twodogs
Silver Member
I have had my B7800 for 4 years and a day as of today (8/3/09)! Last week, while cutting my yard, my tractor dropped to the ground and my right front wheel kept on going! I was amazed, disappointed, and pissed off - all at once! I got off the tractor & was shocked to see the axle hub snapped! I attached a few photos of the damage to share with you folks. I called my dealer (Golden Eagle in PA) & the first thing he asked was if I was injured. He was great with me on the phone & assured me that things would be taken care of. He sent a truck out to pick it up & check things out.
When he got the tractor to his shop he also pulled the left front wheel & noticed that that hub was cracked too. He stated that you could tell the crack was old on the right wheel from the rust on the crack. He had a factory rep come in to evaluate it. The reps first response was that it was out of warranty & nothing would be covered. He then agreed to cover parts only.
I spoke with the Kubota rep (Jeff Svec) today who seemed troubled by my call. He didn't understand why I expected anything more than Kubota covering the parts since it was out of warranty by "more than a year". I explained that I wasn't complaining about a burnt bulb or a mower belt - the AXLE BROKE! I guess I am a little odd in the fact that I expect the axle of the tractor to last a bit longer than 4 years - especially since the axle had been cracked for some time according to the dealer. Needless to say I am a little disappointed when I consider that I also own a $1,000 Craftsman tractor that is 5 years old & I have had no major issues with it. Again, I expect a bit more from an $18,000 piece of machinery. Maybe I should have held on to the 50 + year old Farmall & Ford 8N tractors that I had. They managed to last that long without breaking.
I then spoke with Jim Carroll (fantastic demeanor & very professional) who stated the same - parts, but I have to pay labor. He agreed that the issue didn't come from abuse, otherwise Kubota wouldn't agree to pay anything. I don't agree with his decision, but I give him high praise for how he does his job. I asked him to split the labor costs, which he denied.
Am I nuts? Again - I know I am out of warranty, bt I consider the following:
- invest 18K for tractor, loader, mower
- tractor maintained & NOT ABUSED - admitted by dealer & rep
- major malfunction in drivetrain - broken axle hub on one side & cracked on the other
- dealer stated the cracks have been there for quite some time
The labor cost is going to be over $500.
I put it to you folks - do I expect too much?
When he got the tractor to his shop he also pulled the left front wheel & noticed that that hub was cracked too. He stated that you could tell the crack was old on the right wheel from the rust on the crack. He had a factory rep come in to evaluate it. The reps first response was that it was out of warranty & nothing would be covered. He then agreed to cover parts only.
I spoke with the Kubota rep (Jeff Svec) today who seemed troubled by my call. He didn't understand why I expected anything more than Kubota covering the parts since it was out of warranty by "more than a year". I explained that I wasn't complaining about a burnt bulb or a mower belt - the AXLE BROKE! I guess I am a little odd in the fact that I expect the axle of the tractor to last a bit longer than 4 years - especially since the axle had been cracked for some time according to the dealer. Needless to say I am a little disappointed when I consider that I also own a $1,000 Craftsman tractor that is 5 years old & I have had no major issues with it. Again, I expect a bit more from an $18,000 piece of machinery. Maybe I should have held on to the 50 + year old Farmall & Ford 8N tractors that I had. They managed to last that long without breaking.
I then spoke with Jim Carroll (fantastic demeanor & very professional) who stated the same - parts, but I have to pay labor. He agreed that the issue didn't come from abuse, otherwise Kubota wouldn't agree to pay anything. I don't agree with his decision, but I give him high praise for how he does his job. I asked him to split the labor costs, which he denied.
Am I nuts? Again - I know I am out of warranty, bt I consider the following:
- invest 18K for tractor, loader, mower
- tractor maintained & NOT ABUSED - admitted by dealer & rep
- major malfunction in drivetrain - broken axle hub on one side & cracked on the other
- dealer stated the cracks have been there for quite some time
The labor cost is going to be over $500.
I put it to you folks - do I expect too much?