BX2200: getting hosed on a hose?

[huckflynn]

I understand what you were saying -- and you could very well be right. I also understand that regardless of how it was calculated, I will be paying $409. My only concern is if I will ever return to that dealer. Early on, the charges for service were very reasonable -- but after the 400 hour service and this job I am beginning to wonder if I might be the dealer's sole customer as suggested by JerryG in an earlier post.

Thanks for the feedback.

Brian

 

[huckflynn]

Here's the breakdown:

Found 2 hoses with pin hole leaks - cost of both hoses and an elbow: $60

Replace quick coupler for loader valve: parts 43.46

1 Gallon Super UDT 18.34

Total parts: 122.06

Labor 4.2 hours 252.00

Tax 30.33

Nothing would seem necessarily unreasonable but it gnaws at me that I sent the tractor in late last fall and had them check for leakage in the system because I was experiencing minor leaks. I was at about 394 hours then so I told them to do the 400 hour service at the same time.

Bad luck or bad service? I'm not sure.

 

[GeorgeH]

I bought my BX2200 new in 2000. I used to comment here from time to time but I've pretty much been a lurker for the last five years. I' ve picked up a lot of good information here over the years and never felt much need to comment. But this getting hosed over the hoses issue brought back some bad memories. Last summer I replaced my first power steering hose, Dealer item was $62.00, I installed it myself. It was a bear to rout it through the frame. A couple of weeks later, I blew the other long power steering hose.
It was a mere $53.00. What a break. Still it was a pain to change. Then in the fall I blew a hose on the FEL. This time I remembered that I have been driving by a place every day for the last eight years that advertises hydraulic hoses custom made while you wait. They made that hose, fittings and all for less than $20.00. Much heavier hose too. They are also in the construction business. They started making hoses for their own equipment.
They make high quality hoses at a fair price. It pays to keep an eye open.

 

[67Jeepster]

A couple of years ago I changed out my power steering hoses. My cousin's John Deere was down, so he borrowed my BX2200 to mow his 3 acre yard. Then he drove the mower back to me about a mile away from his house. Hydraulic fluid was going everywhere on the deck. I concluded that he left the parking brake on while either mowing or driving to my house. The early models have no warning signal that the brake is still on. The hot fluid perforated one of the power steering hoses in many places. My dealer made a power steering hose for less than $25.00. He said the other one was fine, so I installed the hose and put the tractor back together. The next weekend the other hose failed, so I had an auto parts dealer make me another hose for less than $20.00. Tearing down the tractor one weekend is tough enough, but doing it again is no fun at all. Plus, it was during the hot Summer months. For that reason I believe all power steering hoses need replacing at the same time. Other than cleaning up the oily mess, this job was not that difficult. I was stuck with a hefty maintenance bill from the dealer once, so unless it is a last resort I do not plan on having them do any more work. By the way...my cousin liked my tractor so much that he is now the proud owner of a BX2200 too.

 

[skipperbrown]

I have replaced 2 powersteering hoses and the 'loop' hose that plugs into the loader. I have 350 hrs on my machine. I can say that the hoses looked great until they failed. I think the only preventive maint is to 'fix em when their broke'.

I bought 2 of the hoses at rubber specialists companies and their quality *seems* to be better than the hoses from the dealer and the prices were somewhat better too.

The first PS hose took about 3 hrs to repair but the 2nd one I did in about an hour due to learning curve. I bet the hourly charge is based on 'shop time manual' vs. actual time.

Since hose repair seems to be something we will all face and repair doesn't require any special tools, I recommend DIY.

 

[Dusty]

......... apparently the lines went from no wear/damage to rupture in the last 8 hours of use.

Something stinks.

Hoses on tractors are like the arteries of your body. They both carry fluid from one system to another. Like those that are in your body, you never know when one is going to fail just by looking at it. If one bursts on your tractor, you have some spilled oil and a repair bill to pay. If one bursts in your head, you have had a stroke and no amount of money is going to repair it quickly. I suggest that you don't get too excited over the inspection expense not seeing the possible failure and just be thankful that you got your tractor back together without any additional damage. If you think the bill is too high, then talk to the dealership owner and ask why. Generally speaking, most of the expense can be justified when you take the time to dissect it. The dealer is there to service you as a customer and to also make a profit. They might charge $75 per hour of labor, but that $75 pays the mechanic, the cost of rent, insurance, lighting, heating, etc. It isn't easy to be in business today with all the expenses that occur. If the surgeon that replaces the arteries in your heart during a bypass operation charged $75 per hour, our health insurance costs would go way down. In life, everything has a cost, and we just have no choice but to either pay it or do it ourselves. Anyone care to sign up for my Do It Yourself open heart surgery classess???? Classes start on Monday.

 

[67Jeepster]

I agree with Dusty that the cost is probably justified. I just wish Kubota could put repair insurance in our monthly payments, so I could pay a $5.00 co-pay for maintenance repair. Learn as much about your BX as you can, prepare to get greasy, and DIY when possible.

 

[Little_Grizzly]

This might be a little off topic buuuutttt....

Is it possible to by a tool to make these hoses yourself? I not only thinking about saving money but for me, the tractor will be pretty far from civilization. To save down time it might make sense to be able to keep the raw materials on-hand in the event of a failure.

Just curious

 

[CurlyDave]

About 25 years ago I bought a hydraulic hose crimper for a project at work. An electric crimper was about $2k back then.

 

[bx23barry]

Here's a kool little crimper.

'http://www.ntxtools.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=01&Product_Code=MTC-71500&OVRAW=Hydraulic%20Hose%20Crimper&OVKEY=hydraulic%20hose%20crimper&OVMTC=standard

But it would take a while of making hoses to pay for it.