Confusing maintainence..??

[Sully2]

I have a friend thats a "part time" farmer who purchased a new Kubota L5030 last fall. I hauled him to HIS preferred Kubota dealer to get filters' fluid...etc to do some maintainence on it this week.

This guy spent $42,000 on the tractor; a Woods BH and Woods FEL. He did his "50 hr service" at 110 hours ( he says you dont HAVE to change fluids that quickly..??) and did no 100 hr maintainence on it...and no is going to do the 200 hr stuff.

At the 50 hr service ( actually done at 110 hrs) he changed engine oil and filter; both HYD filters and re-filled the Hys system for the amount of fluid he lost changing filters. A full lube job and Oh yes..he washed it..??

He has cussed the price of SUDT for the last 2 months and told me he was going to buy the NH "Ambra" THF instead..? So we get to the dealer and what does he buy?
An oil filter and 2 Hyd filters and 2 1/2 gallons of SUDT because this dealer tells him "as long as its under warranty " ( 3 years on that model) use the SUDT....BUT...until you can see it discolored on the tranny dip stick...You DONT NEED TO CHANGE ALL THE FLUID ( 11.9 gallons)..

So..when he rolls around to 250-300 hrs he will be still running on about 8 gallons fof the origional 11.9 galls of SUDT that came in it.

Is it any wonder owners can get confused when they read their manuals and then hear **** like that??

 

[JerryG]

I bet the dealer has been in business a long time. The reason that I say that is because they are usually the ones that will make such a statement. When everything was straight gear drive, no hydro, no power shuttle, no power shift and the pumps were built different, you could go until the fluid was dirty or milky. They can't seem to realize that it is different now.

 

[Sully2]

I bet the dealer has been in business a long time. The reason that I say that is because they are usually the ones that will make such a statement. When everything was straight gear drive, no hydro, no power shuttle, no power shift and the pumps were built different, you could go until the fluid was dirty or milky. They can't seem to realize that it is different now.

Oh yeah! The son ( late 40's.??) now has it from the father that I think sold AG equipment from the horse drawn days even.

 

[frank_miller]

Looks like another cluless dealer. I did not know anyone can tell a fluids properties based on color. I guess UOA's are over stated.

SUDT is nice and about inline with other fluids. But is is a sealed unit and should stay clean somehwhat. PLus 300 hours, depending on use could be 6 month or 6 years.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

This is why I have always said to go by the book. As a former dealer mechanic, anytime someone had an issue that they thought should be warranty, or a factory defect, or just plain broke down before it should have, we always went back to them with "Have you followed your maintenance procedures as outlined in your service manual?" Of course, they almost never did. They then did not have a leg to stand on.

I am also always amazed that a parts guy or anyone else at a dealer knows more about the equipment than the manufacturer.

 

[Soundguy]

Wow.. that's a lot of $$ tied up into a machine that is going to be abused with bad service.

I know oil is expensive.. but you play.. and you pay... My big fords use more oil, each.. than his orange machine... it's always a nice thing to look forward to.. spring oil change!

Soundguy

I have a friend thats a "part time" farmer who purchased a new Kubota L5030 last fall. I hauled him to HIS preferred Kubota dealer to get filters' fluid...etc to do some maintainence on it this week.

This guy spent $42,000 on the tractor; a Woods BH and Woods FEL. He did his "50 hr service" at 110 hours ( he says you dont HAVE to change fluids that quickly..??) and did no 100 hr maintainence on it...and no is going to do the 200 hr stuff.

At the 50 hr service ( actually done at 110 hrs) he changed engine oil and filter; both HYD filters and re-filled the Hys system for the amount of fluid he lost changing filters. A full lube job and Oh yes..he washed it..??

He has cussed the price of SUDT for the last 2 months and told me he was going to buy the NH "Ambra" THF instead..? So we get to the dealer and what does he buy?
An oil filter and 2 Hyd filters and 2 1/2 gallons of SUDT because this dealer tells him "as long as its under warranty " ( 3 years on that model) use the SUDT....BUT...until you can see it discolored on the tranny dip stick...You DONT NEED TO CHANGE ALL THE FLUID ( 11.9 gallons)..

So..when he rolls around to 250-300 hrs he will be still running on about 8 gallons fof the origional 11.9 galls of SUDT that came in it.

Is it any wonder owners can get confused when they read their manuals and then hear **** like that??

 

[Sully2]

Wow.. that's a lot of $$ tied up into a machine that is going to be abused with bad service.

I know oil is expensive.. but you play.. and you pay... My big fords use more oil, each.. than his orange machine... it's always a nice thing to look forward to.. spring oil change!

Soundguy

Its just like the 2 cloest Kubota dealers I have to myself. One says they ALWAYS use SUDT in their under warranty tractors ( Ive read several times here thats what comes in them from the factory??...which I cant prove because SUDT and UDT are the same color----smart move Kubota!!) The other dealer says NO..and in fact has to special order in SUDT because they dont even stock it???

A 3rd dealer a tad further away...says they always use the stuff from NH when they do a fluid change ( its a multi weight as SUDT is) and 80-90 gear lube in front ends! GEEZE!!!!