Kubota M5660SUHD caught on fire (60hrs)!

[Whites Store Tractor Head]

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....

 

[Whites Store Tractor Head]

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....

Kubota has had problems with mice eating there soy base wiring. I think there was a class action suit regarding this problem. Good luck.

 

[WinterDeere]

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.

I also have State Farm, and my agent told me my tractor is covered under my homeowner's policy, when I bought my new Deere 3033R. I had called to see if the high value ($45k) would require a rider, but they said no, it's covered.

 

[beenthere]

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....

Came close to a fire when a wren built a nest under the hood of one of my tractors. Depends on where it was being parked if mouse or bird or squirrel nested or stored a cache of food around the engine manifold.
No clue given as to what evidence remained after the fire. A fire marshal or similar might help.

 

[Sid Post]

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

Wow! That would be pretty impressive to me.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Wow! That would be pretty impressive to me.

Where I live it's not impressive at all, go to any old tractor show and you will find plenty of old tractors, the same way as mine are.

SR

 

[LouNY]

Our old Farmall 400 has a 6 volt starter and switches the only thing changed was the generator for an alternator and the 12 volt battery, the Farmall H is the same, the Allis WD was also done for a great many years, my Brothers WD45 pulling tractors are on 12 volts with original 6 volt starters.

 

[fbitz777]

Kubota has had problems with mice eating there soy base wiring. I think there was a class action suit regarding this problem. Good luck.

Thanks; I really think this could be a cause because it happened overnight as I had left the tractor in a middle of a farm field (usually I have it on gravel) and the fire happened while the machine was not really hot.

I had issue with soy base wiring on a Tesla and I had thought only German based cars used soy based wiring.

 

[Mike_in_Missouri]

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

New Holland wouldn't let me purchase without insurance, first. Surprised you were able to finance without insurance. I didn't have to buy their insurance but did have to provide proof of insurance with the other financing documents.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I had issue with soy base wiring on a Tesla and I had thought only German based cars used soy based wiring.

My wife bought a new Subaru, it had soy-based wiring, and a squirrel chewed it all up.

Subaru put electrical tape on the wires to fix it, or she would have had to pay to have them all replaced.

SR

 

[groundcover]

I have heard old timers say they replaced 6 volt batteries in old cars with 8 volt , really perked them up in cold weather.

 

[fbitz777]

New Holland wouldn't let me purchase without insurance, first. Surprised you were able to finance without insurance. I didn't have to buy their insurance but did have to provide proof of insurance with the other financing documents.

that's right; my personal insurance co provided a quote to Kubota when I bought the tractor but then something got lost in translation in terms of billing me for it. They think I could be covered anyhow and will send a claim guy this week.

 

[redman135]

To the OP. You will be surprised how fast a short circut can melt wires. Father took MF240 out, got 300m and the wires started smoking due to a short circut. The tractor always had spanners on board so he was able to disconnect the battery in record time.

Insurance in New Zealand. You are required to open the bonnet of the tractor to stop birds nesting, or you are NOT INSURED. They (birds)don't like things to open as cats etc can get them. Starlings are particulaly bad and only take 20 minutes ( Insurance Co timed it) to put enough straw on an exhaust manifold to burn a tractor.

 

[Torvy]

In the US, if the loan has collateral, the collateral must be insured. Not a company rule, government regulations. Anyone who got a loan to pay for equipment without insurance got a personal loan, not a secured loan. Most likely paid higher interest for that.

This damage might be caused by some defect, but odds are it is not. Either way, the normal process in these situations is for insurance (or individual) to pay and then the investigation (and lawsuits) will determine if warranty reimburses for their share.

A concern I would have is that most likely Kubota finance is going to demand payment in full. Their money is secured by an asset that has little value. If the OP stops making those payments is could be very difficult for them to recoup their money. That is why insurance is required. It (or cash) will pay off the loan and it will be closed. Only other option would be to get it repaired.

 

[Tailbent]

Had a similar fire on an older Kubota. Positive battery cable insulation wore or was damaged by brush and shorted on the frame. Tractor under load lost power until smoke finally billowed from under the hood, but fortunately it was the cable insulation burning. Turned it off before anything else caught on fire. Replaced cable, tractor runs fine.
Perhaps something damaged your cable or it was not protected properly.

 

[fbitz777]

To the OP. You will be surprised how fast a short circut can melt wires. Father took MF240 out, got 300m and the wires started smoking due to a short circut. The tractor always had spanners on board so he was able to disconnect the battery in record time.

Insurance in New Zealand. You are required to open the bonnet of the tractor to stop birds nesting, or you are NOT INSURED. They (birds)don't like things to open as cats etc can get them. Starlings are particulaly bad and only take 20 minutes ( Insurance Co timed it) to put enough straw on an exhaust manifold to burn a tractor.

I did open the bonnet the day before and ran tractor for an hour on heavy load
Next morning i ran for 10 minutes hence I am more inclined to suspect a short by insulation shorted... I don't think a bird would build a nest overnight (and it not the season)

 

[MRTOES]

First of all have you figured out HOW the fire started and why? If it was a short then consider if it was carelessness in the design of the tractor. Second, most homeowners insurance has provisions for situations like this to some extent. Third, pursue your situation and do NOT take the word of the first insurance agent on this unless he or she is your close friend. Deregulation of insurers has resulted in some tall tales by agents in the past few years. IF you used glowplugs before you started tractor they have very heavy fuses and could start a fire before blowing a 30amp fuse if shorted AND also drawing current thru the glowplugs.

 

[WinterDeere]

First of all have you figured out HOW the fire started and why?

Not only would I argue that the burden of this duty is not on the owner, I'd suggest that any conclusion he makes is going to be completely irrelevant, unless the owner happens to be a fire investigator, insurance adjuster, or engineer with experience in agricultural or automotive electrical systems. Credentials are everything, when supplying testimony on any accident or fire, and only the conclusions made by a disinterested third party will be received without serious skepticism.

I've never sued anyone for anything, although I've had to employ lawyers several times for my business and real estate transactions. Given the value and age of the item in question, and the dealer's implication that this is his problem on a nearly new in-warranty machine, this is one case where my first stop after the dealer would have been a lawyer. If the OP hasn't already gone that way, and also followed through with at least getting his injuries documented by a doctor, I'd suggest again he do that now.

 

[just_Dave]

I wish the op the best on this.

but we really need to figure out how and why with evidence vs.'fire no warranty' attitude that the dealer seems to have.

I know years ago had a rv, and the bank imposed insurance on the loan... almost more than the loan amount each month, but I had insurance, but the ins company didn't send the right info to the bank... 6 months later, I got it figured out as I had ins actually 2 days before i purchased. but the point is the bank may have put ins on the op loan.

 

[MRTOES]

Not only would I argue that the burden of this duty is not on the owner, I'd suggest that any conclusion he makes is going to be completely irrelevant, unless the owner happens to be a fire investigator, insurance adjuster, or engineer with experience in agricultural or automotive electrical systems. Credentials are everything, when supplying testimony on any accident or fire, and only the conclusions made by a disinterested third party will be received without serious skepticism.

I've never sued anyone for anything, although I've had to employ lawyers several times for my business and real estate transactions. Given the value and age of the item in question, and the dealer's implication that this is his problem on a nearly new in-warranty machine, this is one case where my first stop after the dealer would have been a lawyer. If the OP hasn't already gone that way, and also followed through with at least getting his injuries documented by a doctor, I'd suggest again he do that now.

In some states the Fire Marshal may be nice enough to look. After all if it is a fire hazard it doesn not belong in a barn. Knowing what went on yourself is always the first part of investigating. Pictures work wonders.