New Kubota Corrosion

[Chris616]

There’s an interesting map on this page that shows how far inland you might expect to see salt affected air in the US.

I live about a mile from the ocean and my six year old tractor is stored indoors, so the metal is only occasionally wet. The hydraulic connectors and almost every other shiny surface looks like new, except for the two control levers shown in the photo below. Since everything else is the same, the only difference is the quality of the coating on the metal of these two parts. I noticed the corrosion starting after only one year.

 

[ning]

Given it's just those connectors, my guess is someone had a container of connectors fall off of a container ship in a storm and it was salvaged.
Well, actually I'm not guessing that, but I'll throw that in there as a remote possibility.

 

[SEKhobbyist]

Hello All, I have been reading a learning a ton on this site. Thank you to all who contribute.

I have a 1 year old Kubota 4760, 2022 model delivered in May of 2023. I am appauled by the corrosion on all the silver plated hardware. The tractor has 55 hours on it, and is kept either in my garage or under a 3-sided barn, it does not see the rain/snow. It stays on my property and gets washed a few times a year. I live in southern New Hampshire, not by the beach. It appears that just condensation has corroded every single plated fitting/hardware item. I have a BH92 on this as well, and all the silver connectors, even hose clamps, are corroded. Am I just expecting too much?

Some of the fittings say China right on them. I'm dissapointed and will now go and try to steelwool/oil all the parts, but what a waste of time. Here are pictures of the hydro connections for the FEL, under the cab and for 3rd funtion valve. I took these pictures a few weeks ago, on a warm morning. You can see some droplets from the humid air on the cold metal. Notice on the middle picture on the cab, some connections have zero corrosion, but most have the oxidation. I really expected more for the money spent on this. Any thoughts or insite? Thanks!

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To be honest, I have not read all the replies. My first thought regarding your unfortunate situation was a flashback to the golden days of SarsCoV. Remember all those shipping containers from China sitting at ports waiting to get off loaded? Maybe those corroding tractor components were sitting in the ports subject to salt water in the air for an extended period of time? Just my 2 cents.

 

[5030]

This thread is becoming pretty ridiculous.

I’d make them give me a new tractor, a spare set of hoses and a full refund! lol.

Sounds like a plan and start a class action suit as well. How's that? How about a new and larger tractor and some implements as well. The sky is the limit so long as you can afford the attorneys.

 

[mikester]

Really, are you real ?? Now you're blaming the owner, a tractor is supposed to be made to stay outside, where do you use a tractor? Outside not inside of a heating garage. Where do dealers keep their tractors until they're sold??

I only see condensation like that on metal items parked in the damp basement of a 140 year old bank barn in early springtime and there's still ice on the floors and it's a warm humid spring day and the snow is melting.

Look at the condensation drips on the OP's painted tractor parts photo.

Moisture will destroy everything given enough time. Parking in a damp barn is as bad as parking outside under a down spout. If you like leaving your hard earned money out in the elements to fade and corrode that's your problem, not mine. That's why I don't like to buy other people's used and abused junk.

Have a frosty mug on me.

 

[Lavender Valley]

Hello All, I have been reading a learning a ton on this site. Thank you to all who contribute.

I have a 1 year old Kubota 4760, 2022 model delivered in May of 2023. I am appauled by the corrosion on all the silver plated hardware. The tractor has 55 hours on it, and is kept either in my garage or under a 3-sided barn, it does not see the rain/snow. It stays on my property and gets washed a few times a year. I live in southern New Hampshire, not by the beach. It appears that just condensation has corroded every single plated fitting/hardware item. I have a BH92 on this as well, and all the silver connectors, even hose clamps, are corroded. Am I just expecting too much?

Some of the fittings say China right on them. I'm dissapointed and will now go and try to steelwool/oil all the parts, but what a waste of time. Here are pictures of the hydro connections for the FEL, under the cab and for 3rd funtion valve. I took these pictures a few weeks ago, on a warm morning. You can see some droplets from the humid air on the cold metal. Notice on the middle picture on the cab, some connections have zero corrosion, but most have the oxidation. I really expected more for the money spent on this. Any thoughts or insite? Thanks!

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This corrosion could be caused from the earthing or the lack of. Late model tractors have every part, cab, engine, etc are isolated on rubber mounts.

 

[tradosaurus]

Not as dumb as someone that pays top dollar and puts up with it.

I make dealers and manufacturers come good for inferior or defective stuff.
Sorry if you don't have the pull I do.

There really is little leverage against a larger corporation. If you have a good dealer that will work with you that is the main difference.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

I didn't read all of the 86 or so posts before mine but I would bet a steak dinner its degreaser damage.

Cheap degreasers often have very high PH values that can cause that type of damage wickedly quick. For me its the spotting that gives it away.

Sure it degreases as advertised but corrodes and deteriorates metal / hoses / plastic as well.

Maybe the dealer hit it with degreaser or maybe the OP did. Would be nice to hear back from OP on whether he uses a solvent from a can or maybe through a pressure washer.

heck even some tub and tile cleaners have ph's more than 13 and dawn dish soap is almost 10 and chlorine bleach is 11. Neutral is 7. The chlorine I use in my pool is a 12 on the ph scale and a good wiff of that stuff will teach you quickly what high ph stuff like degreasers can do if not used properly. Even Dawn dish soap can make a mess of stuff.

I'm betting somewhere along the way a wrong cleaner was used or not chamoised off and left to dry naturally.

 

[ultrarunner]

There really is little leverage against a larger corporation. If you have a good dealer that will work with you that is the main difference.

Or Uncle Sam...

Had a name brand new come along snap at 650 pound weight and unit rated at 2000 pounds.

Went to the dealer who referred me to the manufacturer and response was beyond their control.

I filed a complaint with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and had field investigators onsite recreating the sequence of events and gave me a receipt for the come along so they could run lab analysis...

Not long after the manufacturer reached out offered a full refund and goodwill offering to send someone out to retrieve it...

Was not at all happy is was with the CPSC... I did get a full refund.

Lab found the pivot insufficient for the rating...

 

[mike69440]

Are you thinking those fittings are aluminum? They look like poorly zinc-plated steel to me. But a magnet would tell for sure.

I'm guessing the corroded surface hose fittings came with some sort of aftermarket or accessory fitting instead of being Kubota tractor parts, because we've seen before that Kubota doesn't pay strict attention to the quality of their accessory manufacturers. But only subcontract manufacturers, not on the tractors themselves.

The fittings in the OP photos seem to be a different color plating from similar types of OEM fittings on our old Kubota backhoe and loader.

The fittings in the OP photos seem to be a different color plating from similar types of OEM fittings on our old Kubota backhoe and loader. They are. Ours are Zinc Cad. that offer good protection.