Aftermarket voltage regulator

[JeffL]

Ran the tests and voltage regulator on my B7200 is bad. Did a quick search and found replacements from $18 to $150 for genuine Kubota. Asking for experience on aftermarket units priced better than the Kubota unit. What has worked and what to stay away from. The replacement Kubota PN is H1550-64600. Thanks in advance, Jeff

 

[Milo Holroyd]

Man, for the money, I'd try this without hesitation. Good reveiws.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Kubota-...tem2a5190fdf9:g:NosAAOSwpDdVZGZD&vxp=mtr#rwid

 

[rbargeron]

I hope somebody posts who knows about voltage regulators on our Kubotas. The originals on my tractors are the mechanical type with actual coils and points inside. Aftermarket regulators being sold for Kubotas are all electronic and are sealed. Some electronic ones are even made with a large top cover so the look "original".

I was installing a new electronic regulator on my L5450 and I noticed the battery clamp sparked a little as it went back on. After a lot of checking of everything, it was clear that with everything shut off the new voltage regulator was still allowing a 2.4 amp leak I swapped in a known good old style regulator from another tractor - no leak. When told of the issue the supplier (Kumar Bros) sent me another new one right away - but it leaked too ! (bad batch?)

This isn't conclusive but it shows that whatever kind you get there's some checking to do, questions to ask. If I hadn't noticed the faint sparking it would be slowly leaking and I wouldn't have suspected anything wrong until one day I'd have had a dead battery.

Good luck - and keep posting on this - bet there are more cases out there. I luckily found an older spare regulator in my pile that works right. Take care, Dick B

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Man, for the money, I'd try this without hesitation. Good reveiws.

Really, you call 2 reviews, reason to buy without hesitation???

Hey I have 3 people here that give Detroit reviews of being the safest place on earth, and the best property investment in the world!

I originally praised Kumar Bros, for making the parts for older Kubota's that Kubota quit making, but after buying and using quite a few parts from Kumar Bros, their parts simply don't hold up or add up, that is unless you count the parts adding up in a trash bin.
I've had 100 times more failed seals, misfitting gaskets, and simply bad parts that I've ever had from Kubota or even other aftermarket suppiers.

 

[skeets]

Thats what happens when a suppler goes out to the lowest bidder on hard to find or obsolete parts for cars and trucks too. They spend penny's and charge dollars. It is hard to find OEM parts for lots of things, so ya pays your money and takes your chances

 

[Kubota Newbie]

I wouldn't be too afraid to head to NAPA with my old one and cross it out to something they have. Couple cases in point - Few years back had an air-head Beemer (R100RS). Mechanical voltage regulator went bad, went to NAPA and crossed out one for a BMW auto, their Echlin brand. The replacement was digital/solid state, slightly smaller and had a pigtail hook-up rather than the plug being built-in. Otherwise it mounted to the same holes, plugged right in, and worked flawlessly till I got rid of the bike. Oh yeah, it cost a quarter of the BMW piece. Year and a half ago I got glow plugs from NAPA for my M4500 for less than a third the price they were going to cost at the local dealer, which is significant, cause it takes 6 of 'em.
Voltage regulators in general - don't forget that most mechanical units have to be polarized to work properly (esp on the older "generator" systems).

 

[rentthis]

Wolfman,100 times? I have never thought of you being a slow learner. Sorry I couldn't find the smiley face emoji.

 

[bucktail]

I put a Denso in my L1500. Went to electronic from mechanical. I think it was somewhere in the $40-50 range. Plugged right in; had one extra wire so that it could be used with a gas engine. I got it at an alternator shop.

 

[JeffL]

Guys, thanks for the heads up on Kumar Bros. I read a lot of people using their parts so I assumed all was good.

 

[JeffL]

The VR I need is one of the electronic units. I do remember the old mechanical ones and was pretty good at setting one up....about 30 years ago!
I think the Kubota VR is a basic unit (only does one thing) so a lot of "will fits" will actually do the job. I see many name brands/manufactures have units available. One caught my attention the other night was a Denso brand for a motorcycle application. Box was smaller but the plug was the same. Best part was the $18 price. I looked at a lot VRs that night so I will look into it deeper and see if my memory was correct! Jeff