Power Steering Problem Not Solved

Anonymous Poster · Sep 7, 2001

I would too. :~>

toddler · Sep 7, 2001

I would three! I've been waiting for this thread to resurface.
Todd

ronjhall · Sep 7, 2001

Peter
I still don't know what the problem or fix is. Terence Criss ( Kubota Customer Satisfaction Manger) has been the fellow that is collecting information on this problem. He has talked to Kubota Field Reps. to collect their inspection results and ideas. I plan on taking some vacation days when my tractor is picked up for the repairs. They plan on spending more than one day to check it out. Dealer thinks they will be bringing it back to use it on my property. They do not have enough area to cut to get same results as I get here. Looks like Kubota is going to cut my grass for me again./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
When I find out what the answers to yours and others questions are. I will post them here.

I have one of those special dealers. He has tried everything to get answers. He finally recommended that I call Terence. So far things have started to move since his involvement

During one of our conversations I asked Terence if he knew about TBN. He said yes but did not offer whether he read any of the post.

ronjhall · Sep 26, 2001

Peter
High techie, recently founded a startup company and struggling for tractor time. 
Congratulation on your new venture and the best luck.

Update on power steering problem
After a very frustrating week dealing with Kubota./w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif Things are looking much better today. I met with my dealer, northern service manager, and one of the field service representatives./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
They met with me to reassure me that my tractor will be fixed. What the fix will be is not known at this time.
They are going to change oil and filters for now. They plan on testing oil and filters that are removed to see if there is a problem with them.
There is a 4-man team in California that has a tractor with power steering problem. They are running test to see what is causing problem./w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif There are others in Japan also looking at problem.
I'll just have to be as patient as I can be until they solve problem./w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif
The best out come from today is that I now have one person to talk to for solving this problem./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Now if the sun would shine in Michigan for a couple of hours things would look even brighter./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
I'll report back when I have more information.

hayden · Sep 26, 2001

THanks. Some how when I changed my profile the text also found it's way into a post I did on another forum. It makes for an interesting out-of-context comment in the post. Oh well.

It's reassuring to know kubota is taking this seriously and understands and cares that there is a problem.

High techie, reciently founded a startup company and struggling for tractor time.

ronjhall · Oct 2, 2001

Peter
Dealer returned my tractor last Friday. It had been there since Monday. After me getting very upset with Kubota./w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif Field Rep. and his manager came up from Columbus to go over my concerns with power steering. After they assured me that Kubota was going to take care of my concerns they started work on my tractor. Both hydraulic filters were changed. Super UDT was put back in transmission. Filters and some oil were saved and sent to Columbus to evaluate if there was a problem. Field Rep. operated tractor for some time to get everything hot. He still did not feel that steering was right. He removed the hydraulic filter. Blocked off some of the holes that let oil into filter from transmission case. Went out and used tractor some more. He felt that it was running much better.
I used tractor with MMM and Rotary Cutter for over 5 hour this last weekend. Everything hydraulic is working better than when it was new. FEL works smooth with no jerkiness. FEL will raise front wheels off ground at idle. HST runs much smoother. Power steering never gave a problem.
Is this the answer? Nobody knows. Oil was changed last year at this time. I did not have problems until June on a day when temperature was in the 80's. I will not know until next summer. Kubota is still working on a tractor in California. The one thing that puzzles me about this problem is if my tractor with the hydraulic filter on right side of tractor can be fixed this way. How would a tractor like AlanL's be repaired with a suction line strainer?
There seems to be some different opinions on the correct oil to use in transmission. But the most consistent message is use Super UDT. It was develop to be used in HST and Glide shifts.
I will continue updates to this tread as more information filters down from Kubota.
For know I'm very happy with the way my tractor is running./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

hayden · Oct 3, 2001

Great to hear it's working better, but the apparant solution makes the problem even more of a mystery. I would have predicted that restricting the oil intake by blocking off holes would have aggravated the problem, not made it better.

We'll stay tuned.

Peter

High techie, reciently founded a startup company and struggling for tractor time.

warrenfarm · Mar 31, 2011

bsauter said:
Hi Alan, I am really sorry to see you are still having problems. If you recall I bought a 2910 last August and it was doing the same thing except I didn't have to run it very long before it acted up. Maybe a half hour and in middle range. My dealer could not duplicate it because they didn't have the manpower to spend driving the tractor for a while to make it act up. I did not want to mess with it since I had a similar problem on my old B2150 after 700 hours. But that was just old age and lots of hard use.

After putting 25 hours on the 2910 I went to the dealer one day and complained (nicely) that I was unhappy about (A) the steering, Kubotas problem. and (B) I just wasn't comfortable driving it after awhile, my problem.

My dealer called the VP for North America and that guy said to make me happy. They took back the 2910 (!!) and I got a L3010HST instead and have been very, very happy ever since. I thought I was going to get the shaft but Kubota was very responsive!! I was seriously thinking of trading for a NH or Deere but really liked the L series and glad I did what I did. A very good friend of mine has a Deere 4300 and has many problems and that scared me too. There are many satisfied and complaint free owners of 29 and 2710's here so you and I and a couple others must have been the exception.

I would say to push Kubota corporate and your dealer harder. I don't know, maybe my dealer has a great relationship with the VP or called in a favor to get the service I did.

I certainly wouldn't blame you for jumping ship though, my heart starting pounding when I read your post and thought about the frustration you must have right now. I would be totally PO'ed too!! Even if they didn't take my 2910 back I would have traded mine for green or blue and taken the big hit on a 25 hour old tractor which was about $2500 but it would have been worth it to not have the frustration.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Brad, Kubota L3010HST, loader, R4 tires
Pictures at photopoint.com - Photo point Resources and Information. This website is for sale!

Sure wish I had a dealer that was worthy of the title. NEVER again. Took my tractor in for a two week fix and they had it 5 months and never addressed the steering issue....just the primary reason that it went in. Yes.....% MONTHS!!!!!!!!!