Regeneration Mode

[All In A Days Work]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it (the DPF system) won't be a problem. I gotta tell you though I have lost some sleep thinking about it when i was in the middle of the buying process. My wife loves it because she doesn't like the smell of diesel, I kinda like the smell of a good clean running diesel.

To answer Skyhook's question about the machine telling you what to do this is from the manual, readers digest version: Auto Regeneration Mode is automatically turned on when the tractor is started, when there is enough PM built up the regeneration mode starts and the indicator starts flashing. Continue to work as normal if the engine RPM is too low another light starts flashing, just increase the RPM until the light goes out and keep working as normal. But there is more. If you are working in a confined area or in an area not safe for hot exhaust you can turn it off (DPF Inhibit). Now if a enough PM builds up with the DPF Inhibit active another warning comes on and says to move to a safe area and initiate parked regeneration. At that point you got to turn off the PTO stop working set the RPM to idle and push the parked regen button. The RPM will rise and the regen cycle will begin.

I'm not sure how long any of those process take. But that is the jest of it anyway.

 

[prs]

The majority of my work is done at or within 10% of PTO rated speed, so maybe even on a 3350 I would not be bothered by the regeneration. But, then again, some one mentioned having to take the particle collection filter in to a shop for some special cleaning periodically. Really?!

Rooster

 

[skyhook]

Thanks for that, "All In A Days Work", this dpf system sounds way overbearing for me,
at least on our cars with catalytic converters, they don't operate that way, thank god.
For me, this would be a definite factor in buying a tractor.
I can see once the warranty is over, people removing or finding a way to disable this contraption.

 

[Kanook]

The good old days when the only reason you had a battery was to get the thing started and maybe run your head lights.

 

[LwnwmrMan22]

I own a B3350. I also own a Kubota M6040, I've had a Kubota L4330.

We do property maintenance. Mowing, landscaping in the summer, snow removal in the winter.

My B3350 has about 200 hours on it, new in June of '14.

In the summer, there were multiple times we would have to do a parked regen while doing work at townhomes. We received many complaints about leaving the tractor at WOT while doing something else for 20-30 minutes at a time.

The tractor regens about every 10 engine hours. Some of that is operator error, as running diesel equipment / trucks for 20 years, when I get out of the tractor to set a wall or plant bushes, I'm used to leaving the tractor idle. Now I need to shut it down.

We bought the machine to replace a Kubota RTV that we were using for plowing sidewalks for the local school district. About 2 weeks ago we had a snowfall and in the middle of the snow, the tractor needed to do another parked regen. The operator had a horrendous time getting the tractor warm enough to perform the regen.

He finally wedged it against the school, in a corner by the loading dock and blocked the wind off with a truck to get the regen to perform. It was about -10, -25 windchill

I personally used the tractor the following day to plow a firelane around the back of a different school. I had to do 5 parked regens, 2 auto regens and the tractor was still tripping the alarm.

The tractor is currently at the dealer, they have ordered in an entire new regen system. I will try it one more time, and if it doesn't perform, will be contacting Kubota to buy this tractor back. It's not use able in this state.

Yes, it has the software update done, which seems to have made the regens worse.

 

[kcender]

I have to believe the resale value on these DPF tractors will be lower because of this system.Especially if manufactures find another way to meet these emission requirements.Then a lot of people in the future, looking for a used tractor,will avoid these DPF tractors like the plague.This might not be a concern for some people but it would be for me if I was thinking of buying a new tractor.I used to think I would like to have a tractor with DPF but now I would avoid them for sure.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

I own a B3350. I also own a Kubota M6040, I've had a Kubota L4330.

We do property maintenance. Mowing, landscaping in the summer, snow removal in the winter.

My B3350 has about 200 hours on it, new in June of '14.

In the summer, there were multiple times we would have to do a parked regen while doing work at townhomes. We received many complaints about leaving the tractor at WOT while doing something else for 20-30 minutes at a time.

The tractor regens about every 10 engine hours. Some of that is operator error, as running diesel equipment / trucks for 20 years, when I get out of the tractor to set a wall or plant bushes, I'm used to leaving the tractor idle. Now I need to shut it down.

We bought the machine to replace a Kubota RTV that we were using for plowing sidewalks for the local school district. About 2 weeks ago we had a snowfall and in the middle of the snow, the tractor needed to do another parked regen. The operator had a horrendous time getting the tractor warm enough to perform the regen.

He finally wedged it against the school, in a corner by the loading dock and blocked the wind off with a truck to get the regen to perform. It was about -10, -25 windchill

I personally used the tractor the following day to plow a firelane around the back of a different school. I had to do 5 parked regens, 2 auto regens and the tractor was still tripping the alarm.

The tractor is currently at the dealer, they have ordered in an entire new regen system. I will try it one more time, and if it doesn't perform, will be contacting Kubota to buy this tractor back. It's not use able in this state.

Yes, it has the software update done, which seems to have made the regens worse.

That is too bad. After my original reply it was looking like Kubota wasn稚 having any issues. However what you are experiencing is pretty typical at least for the trucking industry anyway. The bottom line is when it wants to run a regen, you best run the regen ignoring it is going to cause issues down the road. (If you do ignore it best remember to come back and run it) Tier IV is just starting to be seen on the commercial side of things (tractors, lawn mowers, gen sets) and the like. It has not been pretty on the truck side. Don稚 be surprised if the dealer just installs a new DPF filter. There is no real cure for not generating enough heat. Equipment in the oil patch North West of you had a real big learning curve when it first came out. I know guys that have gone bankrupt because of it. The small trucking companies are going around the law the bigger companies can稚. I will do my best to explain.
The larger trucking companies because they are bigger targets, cannot delete/remove the emissions system. They are stuck, so they have trucks breaking down left and right, and can稚 meet the loan payments on the new trucks, so under they go. The small mom and pop out fits that has nothing to lose buys the truck removes the dpf and away they go. The larger companies can稚 charge more for their freight to cover the cost, because the little guys are removing the emissions components. So, the larger companies suck it up, even when the new emissions work, it adds cost. The smaller companies that have removed the emissions components are charging less for their freight, so it is keeping the cost for fright down. The delete kits that remove the emissions components work well and it is very hard to tell they have been removed. So, right now the EPA is doing nothing. Also, when they are removed there is a large increase in MPG. Starting to get the picture?
There is no easy way out of this. So, rebuild and keep your older equipment longer, which is raising the price on used equipment. Or you can buy the new equipment and remove the emissions components. AND I AM NOT FOR THIS IN ANYWAY SHAPE OR FORM! You cannot just take the stuff off! I am of the school that I spent all this money for it, it should work. I also think removing all the emissions components is going to come back and bite us.
So goes Europe, so goes California, then the rest of the country, and you Canadians are just screwed. At least we can try and vote ourselves a reprieve. You*e pretty much stuck doing whatever we do. This is the reader digest version so don稚 go quoting me on years and nit picking this apart. Back in 2008 California was going to make everything conform to 2010 emissions regulations. This was accentually going to mean a DPF on everything from Farm tractors to back hoes. The rescission hit and they decided that was not such a good idea. It however is still out there. In Europe they are talking about congestion free zones, where vehicles in that area have to meet certain requirements, and these are imposed by the city and the vehicle or equipment has to have a sticker or be registered. Deere is offering a DPF retrofit program, where they will install a completely independent dpf system. These companies invested a lot of money in this stuff and they do not want to see it go away and between them and the environmental groups they have a lot of lobbying power. There is too much money involved. It might stop where it is at, but I do not see it going away. I actually for see the lager trucking companies pushing the EPA to perform inspections.
The DPF/emissions is what it is, very similar to catalytic convertor when they first came out. The DPF system for the most part works I知 not happy about it anymore then when they put the catalytic convertor on. You have to realize it is there, educate yourself and your operators and figure out how to do what it says. You/we paid for it, I will be dammed if I am going to take it off, then turn around and get fined for it. Hang in there stick with it, there is an ugly learning curve, trucking industry is getting through it, now it is the commercial sides turn, because it is coming to a tractor near you, whether we like it or not. I wish you the best of luck.
Steve

 

[LwnwmrMan22]

Stopped at the dealer to have some discussions.

The reformer failed, so they have installed a new one. We are going to try this out, see what happens. Luckily, we have had a fairly light year for snow. Last year was one of the top 5 heaviest. If this would have been last year, there would be some serious issues.

I'm all about this tractor working. It's the ideal size for what I'm using it for (plowing 5' sidewalks).

I will try to keep this thread updated. There aren't a lot out there right now.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

Dumb question what is a reformer?

 

[LwnwmrMan22]

I'll assume the part that does the regen or tells it how to do the regen.

I'm a landscaper / snowplower. I don't go to Kubota mechanic school.