Jerky LSeries 3pt Hitch Fixed

[johnk]

Made up a new video showing the rear blade on the hitch. Added 100lbs just to be closer in weight to the above video with the rear blade. Works same without the extra weight.

‪L3700SU Hitch After Dealer Repair Showing Rear Scraper Blade Performance‬‏ - YouTube

That baby is as smooooooth as my Grand L..........

 

[k0ua]

Recieved the call back today from my dealer, After he had spoken to the Kubota rep. As Gomer Pyle would have said "suprise, suprise, suprise" Guess what? Kubota is not going to do anything about my Jerky hitch. Mentioned was the fact I have the latest valve already, and the only problem they know about is the suction hose leaking air. The dealer wont do anything on his own: "my hands are tied", " all 4 of my mechanics say the only thing they know of is the suction hose..blah, blah blah" Did you look at the videos? "no I didn't have time" Did you call he number I provided you of the other dealer "no" Are we done? "well I will send you a suction hose" Ok send it. I didn't question him any further as it wasn't going anywhere, and I was already late for a conference call.

Let me tell you, it is one thing to see on here others recount thier disapointment and bitterness about this issue, but when you have that bad taste in your own mouth, well it kinda comes home.

Well guys, I will be following this thread with interest, thanks for listening to me rant..:thumbsup:

James K0UA

 

[InThePines]

Could you by any chance show a video of yours? How much does it jump? I don't feel that mine is all that jumpy after the adjustment.

I will try to do a video this weekend. I have a landscape rake on it now and as it extends pretty far back the jump seems worse than the box blade. Yours is definitely an improvement. When I first bought my tractor last year, I call Kubota about it and a Kubota service rep called me back. I did not have the technical knowledge to ask the right questions but basically came away with these two points. 1) adjust the lift control lever to make sure it is not too stiff, using the jam nut and 2) the flow of the oil moving thru the value suddenly stopping creates something similar to water hammer (plumbing) and since the value does not have a dampener 'feathering feature' like a better value would (GrandL), I get that effect.

I am not sure how reasonable that answer is or how fully I understood it, but just a note to add to the mix but not a very reliable one.

 

[Harvest Moon]

Thing that gets me, if money wasn't an option... If the warrantee was out the door and you just want it fixed, they still won't help.

Kubota does't want to admit there is a problem, the hitch works exactly as they want it to. There's been 5 or 6 valve upgrades and jokergerm's video proves that it can be fixed. I think they slipped up with his, how convenient his mechanic is missing. I wonder if we should contact the authorities?

I was hoping to see some people come forward with smooth hitches so we'd know the jerky ones are the odd ones -- but not one. Only Messick's testimony that he can't duplicate the problem.

Sooner or later, we'll figure it out. They can't stop us!

 

[rScotty]

Sooner or later, we'll figure it out. They can't stop us!

That's right. We know that three point hitch operation can be very smooth....after all, most of them are and always have been.

And while they can't stop us from figuring out how to fix it; it is beginning to look to me like we will have to figure it out on our own without much input from the company. That's odd, because if we have to do it that way then the company can only look bad by comparison. Whereas if they were to step up and try to help they could only look good. These things are true whether or not we are even able to fix the problem! That seems to me to be so simple that it would be self-evident to any company, but from my experience it doesn't seem common at all. For example, I wonder if they have someone who follows these threads. You'd think so.....

I can remember back 60 years ago it wasn't unusual for a new machine of any kind not to work so well without first needing some personal reworking by the owner. A typical car needed spares replaced and adjustment made throughout its life, and then at 100K it was pretty much worn out. It was rebuildable of course.....but then that was because it had to be.

Then in my middle years it seemed that most every mechanical thing we bought seemed to work very well right out of the box. And they lasted longer too. That was nice. And most things are still like that.

Perhaps the cycle is beginning to repeating itself. If so, it's not a problem for us old tractor guys; after all, we still remember how to fix stuff. For the person just learning which end of the wrench to hammer a nail with, I can say that attitude is as important as the technical part skill. Both are learnable skills. Fixing a mechanical gizmo is like a crossword puzzle: fun to figure out and varies between enjoyment and work.
rScotty

 

[BandDcabinet]

I love a good puzzle. It's impossible to put it down until you solve it. Maybe latest valve but is it setup/adjusted properly. Persistence and patience.

I've checked my feedback arm. No apparent binding or loose parts.

 

[Chef Pa]

I think it would be interesting to know how many people looking for tractors have taken the L off their list due to this.

Other than this problem the L fits what I'm looking for, but I don't see any reason to consider since there are some other pretty good options out there. I've started looking a lot harder at the Kioti DK's (most likely a DK40) and haven't done any comparison pricing/test drives yet, but it looks like a pretty decent piece of equipment too.

Wish you all well in getting this solved. Hope it turns out to be a relatively easy and inexpensive fix.

 

[BlacknTan]

To be honest, after all this time cussin' and discussin' this issue, I'm very surprised that Kubota continues to bury their head in the sand.
And then, they introduce the L-3800, an otherwise nice tractor, and the same problem exists.

I don't own an L series, but all the folks here with jerky # pt hitches cannot be isolated cases. I can see a few misadjusted valves getting through QC, if it just a case of adjustment, but it just seems much more than that.

I would have traded up to an L, but I don't need cruise control, tilt wheels and all the other bells and whistles of the Grand L's... Nothing wrong with it, but I'm a minimalist in all things... Give me everything I need, and nothing I don't.
So, instead of trading up to an L-3800, I'll stand pat with my B-7800 until Kubota sees fit to resolve this issue... which honestly shouldn't take all that much in money or engineering!

 

[Chilly807]

To be honest, after all this time cussin' and discussin' this issue, I'm very surprised that Kubota continues to bury their head in the sand.
And then, they introduce the L-3800, an otherwise nice tractor, and the same problem exists.

I don't own an L series, but all the folks here with jerky # pt hitches cannot be isolated cases. I can see a few misadjusted valves getting through QC, if it just a case of adjustment, but it just seems much more than that.

I would have traded up to an L, but I don't need cruise control, tilt wheels and all the other bells and whistles of the Grand L's... Nothing wrong with it, but I'm a minimalist in all things... Give me everything I need, and nothing I don't.
So, instead of trading up to an L-3800, I'll stand pat with my B-7800 until Kubota sees fit to resolve this issue... which honestly shouldn't take all that much in money or engineering!

Frankly, the problem here really isn't the tractor, it's the corporate attitude at Kubota Canada and Kubota USA. Many tractors have "issues" or problems that have cropped up that impair their usefulness to their owners.

Usually the company at least makes an effort to correct the problem when it occurs. In this case, as you so aptly put it, Kubota has their head in the sand and refuses to listen to their customers. It's a classic case of "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on ME".

Well, I've been fooled once.

The few tractors that have been fixed/adjusted as the case may be, have been done at the initiative and expense of the local dealers who are trying to keep a customer or complete a sale.

As much as I like the L3400 (3 point aside, of course), if I'd known before I bought it that I'd have this to deal with, I'd have a Deere or New Holland.

If there WAS no fix possible, that's one thing. Since there obviously is, the "that's just the way they are, thanks for buying one" attitude infuriates me, as it obviously has other members here.

My dealer has done everything they could other than digging into it at their expense (I'm still under warranty). In fact, they've gone beyond what many others have to try and find a solution. The problem is really the lack of support from Kubota Canada (and Kubota USA) to provide a way ahead for the dealers who are trying to keep a customer coming back. The customer remains isolated from the corporate entity, and is forced to deal solely with the local dealer. In my experience, most companies have a "chain" to follow if the customer has a problem that can't be resolved at the dealer level. Kubota apparently isn't one of them.

Sean

 

[WayneJessie]

Has anyone given any thought to the fact that maybe this "valve" is not the problem? My B-Series exibitted the exact same issue with the hitch being "jerky". The problem was/is the way the hydraulic lines were routed from the factory. Kubota has "quietly" come up with a kit that re-routes the return line coming off the steering box. Fluid cavitation causes the "jerky" lift operation so by re-routing the return line they corrected the issue 100%. Kubota helped me with the repair even though mine was way out of warranty. I know the B and the L are two different tractors but the symptoms are exactly the same. Perhaps the tractor that was fixed had an unapproved fix that had nothing to do with a valve so the dealer would rather remain silent. I think the story of the valve being out of adjustment or out is tolerance is a cover to keep the customer happy and the dealer out of trouble for doing an unapproved fix.