lwm
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2009
- Messages
- 73
- Location
- Los Gatos, CA
- Tractor
- Kubota B21 TLB, 3 spool T&T, 6 foot blade, box scraper, post hole digger. Kubota M59 TLB, EA 8 foot scraper, 8 foot Gannon box scraper, WR Long OBG 1. Kubota KX161-3S Excavator, 12, 16, 24" buckets, 30" flail, hydraulic thumb. Very tole
Hi folks,
Long time no talk, been working.
I was ditching our road (yeah the county should do it but they don't) and when I do that I put the flashers on and the front and rear work light so I'm less likely to get hit.
After about 2-3 hours of work the machine shut off. I had the console working but no starter.
I went and got tools and diagnosed it, the ignition switch more or less melted and the leg that goes to the starter didn't have power. So I hot wired it and finished the work.
The next day I ripped stuff apart to figure it out. I have one of those Klein meters that is a clamp on that measures amperage, both DC and AC (neat tool for $100) and
found that when you are running the work lights you are running ~21AMPS through the switch. WTF Kubota? Neither the wiring nor the switch can handle that load, the
wires are way too small for that (and they got hot). The proper way to do that would be run the power to a relay and have that run the power to the lights over heavier wire.
I'm really surprised at Kubota on this one. They are more expensive precisely because they don't cheap out but they did in this case. My guess is they thought that nobody
would run both the front and back lights at the same time. It's weird, my B21 has front and back lights and I run them both without a problem.
I looked into a Kubota replacement switch and bridled at the price. Got a marine all weather switch for $35, had to enlarge the whole a bit but it works.
Replaced the stock lights with these: Amazon.com: Nilight Led Light Bar 2PCS 18w 4" Flood Driving Fog Light Off Road Lights Boat Lights driving lights Led Work Light SUV Jeep Lamp,2 years Warranty: Automotive
which are 18 watts instead of 60 watts. Brighter and less power!
Anyone else seen this?
And does anyone know where to get the 50amp fuse that they use on that machine? It blew when the switch fried, I happened to have a similar fuse that I
redneck jerry-rigged in there but I'd like to get the proper one back.
Long time no talk, been working.
I was ditching our road (yeah the county should do it but they don't) and when I do that I put the flashers on and the front and rear work light so I'm less likely to get hit.
After about 2-3 hours of work the machine shut off. I had the console working but no starter.
I went and got tools and diagnosed it, the ignition switch more or less melted and the leg that goes to the starter didn't have power. So I hot wired it and finished the work.
The next day I ripped stuff apart to figure it out. I have one of those Klein meters that is a clamp on that measures amperage, both DC and AC (neat tool for $100) and
found that when you are running the work lights you are running ~21AMPS through the switch. WTF Kubota? Neither the wiring nor the switch can handle that load, the
wires are way too small for that (and they got hot). The proper way to do that would be run the power to a relay and have that run the power to the lights over heavier wire.
I'm really surprised at Kubota on this one. They are more expensive precisely because they don't cheap out but they did in this case. My guess is they thought that nobody
would run both the front and back lights at the same time. It's weird, my B21 has front and back lights and I run them both without a problem.
I looked into a Kubota replacement switch and bridled at the price. Got a marine all weather switch for $35, had to enlarge the whole a bit but it works.
Replaced the stock lights with these: Amazon.com: Nilight Led Light Bar 2PCS 18w 4" Flood Driving Fog Light Off Road Lights Boat Lights driving lights Led Work Light SUV Jeep Lamp,2 years Warranty: Automotive
which are 18 watts instead of 60 watts. Brighter and less power!
Anyone else seen this?
And does anyone know where to get the 50amp fuse that they use on that machine? It blew when the switch fried, I happened to have a similar fuse that I
redneck jerry-rigged in there but I'd like to get the proper one back.