Kubota M59 Boom Cylinder

[dstallman]

Thanks Scotty, I will contact the dealer and see if they will help me out as I paid top dollar for it 37K and had asked about the boom problem prior to buying but they could not give me much of an answer. Ginops has a good reputation and it seems Kubota would want to fix a manufacturing defect even at this late date particularly since it is a safety issue. I have enjoyed your many posts on other topics and have already learned a lot. FYI I also have a JD, a 1995 710D, a rental unit I have had for 15 years. I've had very few issues with it and it is a very capable machine but I agree with you sometimes bigger isn't always better. Thanks again.

 

[rScotty]

Thanks Scotty, I will contact the dealer and see if they will help me out as I paid top dollar for it 37K and had asked about the boom problem prior to buying but they could not give me much of an answer. Ginops has a good reputation and it seems Kubota would want to fix a manufacturing defect even at this late date particularly since it is a safety issue. I have enjoyed your many posts on other topics and have already learned a lot. FYI I also have a JD, a 1995 710D, a rental unit I have had for 15 years. I've had very few issues with it and it is a very capable machine but I agree with you sometimes bigger isn't always better. Thanks again.

Seems like you got a pretty good price on the M59. Haven't seen any around here for that price.

Those 710s are real monsters! I'm thinking that if you have that machine plus an excavator then you probably have access to a pretty good local hydraulic shop. If so, I'd enjoy learning more details about the boom cylinder repair that's about to happen. Take some photos?
rScotty

 

[mike69440]

Seems like you got a pretty good price on the M59. Haven't seen any around here for that price.

Those 710s are real monsters! I'm thinking that if you have that machine plus an excavator then you probably have access to a pretty good local hydraulic shop. If so, I'd enjoy learning more details about the boom cylinder repair that's about to happen. Take some photos?
rScotty

Nut coming of internals of boom cylinder, that's scary. Like standing next to a big rotten oak in a windstorm!
Squish!

 

[JohnnyMac]

Here is an update on the boom cylinder problem.
I just experienced the problem of not having the backhoe boom cylinder being able to fully retract. Took the M59 to my Kubota dealer and the parts to repair the boom cylinder are not available from Kubota. The service manager and parts guy are both at a loss so far.
Do you think my best option is to have them send the cylinder out to a hydraulic shop to remake the shaft? I have about 1000 hours on the tractor at this point.

Any thoughts on what I should do now would be appreciated.

 

[rScotty]

Here is an update on the boom cylinder problem.
I just experienced the problem of not having the backhoe boom cylinder being able to fully retract. Took the M59 to my Kubota dealer and the parts to repair the boom cylinder are not available from Kubota. The service manager and parts guy are both at a loss so far.
Do you think my best option is to have them send the cylinder out to a hydraulic shop to remake the shaft? I have about 1000 hours on the tractor at this point.

Any thoughts on what I should do now would be appreciated.

You could always order a new cylinder intact....about $4K. A seal kit is $250.

As far as I know there never were any specific boom cylinder repair parts from Kubota to deal with that boom cylinder failure mode. The original recommendation was to replace the entire boom cylinder with the new style - see message #10 attachment for the program and new part number. YW400-00105.

That said, the free replacement program was a long time ago. Some of us thought the problem was the 30 mm piston retaining nut backing off and fouling the end of the cylinder rod ......but I don't think we really know what the problem was. It must have been concerning for Kubota to be so aggressive about replacing the cylinders as a "Top Issue". It would be worth a chat.

Otherwise, for $4K it would make sense to take yours to a good hydraulic repair shop and let them decide what to do. A lot of hydraulic shops don't advertise. Your local JD yellow construction machine dealer is who I would ask to find a repair shop. Most construction dealers send out their cylinder repairs.
Good luck,
rScotty

 

[JohnnyMac]

You could always order a new cylinder intact....about $4K. A seal kit is $250.

As far as I know there never were any specific boom cylinder repair parts from Kubota to deal with that boom cylinder failure mode. The original recommendation was to replace the entire boom cylinder with the new style - see message #10 attachment for the program and new part number. YW400-00105.

That said, the free replacement program was a long time ago. Some of us thought the problem was the 30 mm piston retaining nut backing off and fouling the end of the cylinder rod ......but I don't think we really know what the problem was. It must have been concerning for Kubota to be so aggressive about replacing the cylinders as a "Top Issue". It would be worth a chat.

Otherwise, for $4K it would make sense to take yours to a good hydraulic repair shop and let them decide what to do. A lot of hydraulic shops don't advertise. Your local JD yellow construction machine dealer is who I would ask to find a repair shop. Most construction dealers send out their cylinder repairs.
Good luck,
rScotty
View attachment 4006674

Thank you very much for the reply!

Yes Messick's shows the part YW400-00105 as being able to order but it is "backordered" on the Kubota parts site. Interestingly that is the part number for the entire cylinder as well the "Rod Kit". That part replaces the now obsolete part number WY400-00104. I did contact Kubota Customer Care and they said there was no known issue with the cylinder and since I am out of warranty there was nothing they could do.

I think you are right about my best option being to send the cylinder to a good hydraulic shop. Since the dealer already has the cylinder pulled and broken down I will let them send it out.

John M

 

[SPYDERLK]

I don't know that all of them had the boom cylinder problem, but some did and word is that they are good about taking care of it. When mine did the same thing, Kubota warrantied the cylinder and sent a guy out to replace it. About an hour job. Since it was about a month out of warranty, I had to pay for the hydraulic fluid that was lost.
The old style cylinder was part YW400-00104, the new improved cylinder is YW400-00105.

I wonder if it would help future owners if we list serial numbers?
My tractor is serial # 50419 with backhoe # A0707. Bought summer of '08.

There is also a mandatory campaign to replace an intake hose connecting the manifold to the turbo. Affects some L40, L50, M50xx tractors, and all M59s from # 50001 to # 51294. I couldn't see anything wrong with the old hose; the new one didn't look much different.
good luck, rScotty

What, exactly, is wrong with the cylinder? ... A wear issue, cylinder strength, seals, a curse; what?

 

[rScotty]

What, exactly, is wrong with the cylinder? ... A wear issue, cylinder strength, seals, a curse; what?

I haven't examined one so couldn't say for sure. The symptom was that the boom cylinder would not retract far enough to engage the boom lock. It would stop a few mm short.
At the time, Kubota considered it a 'top issue" and important enought that they told their dealers to replace the cylinder with an updated design for no cost to the owner.
rScotty

 

[rScotty]

Thank you very much for the reply!

Yes Messick's shows the part YW400-00105 as being able to order but it is "backordered" on the Kubota parts site. Interestingly that is the part number for the entire cylinder as well the "Rod Kit". That part replaces the now obsolete part number WY400-00104. I did contact Kubota Customer Care and they said there was no known issue with the cylinder and since I am out of warranty there was nothing they could do.

I think you are right about my best option being to send the cylinder to a good hydraulic shop. Since the dealer already has the cylinder pulled and broken down I will let them send it out.

John M

Yes, that is the same thing that my Kubota dealer told me. My tractor was also out of warranty - but only by a month or so. They said they couldn't do anything. I accepted that at the time.

However, apparently someone in their shop overheard that conversation because a day later the message below appeared in my email. It was unsigned but obviously came from their shop.

So I went back to the dealer, he said he would make some phone calls, and a few days later they sent their mechanic out to my place and replaced the cylinder at no charge. I did have to pay for a gallon of UDT. The new cylinder has worked fine for the past 15 years, in fact I had forgotten about it until your message above the other day.

If you feel good about sending it to their shop, that's your call. I'd probably want to look at the parts and have a hand in deciding how the hydraulic shop was going to fix it.
rScotty

 

[JohnnyMac]

What, exactly, is wrong with the cylinder? ... A wear issue, cylinder strength, seals, a curse; what?

What, exactly, is wrong with the cylinder? ... A wear issue, cylinder strength, seals, a curse; what?

The Backhoe boom cylinder would not fully retract. The service manager indicated that the nut at the end of the rod had backed off and caused the rod to bend. The seals on the cylinder were still good no leaks so the bend must have just happened when the nut hit. Replacement parts not available from Kubota.

Am I correct in assuming that a good hydraulic repair shop should be able to make a new rod to replace the bent one?

John M