I got a call Thursday from my dealer saying my tractor was ready to be picked up. I went up Friday morning and picked it up. I sat down and talked with the service manager. My first question was what caused the PTO to go out. He said that the cable that engages the PTO was out of adjustment and that the two cams that engage the PTO was not engaging all the way and that they were both rounded off. These cams are engaged by a spring that puts tension on one of the cam plates.
My nexted question was why did it take 5 weeks to repair? He said that the spring that engages the PTO that they ordered along with the two new cam plates was the hold up. It took that long for them to receive it.
From what I seen this design is a poor set up. The PTO is locking into and running the PTO shaft by two cams that look to be about 1/8"X1/8" and locked into place by a spring. That may be OK for running a bush hog or a finish mower, but for using a tiller that has alot more resistance, I just don't see how it can possibly hold up. I guess time will tell. I have about a half acre lot that I have to till up Monday. I hope that the cable is adjusted correct now and stays that way. I wonder what will happen if the cable does stretch over time and gets out of adjustment is this going to happen again? It seems to me that there is alot riding on this cable being in correct adjustment.
I did get a call from Kubota, and was left a message regarding my problems with this tractor but was not left a contact number and have not hear from them since. I'm going to hope for the best with this tractor and give it another chance. I have had three previous Kubotas and they preformed flawlessly, but in my line of work 5 weeks of downtime can put me out of business. If it does happen again I will have to make a change that I thought I would never be making.
