A
Alden Plowen
Guest
Remember, Jerry Reed singing this song in 1982? Well, I think I'm getting the shaft from "King Kubota" and I probably won't even get a kiss to go with it. What is your opinion?
Maybe I'm getting crotchety in my old age, which I'll keep a secret, but here's a hint. When I left the military, Uncle Sam paid my school tuition under the G. I. Bill---The Korean G. I. Bill.
In 1981 I bought a new Ford 1700. Absolute minimum problems in 29 years, but no power steering. My wife and I both drove it, but now we need something a little less taxing on our old muscles and bones. We went to the Ford New Holland dealer, but he went out of business two months ago. We looked at a Kioti, but the dealer's showroom was a converted chicken house in his back yard. No go there.
There was both a John Deere and a Kubota dealer in our area . Both had good reputations and had been in business a long. time. We checked out both and there wasn't a lot of price difference. We chose a L3400 HST 2010 as it seemed to fit us better. Now, the fun begins. While at the dealer I go over to the parts department and buy a new grease gun. Can't use an old grease gun on my shiny new Kubota, can I?
Well, I go home and am happy as a clam awaiting my new toy. I had traded in the Ford 1700. The tractor was delivered and I noticed the engine was real loud. It sounded like a herd of woodpeckers under the hood. The delivery guy, said not worrry, it would quiet down once it was "broken In". OK, what do I know?
I put 10 easy hours on it and per the manual, it's time to grease the loader. I used my new gease gun for several fittings and then the last two on the loaders arms broke off. The zerk fittings are inset so I couldn't get at them.
In 60 years of geasing zerks, I never had one break off. I called the dealer and two weeks later, a tech showed up. This tech was very sharp and seemed to know exactly what he was doing. I noticed he replaced the broken zerks with ones of a different color. When asked why, he replied that he had replaced hundreds of original fittings and in his words were cheap crap.
Next the range selector lever was so difficult to move, it took several minutes to select a gear. No grinding noise. It just wouldn't move. After moving the tractor a bit forward and back it would move. Also the four wheel drive lever did the same thing. A real pain to fool around with. My wife couldn't move it at all. The tech said the whole thing was out of adjustment.
Next I had hitched up a 3PH rear mounted snow blower and it seemed to make a knocking sound when engaged. I asked the tech to listen. He said he could hear the noise, but it was coming from the transmission. He listened some more, called the shop and told the foreman to order a complete new transmission. That was three weeks ago. Still waiting for the transmission.
Next, I asked the tech about the jerkiness of the lifter arms. When raising an implement slowly, it jumps like a Mexican jumping bean. The tech was very honest. Basically, he said that once agiain the valve used by Kubota was cheap crap . He said some were okay, some were replaced with the same valve which sometimes made it worse. They might be able be able to improve it, but probably I would have to live with it. (Some L3400s don't seem to have any problem).
I called the owner, I'll call him Joe, not his real name, and he said not to worry and my tractor would be fixed just like new. I told him that I bought a new tractor, not one that was "just like new". Anyway, I said that some folks on TBN had trouble with 3400 jerkiness and he replied that those internet folks were also full of crap. He should not have said that. But we aren't done yet.
He said the jerkiness would be fixed and gone and to come to the shop and he would show me that it was fixed. I told him that I knew that he would do his best, but I didn't believe he could do it. In fact, you still have my Ford 1700 on the lot. When you have the 3400 fixed, we'll put a rotary cutter on each machine, back 'em up to each other, put a four ounce glass of Johnny Walker on each, raise them up slowly and we'll see who spills the first drop.
My grandson will film the demonstration with both of us by the machines and put it on Youtube. If your 3400 is as smooth as a 29 year old Ford, I will sing your praises and you can explain how you took the jerkiness out of a 3400. If it is still jerky, I will know that you did the best you could, and you can send the film to Kubota, not that they would have the slightest interest. Fair enough? He's basically a good dealer and it is not in my nature to bad mouth anyone. I found that I can usually get further with sweet talk and honey, occassionally a little moral zinger tossed in. He took the bait. It should be fun!
I realize that many of you folks have Kubotas and are very happy with them. I think I just got a bad one. My wife say to get rid of the thing and I know just how to do it--legally and we'll all be happy. Thats for another post.
One other thing. I'm going to need another tractor. I never got my kiss from Kubota, they had their chance, so they are gone forever. I realize that I might have been stuck with a bad John Deere as well. I might even consider a used John Deere with low hours. Is there a "sweet spot" Deere that is bullet proof? May one up to 40hp.
Thanks for everything and y'all take good care of each other.
Alden
Maybe I'm getting crotchety in my old age, which I'll keep a secret, but here's a hint. When I left the military, Uncle Sam paid my school tuition under the G. I. Bill---The Korean G. I. Bill.
In 1981 I bought a new Ford 1700. Absolute minimum problems in 29 years, but no power steering. My wife and I both drove it, but now we need something a little less taxing on our old muscles and bones. We went to the Ford New Holland dealer, but he went out of business two months ago. We looked at a Kioti, but the dealer's showroom was a converted chicken house in his back yard. No go there.
There was both a John Deere and a Kubota dealer in our area . Both had good reputations and had been in business a long. time. We checked out both and there wasn't a lot of price difference. We chose a L3400 HST 2010 as it seemed to fit us better. Now, the fun begins. While at the dealer I go over to the parts department and buy a new grease gun. Can't use an old grease gun on my shiny new Kubota, can I?
Well, I go home and am happy as a clam awaiting my new toy. I had traded in the Ford 1700. The tractor was delivered and I noticed the engine was real loud. It sounded like a herd of woodpeckers under the hood. The delivery guy, said not worrry, it would quiet down once it was "broken In". OK, what do I know?
I put 10 easy hours on it and per the manual, it's time to grease the loader. I used my new gease gun for several fittings and then the last two on the loaders arms broke off. The zerk fittings are inset so I couldn't get at them.
In 60 years of geasing zerks, I never had one break off. I called the dealer and two weeks later, a tech showed up. This tech was very sharp and seemed to know exactly what he was doing. I noticed he replaced the broken zerks with ones of a different color. When asked why, he replied that he had replaced hundreds of original fittings and in his words were cheap crap.
Next the range selector lever was so difficult to move, it took several minutes to select a gear. No grinding noise. It just wouldn't move. After moving the tractor a bit forward and back it would move. Also the four wheel drive lever did the same thing. A real pain to fool around with. My wife couldn't move it at all. The tech said the whole thing was out of adjustment.
Next I had hitched up a 3PH rear mounted snow blower and it seemed to make a knocking sound when engaged. I asked the tech to listen. He said he could hear the noise, but it was coming from the transmission. He listened some more, called the shop and told the foreman to order a complete new transmission. That was three weeks ago. Still waiting for the transmission.
Next, I asked the tech about the jerkiness of the lifter arms. When raising an implement slowly, it jumps like a Mexican jumping bean. The tech was very honest. Basically, he said that once agiain the valve used by Kubota was cheap crap . He said some were okay, some were replaced with the same valve which sometimes made it worse. They might be able be able to improve it, but probably I would have to live with it. (Some L3400s don't seem to have any problem).
I called the owner, I'll call him Joe, not his real name, and he said not to worry and my tractor would be fixed just like new. I told him that I bought a new tractor, not one that was "just like new". Anyway, I said that some folks on TBN had trouble with 3400 jerkiness and he replied that those internet folks were also full of crap. He should not have said that. But we aren't done yet.
He said the jerkiness would be fixed and gone and to come to the shop and he would show me that it was fixed. I told him that I knew that he would do his best, but I didn't believe he could do it. In fact, you still have my Ford 1700 on the lot. When you have the 3400 fixed, we'll put a rotary cutter on each machine, back 'em up to each other, put a four ounce glass of Johnny Walker on each, raise them up slowly and we'll see who spills the first drop.
My grandson will film the demonstration with both of us by the machines and put it on Youtube. If your 3400 is as smooth as a 29 year old Ford, I will sing your praises and you can explain how you took the jerkiness out of a 3400. If it is still jerky, I will know that you did the best you could, and you can send the film to Kubota, not that they would have the slightest interest. Fair enough? He's basically a good dealer and it is not in my nature to bad mouth anyone. I found that I can usually get further with sweet talk and honey, occassionally a little moral zinger tossed in. He took the bait. It should be fun!
I realize that many of you folks have Kubotas and are very happy with them. I think I just got a bad one. My wife say to get rid of the thing and I know just how to do it--legally and we'll all be happy. Thats for another post.
One other thing. I'm going to need another tractor. I never got my kiss from Kubota, they had their chance, so they are gone forever. I realize that I might have been stuck with a bad John Deere as well. I might even consider a used John Deere with low hours. Is there a "sweet spot" Deere that is bullet proof? May one up to 40hp.
Thanks for everything and y'all take good care of each other.
Alden
