Is this acceptable quality on a brand new Kubota?

[rdsaustintx]

I really had no intentions of making a big deal out of this, unfortunately it has become one on this site.

Now come on big fella. This topic is just so much more interesting than snowblowers or MMM bushings. This started as you being a victim of Kubota or your dealer. Now you're our victim too? Needle on the old crackpot meter just keeps swinging.

You benefited from the criticism (the listed complaints were a mixture of chicken salad and chicken****). You learned the loader may be a material issue.

You have received ideas ranging from "pound the snot out of it" to "rework until pretty" to "park it and call the FBI".

You have received a hundred opinions of the loader welds (they look shoddy, esp. with oblique lighting).

It was a nice, general OP on an active board. It's odd to complain about replies.

Why isn't this resolved by now? A dealer should be able to respond to this in a day or two.

 

[IH3444]

Thanks for reminding me why I bought a New Holland. Those weld pictures should be embarassing to Kubota, and just having them posted should have already had the Kubota regional rep on the phone to you to swap out that machine.....and begging you ask the moderators to remove those weld pictures from the web. What in the world is going on at Kubota to allow such a mess to pass inspection. Glad I bought blue. Those welds are just plain horrible.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Thanks for reminding me why I bought a New Holland. Those weld pictures should be embarassing to Kubota, and just having them posted should have already had the Kubota regional rep on the phone to you to swap out that machine.....and begging you ask the moderators to remove those weld pictures from the web. What in the world is going on at Kubota to allow such a mess to pass inspection. Glad I bought blue. Those welds are just plain horrible.

I wouldn't blame Kubota too bad on this. Yes, these welds look terrible and it doesn't look good but Kubota does make a lot of great machines also. New Holland doesn't make their own loaders so ultimately it is whoever currently is making them (I think Alo) that should get the credit. The welds on the Kubota tractor are not in question, only the loader and I wonder if Kubota makes their own loaders or if they have a private company build them also.

 

[IH3444]

Agreed Robert, but Kubota has to know what is going on here, this I'm sure isn't one loader out of 10,000. I'm sure many were welded this way, and the dealers have to almost accept what Kubota has sent, no matter who is welding it up. In my opinon, it's a reflection on Kubota. The dealer should have already handled as a previous poster said, and never installed it, notified Kubota about the unacceptable workmanship, and had another sent, inspected, and installed if it looked good. There are no bad teams, just bad team leaders...... Kubota has really dropped the ball on this one, along with the dealer.

 

[Fendbass22]

I am not putting anyone down here that thinks the welds are a problem but... I wouldn't even notice. I really don't think so. They are thick beads and you can tell they had heat so it is strong. Maybe I don't understand cause I bought mine used with 500hrs on it.

Other than that - nice workhorse!

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Thanks for reminding me why I bought a New Holland.
So the Kubotas that you looked at before buying blue had these same horrible welds and you paid $2000 more for a comparable tractor with pretty welds? Blue was $2000 more than Kubota and Green was $3000 more for me and I believe they are the same for most people around the country.

 

[Evil the Weasel]

Um. This is getting so off-topic. How did this go from a rare instance of poor weld quality on a Kubota Loader to a green vs blue vs orange debate? I'm sure NH and Deere have their own share of quality control problems.

 

[Heywood Jannockitov]

Forget about the ugliness of the weld beads, they could also be hazardous to your health. You might get some nasty abrasions if you weren't too careful while you are wiping it down after a wash and wax. You'll chew up a lot of sponges and chamois on those welds too!
Maybe that particular loader boom was a pre-production prototype that somehow got thrown in with the good stuff instead of being scrapped. In any event, it should not have ended up on your tractor. I'd play the cuts/abrasion hazard angle as well if you send a letter to Kubogus.

 

[weldingshop]

has the guy that started this thread ever built anything? stuff happens. appollo 13 had some problems, if it works or get you home don't worry about the wax&shine.

 

[Mustangous]

has the guy that started this thread ever built anything? stuff happens. appollo 13 had some problems, if it works or get you home don't worry about the wax&shine.

Then your the guy that should of ended up with a loader like that, not the op. He cares about aesthetics, you dont. Your screen name says welding shop, hope your not a welder and would also accept these welds with a post like that.