Major structural failure on L4610 - ouch !!

[rbargeron]

I think the owner has priced the parts. As "L3710GV" has found, the prices seem actually reasonable for what they are. The dealer estimated it might take 2 days in their shop - he did say they'd contact the Kubota rep. With any luck, the rep is one of the 3,200+ viewers of this thread and will arrange some help for the owner.

 

[art]

Operator error is not a warrantee problem. It would be nice but I didn't see where anything caused the problem other then maybe a poor hitch location to the winch that would have done this.

 

[rbargeron]

You may be right - but there is a more subtle issue involved here. It is the slow departure Kubota has taken from the traditional design approach where margins of overdesign were much larger. It is technically true that they may not have direct warrantee obligation here. But the general question remains - what are the reasonable expectations of the average tractor buyer regarding the breaking strength of the machine? If that discussion is based on the last 50 years of wordlwide tractor production, the general expectation is that strength will be high - perhaps higher than the design currently provides. Manufacturers who make a concious decision to trend away from that do so with full understanding that public attitude about the product may be affected. If I were in a position of influence at Kubota, I would want to know about and participate in remedying those cases where the product fails - regardless of how it is caused.

Fixing this tractor might be a very effective way for Kubota to score some points with the 3200+ members of their "core demographic" who have seen this thread. It would be cheaper than a promotional mailing and would last longer in goodwill. My 2 cents.

 

[Junkman]

I am with Art on this one.... I don't see where there is an obligation for Kubota to do anything if it is a result of customer abuse, knowingly or unknowingly. No more so than they would pay to repair my tractor if I were to overturn it or run into something with it. They only pay to repair manufacturing defects, not other peoples misjudgment mistakes.
As to your number of people that have viewed this post, I will admit to a dual personalties, but since I have viewed this post many more times than twice, I would have to admit to many many personalities, which I am not willing to do. The count refers to the number of times a post is viewed, not the number of individual viewers. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[rbargeron]

Ok, ok, there really are only twelve of us looking at this./forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif And eleven of us aren't planning to buy a new tractor any time soon. But it wouldn't hurt to run the bases with the rep.

If the owner was not a friend of a friend, I'd be a little less sympathetic too. It's pretty clear he busted it.

 

[slowzuki]

That price for the case is very reasonable, I'm amazed actually! I still am a little miffed that kubota would not design the top link pin to shear before the casting peeled open.

Ken

 

[grandad]

Yeah, this is a no-win situation for any manufacturer. If they pick up even some of the cost, it raises the bar so the next guy who does something even more extreme will expect equal treatment (not to mention what some lawyer might do with it!). But, if they use the tough love approach, they get the reputation of not standing behind their product.

If they are smart, they will probably try to make the whole thing go quietly away.

 

[Junkman]

If I were in the Kubota reps shoes, I would try to compromise by saying that Kubota would supply the parts to the dealer at no charge, admit no wrong doing in manufacturing, and the owner would have to pay the labor to install the parts. That way, there is no question as to future liability. The parts replacement is being done as a good will gesture with no other strings attached. I know that this is often done by automobile manufacturers when a car is out of warranty to settle a dispute with a customer.

 

[grandad]

That would probably be fair.

 

[DCRC]

I'd have to agree. I read a thread on a New Holland tractor that broke in half and New Holland didn't want to cover it under warranty. Just one of the reasons why I didn't buy a New Holland.

Might have been abuse, but sometime as a business it's better to take care off it so it goes away.

How many people are going to look at those pictures and decide not to buy a Kubota because the back case may come apart if worked hard?

Just glad I saw the pics after I bought my Kubota L3830. Might have swayed my decision.

The dealer needs to talk to the Kubota rep and find out how much bad press is worth?