Kubota part numbering system

Earth

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I recently ordered a new drive belt for a Kubota MMM from a large online Kubota part dealer (you would all recognize the name). The belt arrived with the correct part number on the cardboard sleeve, but a one-different number on the belt. I could find no information online about the stamped number (except for non-Kabota sellers saying their belt would fit this number belt along with other Kubota belts). I complained to the dealer about this discrepancy and its response was that "all Kubota dealers know" that Kubota manufactures belts stamped with a different part number than what was ordered but they are the same. I protested that I was not a Kubota dealer (and believe most of their customers are not) and had no way of knowing that. Is that true? That a Kubota owner should just trust that a part number stamped with a different number than the correct part and the part ordered, is the same? Would you just go on and go through the installation process without knowing?
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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This has been a Kubota norm for years (30+), the only reason I can think of doing this is to fowl up any aftermarket ( Chinese ) company from making a part to fit in it's place just by using that part number.

I could show you a host of old part numbers cast or stamped into parts that have no correlation (that I can find) to the actual part number of the part.
 

NCL4701

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This has been a Kubota norm for years (30+), the only reason I can think of doing this is to fowl up any aftermarket ( Chinese ) company from making a part to fit in it's place just by using that part number.

I could show you a host of old part numbers cast or stamped into parts that have no correlation (that I can find) to the actual part number of the part.
Thanks for that info.

No telling how many things from power tools to vacuum cleaners to TV’s to trucks to guns I’ve sourced parts for based on the part number on the part itself. In my prior to this post ignorance I would have done the same with my tractor. So a very sincere thanks.
 

Earth

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This has been a Kubota norm for years (30+), the only reason I can think of doing this is to fowl up any aftermarket ( Chinese ) company from making a part to fit in it's place just by using that part number.

I could show you a host of old part numbers cast or stamped into parts that have no correlation (that I can find) to the actual part number of the part.
Except this was not just some random manufacturer's number, it was the Kubota part number, K****-****, the same one I ordered as if 1 was added to it (I ordered a part number ending with 110 and the part number stamped was all the same but ended in 111). This was not a matter of the old part number being replaced by a new part number and advertised as such on the retailer's website. If you go up one more number (.correct part number +2) the belt is 7 inches longer than it should be. There was no listing whatsoever, anywhere on the internet, for the number they sent me, including their own website. Why would any customer just blindly trust that a cardboard sleeve marked with one part number but containing an item with a different number was the same thing? I blame the retailer for not notifying a customer when they send an item with a different part number than was ordered. What would it take to add a notice to the invoice or send an email? Will not order from them again.
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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Thanks for that info.

No telling how many things from power tools to vacuum cleaners to TV’s to trucks to guns I’ve sourced parts for based on the part number on the part itself. In my prior to this post ignorance I would have done the same with my tractor. So a very sincere thanks.
You can buy by part Number just get your part numbers here https://apps.kubotausa.com/illustrated-parts/ not off the part.
 
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North Idaho Wolfman

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Except this was not just some random manufacturer's number, it was the Kubota part number, K****-****, the same one I ordered as if 1 was added to it (I ordered a part number ending with 110 and the part number stamped was all the same but ended in 111). This was not a matter of the old part number being replaced by a new part number and advertised as such on the retailer's website. If you go up one more number (.correct part number +2) the belt is 7 inches longer than it should be. There was no listing whatsoever, anywhere on the internet, for the number they sent me, including their own website. Why would any customer just blindly trust that a cardboard sleeve marked with one part number but containing an item with a different number was the same thing? I blame the retailer for not notifying a customer when they send an item with a different part number than was ordered. What would it take to add a notice to the invoice or send an email? Will not order from them again.
You're blowing this all out of proportion, And knocking a dealer for no reason!
The Part Numbers on Parts are not always right period, and the dealer has no way of being able to tell that and likewise can not inform you of that change.
There are 10 billion combinations of a Kubota part number and you would have to have one super human parts guy to be able to tell you how many different part numbers will or will not cross.
 

Henro

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Except this was not just some random manufacturer's number, it was the Kubota part number, K****-****, the same one I ordered as if 1 was added to it (I ordered a part number ending with 110 and the part number stamped was all the same but ended in 111). This was not a matter of the old part number being replaced by a new part number and advertised as such on the retailer's website. If you go up one more number (.correct part number +2) the belt is 7 inches longer than it should be. There was no listing whatsoever, anywhere on the internet, for the number they sent me, including their own website. Why would any customer just blindly trust that a cardboard sleeve marked with one part number but containing an item with a different number was the same thing? I blame the retailer for not notifying a customer when they send an item with a different part number than was ordered. What would it take to add a notice to the invoice or send an email? Will not order from them again.
I may be missing something, but are you saying that the belt you got is not the correct length?

Or are you saying that a belt with a different number would be 7 inches longer? If so, not sure how that relates to your issue...

I keep thinking "If it looks like (something), tastes like (something) and smells like (something), that is probably what it is... :)
 

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hmmm. The belt arrived with the correct part number on the cardboard sleeve, but a one-different number on the belt.

HUGE RED FLAG !!!!
Looks like someone put the WRONG sleeve onto the belt, or the wrong belt into the sleeve.

If this had been ,a sleeve saying 4L35 , and the belt says 4L36 ,it'd be kinda obvious 'something' is wrong. I have no working knowleged of Kubota's part numbering system, but I'd bereally, really cautious about trying to install a abcde-12345 where a abcde-12346 is supposed to go.
 
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Earth

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hmmm. The belt arrived with the correct part number on the cardboard sleeve, but a one-different number on the belt.

HUGE RED FLAG !!!!
Looks like someone put the WRONG sleeve onto the belt, or the wrong belt into the sleeve.

If this had been ,a sleeve saying 4L35 , and the belt says 4L36 ,it'd be kinda obvious 'something' is wrong. I have no working knowleged of Kubota's part numbering system, but I'd bereally, really cautious about trying to install a abcde-12345 where a abcde-12346 is supposed to go.
EXACTLY! Especially if it is a mower belt, which involves removing the mower from the tractor, taking off the old belt, removing the bracket, putting the mystery belt on, and then struggling with the very stiff spring....only to find out it is not the right belt. It is interesting that some members say I am overreacting to the wrong part number but you get it.
 

Earth

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I may be missing something, but are you saying that the belt you got is not the correct length?

Or are you saying that a belt with a different number would be 7 inches longer? If so, not sure how that relates to your issue...

I keep thinking "If it looks like (something), tastes like (something) and smells like (something), that is probably what it is... :)
The belt I got was the correct length but I had to measure it to figure that out. I could find NO specs for the part online, anywhere, not just on the retailer's website. As an example of how one number can be identical to another part number, except for one digit, and it NOT be the same at all, I used the part number that is one further up. As I said, the part number I ordered ended in 110, the part I got ended in 111 and the part that ends with 112 is 7 inches longer. So the assumption that one digit makes no difference is wrong.
 
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Earth

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You're blowing this all out of proportion, And knocking a dealer for no reason!
The Part Numbers on Parts are not always right period, and the dealer has no way of being able to tell that and likewise can not inform you of that change.
There are 10 billion combinations of a Kubota part number and you would have to have one super human parts guy to be able to tell you how many different part numbers will or will not cross.
If I can see the part number stamped on the belt while it is in the cardboard sleeve, so can the dealer. So he could know that, and could have informed me. The whole point of Kubota assigning ONE 8-digit part number to the thousands of parts someone might need is that the part number does mean something.
20210502_082824[1].jpg
 

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GreensvilleJay

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That's crazy, has to be a Kubota thing !!! Pkg says K5351-34710, the PART says K5351-34711...
NOT the same item as far as I'm concerned. At least the dimensions of the belt are on the package, which is ONLY good IF the belt is really the correct one for that package....

Sad thing is the length of the belt COULD have been part of the part number. For decades I'd oder Hammond power transformers, never look them up, as the part number TOLD you voltage ,current ratings, as well as physical package.
 
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Russell King

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It could be the belt that Kubota buys in bulk is the 711 belt and ships in lots of hundreds and then thy differentiate the one in a sleeve bu subtracting the value of 1.

I have noticed that the number printed on some items like stickers are different from the part ordered by that same value of one.
 
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dvcochran

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Now C'mon; do you really think Kubota manufacturers their own belts? Like many other OEM's they out source many of the consumables. Assuming the belt fit the application, my guess would be it is a very common belt/number or someone outright stamped thousands of them wrong and they put them in a box with the correct number to get rid of them.
 
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Earth

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It could be the belt that Kubota buys in bulk is the 711 belt and ships in lots of hundreds and then thy differentiate the one in a sleeve bu subtracting the value of 1.

I have noticed that the number printed on some items like stickers are different from the part ordered by that same value of one.
That is an interesting observation. Still makes no sense when you order a part with a very specific number why there should be any difference at all.
 

Earth

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Now C'mon; do you really think Kubota manufacturers their own belts? Like many other OEM's they out source many of the consumables. Assuming the belt fit the application, my guess would be it is a very common belt/number or someone outright stamped thousands of them wrong and they put them in a box with the correct number to get rid of them.
Not me, I know they come from all over the world, genuine Kubota parts. The stamped number on the belt is a mystery, I could not find any information on it on the internet. And if your second guess is correct, I still think the retailer I bought it from should have let me know it is a 110, even if it is marked 111. They should earn their mark-up every once in a while.
 

lugbolt

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the last digit is a supercession

0 means it it the original number

1 means it was superceded once

2 means it was superceded twice, and so on.

The actual part number that Kubota sees is even different. The last number has a dash before it. K5351-3471-0. K5351-3471-1 (or what most of us see is K5351-34711) is a superceded version.

Supercessions happen all the time. Sometimes they paint them a different color. Sometimes a better paint. Sometimes it's just as simple as it was manufactured by a different vendor, thus carries a new part number.

The Original belts in the 1990's were made by Mitsuboshi. Maybe Bando sells them to Kubota now? I dunno, I'm out of the loop now.

Old numbers--original part numbers (in this case K5351-34710) is NLA, and you'll usually play a cat-and-mouse game to find one especially a fast moving part such as a belt or a spark plug or whatever. Or if you do find one, it's likely to be an old belt that was for some reason replaced with a newer version. Now then, ask yourself, why did they change your belt part number? Is the new one better? For the most part, thats why they change the numbers....because the new ones are better in some way. Maybe the new ones have kevlar cords rather than nylon or cotton? Are you sure you want the old one if that's the case?

GM Ford Fiat Cummins Deere Bobcat General Electric they all do it and unless you are a ceo, there is nothing you can do about it.

So the shortened version is, does the stupid thing fit? If it does, put it on and quit yer worry'n. LOL!
 
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Earth

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the last digit is a supercession

0 means it it the original number

1 means it was superceded once

2 means it was superceded twice, and so on.

The actual part number that Kubota sees is even different. The last number has a dash before it. K5351-3471-0. K5351-3471-1 (or what most of us see is K5351-34711) is a superceded version.

Supercessions happen all the time. Sometimes they paint them a different color. Sometimes a better paint. Sometimes it's just as simple as it was manufactured by a different vendor, thus carries a new part number.

The Original belts in the 1990's were made by Mitsuboshi. Maybe Bando sells them to Kubota now? I dunno, I'm out of the loop now.

Old numbers--original part numbers (in this case K5351-34710) is NLA, and you'll usually play a cat-and-mouse game to find one especially a fast moving part such as a belt or a spark plug or whatever. Or if you do find one, it's likely to be an old belt that was for some reason replaced with a newer version. Now then, ask yourself, why did they change your belt part number? Is the new one better? For the most part, thats why they change the numbers....because the new ones are better in some way. Maybe the new ones have kevlar cords rather than nylon or cotton? Are you sure you want the old one if that's the case?

GM Ford Fiat Cummins Deere Bobcat General Electric they all do it and unless you are a ceo, there is nothing you can do about it.

So the shortened version is, does the stupid thing fit? If it does, put it on and quit yer worry'n. LOL!
Thanks, Lugbolt, that is helpful information. I have seen that when ordering other parts: you enter the part number and a message pops up saying that part has been replaced, superseded, whatever, by a new number. So yes, I just go on and order the new number and forget about it. But that did not happen in this case. That was part of my point, the retailer never told me there was a new part number. To this day you will still find the old part number on a parts diagram. The NLA issue is something anyone who takes care of their machines, whether washing machine, dishwasher, lawnmower, weedwacker, tractor, encounters. It's our throwaway economy's way of forcing you to buy new for lack of that one part.....
 

dvcochran

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Not me, I know they come from all over the world, genuine Kubota parts. The stamped number on the belt is a mystery, I could not find any information on it on the internet. And if your second guess is correct, I still think the retailer I bought it from should have let me know it is a 110, even if it is marked 111. They should earn their mark-up every once in a while.
Not to overly chide the retailer but I imagine they get limited information on the manufacture and distribution of parts. And I doubt Kubota wants sales people telling customers "Oh yea, Kubota screwed up on that one". ;)