Dealer Dealer Prep

[lwparch]

I have enjoyed the wit and wisdom of this site for several months now. I have ordered a L4310HST, FEL, hooks, folding ROPS, Ag tires and 6-ft. rotary cutter. It will be ready next week. Does anyone have any tips on what I should expect in the way of dealer prep. Or what do you wish you had had the dealer do to set up your tractor properly prior to delivery.

Larry

 

[LGinIA]

Make sure you have the dealer show you how to remove and install the FEL. Not just explain, do the actual process. Same would apply to the Mid-mount mower and any other attachment. Demo the tractor (owner operating) to identify any problem functions. My dealer purchased tractor from another dealer and failed to remove and install FEL. I discovered (while dealer there) that FEL was installed incorrectly and an owner could not repair easily. Glad I checked. Errors happen. Some dealers do poor pre-delivery inspections others do great jobs. Good luck--love the B2410.

 

[PaulT]

Check ALL the hydraulic fittings. Try to loosen each one with your fingers. Some might actually be that loose! Look at the location where the fluid would drip and accumulate if the fittings were loose. This is not always directly underneath the fitting in question, as the fluid might fall onto a hose and travel down the hose to collect in another spot. Check the nylon sleeves for fluid. Also do a finger tight check for all accessory bolts (the SMV bracket, the light/fender bolts). Also, make sure to really tug on the ROPS in every direction, in case those bolts haven't been torqued to spec. In short, my experience was that everything was in the right place, so it looked good, but things weren't tightened to proper torque specs. Also, check tire pressures and tread direction.

PaulT

 

[frank_f15]

LARRY; congrats on what sounds like a very nice rig. just check over everything that u can tink of, and drive the tractor and use the implements that are attached atime of delivery. check for smooth operation of hst, fel control, and throttle . then do what i did! read the manuel, then read it again while sitting on tractor(so u can check out all the levers) then read it again! i am not joking, amazing what you learn after 2nd or 3rd reading. good luck, have fun and be safe. WELCOME TO THE SITE.
FRANK

 

[Youare]

I bought a new Kubota L3000 this July. I asked the dealer to supply me with the owner and operator manual before they delivered the tractor so I could read through it. They said they would mail them to me but never did, the dealer is almost an hour drive away.

If you can get the manuals before you take delivery of the tractor it will get you aquanited with various parts of the tractor and maintenance issues. Have them show you how to check the oil by doing it especially if you have to remove panels to get to the dipsticks. Have them explain fully how to change the fuel filter without making a mess and getting air in the system.

Make them operate every valve and control the tractor has, one of mine was stuck which required a service call later. Have them explain any special break-in treatment you should be aware of.

Enjoy your tractor.

 

[SteveV]

At the risk of getting off subject, my first move when the machine got within range of my tools would be to apply a socket to the wheels lugs. Even with warrantee, some things cannot be made entirely right after they happen.

 

[GlennT]

I can only second what others have said. When I did the 50 hour maintenance on my John Deere I was horrified to find that the oil plugs for both the engine and the transmission/differential were only finger tight!! It would have been so easy for them to vibrate off!

 

[banjobj]

If I ever get another tractor I will check for paint damage such as chips. I noticed them after delivery and should have brought it to the dealers attention. Also the dealer puts too many decals on the tractor.

 

[art]

One of the easiest ways to be assured to have a good prep is to allow the dealer to have some time with your new tractor. We often have customers come in and would like delivery tommorrow! We want to make your time frame if we can at all to please you, but that is how things get missed. You might just ask, what time frame they would be able to deliver the unit to you. The extra time might be enough for a good inspection after assembly to catch the things that might have been missed or that were not assembled right at the factory. It might allow for the best man that they have to assemble your unit so it is perfect on delivery day. If it is at all possible to set-up a time just before delivery to stop at the dealer to review the order and go over the equipment with the dealer personal before delivery. We have often found something that might be adjusted so it works better for YOU. Ask questions at this time about your oils, filters,or changes you might like to make. All dealers want a perfect delivery, a few moments of your time makes a big difference.

 

[lwparch]

Wow, thanks for all the great advice. I would not have thought of most of the items mentioned. I will definitely give the dealer the time to prep the tractor and will make an appointment to have them demonstrate everything before delivery, since I am about an hour away.

Larry

 

[art]

Just to add a little more, by the time the delivery truck gets there I'll lay odds on it that you will have one or two more questions for the driver that you didn't think of while there or that came to surface after your visit to the shop. One thing that I didn't bring up is you might get to meet more of the people that you will be helping you in the future.

 

[John_Mc]

A word of warning: Do NOT check your hydraulic fittings for tightness with the tractor running! With the pressure the fluid is under, you can basically inject the fluind under your skin. This is serious business... some people have lost fingers, limbs, etc to the ensuing infection. It's good practice never to fiddle with any of the hydraulic fittings with bare hands if there is any chance the fluid is under pressure.

 

[RMulkey]

Larry,

There is lots of good advice given already. I second the sugestion to check the lug nuts yourself. I have the same machine with R4s and found 2 rear lugs loose. The rest of the lugs were so tight I needed a 3/4" braker bar to remove them. There are a couple posts on this board related to wheels falling off on several brands. Checking the other nuts and bolts is still a good idea. I suggest you use the touque chart in the manual. I found the forward backhoe mounts loose after about 20 hours of use. I torque them to spec, and they have been fine for the last 300 hours. These were obviously dealer set up issues. The dealer here has a great reputation. It can happen anywhere.

For what it is worth, If you were not planning to do so allready, I would recomend you have the dealer fill the rear tires with ballast. I am not sure how many other implements you have but you need a good 800-1000lbs of rear ballast to offset the weight of a full loader. Without a heavy rear implement, and with the loader full, the rear bounces around way to much to feel like it is under control. I use a Backhoe or a heavy box scraper in addition to the filled tires. The extra weight on the rear helps traction when pushing into piles. The bush hog sticks out way behind the tractor and is a little awkward to use all the time as a counter weight without smashing it into things.

I have about 320 hours on my L4310 and have no complaints. The machine seems to get better every day. One hint, just have a couple of big buckets ready when you change the hydraulic fluid. It holds 10 gallons (you get about 8 gallons out of it when you change the fluids).

Hope this helps.
-Roger

 

[lwparch]

Thanks Roger,
I want to have ballast in the tires. But the tractor dealers and tire dealers I have talked to around here use calcium. Based on the posts I have read I am not sure that is what I want. I will talk to my dealer about other options like windshield washer fluid, beet juice, etc. to see what else may be available in this area.

Also thanks for the warning on catching the fluid.

I haven't used a tractor since I was about 18. I worked summers on my grandparents' and uncles' farms starting about age 9 or 10. My grandfather bolted a wood block on the clutch pedal so I could reach it. I'm sure I'll find tractor technology has changed a lot since then. But I hope tractors haven't become like cars, so that it is not practical to work on them yourself. I am looking forward to using the new machine so that I can share my experiences with this great group at TBN.


Larry

 

[hayden]

Check the Rods on all the hydraulic cylinders for paint overspray. On the loader, for example, Kubota retracts the cylinders then spray paints the whole thing. There have been several cases reported, including two on my own, where the cylinders weren't completely retracted when painted. When you the use the loader and they do retract all the way, the paint on the rod abraids the seals in the end of the cylinder and you get leaks. I had leaks develop in a loader cylinder and my backhoe swing cylinder from this. Both were fixed under warranty, but the down time and logistics were a pain in the butt.

When you get the tractor, check all 4 cylinders on the loader, and any cylinders on other implements. If there is any question, just take a razor blade and scrape back the paint on the rod. It's real easy and can same you a completely unnecessary nusance repair. I suggested to my local dealer that they do this as a matter of course when setting up new machines, but it went in one ear and out the other.

I've also received equipment with loose hydraulic fittings and related leaks, and even had my new tractor delivered with the oil filler cap off. Unfortunately I didn't find it until after running for several hours, but I don't think any harm was done.

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

 

[RMulkey]

Larry,

Glad to help. I was in the same place you are. I had not used a tractor for 20 years when I started shopping. Even worse I had only used crawlers and had never used a wheeled tractor. The concept of filled tires was totally new to me at least.

For the rear tire ballast, my dealer ended up using non-toxic automotive antifreeze for the tire ballast. I had him put in enough to keep the tires from freezing at 0-deg, which is way overkill for Northern California (I think it is cold when I have to wear socks or a light jacket...). They could have put a higher concentration in, but the weight difference was not very big once the tires were filled. I think I picked up about 450lb per rear tire. That said I still us a rear implement as a counter weight.

Hope this helps.
-roger

 

[Bird]

Larry, I agree with the other guys that you should check everything over when it's delivered, and there are undoubtedly going to be cases in which something was missed, but overall, I suspect that's more the exception than the rule. My dealer's shop is not that impressive; pretty dirty in appearance, etc. However, I've bought two tractors from the same dealer ('95 & '99), the salesman I bought them from delivered them personally, full of fuel and other fluids, and I never found anything on either of them that had been missed.

Bird

 

[art]

We have been using calcium in tractor tires for years in the farm machinery industry. Calciums plus is that it is the cheapest ballast available for the pound. When properly delt with it is not a problem to use in tractor tires. The rims people worry about typically last 20 to thirty years with out any trouble. We have seen tractors at 50 years that still are on the original rims with calcium in them. I don't worry about the calcium in the tires as I said before it is the cheapest ballast for the most.

 

[theboman]

My dealer uses calicum and said moet the problems to rims happens when tires leak and repairs are not done by the owner. OR, adding air don't fix a flat and a leaking tire causes the calicum to speed the process of rim decay.

Bluegrass, Pick It Up!