Is this acceptable quality on a brand new Kubota?

[blueriver]

Is fairness really whats a stake here? One man vs. giant Kubota. Kubota could drive that tractor off a cliff and never miss it. Lets face it, even the best companies occaisionally build lemons. They need to step up to the plate and handle this issue once and for all.
A wise old mechanic once told me "Anything built by man is subject to failure". That statement was told to me over 35 years ago when I was just a young man starting out in the automotive repair business. It pretty much says it all.

Well said ... and all these years here in Oklahoma we thought the Show me State was just that .... First we tell you, then we gotta show ya

 

[BANDAMAN]

The price was negotiated before the machine was ordered. My price was based on a machine like all the others I have seen new on a dealers showroom or lot. ie: nice welds.

The machine was ordered and delivered to the dealer, I do not know all they do to set it up, but possibly they did not give the welds a second glance. It is also possible that they saw them, said "wow, those look like crap, but hope he doesn't care, because its the only BX1860 we have."

When I asked the salesman on the phone about the welds, he said......."yea, we've seen some better looking welds.....but yea, we've seen some worse ones too."

I'm sure it would be easier for them if I just go away, but its not right, and I'm not being unreasonable.

The scratches are on principal.....I asked for a new wheel, but I really don't care at this point, I want the loader swapped and then I'll leave everyone alone. the wheel should be replaced, but if not, I'll touch it up. I have asked for nothing else.

I do like this tractor, and I am a big fan of Kubota, I beleive it will give me years of service, but I do not want to look at those welds for the next 5 or 10 years and be disgusted.

In my opinion this is a quick and easy fix.....they get me a new loader and we swap it out...it only take 2 minutes.

I am giving this dealer the benefit of the doubt that they can make this happen if they want to. I am not a ranting, raving, screaming maniac. This is purely a business transaction. I trade money for a product, one part of product is not up to par with all others I have seen, and most agree....then that product should be replaced.

Easy enough??

if nothing else, its been a heck of a conversation.....I hope some important people are listening in and this steps the quality control up a few notches...

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

if you financed it, what your asking for is really much more complicated than you would think. If it was a cash sale its alot easier. Be persistant but nice, if you start getting ugly they'll think your unreasonable and you won't get anywhere.

11 pages about this! Wow, you guys really are a different breed. I don't think I've ever had a customer looking at welds before.

 

[Mike Costello]

Well said ... and all these years here in Oklahoma we thought the Show me State was just that .... First we tell you, then we gotta show ya

Nice....I had to laugh at that one! Now, you Oklahoma boys can relax a little and not worry so much about us Missouri boys!

 

[N80]

11 pages about this! Wow, you guys really are a different breed. I don't think I've ever had a customer looking at welds before.

As a dealer you should be able to learn something from this thread, right?

But I disagree, we're not a different breed. We are EXACTLY the breed that Kubota is marketing to and exactly the breed upon which their success is founded. All you have to do is look at the glossy Kubota ads with the beautiful house in the background, the beautiful wife on the beautiful lawn next to the beautiful tractor being operated by Mr. Goodbar with a couple of potted plants in the tiny little FEL bucket that is a perfectly painted as the hood on his Lexus. This guy is not interested in crappy workmanship and scratched paint. Kubota better not ever forget that. If they do, their next ads can feature a toothless, barefoot hick in a straw hat sitting on a muddy little BX cleaning up the pig stye.

Heck, Kubota lists images in the gallery of its web site as 'beauty' shots.

But seriously, as a dealer, looking at that weld, what is your opinion. I've got a much more basic machine (L4400) and there is nothing on my tractor that looks anywhere near that bad.

 

[blueriver]

A different breed ... the ones who want to get what they pay for. Not a kubota fan, mine is green ...

What does the financing have to do with it, swap the loader and advise the finance company the new SN ....

 

[Evil the Weasel]

But seriously, as a dealer, looking at that weld, what is your opinion.

Yeah, same thing I was wondering. What does Messick think of these welds?

 

[Mustangous]

I wouldnt see a problem swaping with another loader if they HAD one, as seen here probably the next guy wouldnt care. what the op said, he had to wait months for his and there werent any there so swaping a loader out would be hard. Now if its been used and scratched then i would guess that is totally out the window.

 

[WaxMan]

As a dealer you should be able to learn something from this thread, right?

But I disagree, we're not a different breed. We are EXACTLY the breed that Kubota is marketing to and exactly the breed upon which their success is founded. All you have to do is look at the glossy Kubota ads with the beautiful house in the background, the beautiful wife on the beautiful lawn next to the beautiful tractor being operated by Mr. Goodbar with a couple of potted plants in the tiny little FEL bucket that is a perfectly painted as the hood on his Lexus. This guy is not interested in crappy workmanship and scratched paint. Kubota better not ever forget that. If they do, their next ads can feature a toothless, barefoot hick in a straw hat sitting on a muddy little BX cleaning up the pig stye.

Heck, Kubota lists images in the gallery of its web site as 'beauty' shots.

But seriously, as a dealer, looking at that weld, what is your opinion. I've got a much more basic machine (L4400) and there is nothing on my tractor that looks anywhere near that bad.

Very well put N80 you said it perfectly, I agree with you.

 

[Botabill]

Again, I think the welding job is done poorly. Although it is really too late to reject it.

There is a lot of blame being thrown at Kubota, they should have done this and they should have done that. Kubota made the product, offered it for sale, and your free to inspect it, and buy it, or pass on it.

I can assure you, they did the research, and they know how much they can get for a tractor. Then the machine is built, working backwards from that price point. Every step and piece, is part of that price point. This tractor was made, and passed inspection within those limits. Meaning, any changes to the process will likely increase the final price. As manufacturing costs increase, adjustments have to be made. Do we eliminate a step that is cosmetic? or increase the price? He already feels, it was expensive, how much more would he have paid to get the machine, he thought that he bought?

The general consensus here seems to be that because he had expectations, they need to be meet. This is not always possible. What if his expectations were unreasonable? What if the next guy is 15x more particular than him, and does not look at the machine at all before, before buying it, why is Kubota obligated to also meet his expectations later?

Because most everyone here is apparently disappointed in Kubota, they probably will make some concessions to try and satisfy this customer. And that's probably good business. I'm just not sure if it is fair.

There is no reason to believe, at this point, that corporately Kubota condones the poor quality that we are looking at here. We can see other examples where the quality is good. Perhaps the welder was drunk and the inspector was also drunk. If no one points the lack of quality out to Kubota they may never know some employees are destroying the good reputation of this company.