Tall grass problems with a B 7510?

[Gendeaux]

For well more than a decade have been going to a particular Kubota dealer for parts and service for my B7510 -- not very often, admittedly, since I am not a farmer and use it mostly to mow 4 1/2 acres, till garden space, scrape the drive etc.
Recently, I brought it in to my dealer for installation of a third function hydraulic set up, and a grapple. When I checked in with the dealer, they told me there was grievous damage from me having mowed tall grass, which got caught in the PTO shaft, and that that PTO had to be "broken" -- separated from the Tractor in order to replace bearings, etc. Puzzled, because I had had no problems with tall grass,whatsoever for a dozen years of owning the tractor, I okayed the work.
After I got back and talking to some friends, I realized, this dealership had recently been bought out by a larger outfit, and I feel I had been taken advantage of. Same great repair crew, but new corporate ownership. I feel they have seriously broken faith with me and I don't really believe that the work they did was truly required.
can anybody speak to the tall grass issue and whether or not tall grass something that this particular Tractor is something one has to avoid, or if they told me, go over it first to mat it down, then cut it.?? I feel actually someone abused and that they didn't deal with me straightforwardly. In the end with a $4400 bill, I could not afford the grapple or the thumb that I needed. That will have to come later.

 

[JWR]

For well more than a decade have been going to a particular Kubota dealer for parts and service for my B7510 -- not very often, admittedly, since I am not a farmer and use it mostly to mow 4 1/2 acres, till garden space, scrape the drive etc.
Recently, I brought it in to my dealer for installation of a third function hydraulic set up, and a grapple. When I checked in with the dealer, they told me there was grievous damage from me having mowed tall grass, which got caught in the PTO shaft, and that that PTO had to be "broken" -- separated from the Tractor in order to replace bearings, etc. Puzzled, because I had had no problems with tall grass,whatsoever for a dozen years of owning the tractor, I okayed the work.
After I got back and talking to some friends, I realized, this dealership had recently been bought out by a larger outfit, and I feel I had been taken advantage of. Same great repair crew, but new corporate ownership. I feel they have seriously broken faith with me and I don't really believe that the work they did was truly required.
can anybody speak to the tall grass issue and whether or not tall grass something that this particular Tractor is something one has to avoid, or if they told me, go over it first to mat it down, then cut it.?? I feel actually someone abused and that they didn't deal with me straightforwardly. In the end with a $4400 bill, I could not afford the grapple or the thumb that I needed. That will have to come later.

You do not have a tall grass problem, you have a low-life scumbag dealer problem. You are a victim of apparent (criminal?) abuse by a dealer. I am so sorry to hear that as I have almost always found 'good' dealers in Deere, Massey Ferguson and Kubota with many examples of all three. That is infuriating. I wish you had sought advice BEFORE instead of after being victimized. I'm going to unload maybe more than you want to hear... First the 'tall grass problem' is worse than utter bullcrap. I have mowed waist high heavy hay with several model Kubotas just to show I could and never ever had an adverse result. Navy base where I worked used a contractor who used several B7510's in aggressive fashion for cutting the grass all over base. I was fascinated looking out the office window and seeing the super job they did. The idea of rolling high grass down before cutting it is beyond absurd. An apparent city slicker fool telling you that. Pure bull. Must have had NO experience. Had there been any serious damage to your PTO before the unfortunate intrusion of an irresponsible dealer you would have known it ! If ever in doubt you could pull the U-joint off the mid PTO shaft and check it with your greasy hand as hard as you could to see if there were lateral motion. And listened for grinding noises... OBTW there is NOTHING related to installing the 3rd function for your grapple that would have justified that butthole dealer messing with or investigating your mid PTO !! That was a fishing expedition to gather proposed work to be done to line their pockets. They obviously took you to be a sucker. Rotten as it gets. In your shoes I would first find the store manager and chew till he won't forget it. Then I would complain in writing to Kubota USA and finally, file a case with the Better Business Bureau. Sorry this happened!

You said "Same great repair crew?!" I disagree. They may be skilled but HONEST mechanics would not have participated in this ripoff. Maybe fear of losing their jobs but the ones I know would have raised cain instead of doing that...

Among other things the $4400 is absurd. AND owning and operating 4 different models of Kubotas over the last 45 years and mowing some really tough places,... I have never ever seen "grass wound around the PTO" doing damage or causing problems. Clogged deck? Sure, of course. Wire around the blades? Sure. Brush and wet grass clogging the belts? A few times. Most recently a cable TV company leaving heavy coax cable hidden in the grass ... that cable lost the battle to my daughter's Kubota mower deck ! Chopped it up and pulled up about 20 feet of it before it stalled the tractor. ZERO damage to the deck or the tractor after we got the cable unwound.

Gewze! This is terrible for you. Rather obviously you need to find a different dealer or service shop.

Where are you located by the way?

 

[Gendeaux]

Thank you, David. I agree. Shame though about the shop people fearing for their jobs (probably given a quota of repair dollars they now need to bring in). From Oregon.

 

[JWR]

Thank you, David. I agree. Shame though about the shop people fearing for their jobs (probably given a quota of repair dollars they now need to bring in). From Oregon.

You're David? I'm Bill. Hello... Anyway, I hope you are treated better from now on. I have no knowledge of tractor business or dealer behavior in your area.

 

[JWR]

Weird ... notification says big bubba was on here commenting on this thread and yet it does NOT show here for me at all. The rest of you see it?

 

[zzvyb6]

Why was he looking at the PTO for a 3rd function installation ? A friend of mine has a 4400 hydro, even when mowing and baling tall grass hay, there's never been any kind of accumulation near the pto shaft area. I'd go back to the dealer for an explanation, then go above them, then call the State Attorney Generals Office of Consumer Affairs to request an investigation.

BTW: an electric or manual 3rd function addition is available from Summit. I got the electric hold version (3rd function only when pushing the button on the valve stalk). Just add your own outlets.

 

[sandman2234]

I had a Ford 1100 4x4 that I mowed stuff way higher than the hood. I had some wrap around the pto shaft in front of the drive shaft, and it packed it so tight that it pushed it thru the seal and into the transmission. The guy (a friend) who pulled the rear cover and cleaned it out, and replaced the seal only took about an hour. He failed to realize that a fork had slipped off an engaging roller and when he put it back together, the pto wouldn't engage. I made a trip over and dropped the bottom plate, reset the fork and all was good! Between the 2 of us, we didn't have half a day in it. Even at shop rates, we wouldn't have come anywhere close to what you paid (even considering west coast rates)
David from jax

 

[Shawn T. W.]

I agree that it sounds like you were taken advantage of!

If a Kubota can't mow tall grass without hurting itself, there is a major problem.

My first question would be what does the actual repair bill claim they did? Does it include parts? Does it look like they even did anything?

My second question would be why didn't they do the work requested, and then advise of this other so called problem?

Just dropping off a tractor doesn't not give them permission to perform and bill for anything they want to, if it was a warranty issue then they wouldn't need to get your permission first, but as a courtesy they should inform you of a possible time delay in getting your tractor back after warranty work was completed , BUT non-warranty work, they must get agreement from the owner, prior to the work being done.

I would go back and see how they act, if they make it right, then proceed in time with the third function, otherwise I'd never pull into there driveway again!!!