Dealer Service

MHarryE · Jul 3, 2022

Is there a trick to get a dealer to work on a tractor. My nephew forgot to enable auto regen when his electricity went out. Tractor driving emergency gen for 20 hours, was near 99% at start, was at 160% in the morning, wouldn’t regen, so in a week dealer picked it up. It’s his main feeding tractor and FIP on his old IH backup - replacement can’t be made to run. So my new M5-111 is his chore tractor, except when I need to cut or bale (every day) so it’s in shuttle mode. Meantime blower failed in cab of my M7. It’s buried under the seat and blocked by side panels. I’ve torn it apart, 8 hour job, found problem is wire connector pinched under AC unit. Cab needs to be removed. Dealer hasn’t even responded to my calls. I’ve spent over $500,000 at the dealer since 2013 including 3 tractors between $100k and $200k each . Is this todays service? Every time I run the M7, a warning light come on saying the hydraulic oil is bypassing due to heat - sometimes within 2 minutes of start. Kubota says likely a switch failure, done worry. I worry that it’s been a year and they don’t have time to fix. Also the software is to be updated under warranty but Kubota won’t let them come out to my farm to update - I need to pay $1000 hauling to get it done, but the other problems keep cropping up. Kubota should be proud of my $18 12v fan in my cab as a crutch. Are all dealers getting this was or is my WI dealer an outlier? No promise yet when nephews M111GX gets back - it has 4,200 hours no problem but one slip on his part and he’s screwed.

tacticalturnip · Jul 3, 2022

You have a lot of patience not to be absolutely up their ass.

jaydee325 · Jul 3, 2022

Perhaps contact Kubota corporate customer support center?

888-458-2682

dieselbob69 · Jul 4, 2022

unfortunately that's the way it is nowadays with lack of qualified help and equipment sitting waiting for parts....

MHarryE · Jul 6, 2022

Kubota Customer’s answer is to talk to your dealer rep. They have no personal involvement in my area - it must be at the dealer. I’m embarrassed to think that a year ago I intended to deal with my local Caterpillar dealer who although this branch is mining oriented, also sells the Ziegler ag line - Massey-Ferguson, Challenger, Fendt. Cat has always been super on my lone piece of Cat equipment, an excavator. If I need a part by 5:00 pm one day and not in stock at my branch, it is always on the 7:00 am truck the next morning. And although it might cost, they will have a field mechanic out quickly instead of always into the shop.

Citydude · Jul 6, 2022

MHarryE said:
Is there a trick to get a dealer to work on a tractor. My nephew forgot to enable auto regen when his electricity went out. Tractor driving emergency gen for 20 hours, was near 99% at start, was at 160% in the morning, wouldn’t regen, so in a week dealer picked it up. It’s his main feeding tractor and FIP on his old IH backup - replacement can’t be made to run. So my new M5-111 is his chore tractor, except when I need to cut or bale (every day) so it’s in shuttle mode. Meantime blower failed in cab of my M7. It’s buried under the seat and blocked by side panels. I’ve torn it apart, 8 hour job, found problem is wire connector pinched under AC unit. Cab needs to be removed. Dealer hasn’t even responded to my calls. I’ve spent over $500,000 at the dealer since 2013 including 3 tractors between $100k and $200k each . Is this todays service? Every time I run the M7, a warning light come on saying the hydraulic oil is bypassing due to heat - sometimes within 2 minutes of start. Kubota says likely a switch failure, done worry. I worry that it’s been a year and they don’t have time to fix. Also the software is to be updated under warranty but Kubota won’t let them come out to my farm to update - I need to pay $1000 hauling to get it done, but the other problems keep cropping up. Kubota should be proud of my $18 12v fan in my cab as a crutch. Are all dealers getting this was or is my WI dealer an outlier? No promise yet when nephews M111GX gets back - it has 4,200 hours no problem but one slip on his part and he’s screwed.

If a customer had spent 500K at my business I'd be at their place twisting wrenches myself.

The unreturned phone calls is the absolute worst thing any business can do to a customer. I hope things work out for you.

ultrarunner · Jul 6, 2022

I'm a nobody with only one old CAT dozer but customer service is the best I've found.

First question is always is machine down at job site...

All the other shops really have almost no one on the service side... older guys retired and younger not that many.

What about the old Certified Letter to Dealer copied to Kubota?

rScotty · Jul 6, 2022

THank you for bringing this subject up.

I think we got into this position because we bought so many products which we knew were not designed to be repaired. Even a casual glance would show us that today's dealerships - whether tractors, cars, appliances, tools, or you name it... do not have the facilities, parts, education, personnel, or backing to repair their own products. Nor do they feel a responsibility to do so. There has been a major shift in our manufacturing philosophy.
Manufacturers are now selling goods designed to be replaced rather than repaired.

And knowing all this, we are still voting with our dollars to buy unrepairable produts.
The inescapable conclusion is that we have done this to ourselves - and we continue to do so.

If we continue to mortgage our land to buy newer tools to farm it, then eventually our land will belong to those corporations. A lot of it does now. And we will be working for them. Is that what we want?

It's not too late to change things around, but the later it gets the harder it becomes to make changes.

rScotty

5030 · Jul 6, 2022

Interesting comments. I have zero issues with my dealer but then all his employees are long duration and everyone that works full time there are related to the owner which can be good or can be bad but in their case it works out fine. I work there too, part time however, I'm not related but I've dealt with them for decades and no complaints.

Also interesting comment about the Kubota regional rep. I had a net tail extension issue with my new Kubota BV round baler and the Kubota regional rep came to the farm and reprogrammed the computer for an additional net tail extension. I didn't request that, they (dealer) decided on that course of action.

Kubota is having (and has been having parts delivery issues), I know that, get to see it.

I suspect a lot of dealers are having employment issues over and above that. Pretty much everywhere today.

Good friend is the plant manager of a steel processing outfit in NE Indiana and was talking to him last week and I asked him if the employee issues had improved over the last year, to which he replied NO. he said he cannot keep a full crew in the plant, said it's like a revolving door. No one wants to work and if they do, cannot pass a drug screen and if they do make it and get hired, they last a couple days and never come back and they (company pays a good wage and have excellent benefits.

If you cannot get employees, you are basically screwed and working at any tractor dealership requires some experience from the get go, especially with the new emissions compliant machines. You just cannot hire someone off the street and expect them to be able to repair them. Don't happen that way.

Guess I'm fortunate in that respect as employee turnover at my dealer is basically non-existent. I'm the newbie there but I don't work on machines, all I do is pick up units and deliver them, I drive their roll back truck, have a CDL. Takes that responsibility away from the owner and allows him to be at the dealership selling units.

Don't want to help them work on machines anyway, especially the new ones. Electronics have always intimidated me. Mechanical stuff no issue but electronic stuff, I'll pass every time.

I sure am glad both my units have very limited electronics.

The shop seems to always have one or two in for repair lately.