Is this acceptable quality on a brand new Kubota?

[weldingshop]

if you get the opportunity see what on the mechanic's table.....if you see vise grips, a bend flathead screw driver, and a claw hammer run for the hills.

and have hope, might be the best purchase you ever made.

 

[have_blue]

I have mixed feelings about this.

My tractor was pristine. Not a speck of rust or scratch on it. It was so perfect I hated to use the doggoned thing. For 50 hours, I babied it. Then I ran through some brush and scratched it, and then ran in some deep mud and got it very muddy. Ahhhhh... that a relief!

 

[C6rider]

My BX24 was delivered on a real crappy day. 40 miles+ from the dealer. They said it was spotless when it left but you could hardly tell it was orange when it arrived. There was something all over the control levers that I couldn't get off and it looked like corrosion on the rops bolts plus a few other minor issues like 4 bad tire valves. When they picked it up for the 50 hour service they corrected all my squawks with no problem. I will say if my welds looked like yours they would have gotten it back immediately. When I spend my money I want the item to be in excellent condition. If I run it into a ditch and screw it up it's my fault and I'll live with it but on brand new equipment I am their customer and by God I expect to get what I paid for with near zero defects or I'll look elsewhere.

 

[shrekbelly]

guys,
am in the middle of upgrade talks with my local kubota dealer (sorry,neil), and i guess, checking it out beforehand at the store lot makes a bit of sense.
i trust the two dealers that i know (maybe i shouldn't)- but, they can't remanufacter the unit. my dealer recently told me that he had a customer that vetoed 3 units and ultimately, he had the buyer meet the semi tractor trailer when it arrived at the dealership (they inspected the crate?!?).
part of me says, "shrekbelly- your spending $14,000, it should be as right as right can be." then i consider the issue, is it a #2 type problem (near zip), or is it a #10 type (stop you in your tracks) problem.
wish me luck, peace be with all our kubota brotheren. rs

 

[kthompson]

I read through page 3 and most of page 4. I worked in Quality Assurance for about 9 years for a large heavy equipment company. Of that time about 2 years was spent where parts were welded up from sheet metal to 1 1/2" thick metal for frames. Then spent about 6 years inspecting the assembly and operation of the machine before it went through real load testing. They were reviewed again all before being prep and painted. Left that about 25 years ago and those machines were not going to any homeowner and were not owner operated. They were heavy equipment machines and then were over $100,000. We built them for such companies as the US Air Force, Marines, and DuPont and then the normal dealerships both here and in some foreign counties.

The weld splatter would not have been painted over, period. Have seen poor looking welds cut back out and re-welded because looks if in a visible area. Now scratches from shipping, am sure those happened but should have been touched up in the field; grease on fittings, if just a little as normally is left to me would be a good sign of service; SMV sign, thought everybody's sign just sat in the mount, often pull mine out for access in that area on those items think dealership and not factory. On the weld splatter and welds, that is factory.

When our plant began we turned out machines that looked like crap and customers would request machines from the parent plant. The parent plant would identify which plant built the machine due to their PRIDE of workmanship. Over the years our machines proved them self in the field to the point the demand became for them and then the parent plant dropped the identification system. There is suppose to be something called pride in workmanship. That seems to be missing with the weld splatter and welds. Was not aware Kubota really built any units in the USA, would not be surprised to know the FEL was built here.

My thought was each of these is small and really nothing of importance and think that is true they are only of appearance. Yet my real concern is, if they did such sloppy work where I see it and where it is seen by all the world; what is it like where I don't?

There has been other post here on how to reach Kubota and what method they ignore and I don't remember but think they pay attention to only complaints filed through the dealership. It would be extreme but there is small claim court if it comes to that. I would probably print out this thread and mail it to the dealership's owner with a request of action and request for them to inform you of time table for that or what action to expect. Put your concerns in writing and mail them. That lets the dealership have a firm handle on the issue(s) and should help them understand how serious it is to you. This is different than a upset phone call or oh by the way comment when there.

Don't miss the affect that naming the dealership has on how they responded to the issues everywhere you can. No idea on if that is allowed here but should be to me but there is letters to the editor, Better Business Bureau.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

The scratches were probably done at the dealership since they assemble the parts to the crated machine. The welds were probably done at the bucket manufacturers location. To me this looks like a dealer and customer issue. The scratches should be fixed by the dealer, if you pointed out the problem before leaving his lot. How many people damage their car or tractor after leaving the lot? I know how easy it is to mess up loading and unloading a tractor. Since you did not do your due deligence of inspection you are now at his/her mercy to appease you. Hopefully he/she will. I don't weld so I don't know how well it can be done and still be pretty. You experienced welders that weld thick steel intended for extremely rugged use know that issue. Some of us do use these machines for rugged use so it has to meet our needs as well as for those that want them to be as shiny as their car. I do know I bought a RFM that was beautiful and you couldn't see the welds. It was a piece of junk. After a year or two of use and it coming apart a few times at different welded joints, I complained to Steve Barlow and he gave me all my money back toward the purchase of a Landpride RFM which has thick steel and bold welded joints that are very visible. The thing is a tank and that's what I want. This has caused me to want to see a bold weld joint and not the pretty welds. Something that's going to be used roughly, I don't know how else to use my RFM since I have a some what rough yard, now I want to see all the welded joints. My Landpride RFM has very rough and thick welds but it's solid and has held up well. I keep my tractors under cover and properly serviced but I have not painted the floor in my tractor building and so far haven't waxed any of my six Kubotas. My brother has all of his tools hanging on the wall and in drawers. Mine are in different locations and I can always find them if my wife hasn't moved them. Some people say I'm really neat and organized but my brother isn't one of them. I believe your more like my brother than me and it looks like there are a bunch of Kubota buyers like you. Bet there are more like me that are being silent. Hopefully we can all live in piece and come to each others defense when needed.

 

[cuoffroad]

Now days I don't buy 'nuttin that costs more than $100 without #1 researching the crap out of it and #2 looking it over with a fine tooth comb before money changes hands or papers are signed. Been disapointed one to many times. I believe quality, in gerneral, has really dropped in the past few years.

BANDAMAN, sry for your experience with Kubota. I'm exactly like you, I work hard for my money and when I do decided to buy something I 100% expect it to be perfect when I get it, or knock some $$ off.

Getting anything new is always fun. I really have to try and keep my "emotions" in check when I go to pick something up now because I know I may be walking away from the deal because I'm not satisfied. I know not to many people do what I do because of the looks on salesmens faces when I tell them no...I'm not buying that.

Biggest deal I ever got out of was a new construction home. Picked the property, picked the style of house, signed the papers, paid the up front money, paid as the house was being built, and 1 month before closing on the house (house 100% done and looked great) I found out that the builder mis-measured and built the house over the lot line. So now my house was really partially on the neighbors property. Without getting into to much detail I told the builder to pound sand, I'm not going to deal with that for the rest of my life. Long strory short, we got all of our money back and just walked away.

When the sales guys tell me "that's just the way it is" or "there all like that" I love the look on their faces when I ask them if they are stupid. I know it may sound harsh but not quite as harsh as trying to sell me something that just aint right.

 

[dodge man]

Bandaman, thats a tough one. I will tell you when I was in my 20's, I restored a 70 Dodge Challenger convertible. I was picky with that car, I mean really picky. Unless you have worked on show cars and taken it to an extreme level, you don't know what I'm talking about. So I understand where you are coming from. I once put a very slight ding and scartch in my Challenger, I thought I was going to cry. If I drove it and it rained on it, I got really upset. I enjoyed that car and had fun with it, but as I got older and had kids, I drifted away from that kind of car because it wasn't fun anymore.

You bought a new tractor to enjoy and have fun with, when you worry about this stuff, it's not fun anymore. I'm not saying it's wrong, thats just the way it is with you. I bought a BX2350, and would guess it was made in early 2008. I think it was made in Georgia. I never really looked at the welds on my FEL, but I think they are of a higher quality for apperance. The only thing that really bothers me about yours is the splatter. Aren't you suppose to take a wire wheel or a grinder and clean that stuff up? The scratches on the wheels? Kind of looks like they shipped them in a tandem truck loaded with gravel, and the wheels were on the bottom. If it were me, I'd probably shrug my shoulders and if I bought another tractor, I might get green next time. 20 years ago, I might have come unglued and got in the dealers face. I think in any factory, speed, function and apperance are always part of the equation. Hopefully, only the apperance was lacking the day they made yours.

For me, as others have said, its really kind of a toy. Make no mistake about it, I use it as a tool, and function is always more important than apperance. So far I can say it hasn't dissapointed, and it's been fun.

Enjoy your new tractor!

 

[dcabernel]

My old machine was built in Japan, my new one in Georgia....think this has anything to do with the weld quality??

How do you determine where your tractor has been built? I know Kubota Canada and Kutoba USA are two different companies, so are new machines purchased in CAN built in Japan, US, or CAN?

 

[WaxMan]

For me, as others have said, its really kind of a toy. Make no mistake about it, I use it as a tool, and function is always more important than appearance. So far I can say it hasn't dissapointed, and it's been fun.

Enjoy your new tractor!
Today 10:05 AM
NO WAY
The picture you posted of the bucket , I don't know what that weld is.
How could that even be possible?? It looks like bubble gum painted over.

The dealer would exchange that loader right away because for every person like you there's a person it wouldn't bother like the previous posters. It's not something you did when you got home, If the dealer thinks it's good enough to sell it to you he can sell it to someone else. If the dealer refuses to swap it out then the dealer is admitting something is wrong with it and he doesn't want it either.
.
If I bought a brand new tractor and it looked like that I would bring it right back a demand a new loader , not wait for the dealer to decide what he will do. So what you didn't notice it at the dealers , you notice it when you got home and it's been bugging you ever since.
I would have that tractor deliverd back to the dealer at any cost and say change that loader or my money back dealers choice.
You watch how fast they swap it out.
Some people don't care how things look, and some people wax thier rims.
People who care get the good stuff people who don't get the crap. Whats wrong with that everybodys happy.