The Kubota’s power-steering and 4m turning circle help make
the X900 manoeuvrable in tight situations and makes this model
easy for anyone to drive.
The engine is well muffled the transmission quiet and daily
maintenance checks straightforward. The fuel tank sits in the
chassis on the driver’s side. Lifting the bonnet gives access to
the radiator, the coolant bottle, the brake fluid eservoir and the
two-stage air filte , the latter contained in a clip-cannister on the
right-hand side. There’s a decent-size glovebox and plenty of
under-seat storage for items you’d like to keep dry.
It is worth making the point that Kubota’s transmission breather
doesn’t like you punting the X900 through water deeper than
half-wheel height – though I have to say nothing happened
to suggest that the breather was too low. Not every Japanese
manufacturer makes a diesel-powered UTV and not all these
factories persist with the notion that UTVs are workhorses, not
playthings. Yamaha stuck with that idea for a long time with the
Rhino but had obviously changed its tune by the time it released
the more sporty Viking, then the five-speed paddle-shifting
YXZ1000R.
But Kubota persists with the original idea. There’s no
‘sporty’ Kubota; apart from the petrol-driven RTV400Ci and
the RTV500GHD, they’re all diesel and all workhorses with no
intention of being race horses. The X900 is popular because it
gives buyers good engineering at a very nice price, and that’s
always hard to beat. It’s also easy and pleasant to drive and
that will win friends among those with little experience in small
cross-country vehicles.
Looking for an
ATV/UTV?
Search for ‘ATV’ or ‘UTV’ on
TradeFarmMachinery.com.au
or type the TA or DIY code
shown here into the
keyword search field
$23,990
TA1027245
KUBOTA RTV-X900. 3 cyl diesel engine, 21.6hp,
variable hydro trans. • VIC 03 9998 4995
$13,200
TA996906
KUBOTA RTV1140 CPX. 2200 hrs, diesel engine,
4WD, hydrostatic trans. • QLD 07 3171 1832
$12,650
TA696187
2012 KUBOTA RTV 500. 42 hrs, one owner,
electronic fuel inj, petrol. • VIC 03 8373 7134
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