Kubota M5660SUHD caught on fire (60hrs)!

[azbinder]

This happened to my IH pickup a few years ago. I found it before I started it.

 

[azbinder]

And another surprise....

 

[Snobdds]

Insurance is not responsible for neglect. Leaving grass chaff on a DPF will start a fire.

Tractor owners do not want to pay the premium increases if neglect like this is coverable.

Let's be careful what we ask for...

Blow off your tractors after brush hogging. Make common sense great again (ducking)

 

[ning]

Insurance is not responsible for neglect. Leaving grass chaff on a DPF will start a fire.

Tractor owners do not want to pay the premium increases if neglect like this is coverable.

Let's be careful what we ask for...

Blow off your tractors after brush hogging. Make common sense great again (ducking)

I definitely learned an associated lesson (overheated; if you're overheating, do NOT turn off the engine! I got lucky and only blew the radiator!).

I've now got a 18V leaf blower that comes out hogging with me, and every once in a while I stop and blow things off really well - engine area, radiator, cab, back of tractor, etc. Of course, also blow everything when done.

I find that if you clean the radiator well fairly often that you rarely have to pull the screen as the chaff hasn't gotten a chance to compact on it and get really stuck yet.

 

[fbitz777]

Are you still making the payments on the unit?

yes I am (40 more months)

I am now talking to my personal insurance co as they sometimes cover such an event.

 

[fbitz777]

First Kubota burned up so you ordered another one?

I really need to brush hog 200 acres and I've had other Kubotas and usually they are very reliable.
They were kind enough to transfer the front weights from old (on left) to new one.
And insurance was not bad (400/year via State Farm)

Funny part is that it does not look bad when they do 60 month/0 percent as when you pay cash.

 

[fossilfuelphil]

9 month old tractor and I run it for maybe 10 minutes and notice that it has less power than usual
Anyhow I see smoke out in the hood area on top of engine. I open the hood and flames spread out all the way to fuse box and the dashboard (plastic)
I manage to douse off the fire and all the wiring is now bare and burnt to a crisp. The quote to repair is at least 30k which is close to what I paid (actually I still have 40 payments due)!


Question: What could have caused it (it was plastic/ wiring burning and super hot!)...not fuel related.
The dealer told me I need to turn to insurance co; i.e it is not covered by warranty!

Obviously I don't want to spend as much as a new tractor on this; besides the wiring and the dashboard cover everything looks like new! I am getting a 6060HD delivered in a few days as I can't wait to get a resolution to this....

Normally, if you financed through Kubota USA, your monthly payment includes a required insurance premium even if you financed at 0%. It is different than the warranty. They should be able to handle the claim

 

[Fxfymn413]

I did not read the whole thread, so if someone else pointed this out I'm out of turn.

I am a retired fire marshal and in our organization this would be considered a major loss and would justify an investigation to find the fire origin and document the loss.

I suggest you contact the local FD and ask them who does their fire investigations and see if they will send the investigator by to do a cause and loss report. This may come in handy if further legal action is needed to get your loss covered and it may be asked for by the insurance carrier.

If nothing else take as any pictures as you can and take the time to write down everything you can remember about the incident now before the facts become foggy with time. Make a sketch of where the machine was when the incident occurred, what the weather was at the time, time of day, etc.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

12V battery in a 6V tractor!

This is very common in old tractors and if done properly, it works just fine.

SR

 

[sd455dan]

A new tractor from Kubota comes with a 2 yr warranty. Not sure it covers fire.
My homeowners insurance, Texas Farm Bureau, would cover a fire related disaster with my tractor as long as it was on my property.
$250 deductible.

Wow I need to check into that since we have Farm Bureau as well. Just assumed tractors were not covered - unless you specifically insured them just like a car?

 

[Hoho223]

Unfortunately i did not insure (never had any claim in 30 years) but I should have since this was financed by Kubota

Mine was financed but Wells Fargo (a verified criminal enterprise) and they required a rider on my homeowne.

 

[tradosaurus]

Wow I need to check into that since we have Farm Bureau as well. Just assumed tractors were not covered - unless you specifically insured them just like a car?

contact your agent and give them the model numbers of your tractor, implements and side by sides or 4 wheelers.

 

[sd455dan]

contact your agent and give them the model numbers of your tractor, implements and side by sides or 4 wheelers.

I think I will,

Thanks

 

[sorleski]

I would think this is possibly warranty related. Can you contact your local fire marshall and ask them to send someone to look at your tractor to determine where/how/why the tractor caught on fire. They are good at determining this stuff, so it might be worth it if they can find the cause and are willing to document it, might be a good basis for a warranty claim.

 

[Racenut]

Seems like Kubota should have to prove it's not a warranty failure vs you proving that it was. If they can't point to some cause of the fire that was someone your responsibility, they should be eating this and hoping it's not an indication of a bigger problem.

But what makes sense to me is not always how the world works

 

[LouNY]

12V battery in a 6V tractor!

As long as no 6 volt lights, no problem. Usually when the 12 volt battery gets put in they also install a 12 volt alternator. The starter will work great getting fed 12 volts. Oil pressure gauge being mechanical and temp being a capillary.

 

[Sid Post]

This is very common in old tractors and if done properly, it works just fine.

SR

I have run a lot of older JD tractors, JD 70 LP and JD 730 LP mostly. Our JD 4620 was originally 6V and we converted it properly to 12V.

The tractor is question obviously, at a minimum, missed a step or two on the conversion because the starter spun too fast and the switch burned. Voltage conversion involves more than a battery and a crescent wrench.

 

[Sid Post]

As long as no 6 volt lights, no problem. Usually when the 12 volt battery gets put in they also install a 12 volt alternator. The starter will work great getting fed 12 volts. Oil pressure gauge being mechanical and temp being a capillary.

Running a 6V starter works great until you burn it out with a 12V battery.

Alternators, lights, switches (twice the power of a 6V system), etc. all need to be taken into account as the wattage being generated is too much for most 6V equipment even if it seems to work initially.

Radiators, fan belts, mechanical fuel injection, etc. don't care about the battery. Ran a diesel pickup personally for a summer without a battery that I push started on any slope I could find in the field for that service truck. Yes, if I stalled it at a stop light, I would be stuck there but, this heavy beast was usually timed for the one stoplight between the field and the house.

 

[fbitz777]

State Farms (home owners policy) told me to open a claim and they'll send an agent.
I know I did not insure that tractor specifically but I might still be covered.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Running a 6V starter works great until you burn it out with a 12V battery.

I have quite a few 6v old tractors, I've yet to burn out a starter using a 12v batt.. I have a 6v BN that dad bought when I was a kid that's had a 12v batteries used in it for over 50 years...

These old tractors have been used this way for MANY years without problems.

SR