Who ever you buy parts for saw you coming, lol.
First of all, the bevel gear and corresponding pinion gear in question are straight cut bevel gears. They are not a matched set, nor does Kubota even sell them as a matched set. Have you even read the Kubota WSM on your tractor?
Second of all, they really took you on the parts. The bevel gear is $276 and the pinion is $147. If you replaced the bearings and seals that adds roughly another $90. So that's a little over $500 a side, not sure how you came up with $2000 to do the job.
I think operator error is to blame here. That same bevel gear that you tore up Kubota uses on the
B26 industrial tractors (exact same P/N.) I guarantee if the parts were faulty you would see lots of
B26's with front axle problems considering most of them are used commercially and on rental yards.