Kubota Tractors Easy to Work on?

[Suburban Plowboy]

I guess I'm going to start a fight, but I'm curious: are Kubota diesel garden tractors a pain to work on?

I have a John Deere 430. Today I learned that in order to change an alternator belt, I have to remove the driveshaft. The "quick release" mower deck is basically a device designed to herniate disks; the design is really bad. The hydraulic cylinder seals can't be replaced, and replacing a rear cylinder is a nightmare. Taking the pan off to get at things is supposed to take 5 minutes, but it's more like 30.

I don't even want to talk about John Deere part prices. Maybe I'm cheap, but I am not happy about them.

I'm wondering if I should dump this thing and go with Kubota or some other brand that won't require a team of mechanics every time it hiccups.

 

[arto98607]

Looks like you came here to talk about problems with your John Deere!

I have two of them, one is 44 year old and the other 60 years old and so far I have not had any problems getting parts immediately off the shelve.


My Kubota will be 44 years old in 2040 and I doubt it will still be around or parts be available...

 

[Gary Fowler]

Are Kubotas easy to work on? Let me tell you about replacing the PTO control cable. It looks pretty easy till you try to get to the point where it attaches to the transmission. You have to remove the floor plate, then remove the top cover that is in front of the seat, then the seat to get to the top connection point. I would venture a guess of about 5 hours labor to do the work in a shop.
I really dont like the spring loaded shifter that is supposed to kick the PTO out of gear. The cable only pulls to put it in gear and relies on the spring to take the transmission out of gear. MY neighbor lady doesn't use hers enough to keep it limber therefore the shifter is too stiff for the spring to work properly. She had a mechanic working on it for about a half day getting all the pieces removed so he could get to it to free it up.

 

[mikester]

All machines have their quirks and you can’t generalize part accessibility on a manufacturer name only. My experience with part pricing has been that Kubota parts are cheaper than equivalent New Holland parts.

 

[dieselcrawler]

About 5 years ago, I did some extensive repairs to a 1986 model Kubota L2850, and was impressed with the parts and information available thru Messick's. I found the machine as easy to work on as any other, every make and model will have some quirks of their own. I don't know how this would relate to a much newer machine, a mid-80's tractor of any brand will be much more simple by today's standards.

 

[4570Man]

Anything is a pain to work on but from my experience JD and Ford is exceptionally bad.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

Looks like you came here to talk about problems with your John Deere!

Yes; I had a rough couple of days with it. Filthy work, terrible heat and humidity, and a tractor that was made to be worked on at dealerships, not in backyards. I was a wee bit testy yesterday.

Are Kubotas easy to work on? Let me tell you about replacing the PTO control cable...

I feel your pain, believe me. I have an L3710 that hasn't had any real problems yet. Hope that continues.

I guess I really need information on Kubota lawn machines and/or their smallest tractors, not just Kubotas in general. Seems like there aren't many diesel garden tractor brands.

Are the parts as expensive as John Deere?

Anything is a pain to work on but from my experience JD and Ford is exceptionally bad.

That's good information to have.

 

[/pine]

This thread exposes the difference between trained (oem specific) technicians and shade tree amateur DIY mechanics...
Just buying a service manual and maybe some specialty tools is not the same thing even if one is typically good with a wrench...

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

I am definitely not a mechanic. That being said, some manufacturers make products that aren't hard to work on, and others make products that are generally easier to work on. Maybe there are no tractors that are easy to work on.

It would be nice if my tractor was built so a moderately handy person could take care of most small repairs.

The mower deck was designed to be removed by end users, so if removing it is an unpleasant job that can only be performed by a strong male, something is wrong with the product. A belly mower shouldn't be hard to remove. Blades have to be sharpened regularly, the gears have to be lubed, and the bearings have to be greased.

I wonder how hard it is to remove a Kubota 54" deck for maintenance.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Much of it is about Marketing and curb appeal. They don't care if it makes working on the thing a PITA. It's a machine, but disquise it in plastic panels. Make sure they have cup holders though!