Kubota's reply to FEL Safety Latch Pin Mod.

[ovrszd]

I walked around my tractor with a note pad. I've done 16 modifications that would leave a mark if reversed or removed. Wonder how many of them Kubota wouldn't "condone" or "support" in a Warranty situation???

 

[Express]

They are just really Pssed off they did think of it. Great idea and thank you for the information. I will use this on my L4600

 

[dragoneggs]

I walked around my tractor with a note pad. I've done 16 modifications that would leave a mark if reversed or removed. Wonder how many of them Kubota wouldn't "condone" or "support" in a Warranty situation???

NONE!

 

[dragoneggs]

True that!!!!

I wonder if this is the normal response for any kind of modification.

Like we talked about the other day,,, if Kubota starts offering some sort of latch on that pin I'm calling them Little Cheaters!!!

Now watch another tractor company go w/idea.

Now that the idea is in the public domain, and unless you already protected your idea, unfortunately it's fair game. The reality is that most mods are not patentable unless you can so some unique design, process, etc. that is completely new. For that you get to play with patent attorneys and searches that will likely cost you some money. The search isn't too bad, but the patent application write up these days is expensive. Go search on patents and read them... they are crazy.

 

[k0ua]

NONE!

Agreed.. well Richard, at least you got an answer, even if it came out of a "can" "yep that is a great modification, and even "cleaver", but heck no we don't condone any modifications of our equipment"... boy howdy!

 

[David_Kb7uns]

Well Kubota changed the design, instead of a pin holder and a keeper plate, they combined the two and had to move the plate farther from the pin center making the keeper bar move a fraction of the previous travel to slip out.

It is bad when the owner must reengineer a KUBOTA SCREWUP

Have my own KUBOTA SCREWUP on my L3130 where they sent tractors out the door with no lubrication method for the hydraulic pump drive gear.

David Kb7uns

 

[aczlan]

They didn't give me the time of day..... I really didn't expect much. What concerns me is this. Let's say now I have an FEL failure that should be covered under warranty. What happens when Kubota finds my latch modification???

Per the Magnum Moss Warranty Act, they have to cover it unless they can show that your modification caused the problem.

Aaron Z

 

[ovrszd]

This has been more amusing than anything else to me. I had no illusions of grandeur. I don't own the spring idea. I actually only thought of it after reading you guy's posts about your ideas of what was needed to hold the pin in place. I only contacted Kubota to raise their awareness that there might be a problem that needed addressed. On one of the threads someone posted a picture of their system, can't remember the brand, where the keeper plate was very close to the large pin, requiring the small pin to jump upward at least 3 inches to come unlatched. I think that's what David is referring to above. We've had a great time discussing this situation and offering up several fixes to the problem. It's all good. If Kubota does nothing, it's their loss, we're good here!!! :thumbsup:

 

[TripleR]

Richard, you got a lot of people thinking and if not using your idea, using something else or deciding their use does not necessitate any modification. Lots of different ways to use these machines and if you are not in brush, woods etc. chances of ever having problems with the OEM system is negligible; same with your skid protectors. Those of us who use our machines in certain environments, either make modifications like on your skid plate, my limb guards and those of many, many others or accept additional monitoring will be needed and some damage is all but inevitable.

Bxpanded and Bro Tek have made a lot of money providing "fixes" to the BX design that Kubota still doesn't accept as a "problem".

We have already made the modification on the 5740 and before we do much work this spring will also make it on the 8540; thanks for your great idea.

 

[Zebrafive]

Obviously attorney fed not engineer fed. CYA all the way.

Looks like your letter never made it past the Lawyers. SAD