Kubota L6060 Engine failure

[ericm979]

I hate diesel smoke. I don't understand how anyone could like breathing that stuff, even if it wasn't a known carcinogen. I'm totally ok with whatever it took (not $4k) to get the DOC+DPF on my Branson. The exhaust is so much cleaner than the 90's Kubota I had before. I can let it idle in the barn for the few minutes it takes to swap an implement and not feel like I'm gagging. If I had a choice between a tier 3 and a tier 4 tractor I'd take the 4. Excepting a few models like the Kubota B3300 the tier 4 tractors have been reliable.

Emissions regulations can sometimes be wrong headed, and the technologies manufacturers choose to meet them can sometimes be less reliable than they should be, until the manufacturers get the bugs worked out. But if you look at cars for example, with a much longer history of regulation going back to the late '60s, engines now are much cleaner, are more reliable, and make a lot more power than in the "good old days". It might take tractors a while to get all three of those, but they will.

 

[5030]

Living where you live, your disdain for diesel exhaust is understandable. I don't share your view, nor would I ever live where you do.

What I don't care for is making the end user the first article tester and that is exactly what is transpiring in the tractor market (over 25 horsepower).

Perfect the systems prior to selling them to the general public, not the other way around.

 

[MHarryE]

I hate diesel smoke. I don't understand how anyone could like breathing that stuff, even if it wasn't a known carcinogen. I'm totally ok with whatever it took (not $4k) to get the DOC+DPF on my Branson. The exhaust is so much cleaner than the 90's Kubota I had before. I can let it idle in the barn for the few minutes it takes to swap an implement and not feel like I'm gagging. If I had a choice between a tier 3 and a tier 4 tractor I'd take the 4. Excepting a few models like the Kubota B3300 the tier 4 tractors have been reliable.

Emissions regulations can sometimes be wrong headed, and the technologies manufacturers choose to meet them can sometimes be less reliable than they should be, until the manufacturers get the bugs worked out. But if you look at cars for example, with a much longer history of regulation going back to the late '60s, engines now are much cleaner, are more reliable, and make a lot more power than in the "good old days". It might take tractors a while to get all three of those, but they will.

I’m with you. I live in the wilderness of MN, but we have our iron mines. Kind of sad sitting in hospital waiting rooms listening to miners, mostly one time truck drivers, talk about their lung diseases and lost co-workers. For me, it was my dad. Spring work started with our TD-6 crawler that burned especially dirty. He’d come in at the end of the day covered with diesel soot. Remember him coming home from a doctor appointment and saying the doctor told him he wouldn’t believe dad never smoked because his condition was that of a heavy smoker. He got away from that, changed career and lived to a very old age. Even the crappy diesels of 10+ years ago are better than the pre-60 diesels. And if you aren’t a heavy user, not likely it will hurt you like it has the miners in the open pit mines here breathing exhaust of all the shovels and trucks 8+ hours daily.

 

[Username Taken]

I’m with you. I live in the wilderness of MN, but we have our iron mines. Kind of sad sitting in hospital waiting rooms listening to miners, mostly one time truck drivers, talk about their lung diseases and lost co-workers. For me, it was my dad. Spring work started with our TD-6 crawler that burned especially dirty. He’d come in at the end of the day covered with diesel soot. Remember him coming home from a doctor appointment and saying the doctor told him he wouldn’t believe dad never smoked because his condition was that of a heavy smoker. He got away from that, changed career and lived to a very old age. Even the crappy diesels of 10+ years ago are better than the pre-60 diesels. And if you aren’t a heavy user, not likely it will hurt you like it has the miners in the open pit mines here breathing exhaust of all the shovels and trucks 8+ hours daily.

I lived in Cleveland for several years. I was there when the River caught fire. I worked at Republic Steel for some time. We processed more iron ore/pig iron/steel of all kinds than Pittsburgh ever dreamed of. The City lit up at night like a HellScape....

And let me tell you -- Diesel exhaust had nothing to do with anything. Nothing. Especially from trucks.

 

[5030]

I was born and raised there and I also worked there but at LTV before Accelor Mittal bought them. Good post btw.

 

[Seven Gables]

Any new developments on the 6060 engine? Sorry for your troubles with it but I'm real curious what issue was that caused it.

 

[Rdrcr]

^^^^
Me too.

Mike

 

[JethroB]

If the outcome was favorable to the OP and Kubota stepped up we may never know. I hope that’s the case.

 

[MoKelly]

If the outcome was favorable to the OP and Kubota stepped up we may never know. I hope that’s the case.

I wonder if Kubota would want a favorable decision in this case to be publicized? On the good - it shows they are a standup company. On the bad - requests out of the woodwork.

I don’t have an answer.

MoKelly

 

[MHarryE]

One ahh s##t cancels 100 atta boys, adage learned first thing on job. Director of engineering would send good letters around and you would check off your name (before email). Then the really upset customer would mail the president and believe me, those flowed downhill with notes like “find out what happened and get back to me immediately”. We reached a point where, for example, the person responsible for filling transmission with oil signed off on an empty transmission. Customer was reading combine home from dealer when the transmission seized. Wasn’t some rep visiting the customer. Person from the line was given an airline ticket and told to go out there and apologize. Dealer will accompany you so don’t worry about being alone but admit your error. Talk about good feedback from customer, dealer, and line assembler. That was we had implemented the Japanese quality method - you can’t inspect in quality - you must have your people buy in. Quality sot up, warranty crashed down, and AGCO rose from the ashes of Deutz-Allis.