Where to service advice.

[canoetrpr]

I've got a Kubota L3400 that is at 50 hrs now and I am struggling with where to get it serviced now and in the future.

For reasons I won't go into I have decided not to use the dealer I purchased from.

I was planning on using another Kubota dealer in the area that is about the same distance away - still need them to pick up the tractor. However I'm just not getting a great feeling from them either. I called last week to setup an appointment for this week, thought I had done so.... was waiting on their call to tell me exactly when they would be here to pick up the tractor - they said Monday, Tuesday. I call today and they say, oh yeah... we're real busy, maybe Thursday.

Just dosen't give me the warm fuzzies when someone can't give me something reasonably definitive on when they can get my service done and don't bother calling to let me know.

To make matters worse, I asked them to price out getting remotes and a hydraulic top link installed on my machine and first they said that it just could not be done on the L3400. Then after me telling them that various others had remotes they looked into it and said, "oh yeah - I guess it can be done since you have a loader". Again - dosen't give me the warm fuzzies as this should be fairly straightfoward stuff.

Another alternative is to start using a local used tractor dealership which I can actually drive the tractor to. I could pick up all the filters, fluids at a Kubota dealer so that I know what gets used. I imagine changing fluids and filters, installing remotes etc. should be straightfoward enough and the L3400 is a simple machine. The folks there seem friendly.

Realistically if I was mechanically inclined and had the time I'd do the service myself as many here do.

Any thoughts on whether I should stick to trying to go to a Kubota dealer or go with the used tractor dealership?

 

[texbaylea]

I would recommend that you buy the service manual and read the section on lubrication to be sure you would have problems doing the work. Even if I, in your shoes, decided to have the used tractor dealer do the work, I would want to have the manual for them to refer to and would plan on being present the first time the work is done.

In the past I would always do my own work and now since I am less able to do some of it I always supervise - er, observe.

Vernon

 

[kbota]

Any thoughts on whether I should stick to trying to go to a Kubota dealer or go with the used tractor dealership?

I understand 100% about not getting the warm and fuzzy feeling when working with a dealer. And that applies to cars, trucks, and tractors. Most of them just do not care for my equipment like I do. Which is why I do my own basic maintenance work like oil and filter changes, and most other minor work. I believe that as long as I do basic maintenance work effectively and timely, that will go a loooong way to minimizing or eliminating the more involved repairs.
Having said that, I found that it really doesn't take much time to change oil. I can change all my fluids, filters, and grease my unit in less time than I could load it on a trailer and haul it to the dealer. And I believe that I will do a better job, because I'm going to do the little extra things. For example; I took my company car into a jiffy lube once for an oil change. The fellow who did the work, (whom I shall not call a mechanic); among other dumb stuff dropped the drain plug on the floor which was pretty well covered with
oil-dry, dirt, sand, and no telling what else. Rather than cleaning it off with soap and water, cleaning threads, cleaning again, and drying before re-installation, he just picked it up and screwed it back in. Guess what? By the time I got back to the office, it was leaking oil. Okay, back to the shop we go where they drained the oil into a 5 gallon bucket, fixed the leaking drain plug, and poured the same oil back in. How clean was that bucket? After I finished complaining, they changed oil...again. I have had lube changers just wipe the filter off to make it clean looking, and never change it. ( I know because I mark them with a magic marker) But they still try to charge for a new filter! By the way, an excellent practice is to mark your tractor filters with the date and hours when you change oil. Sure helps when you are 100 or 200 hours down the clock.

Believe me, this is not difficult, and actually, I get a lot of satisfaction from doing good maintenance on my equipment. If you are unsure of how to go about it, there are a ton of very good threads on the how to's. Do you have a mechanically inclined friend that can help you the first time? After you do it once, you are set for life.

k

<Give a man a fish and he eats a nice meal, but teach him how to fish, and you've fed him for a lifetime>

 

[kbota]

Any thoughts on whether I should stick to trying to go to a Kubota dealer or go with the used tractor dealership?

I understand 100% about not getting the warm and fuzzy feeling when working with a dealer. And that applies to cars, trucks, and tractors. Most of them just do not care for my equipment like I do. Which is why I do my own basic maintenance work like oil and filter changes, and most other minor work. I believe that as long as I do basic maintenance work effectively and timely, that will go a loooong way to minimizing or eliminating the more involved repairs.
Having said that, I found that it really doesn't take much time to change oil. I can change all my fluids, filters, and grease my unit in less time than I could load it on a trailer and haul it to the dealer. And I believe that I will do a better job, because I'm going to do the little extra things. For example; I took my company car into a jiffy lube once for an oil change. The fellow who did the work, (whom I shall not call a mechanic); among other dumb stuff dropped the drain plug on the floor which was pretty well covered with
oil-dry, dirt, sand, and no telling what else. Rather than cleaning it off with soap and water, cleaning threads, cleaning again, and drying before re-installation, he just picked it up and screwed it back in. Guess what? By the time I got back to the office, it was leaking oil. Okay, back to the shop we go where they drained the oil into a 5 gallon bucket, fixed the leaking drain plug, and poured the same oil back in. How clean was that bucket? After I finished h**L raising, they changed oil...again. I have had lube changers just wipe the filter off to make it clean looking, and never change it. ( I know because I mark them with a magic marker) But they still try to charge for a new filter! By the way, an excellent practice is to mark your tractor filters with the date and hours when you change oil. Sure helps when you are 100 or 200 hours down the clock.

Believe me, this is not difficult, and actually, I get a lot of satisfaction from doing good maintenance on my equipment. If you are unsure of how to go about it, there are a ton of very good threads on the how to's. Do you have a mechanically inclined friend that can help you the first time? After you do it once, you are set for life.

k

<Give a man a fish and he eats a nice meal, but teach him how to fish, and you've fed him for a lifetime>

 

[john_bud]

Canoetrpr,

Of the options for you, the used tractor guy sounds like the best shot. Ask him if you can watch him do the work because you want to know more about your tractor. (As opposed to watching because you don't trust him)


There are only 6-8 plugs that need to be pulled to do the maintenance, maybe watching it done will give you some extra confidence that you can do it yourself.

jb

 

[daTeacha]

I agree with John Bud. The used tractor guy probably knows a lot about tractors in general but would appreciate having the manual to go by. You might want to see if he is interested in supplying parts and at what price. If he can get parts from a jobber, then he can make a few extra bucks and might save you some in the process over the dealership cost.

He might make suggestions about what else he would do if it were his, what tire pressures to run, stuff like that. I'm going to guess the owner does a lot of the work at this place, hence has a personal interest in how well things are done. He should have no problem with you standing around watching and asking dumb questions, especially if he works by the hour and you talk a lot when he might be working on your tractor. Besides, if you drive the thing to his shop, you pretty much have to wait for it to get done to drive it home again.

 

[Soundguy]

I definately wouldn't leave my 'baby' with someone who I felt had less idea how to work on it than I did..

That said.. for minor maintenance and non hassle- parts.. I like to do them myself. Significant add on parts.. for which testing may be needed.. I'm ok with letting the dealer do it.. or at least a compentent mechanic.

check out the used dealer.. look at his shop.. does he fix tractors? or just fix them enough to sell them?


I'm with some of the others.. get a service manual.. and whatever fluids it needs.. and take it to the guy that makes you feel safer.... and later on perhaps start doing some of it yourself to save hassles..

Soundguy

I've got a Kubota L3400 that is at 50 hrs now and I am struggling with where to get it serviced now and in the future.

For reasons I won't go into I have decided not to use the dealer I purchased from.

I was planning on using another Kubota dealer in the area that is about the same distance away - still need them to pick up the tractor. However I'm just not getting a great feeling from them either. I called last week to setup an appointment for this week, thought I had done so.... was waiting on their call to tell me exactly when they would be here to pick up the tractor - they said Monday, Tuesday. I call today and they say, oh yeah... we're real busy, maybe Thursday.

Just dosen't give me the warm fuzzies when someone can't give me something reasonably definitive on when they can get my service done and don't bother calling to let me know.

To make matters worse, I asked them to price out getting remotes and a hydraulic top link installed on my machine and first they said that it just could not be done on the L3400. Then after me telling them that various others had remotes they looked into it and said, "oh yeah - I guess it can be done since you have a loader". Again - dosen't give me the warm fuzzies as this should be fairly straightfoward stuff.

Another alternative is to start using a local used tractor dealership which I can actually drive the tractor to. I could pick up all the filters, fluids at a Kubota dealer so that I know what gets used. I imagine changing fluids and filters, installing remotes etc. should be straightfoward enough and the L3400 is a simple machine. The folks there seem friendly.

Realistically if I was mechanically inclined and had the time I'd do the service myself as many here do.

Any thoughts on whether I should stick to trying to go to a Kubota dealer or go with the used tractor dealership?

 

[McDenny's]

Well, I figure I would pipe in on this one. I am a Diesel Mechanic by trade. I had my own shop for about 4 years. On occasion I would work on equipment that I was not that familiar with, and usually when I asked, the owner had a manual. I would go by the manual for the service and keep the "basics" in mind. I think it is a excellent idea if you have a mechanically inclined friend or if the used tractor dealer would let you watch and show you how its done. I honestly think everyone who owns a piece of equipment should know the basic's, it really helps in the long run. Even if the used tractor dealer has to spend a extra hour with you, and you have to pay for a extra hour of labor, its money well spent to me.


Dennis

 

[john_bud]

FYI - I did a maintenance service on my Kubota today. Changed engine oil and filter, blew out air filter, changed hydraulic oil and filter (s) and greased. Didn't change the front axle lube as it was getting HOT HOT HOT and I don't like that.

Started at 1:30 and finished at 3:02. Would have been done sooner but couldn't find where I put the funnel for filling the hydraulic fluid. Looked high and low. Finally found it - next to the tractor where I was using it to help fill an old 5 gal jug with the used fluid. Sometimes I even surprise myself !

Only special tools were oil pans (2 large ones as there is 6-7 gal that will come out), filter wrench, adjustable wrench (metric) and said filter. A filter with a long hose on the end is needed to fill the front axle.

Once you see just how easy it is, you'll be doing it.

jb

 

[Kubotasrking]

I've got a Kubota L3400 that is at 50 hrs now and I am struggling with where to get it serviced now and in the future.

For reasons I won't go into I have decided not to use the dealer I purchased from.

I was planning on using another Kubota dealer in the area that is about the same distance away - still need them to pick up the tractor. However I'm just not getting a great feeling from them either. I called last week to setup an appointment for this week, thought I had done so.... was waiting on their call to tell me exactly when they would be here to pick up the tractor - they said Monday, Tuesday. I call today and they say, oh yeah... we're real busy, maybe Thursday.

Just dosen't give me the warm fuzzies when someone can't give me something reasonably definitive on when they can get my service done and don't bother calling to let me know.

To make matters worse, I asked them to price out getting remotes and a hydraulic top link installed on my machine and first they said that it just could not be done on the L3400. Then after me telling them that various others had remotes they looked into it and said, "oh yeah - I guess it can be done since you have a loader". Again - dosen't give me the warm fuzzies as this should be fairly straightfoward stuff.

Another alternative is to start using a local used tractor dealership which I can actually drive the tractor to. I could pick up all the filters, fluids at a Kubota dealer so that I know what gets used. I imagine changing fluids and filters, installing remotes etc. should be straightfoward enough and the L3400 is a simple machine. The folks there seem friendly.

Realistically if I was mechanically inclined and had the time I'd do the service myself as many here do.

Any thoughts on whether I should stick to trying to go to a Kubota dealer or go with the used tractor dealership?

When we are searching for our tractors, we hear over and over how important it is to have a great dealer. Green, blue, orange, red, whatever. I hope all prospective buyers...read this thread!!!!

If I were you, I would satisfy the warranty requirements for the 50 hour service. Having never owned a new tractor, I 'm not sure if they differ. If that means you just have to document the fluid/filter change, I would use the used tractor dealer. If it needed to be completed by Kubota, I would return to the dealer of your choice...

Alot of folks are encouraging you, and that is something TBNrs are awesome at. However, if you are not comfortable, do not risk your investment. Whatever amount you spent to acquire your tractor is worth the cost of being taught how to service (no matter who you choose). Spend the time and money to observe...as previously stated by McDenny.

Best of luck.

 

[MikePA]

Any thoughts on whether I should stick to trying to go to a Kubota dealer or go with the used tractor dealership?

To answer your question, I'd go with the used tractor dealer. However, you didn't mention if you had called him and scheduled an appointment. Hopefully, he doesn't have the same poor customer service skills as the other 2 dealers.

Try him out on the 50 hour service and if he does OK, ask him if he'd install the remotes, if you buy them from the dealer. You can buy the hydraulic top link from CCI right here on TBN.

 

[daTeacha]

50 hour service can differ a lot between brands. With my Case, it was just a matter of changing oils and filters, greasing some things and checking tightness on others -- no big deal and something anyone owning a tractor should be able to do. The manual helps you find everything, but that's about it. Other brands seem to want more things changed, checked or adjusted, at least from what I've read here from time to time.

 

[MarkV]

Could be that Kubota dealer number 2 is taking care of the customers who bought their tractors from him first and looking for a slow day to take care of yours. I can’t blame him and would expect the same if I had bought from him. The remotes would be a good sale for him but many people use that type of inquiry in hopes of better or cheaper service. If you want to establish a relationship with a Kubota dealer for future work it may be worth the wait. Other wise the used dealer should be able to do your routine work and save the pick up and delivery fee.

MarkV

 

[canoetrpr]

I appreciate all the responses very much.

Today was the day that the Kubota dealer said he would get me in. No call. I have no problem understanding that a dealer may not be able to predict how busy they will be, the need to prioritize other tractors over mine etc. I do have a huge problem with not being kept informed. It's just courtesy.

An improvement in the story is as follows:

I have been pondering what I would have done had I bought again. I think I might have sprung for a Grand L, gotten remotes and hydraulic top link installed. I decided to call a third dealer to get an idea of whether trading in was worth thinking of for me. I was very upfront that in all likelyhood it would not be worthwhile for me to trade in at this point but if they were willing to spend the time going through the numbers with me, I would consider it.

They worked me some great numbers on a new Grand L... unfortunately, I would just loose too much on the trade. Realistically I really like my tractor and I should hang on to it.

The good thing was that I was very very happy with the dealer. I dealt with the owner on the sales front. He did all the things that the dealer I bought from should have - went through the details of the choices, suggested loading tires and getting a block heater, suggested getting the LA723 loader... basic stuff that you soule expect someone informed of their product to do.

As a result I have found myself a new dealer for service. The owner's younger brother runs the service department. Unfortunately he's not going to be able to pick it up for a week and a half but I imagine that my tractor won't self destruct as I have 51 hours on it and my put on another 5 by then.

 

[Soundguy]

Good deal.. Glad you found the silver lining in that dark cloud.

Soundguy

 

[canoetrpr]

While I'm still waiting around for the dealer to get my machine in, I decided to check all the 50 hour work out using my owners manual.

I have to say, it does not look that bad after all. All filters etc. seem accessible.

I've decided I am going to wait to hear back from the dealer on whether or not he is going to address a PTO CAM fix under warranty. Some dealers are doing it, others are giving owners a hassle. I am expecting the latter.

If the CAM change is not going to happen, I've decided that I will just cancel the service appointment, go buy the filters and fluids from the dealer and give it a shot myself. .... hopefull with some help on TBN if I get stuck!.

 

[canoetrpr]

Only special tools were oil pans (2 large ones as there is 6-7 gal that will come out), filter wrench, adjustable wrench (metric) and said filter. A filter with a long hose on the end is needed to fill the front axle.
jb

Hi John: Don't think I located where to fill the front axle from. Are you suggesting something like a siphon pump to fill the front axle fluid? Is it just hard to get to where the fluid goes in? I'll try to locate it tonight.