This is ridiculous - No alternators in the US!!!

   / This is ridiculous - No alternators in the US!!! #132  
They don't make and assemble every single part of a BX tractor in the GA Kubota factory! That's too vertically integrated, too costly, and too inefficient. Sub-assemblies, including the engine, are assembled together in GA. The alternator on the BX engine is likely a Denso (or similar) unit, sourced in Japan or other location. It is mated to the engine before GA even sees the engine.

Wrooster

While they are assembled in GA, the engine and transmission are shipped from Japan and they just bolt them together in the US. I think that they have something like only 60 employees on the assembly line.

Yes I do understand this. I was assuming they would have a line similar to a commercial mower mfg I toured several years ago. After assembly every mower is test, started and run. The question came up during the tour about what if you have an issue with an engine. Its the one part that they don't make there with al lot of moving parts. The reply was they did have a small supply of part. Fans, starters and alternators, probably some more parts. If it was a simple quick repair they would make the repair, if not they had to pull the engine. This company had Kawasaki, Briggs and Caterpillar engines, none were made by them.

All of the spare parts they had would fit in a small area, so the may have only have had 1 or 2 of a hand full of things in the test area.

Some of them it seems like they did have change the altenators on also due to the size of the lighting and other loads. Seems like that was done on the assembly line or right before engine install. This may not have been at a different tour I went on though I can't remeber for sure. It was 8-10 years ago.
 
Last edited:
   / This is ridiculous - No alternators in the US!!! #135  
One of Kubotas Parts suits called me today to address "my" concerns. While appologises and statistics and percentages of how well parts orders are filled thru the years were abundant, it did little to set me at rest over a very common part "Not In Stock" in the whole of the USA and he confirmed it, NOT IN STOCK IN THE USA.

It wa ssuggested the dealer should have stripped one off a new tractor, I was told Kubota has a next day or 2 day air carrier from Japan whereas Kubota will pay a percentage of the exhorbatant shipping fees to wit I proclaimed foul again.

I made my point w/ him that should "I" need a common part and it is not in the states and if I were using my tractor to feed my family I would be livid. He understands, I was heard, "we", as in those that don't appreciate this were heard as well .

I hope they DO SOMETHING about it, and frankly, I think they will...

PS, I heard today that REMAN Kubota Alternators are BETTER than OEM for the REMAN company does a great job...that's what I heard...FWIW :)
 
   / This is ridiculous - No alternators in the US!!! #136  
Just got on board with this thread. Why didn't the dealer just have it rebuilt? I
wouldn't think they would be that much different from any other alternator.
Wife had the alternator on the IH 686 rebuilt, dropped off at an auto electric
shop and had back the next morning, $65. Charges like a champ now.

This sorta reminds me of the thing we went through, I think on here, with
my wife's L3940 being difficult to start when it got cold. Mechanic came over
with a rollback just in case, said he couldn't fix it in the farms shop, that it needed
to be taken in, this was a Friday afternoon, it was back the next Monday all
fixed, glow plugs weren't working at all. She asked what she owed knowing
warranties don't cover pick and delivery and the guy that started the Co.
decades ago was with the driver and he said not a dime he was just glad
it back up and running. This tractor is used everyday and he knew that and
rushed through the shop. She and my son had to put the old bale spike
on the IH 574 to feed the cows over the weekend. It's that kind service
that will keep her going back to that dealer, he's 25 miles away, we have
a Kubota within a 1/2 mile of the farm but you won't get that kind of service
from him. She did buy a new NH 256 Rollabar Rake from him this year because
he's only NH dealer within 50 miles. Wasn't too happy with the assembly of the
rake too much paint knocked off and at least one grease fitting positioned to
where it was impossible to grease.

To the one that said something about it being a Japanese tractor, try getting
a starter from Turkey for a JD, that's where they're made in for the 4000 series
we looked at. You're not going find much of anything entirely made in the US
anymore, just drive through the new so called US car lots and look at the
stickers.
 
   / This is ridiculous - No alternators in the US!!! #138  
So true!!! We have all the leaves on the ground and a brand new $3k leaf vacuum sitting in the garage with nothing to pull it...:(
couldnt you just charge the batt and run it? Diesels use ~0 electricity
larry
 
   / This is ridiculous - No alternators in the US!!! #139  
Well, this thread is 10 days old...what's the status of the alternator?
 
   / This is ridiculous - No alternators in the US!!! #140  
What Roy said, what's going on? I still don't understand why it couldn't at least
be rebuilt or one pulled from a new one on the lot until the part gets here, My
dealer would have done that in a heartbeat because he knows my wife and son
have to be up and running and you would probably do it for anyone else.

OT: He's fine Christian fellow, they have church services in their showroom, I
found out because the last time I was over there there were no tractors inside,
it's big dealership and he said their church split up over something and they
were now meeting inside the dealership.
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

2018 WACKER NEUSON RD28 120 DOUBLE DRUM ROLLER (A51242)
2018 WACKER NEUSON...
2010 Ford Edge SE SUV (A51694)
2010 Ford Edge SE...
2017 Ford Escape SUV (A50324)
2017 Ford Escape...
HLA 84" Skidloader Material Bucket (LIKE NEW) (A50774)
HLA 84" Skidloader...
2024 AGT INDUSTRIAL QHT-500FL CONCRETE BUGGY (A51242)
2024 AGT...
2011 JCB 541-70 TELESCOPIC FORKLIFT (A51242)
2011 JCB 541-70...
 
Top