LA724 loader concern

[amigauser]

I just purchased my Grand L 3240 less than three weeks ago. When I first took delivery it was covered pretty well with ice/snow so I could not give it any type of real inspection. I gave it a once over today and I noticed that there are some waves in the metal of the FEL arms. I don't recall seeing anything like that on my LA403 loader that I had on my old B3030. Is this normal?

I only have about 5 hours on it. The only loader work I have done is floating the bucket on my tar driveway to remove snow. I have never hit anything with it.

Please see attached pictures.

 

[Ace3]

Wow! It is looking like someone in quality control at Kubota is not doing their job. (Sloppy welds, wavy metal) IMHO, that loader should have never been painted much less shipped to the dealer. The dealer should not have installed it on your tractor. I don't know about you, but my tractor was a significant expence and it should be perfect when new.

 

[dodge man]

What's up with Kubota and shipping these things out. The middle picture really shows it well, the picture shows that the metal is warped, it's not just a surface defect. I would want another loader.

 

[Harvest Moon]

Boy, Kubota is really letting some ugly loaders through.

I though the welds were bad but would probably never amount to any performance problems... This, I can't believe this. I'm nearly speechless, I wouldn't accept that loader. I'm not an engineer and I'm not qualified to say this but I call that a structural defect.

What's going on with KUBOTA??

 

[thavil]

I don't think you will get very many negative responses on this issue within the TBN membership. Hopefully your saleman will go to bat for you on this major problem. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

 

[rbargeron]

I don't think this is a production defect - I think it's damage. It's hard to be sure without seeing it in person, but it looks like the tractor ran into something, buckling the loader arms. My bet is it was a hard hit - not the kind of thing a new owner would do, but easier to imagine at the dealer's yard.

The loader arms are the curved design with formed outer channels straddling a reinforcement inside. Instead of a box cross-section, the legs of the outer channel extend down making a space at the bottom for the hydraulic tubing. The fact the free edges of the outer channel are buckled differently below the inside reinforcement indicates the shape change occurred after the arm was welded together. It's hard to imagine it could be buckled this way before being installed on the tractor. And being the "new curved look" I can't imagine Kubota would allow it to pass production inspection. The bad part is they are now yielded and permanently weaker for pushing - you'll always worry about them. Sorry to see this - I hope there's a good solution.

 

[amigauser]

Any other LA724 owners, please look at your loaders and advise. I am wondering if this is just the way they are shipped? The dealer checked and he said all of the LA724's on his lot have a similar ripple to the metal. Maybe this is how they are welded? I believe the tractor itself if made in Japan but the loaders and other attachments are made here in the USA.

 

[milkman]

Next time I'll just buy a Chinese tractor and I won't be angry when I see stuff like this.

 

[kthompson]

Any other LA724 owners, please look at your loaders and advise. I am wondering if this is just the way they are shipped? The dealer checked and he said all of the LA724's on his lot have a similar ripple to the metal. Maybe this is how they are welded? I believe the tractor itself if made in Japan but the loaders and other attachments are made here in the USA.

Well if Kubota will give me a life time warranty against failure of that for any reason due to the fact of how the metal is now and all the other are I would keep it. It not, I would not and would not wait more than two weeks either for refund, replacement without defect of lifetime warranty for any reason. Does make you wonder who is making their fel. Is making my recent fabrication look better all the time.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Don't know if it makes you feel any better but my L3240HST bought this summer also has the waves on the arms. Can only see them at an exact angle and they disappear from view when you move the least amount of angle. I'm not the least worried about mine. Couldn't see them when I pulled the tractor out of the building.

 

[amigauser]

Johnthomas thanks

That basically confirms what the dealer said. All the units on his lot with tha LA724 had similar waves to mine and yours. I guess there is no problem then. The dealer said he will stand behind me. My tractor was also built/delivered to the dealer late in the summer.

I also did not notice them at first. I only picked up on the issue today because of the angle of the sun on the machine.

Norm

 

[Harvest Moon]

Wow amigauser... I'm glad you're feeling better about this and I hope everything works out to your satisfaction. I still can't believe it.

For the most part I still love my tractor but the compromises Kubota has been making lately... if I ever upgrade I'm not sure it will be another Kubota.

Must be crumple zones.

 

[rbargeron]

......being the "new curved look" I can't imagine Kubota would allow it to pass production inspection........

It's hard to imagine Kubota is ok with these looking like this - but if they are using lowest-bidder fabrication techniques the design invites trouble........ It is tricky to control cool-down shrinkage when applying a weld an inch or two back from the free edge, but it can be done, and should have been. In JOHNTHOMAS's pics the compression edge of the channel is all wavy - not just near the weld. The forming dies weren't set up to restrain the material - or the material was wrong for the process. The fabrication is so lame, I was sure it had to be damaged. Live and learn.......

 

[canoetrpr]

Wow. This looks sloppy to me. I'm surprised that this is the norm on the LA724 loaders.

 

[Evil the Weasel]

It sure doesn't look right, but apparently it's not an isolated case.

 

[Adiredneck]

Weld spatter I could tolerate, but those waves look terrible.

 

[justcountry]

doesnt look like a big deal to me, I've seen these waves before on brand new straight steel. I think it's from the heating and cooling process when the steel itself was made at the mill.

 

[dirtworksequip]

I guess it all comes down to what's acceptable. What's acceptable to Kubota may not be acceptable to you. This can only serve as a warning to future Kubota buyers to check out what they are purchasing carefully to make sure the tractor and it's implements meet their personal standards and not just Kubota's. It can be very disappointing to get you new tractor home and find it won't ever meet your expectations and there is nothing the dealer or Kubota will do to make it right.

 

[kevinj]

doesnt look like a big deal to me, I've seen these waves before on brand new straight steel. I think it's from the heating and cooling process when the steel itself was made at the mill.

I just looked at my loader. It has the same waves. (had it 2 years and never noticed till this thread) They seem to be warped a bit at the weld line for inner box plate inside the curves. If you put a straight edge on it, it is only a few thousands of wave. I do not see it as a weak area, has a lot of steel and it looks like the strengh is from the weld up. The wavy flap below the weld is just to hide the tubing. I have done a lot of hard digging and tree moving in the Michigan red clay without any sign of damage.

 

[lawn_king]

My 724 has the waves. Im not concerned about it at all.