Is it me, or have Kubota part pricing reached unobtainium levels?

[mike69440]

I stopped by the local Kubota dealer to order whatever o-rings and seals I needed to stop a very small drip coming from my swing valve block on my L39's BT1000 backhoe.
An approximately ½" dia. plain old neoprene O-ring was just under $10, the tiny excluder seal just under $40, and the other parts were about $90.
I thanked the counter guy, as this was not his doing, and left.
If I get around to pulling the valve apart to see what is leaking, I will match up the parts I need and order out of McMaster Carr, Amazon,.etc.
I know how spare parts need to be priced, as there is huge overhead in operating a spare parts network. I don't mind paying 1,000% markup for the convenience, but over 10,000% is a bit much.
This does nothing to inspire my brand loyalty.

 

[EddieWalker]

New Holland Construction makes you buy a kit that covers dozens of different models for over $100. Last time I did this, I used a couple of seals and threw the rest away. Now I go to a specialty cylinder rebuild shop and I've never had parts come close to $20. Usually it's $5 for parts and $100 for labor.

 

[mike69440]

New Holland Construction makes you buy a kit that covers dozens of different models for over $100. Last time I did this, I used a couple of seals and threw the rest away. Now I go to a specialty cylinder rebuild shop and I've never had parts come close to $20. Usually it's $5 for parts and $100 for labor.

The Kit was like $90 and did not include the bottom O-Rings etc. Tiny 1/2" O-rings cost at most a few pennies in bulk, like I said, I'd pay like $20 for a simple kit for the convenience and to support having a parts network when I really need something, but I can't let myself toss money like that.

 

[RickB]

This problem is in no way brand specific. it is industry wide.

 

[SDT]

This problem is in no way brand specific. it is industry wide.

Agreed, Rick.

Though there was once a time when manufacturers parts distribution networks were subsidized in order to promote market share and brand loyalty, parts organizations have long since become profit centers and must be self sustaining. The day of the subsidized parts organization has long gone the way of the dinosaurs.

SDT

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

We could take a look if you have part numbers?

Its an industry wide problem... and one that I think has a fairly easy explanation. It takes a lot of man power to identify, package, order, pick, ship, lookup, etc each part number. And your talking parts many of which may only be sold a few dozen times in a year. Thats a lot of labor cost that needs to be recovered.

 

[EddieWalker]

I have a Case dozer that has a Cummings engine in it. I went to Napa for parts to rebuild it and get a price from the, but they said that the serial number on my block doesn't show up on their system and I can only get the parts from Case. I asked what a rebuild kit costs from them if I can figure out what I need and they told me. I forget the actual amount. I then went to Case and asked about the rebuild kit. They where cheaper. Same thing with a new turbo for the engine. It was cheaper to buy it from Case then to have it rebuilt by a specialty business that just does turbo rebuilds.

As for filters, Amazon and Ebay are the cheapest. Case wants something like $120 each for my hydraulic filters, but they are around $80 on Amazon. I need three.

 

[BTDT2]

Its an industry wide problem... and one that I think has a fairly easy explanation. It takes a lot of man power to identify, package, order, pick, ship, lookup, etc each part number. And your talking parts many of which may only be sold a few dozen times in a year. Thats a lot of labor cost that needs to be recovered.

For curiosity..... what's the markup on a spray can of Kubota orange paint?

 

[mike69440]

For curiosity..... what's the markup on a spray can of Kubota orange paint?

It is good paint, but a can sure sure not last long at I think $13 can. I used 4 cans just respraying my loader, not the bucket.

I think I just give up and not worry about a few drips. I just found another hose starting to wet around the rubber to metal crimp. Got to expect that on a 2000 hour tractor, do I just keep a rag handy. When things get really leaky, then I, think about fixing stuff. It takes about a week for any bleed down,so the machine is within new leakdown limits.

It probably would be a few grand to rehose the complete tractor/BH, if I do, I might as well pay a hydraulic shop one big bill and have the work done on site. Heck I spent $5 grand on the thing last year rebuilding and up sizing hydraulic cylinders, pins and bushings , soft cab etc.

 

[varmint]

Sadly, I guess we are stuck with the labor intensive handling (and costs) associated with special parts.

I stupidly dropped my Miata on a scissors jack, and took out the AC condenser, radiator and big plastic belly pan. Amazon provided the major parts, very cheaply, for about a fourth the cost of dealer parts, but I needed two little o rings for the condenser fittings. A little research taught me that I needed to be careful about those o rings, and to be sure I had compatible seals, I had to order them from Mazda. About $7 each, and other than the material, they were 10 cent o rings.

Perhaps in the future, automated parts handling systems will bring costs back down. (As part of my research, I read that the military requires o rings to be individually labelled/packaged, with date of manuf. and expiration on each item, and they have a very definite use-by shelf life- you might get killed, but it won't be an o ring that gets you).