Kubota GR2100 Transmission issues

[kubotagr2100]

About 2 years ago I got this used Kubota GR2100 with about 100 hours on it. It was one of the best buys I've ever gotten. I have about 375 hours on the tractor with a 54 inch mower deck and a 46 inch snow thrower. Ive had no issues with the engine and no issues with the deck or blower. The transmisson has been working good expect for this issue. See the front axle cables that controls the Glide Steer transmisson tend to break. Its exspenive repair and I believe it costed me my transmisson. When the transmisson's cables broke, the Glide Steer didn't enage causing it to be in four wheel drive all the time. I believe this caused my gears on the left rear wheel to grid off and not work. I believe this because I have no drive on the left rear wheel at all. The cables are fixed and working fine, the transmisson is working fine expect not having the all wheel drive. Now its 3 wheel drive and sometimes front wheel. I am wondering if its either the transmisson gears are done or the glide steer cable, the old one, is always enaged causing it to have no drive. The dealer didn't look in that area when I told them to, so I might want to isolate the problem first.

Thanks

 

[David_Kb7uns]

Go to the Kubota Lawn & Garden Forum and talk to the numerous GR2100 victims there, Kubota has fixed many transmission bearings in the past with the upgrade kit but many are so far out of the extended warranty that they may no longer be covered. I am just glad that I was able to get the last G2160-60 my dealer had.

Kubota Lawn & Garden

David Kb7uns

 

[dieselbob69]

Ahhhh,you have the same problem as me.Jack the rear end up and block it,then jack front end up(all 4 wheels off ground).Start tractor,then turn wheel side to side while looking at cables where they connect to tranny-verify they are moving lever. The glide steer cables are a piss poor design-I've replaced them myself twice each side-they are real tight in front of engine and could be pinched there.They supposedly have an "upgrade" kit for the cables also. The right rear wheel doesn't spin on mine-I'm thinking it's clutch pack in tranny-not paying to fix this POS again. If I'm gonna spend $3k for a repair,I'll put it toward a different mower w/ a warranty. Done w/ Kubota.......

 

[dieselbob69]

About 2 years ago I got this used Kubota GR2100 with about 100 hours on it. It was one of the best buys I've ever gotten. I have about 375 hours on the tractor with a 54 inch mower deck and a 46 inch snow thrower. Ive had no issues with the engine and no issues with the deck or blower. The transmisson has been working good expect for this issue. See the front axle cables that controls the Glide Steer transmisson tend to break. Its exspenive repair and I believe it costed me my transmisson. When the transmisson's cables broke, the Glide Steer didn't enage causing it to be in four wheel drive all the time. I believe this caused my gears on the left rear wheel to grid off and not work. I believe this because I have no drive on the left rear wheel at all. The cables are fixed and working fine, the transmisson is working fine expect not having the all wheel drive. Now its 3 wheel drive and sometimes front wheel. I am wondering if its either the transmisson gears are done or the glide steer cable, the old one, is always enaged causing it to have no drive. The dealer didn't look in that area when I told them to, so I might want to isolate the problem first.

Thanks

Where in NY are you and what dealer did your repair?

 

[locknut]

This is a bad deal on these tractors because when the transaxle goes you basically have a parts tractor that's not worth much.Kubota should have implemented a complete recall on these,or have a direct factory rebuilt exchange program at a reasonable cost available.Doesn't look to be too hard to remove the whole assembly from the frame.

 

[dieselbob69]

This is a bad deal on these tractors because when the transaxle goes you basically have a parts tractor that's not worth much.Kubota should have implemented a complete recall on these,or have a direct factory rebuilt exchange program at a reasonable cost available.Doesn't look to be too hard to remove the whole assembly from the frame.

Tell me about it-spend $8k on a frickin' lawn mower and I expected it to last for YEARS,not repair just outside of warranty and again 150 hrs. later. I contacted Messicks awhile back-said a new "upgraded" tranny would be about $2800,not sure if that was with or without labor. Who's to say the "upgraded" tranny will be any better? For another grand or so I could get a new Cub w/ 4 yr. warranty,and a better dealer to deal w/that's only 6 miles from me. Really has soured me on Kubota.Still haven't decided what to do-guy offered me $800-$900 for the Kubota(he researched the problem).....it'll sit and rot before I sell it that low.......

 

[locknut]

Tell me about it-spend $8k on a frickin' lawn mower and I expected it to last for YEARS,not repair just outside of warranty and again 150 hrs. later. I contacted Messicks awhile back-said a new "upgraded" tranny would be about $2800,not sure if that was with or without labor. Who's to say the "upgraded" tranny will be any better? For another grand or so I could get a new Cub w/ 4 yr. warranty,and a better dealer to deal w/that's only 6 miles from me. Really has soured me on Kubota.Still haven't decided what to do-guy offered me $800-$900 for the Kubota(he researched the problem).....it'll sit and rot before I sell it that low.......

Well,as the tractor is so unique in the garden tractor world,the only desireable component on the tractor is the diesel engine.And that would only be useful to a tinkerer that wanted to do a repower.The front axle is not used on anything else as I'm aware of and the wheels are an oddball 4 bolt pattern.If one could figure out a way to drive the front axle and provide a hydraulic circuit for the power steering using a common tuff torq rear hydro,that would be a really slick 4WD conversion and ten times more reliable than the Kubota setup.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

. I contacted Messicks awhile back-said a new "upgraded" tranny would be about $2800,not sure if that was with or without labor..

without labor, and with the upgrades applied to the later models.

agree, we would have liked to see a stronger response to this from Kubota. We have been fixing them to this point, as we can sell them for more than the repairs cost. Its been a black eye for them.

 

[locknut]

without labor, and with the upgrades applied to the later models.

agree, we would have liked to see a stronger response to this from Kubota. We have been fixing them to this point, as we can sell them for more than the repairs cost. Its been a black eye for them.

So,what do you get for $2800? A new complete transaxle? When I had the upgrades done to mine the Tech said it's pretty labor intensive and one has to be very particular when putting it all back together.It would be nice if Kubota would start a rebuild shop down in GA and do an exchange/core return program at reasonable cost.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

Yea, its complete. There was a point that you could get parts and rebuild it, but it was such a big job that complete transaxles became the path forward.