Kubota Reviews

Original Review: May 8, 2024

Updated on 08/02/2024: My Kubota zero turn quit running, upon checking to find why I pulled the magneto to find the magnets just came right off in my hand, a friend who had also bought one at near the same problem exactly. I was upset with kubota being as it only had 97 hrs. After talking with the dealer I got it at they explained it was a KOHLER issue but they would stand with me to resolve it. Kohler of course was a different story ,the DEI engineer they spoke with claimed rust to be the issue.

Original: Z125 zero turn. 97 hrs! Replaced two coils, seat fell off, bolts coming lose all over. Haven't been able to start it without taking off the air cleaner every time to hold my hand over it to choke it. That's been since I got it and yes I had it back to the dealer for that problem, yeah at my expense. I went from a Toro to this, yeah not a smart move. Basically I'm not saying don't get one just look at your options for the money, now I'm stuck with this thing too much in it too walk away and I will not push it off on someone else. In two years I have not been able to cut my yard from start to finish without having to stop and fix or replace something. Not a happy camper Kubota!

Initially I was told the repairs would take about a week. I was notified the first week of October that the tractor was completed. I went to pick up the tractor on Oct 6th. In Joplin. I was refused any billing other than my required deductible. While the person at the counter turned to process my debit card, I took a cell phone photo of a parts order for my tractor he left on the desk. It showed a purchase order number ** dated 09/01/23 at 09:56:22 hours.

Handwritten on this was at the top of the page, Parts Ordered. At the bottom of the page were 6 parts handwritten: K2581-11014 a Transmission case, K2581-11212 a Rear Cover for PTO, K2592-11510 PTO Gear Shaft, 67121-56770 an Inner Bearing, 6C040-14730 an Outer Bearing, 37410-16550 a seal. This was not a complete nor final summary of parts ordered, just one page left out for me to see. As I loaded the tractor into my trailer, I saw wet spots under it and Ethan assured me it was because they pressure washed the tractor twice for pickup.

Once home I immediately installed the front loader and the Backhoe Attachment on the tractor. Within an hour of use the tractor would not move, but all other hydraulic functions worked. I pulled the tractor back up to the driveway on level ground using my Ford truck and a winch. I carefully looked for a cause including oil levels and linkage disconnect. I found several frame bolts for the Backhoe support frame loose and two missing, linkage for the Speed adjust between High and Low not even hand tight, linkage for foot pedal forward/reverse loose at ball joint at transmission, several other bolts missing or loose for the middle foot decking and transmission mounts.

The wire harness for the back of the tractor no longer was secured with the factory clips, rather it was loosely laying across the back of the tractor. The wire harness in one point was pinched between the frame and the PTO engagement switch. In total there were 7 factory wire harness clips not secured to the frame. I took several photos with my cellphone as well as a couple of videos.

I contacted Ethan at Joplin Tractor and he requested the tractor return. I loaded it back onto my truck and drove it Joplin Tractor on Oct. 10th. While there, Ethan informed me, they drained the oil from the transmission and found brass filings in the oil which is a wear item they are not responsible for. Someone also tightened some of the loose bolts, but they denied touching anything but the oil. I explained it was not worn before the repairs, but he insisted it is damage I made in the hour I ran the tractor. He insisted they did not touch the Clutch Packs or their adjustments while the tractor was in the shop. I also explained the Transfer Case lock did not work properly. Again, Ethan insisted they did not touch that part of the tractor. I picked up the tractor without oil in it and unrepaired on Oct. 11th.

I called the insurance company explaining my problem. At first there were many disagreements about sharing photos and information, but I was transferred to a different agent that worked with me. He requested I consider taking the tractor to the parent office in Springdale. I did file a comment at their website and a reply from Bradley ** also requested I consider allowing them to make good on the repairs. I agreed and drove the tractor to Springdale Ark. on Oct. 12th. I met with the service department, and they told me they had several transmission technicians, but wanted their senior technician to do the repair.

Friday 13 Oct 2023, they started working on the tractor. They called me Friday afternoon, 20 Oct 2023, but I missed the call. Monday, I called back and was told the repairs were done. There was a silicon blob stuck in a relief causing the transmission to be stuck in a bypass mode. They had 3 employees drive and load the tractor for several hours to be sure there were no other problems. They were concerned that the 4X4 function was not working properly and ordered a linkage spring that would be in soon. When repairs were completed, they again had employees drive and test the tractor. I picked the tractor up on Oct. 25th.

On Oct. 26th I again installed the Front Loader and this time the Box Blade to test the tractor. Within 2 hours I heard a metallic sound and stopped the tractor. While looking for the cause I found the U Joint for the front drive shaft fell off and the drive shaft was hanging under the tractor. I called Springdale Tractor and explained again the tractor was broken. I was very upset and told Bradley ** to take the weekend to look into the matter. When we spoke again Bradle ** stated that they did not touch the U Joint or its shaft and were not responsible for the loss.

I am a mechanic of over 40 years. I have built show cars, race cars, custom off road cars, trailers, tractors and a multitude of equipment. From Nuclear Propulsion plants to Airplane Hangers and supporting equipment, personal cars to semi-trucks, I have seen many breaks and successfully repaired and resolved the problems. I explained the first time with Joplin Tractor I felt there was a mistake made but they denied that possibility and claimed it was brass friction plates I broke. At Springdale Tractor again I explained I thought it was a mistake and they agreed telling me there is no brass in the friction plates as they are all steel.

The first problem was too much sealant used hardening and getting into the hydraulic oil system, a small mistake easily remedied. Instead, Joplin Tractor lied and placed the blame on me. With the second failure again, they denied fault and placed blame on me. The forward shaft is held on midshaft with a carrier bearing next to the U Joint. To remove the transmission without removing these 2 bolts is unlikely as it would make the job much more difficult. If it was not done at Springdale and instead, they only removed the relief valve without removing the transmission, still there should have been someone looking at the forward shaft when they were troubleshooting the 4X4 problem. Either way I do not care who did it, Joplin or Springdale were responsible for the U Joint falling off. It is normally held on with a splined shaft on one side and a pin shaft and cotter on the carrier bearing side. A U Joint does not just fall off.

I am now left with a tractor that was disassembled and put together with such apathy and disregard there were several exterior safety issues. I cannot and will not disassemble everything to make sure their internal work was proper. I do know they did not use factory torque on anything. They did not recheck their work, rather they marked off a box saying they did. My tractor will never be the same reliable tractor I first purchased. My trust and or faith in local repairs for my tractor has long been lost. Even at the corporate level the only comment or response was a file number for my complaint. While the Kubota store in Joplin was Anderson Tractors the family cared more about their work and customers. When a mistake was made, they accepted responsibility and made immediate remediations. Yes, the first time was in 2021. Even then after the service the frame bolts were found loose and one missing.

The reason I bought a Kubota, and their service insurance policy, was that Kubota’s were the number one rental tractor for homeowners. The insurance covered all repairs even neglect, to ensure the tractor retained value the entire length of the loan. This is no longer the truth. The service is well below what used to be a Kubota Standard. Customer satisfaction is no longer important to the American Kubota Stores. It is not just my local experience, it is also the Corporate response. Anyone can read from Kubota of Japan how hard they worked to achieve the name. They are proud of their legacy and should be. Times have change. I would think hard before buying a Kubota in the 4-state region of Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma. My warranty expires in 30 days and I will again be the only mechanic that works on my tractor. The only reason I used the warranty was parts needed in the repair exceeded $2500 dollars. Joseph **

We have called corporate, customer service, warranty, and local stores for updates because they won't return calls. They say no loaner or substitute for our inconvenience of loss of company equipment. We have been without tractor for over 2 months. So we now have to bid jobs added for rentals for each job performed. What is the purpose of have company equipment if you always have the extra time spent going to pick up others rental equipment. We have enough employees to do each job assigned. If Kubota doesn't have enough sense to have adequate staff on duty to assist customer's needs then consumers should really consider the businesses that appreciate the sales made.

The first SVL-75 skid steer we purchased had engine problems and Oakway could not get a new engine for over a year. In our line of work he can not be down a machine so he traded the SVL-75 with engine problems in for a new SVL-97-2. The NEW SVL-97-2 is only 18 months old with 1028 hours & they say it needs a new engine & Kubota along with Oakway Tractor does not want to stand behind their 2000 hr/24month warranty! They want us to pay $33k+ for a new engine. They also want to point the finger at our insurance company to be the ones to cover the engine instead of Kubota warranty coverage which is absurd! It makes me sick to know that they do honest & hardworking people this way & try to get away with it.

Kubota warranty is not worth the piece of paper that it's written on if they don’t cover their equipment during the warranty period. Along with the dealership putting everything on us to try & get Kubota Corporation to cover the engine. It's a known fact Kubota has issues with their engines but it is easier to point the finger at others instead of standing behind their products & warranty! We will NEVER own another Kubota or anything with a Kubota engine in it ever again if Kubota does not stand behind their warranty! We have reached out to Kubota corporation via email and voicemails but we have yet to be contacted after 3 weeks of trying to get answers. Please feel free to share with your family and friends so it saves them the headache & financial burden of dealing with Kubota with their lemons.