l3830, tc40da, 1533massey

[_RaT_]

I don't know if this is any consolation, but I have yet to ever bring one of my Kubotas back to the dealer. That includes a L4850, a L48 and my current one, a L3830 HST. Others have mentioned the same. It does mean changing your own oil(s) and other very easy maintainence. Of course I realize there always is a chance of a problem you cannot handle popping up. 80 miles out here is a short drive. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Bob_Young]

A personal friend, who also once owned the local NH - Kubota dealership, liked Kubotas best because they made the most money for him. The reason was that, once they went out the door, they never came back for warranty service. Warranty costs on other equipment detracted significantly from his profits; not so with Kubota.

This leads me to believe that, with a Kubota, dealer support isn't the issue it is with other makes. But then, as an owner, I believe in simple tractors. A Grand L with HST isn't really a simple tractor.

BTW, he and each of his sons have Kubotas.

FWIW
Bob (once a Blue and/or Green True Believer who has since converted to Orange)

 

[JerryG]

Sounds like something for the JD advertising dept. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The reason was that, once they went out the door, they never came back for warranty service. Warranty costs on other equipment detracted significantly from his profits; not so with Kubota. )</font>
This statement doesn't ring true to me as the dealer does not pay the warranty costs, the MFG does. John

 

[_RaT_]

My local JD/Kubota dealer while not out of money to do the repairs, was fininding particular models of various brands always clogging up his small shop competing with new builds as well as any custom features a new customer might want. The problem is many warranty issues also involve a great deal of manpower, time in the shop for tear down, assessment, waiting for parts, and reassembly. Not unusual to have a new clutch job or engine rebuild take 3 or 4 days or more in the shop taking up real estate. He would not even carry certain problem prone models, warranty paid for by the manufactuer or not.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

_RaT_ wrote: <font color="red"> He would not even carry certain problem prone models, warranty paid for by the manufactuer or not. </font>

similarly, Bob Young wrote: <font color="red"> Warranty costs on other equipment detracted significantly from his profits; not so with Kubota.
</font>

I was talking with my Kubota/Cub/Case dealer yesterday afternoon about an implement and the converstation turned to tractors. He very rarely stocks any of the Cub Cadets larger than the 5000 series and really pushes the Kubotas. I asked why, he said essentially the same thing you said. The larger Cubs have more warrenty issues, and while he is paid for those, bringing new tractors back into the shop creates hard feelings with new buyers, clogs up the shop floor with tractors that are too new to need work, but are still broken, and so he doesn't want to sell something that he feels his customer will be needing to return. He said the Kubota quality is so high that they virtually don't need service beyond routine maintenence.

In the garden tractors, he does stock a lot of the smaller Cub Cadets and said the 2000 & 3000 series are very good machines.