Broken Mount For LA724

[kcender]

Well Case would disagree with you. There are parts on my 580K that are cast and even have the words "do not weld" cast into them. Things like the front axle and the backhoe boom are ductile iron.

I figure because Kubota welds these cast brackets to the steel pipe,it should be a weldable casting.As I have previously stated there is a difference between ductile iron and cast steel,which I feel these castings are made of.As for lifting the bucket I would agree that it would be a good practice to adopt.

 

[Baby Grand]

I just got home from work to find Terry from my local Kubota dealership along with the regional rep for Kubota.The rep was anxious to see the brackets and said it has generated quite a stir up through the ranks at Kubota.Apparently they had never encountered this before and were quite surprised that it happened.He agreed to replace both brackets without question,saying it should never have happened and apoligized to me for it hapenning at all.Apparently he can find no record of any changes ever made to the manufacturing of the brackets but acknowledged the difference in the pictures of Baby Grand's tractor.He offered to try and get me these brackets but I told him I would prefer the original type of bracket so I can weld on the reinforcing plates.We discussed the welding of these plates and he thought it was a good idea.He has no trouble with me doing the welding as I am a certified welder but was willing to pay a welding shop to do the work if I had wished it.He also said for the dealer to have the brackets powder coated after the welding is done as that is how they are originally painted.They are going to try to find me a set of brackets in the system but if none are available,they will take a set off a tractor on the lot.As for the timeline,I broke the bracket Wednesday evening,my dealer came down to see the tractor Sunday evening on his own time[Friday was a holiday],and the rep came on Tuesday.The retail price of the brackets is over $1100 per side.I am more than happy with the response from Kubota and feel I couldn't have been treated any better.

Excellent news - I'm very glad to hear that! Not only for you, but for all of us who own Kubota products, knowing that the company is taking responsibility foir this one. Sounds like your dealer is first rate, too.

 

[Baby Grand]

Well Case would disagree with you. There are parts on my 580K that are cast and even have the words "do not weld" cast into them. Things like the front axle and the backhoe boom are ductile iron.

The parts you are describing sound like they would be candidates for castings - basically anything that would require a lot of material removal to produce from bar or plate stock. I'll admit, the backhoe boom surprises me, but I could see it, depending on the shape. There must have been an interesting exchange between the design engineer and the senior engineer.

 

[MHarryE]

Glad you got such good response from both your dealer and Kubota. It appears obvious they want to keep you as a customer. I am on my third dealer, this one 150 miles from me. Now that I am retired I had time to listen to neighbors, hear the good and the bad experiences everyone had, and dealer rose to the top.

The computer analysis today can do wonderful things but it requires the right input. As an example, several years ago I was tasked to validate a new planetary drive engineering had sourced from one of our reliable suppliers. A few weeks into the test program my best driver called to tell me the machine stopped, drive locked up. People from the supplier came to our plant where we tore into it. It was trashed but we could tell from the failed parts it was overloaded. Next came the conference where I asked Engineering where they got the load data they gave the supplier. Turns out they sent a summer intern out to our proving grounds with a pressure recorder and had him run for a couple hours, then analyze the data. New kid, intern, looking for a job after graduation - last thing he wanted to do was break a machine. Our R&D guys instrumented the test machine and a senior engineer and I each ran through what we considered we had seen our roughest customers did. I analyzed the results and took them to Italy to talk to our supplier. They analyzed the results in their computer and came back to our conference room saying the Italian equivalent of "Holy S**t". No way could the planetary stand up to those kind of loads. Sometimes these things make it past the test guys - it happens in every company. Then it comes down to how the company responds. Some companies tell you that you abused the product, it's your fault. I think of those companies as the ones now longer in business. The ones who treat their customers right (without customers, you have no business) are the ones who are in for the long term.

 

[Baby Grand]

<Snip>

... Sometimes these things make it past the test guys - it happens in every company. Then it comes down to how the company responds. Some companies tell you that you abused the product, it's your fault. I think of those companies as the ones now longer in business. The ones who treat their customers right (without customers, you have no business) are the ones who are in for the long term.

So true!

 

[crazyal]

I figure because Kubota welds these cast brackets to the steel pipe,it should be a weldable casting.As I have previously stated there is a difference between ductile iron and cast steel,which I feel these castings are made of.As for lifting the bucket I would agree that it would be a good practice to adopt.

I use to work for an NDT company and occasionally would do work in a large valve company inspecting the valves. It's something to watch a robotic welder repair (weld fill) nodule iron 60" valve bodies. Something that could never be done in the field.

I would think the plates would be steel because of the welding on them. I just couldn't see savings in using ductile iron over steel for Kubota once you add in the costs and the hassle of doing the pre and post work to the iron to weld it.

 

[crazyal]

The parts you are describing sound like they would be candidates for castings - basically anything that would require a lot of material removal to produce from bar or plate stock. I'll admit, the backhoe boom surprises me, but I could see it, depending on the shape. There must have been an interesting exchange between the design engineer and the senior engineer.

I think the 580K was the first model to move from a welded box to a nodule iron boom. From their sales brochure.

For better strength to hold up under the toughest conditions, the swing tower,boom, dipper and stabilizer legs are made entirely from a proven, durable, cast ductile iron. (Previous Case backhoes and all competitors use fabricated steel.)


[FONT=&quot]The cast iron adds to backhoe strength because of:[/FONT]
No welds, for constant strength throughout the structures.
It has 62,000 psi (427 474 kPa) of tensile strength compared to 50,000 psi(344 738 kPa) for fabricated steel.

 

[kcender]

Just got my brackets back from powder coating.It was a bit of a wait but the powder had to be ordered in.The colour is Chevy Orange and matches quite well.The dealer dropped off the brackets and gave me a hand getting them up in place and the bolts started.They could have been installed under warranty but I didn't mind doing it.I torqued all the bolts to 166 pounds as stated in the manual.Thought I would add a few pictures.I added a 1/4" plate to both sides of each bracket which should make them considerably stronger than they were.Time will tell.

 

[beppington]

First, holy crap your tractor is clean! :thumbsup:

Second, the brackets look great. Chevy orange matches just fine; I wouldn't have known it wasn't Kubota orange if you hadn't posted that it's not.

Third, do you think you'll do anything different, as far as sliding the loader on the ground with the BH, etc.?

 

[Gizmo2]

First, I will second the "holy crap your tractor is clean"!
Second, I will say that is one of the best looking support bracket addition I have seen in a long time. Maybe it's the paint job but I don't think so it surely looks professional. Thanks for the pictures.