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[Prepaid_Dave]

This is the hydrolic filter off of a MX5100 at 2 years and 64 hours. This is the first time I have changed it. Is this normal, or should I be worried? I have read other posts on this but did not see any pictures.

 

[hodge]

Welcome to OTT, and that would have me concerned- I don't know what others have experienced, but I would be taking that to the dealership, getting it documented, and investigate further. You don't want future problems, and then wish that you would have let them know.

 

[bobkeyes]

I would say that's definitely NOT normal!

 

[tempforce]

if that is the original filter. i would keep it as evidence and have it documented at your dealership..
it could be that the system wasn't cleaned very well before assembly.
i would replace the oil and filter. inspect the oil tank for junk, while it is empty. then use the system for about 10 hrs and remove the filter to check for more debris.. if the filter looks good, put it back on and stick to normal service intervals.

 

[Lil Foot]

Not normal.... as a toolmaker, it makes me wonder what kind of knotheads are machining their parts. Debris like that should never have made it out of the machine shop, let alone into a finished assembly.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

I thought with any new tractor on the firxt service change some metal shavings would be expected. To what extent I'm not sure but I've heard alot of talk on here in the past that some metal shavings pop up.

To me it looking at the picture it doesn't look as bad as it seems. Just some debris ontop of the filter which would tell me that some shaving were left behind where the filter screws up to the base. Is there anything inside the filter trash wise? It looks like the filter is doing its job so far.

 

[Bulldog]

I believe I would be at the dealership with that filter in hand. If you go don't let them keep that filter. That could be a game changer as long as you have it. I'm guessing since it's 2 yrs old the warranty just ran out and any repair bills come out of your pocket.

 

[gkirby]

I would get one of the large washer shaped magnets which fit inside the rim of the hydraulic filter. Change the filter and fluid and remove the filter every few hours and check and see what the magnet has caught. My PTO would not disconnect when I bought my L2900 last summer. When I removed the filter to change the fluid and filter, both pieces of the broken snap ring were stuck to the magnet. The snap ring held half of the PTO clutch against a spring. When the snap ring broke the two halves of the clutch came together and the pto can't be disconnected. The only way to fix it that I have found is to split the tractor to replace the $2.00 snap ring.

I would also show the old filter with all the shavings to your dealer and make sure you take pictures of that filter and any shavings that you find on the magnet in the future.

Keep a record of everything the dealer says and make pictures of everything. You might want to go above the dealer and contact Kubota directly.

 

[dmanlyr]

My L3200 at the 50 hr service has a fair amount of metal as well.

A lot of that looks like debri left over from machining and poor case cleaning before assembly, at least to me.

Perhaps what normaly would have been invisible inside the filter caught in the filter medium is now caught and visable by the magnet?

I am only going to be concerned at the next filter change if mine has a fair amount or metal.

At least that is how I am approaching things. David

 

[Prepaid_Dave]

Thank you all for your input. I will take the tractor to the dealer tomorrow. The dealer assured me he would fix it if it was under warranty or not. Lets face it at 64 hours it is a black eye for Kubota. I don't think this dealer wants a local badmouthing Kubota. The dealer recently had to tighten the nuts on the bucket cylinder rods because my bucket would drift. It was out of warranty but they fixed it at no cost to me. I have had a few bolts come loose and a few fall out around the fenders, I took them all out and used blue thread locker on them to prevent this problem. I am sure this was caused by the vibration of the rotary mower, although the mower is new as well and the vibrations are normal for that piece of equipment. Overall I am not pleased with my Kubota and I hope this is the last of my problems. I think Kubota needs to take a step back and think about why their machines are popular= inexpensive, and usually well built with very few problems. Somewhere along the last few years they have let their quality slip. I will let you all know what happens and hopefully I can manage to make it back to being a proud Kubota owner and not an unhappy one.

 

[Bulldog]

I am sure this was caused by the vibration of the rotary mower, although the mower is new as well and the vibrations are normal for that piece of equipment.

Right now I have 4 rotary cutters and as long as the stump jumpers and blades are balanced they are smooth as a top. If you have vibrations so bad that it causes bolt to fall out something is wrong with your cutter.

I bought a new Bushhog SQ 600 (5') and it shook like crazy. I questioned the dealer about it and of course they said it was normal. I contacted Bushhog and told them what I was going thru and what the dealer said. About 5 minutes after I hung up with Bushhog the dealer called wanting to know when they could come pick my cutter up. Long story short the blades were out of balance, it was fixed for free and brought back to me. That was 13 yrs ago and it still cuts smooth and vibration free.

 

[hodge]

Right now I have 4 rotary cutters and as long as the stump jumpers and blades are balanced they are smooth as a top. If you have vibrations so bad that it causes bolt to fall out something is wrong with your cutter.

I bought a new Bushhog SQ 600 (5') and it shook like crazy. I questioned the dealer about it and of course they said it was normal. I contacted Bushhog and told them what I was going thru and what the dealer said. About 5 minutes after I hung up with Bushhog the dealer called wanting to know when they could come pick my cutter up. Long story short the blades were out of balance, it was fixed for free and brought back to me. That was 13 yrs ago and it still cuts smooth and vibration free.

That iritates me to no end when something is clearly wrong, and they say it is normal. If that is normal, then they need to charge less. That way, you can afford to replace it soon.

 

[Bulldog]

Hodge, this was at my local Kubota dealer where customer service is on the bottom of the list. Once they make the sale that's where their attitude changes for the worst. The Bushhog experience is what made me start looking for a new dealer. Lucky for me even though it's 3 times further to drive I did find a great dealer who makes you feel like family. Before, during and after the sale you are treated like gold.

 

[Countrymech]

I was truly amazed at the photo of the turnings. They appear to be uniform, such as in the case of a CNC drill or lathe, not erratic, such as in the case of an internal failure of a pump or other internal rotating part, where the debris would be more like flakes. By my humble opinion, these were made from a hard tool, uniformly fed, into the work steel. Due to the length of the turnings, I'd bet that they did not pass through the inlet strainer in the tank. I think they are manufacturing debris that maybe stayed put when they tried to clean it at the factory. Good luck, I feel you have a strong case. Dan

 

[Eric McCarthy]

At this point keep your chin up and see that the dealer has to offer. Just be patient and don't be so quick to rule out Kubota being a junk tractor and that their craftsmanship has fallen off. Anything you by weather a toilet a sofa or a Mercedes Benz can be a lemon. Every now and then a bad one slips threw the cracks like yours did an goes unnoticed until the customer gets it and discovers what you did.

 

[birddogger]

I would make sure the replacement filter is the one with the magnet, and check it every couple hours. If shards keep showing up then something is wrong. If that is the last of the them then the filter did what it is supposed to do and things are clean now.

On vibrating bush-hogs; of course balance is important but finding a scale with the resolution to balance a couple 19 pounds blades will be a bit difficult.
I've dropped the stump-jumper and balanced the blades while resting the whole assembly across a 1/2 inch steel rod while ensure the blades are dead opposite each other. Also watch that the blades pivot nicely; straw and chaff build up in the pivot bolts and the blades can hang up so they are not exactly opposite and that can add a "bit" of wobble.

 

[bosshogg]

The dealer can say he will fix things but really there is nothing to fix at this time. It may just be lousy quality control from initial machining or an indication your transmission is going to fail. Might be next week, next year, or in 10 years. The dealer will tell you everything is normal. Record everything and see if you can get some type of extended warranty on the transmission.

 

[skeets]

Back in the day when we use to street race, one of the things we always did was to cut open the oil filter and see what we could see,, When I did the first change on my BX I cut everything open and found stuff that tightened my sphincter up tight lots of junk,, But the filter must have caught everything as shes still,,,knock on wood,, running well,, I haven't found anything since then

 

[eserv]

This is one reason we have a 50 hour inspection! ( the other one is to make all the dealers rich!! LOL)

 

[Bulldog]

This is one reason we have a 50 hour inspection! ( the other one is to make all the dealers rich!! LOL)

All jokes aside, this is why I feel like the 50 hr service is the most important of a new machines life. Every new piece of equipment I've had whether it be a new Cat loader or my Kubotas the 50 hr drain was full of metal. Every change after that the oil was clean like it should be.

Yes it sux to have the expense of buying a new tractor, then turn right around and have to drain all the fluid with hardly any hrs on it. At 50 hrs everything still has that new tractor smell. I don't look at this as a burden but more like a investment for a long healthy future, and it makes the dealers rich...