B3350 dpf issues

[sheepfarmer]

Have they worked the bugs out yet on the new models ? I was talking to my dealer and he said that if it were him, unless you really need the HP, to stick with the B2650. But that they had corrected all the issues and he wasn't having DPF problems with his newer 3350 rigs ???

It is clear they are working on the problems with the B3350. The L series have an entirely different engine design and dpf regen mechanism, and have had few regen problems. I have a B2650 and an L3560 for different purposes and they are both really nice tractors. I probably wouldn't get a B3350.

 

[MadMax31]

The L machines use a different DPF setup, and they create more heat by nature anyway.

The achilles heel in the B3350 is an overly elaborate DPF matched to a powerplant that just doesnt get hot enough. I know a guy with a Kioti cab machine, he stuck cardboard in front of his radiator to gain more heat in his cab, side effect was a quicker Regen and longer duration between Regens...

 

[gk527]

Hello. I'm in the market for a compact tractor and I've narrowed it down to the Kubota B2650 or B3350. I was leaning towards the B3350 until I saw this post. The model I'm looking at is a 2016.

Are all the B3350 tractors in the same situation with the DPF? Are there any that work correctly?

I'm like everyone else, DPF sucks, but I also like having that extra power for PTO implements and normal every day tasks.

Thanks!

 

[sheepfarmer]

Gk, why don't you lay out the tasks you have in mind and either ask as a new thread or look at the old B2650 threads to see if they have adequate power or not. All the L's except the 2501 have dpf filters, but regeneration on them is easy. If you need a mid pto and really need a lot of power look at the L60 series.

 

[tempforce]

if you get a b3350, be prepared to run it at full throttle until you are ready to shut down.. as it won't make enough heat to keep the system working.
in this area, you will not find a b3350 on any kubota sales lot... a few are still in repair shops. some are working fine for the lucky few. most have been returned to kubota for repair/disposal..


former owner of a b3350.....

 

[MadMax31]

No new B3350s on any lots up here in a long time. One used factory cab model for cheap, but nobody will touch it. The engine has a bad rep at this point. If Kubota works the kinks out, it will be too late. Should just scrap it and start fresh, and dont associate with the previous model....

 

[D2Cat]

The tier 4 issues must be from engines not working hard enough to generate the heat required to keep them clean. A common situation with small tractors.

On Cattle Today forum was a discussion on tier 4 tractors. Here's one guys comments.

"Re: TIER 4 Tractors?

Postby TANK30705 » Fri Apr 21, 2017 9:33 pm
My tractor has 850 hrs and has regened about 6 times. Dont even notice except for that light scaring the crap out of you.lol."

 

[Daren Todd]

With tier 4, people need to really take into account there average every day uses for the tractor when deciding on a size Even if they have a large chunk of land. What's the average daily use gonna be for it? Sometimes smaller is better, even for large chunks of land.

We had and used an L2250 (25hp) for 80 acres of land. Tractor mowed 10 acres of field on our property, plus about 30 to 40 acres of pasture land for other folks around town. Tilled an acres worth of garden, logged wood in the winter. Bush hog and cleared logging roads during the summer. Graded 1/2 mile worth or driveway as well.

Sounds like quite a bit of use. But realistically, it spent 40 hrs logging wood. 2 weekends mowing fields. 4 hours pulling the road grader. 4 hours tilling gardens. 4 hours bush hogging the logging roads and pushing downed limbs out of the way. 6 or 7 hours total pushing snow banks back, and busting a path to the barn after a snow storm. Sure beat shoveling

It's average daily use though, was running for about 10 minutes at a time using the fel as a wheel barrow hauling feed, vegetables from the garden, yard waste to the burn pile, ect....

 

[eserv]

With tier 4, people need to really take into account there average every day uses for the tractor when deciding on a size Even if they have a large chunk of land. What's the average daily use gonna be for it? Sometimes smaller is better, even for large chunks of land.

We had and used an L2250 (25hp) for 80 acres of land. Tractor mowed 10 acres of field on our property, plus about 30 to 40 acres of pasture land for other folks around town. Tilled an acres worth of garden, logged wood in the winter. Bush hog and cleared logging roads during the summer. Graded 1/2 mile worth or driveway as well.

Sounds like quite a bit of use. But realistically, it spent 40 hrs logging wood. 2 weekends mowing fields. 4 hours pulling the road grader. 4 hours tilling gardens. 4 hours bush hogging the logging roads and pushing downed limbs out of the way. 6 or 7 hours total pushing snow banks back, and busting a path to the barn after a snow storm. Sure beat shoveling

It's average daily use though, was running for about 10 minutes at a time using the fel as a wheel barrow hauling feed, vegetables from the garden, yard waste to the burn pile, ect....

I certainly agree with that! Many people buy a "B" or"L" tractor when a "BX" is really what they need! I am amazed how much work I can get done with a BX24. And all the attachments are much cheaper to buy and easier to handle too!

 

[Daren Todd]

I certainly agree with that! Many people buy a "B" or"L" tractor when a "BX" is really what they need! I am amazed how much work I can get done with a BX24. And all the attachments are much cheaper to buy and easier to handle too!

I'm pretty partial to the "L" series myself. New I would go for the 2501 in a heart beat, and would be more then enough for my needs. L1501 does the job, but want 4wd and a FEL.

I've looked at the BX before. But they are a little small for what I tend to do. Then again, my L1501 is gonna get used next weekend for the first time in months to grade a driveway.

 

[Myb3350]

B3350 CAB air purchased it used with 42 hours, didn't know about the DPF problems, BUT the tractor has works flawless, no problem at all, great tractor just the right size for me, I mow my lawn with a (5ft rear finishing mower) then I hook up my 5 ft bushhog and hit the pasture, great for both, plenty of power, love the cab air no more eaten dust. Would I buy again? No too many horror stories on here, that much smoke must be some fire, but my B3350 (so far) has been perfect, what a shame such a good size tractor.

 

[S. W.]

Hi folks. Been following this thread for some time, and tho't I'd join up so I could gripe along with the rest of you. Went to the local dealer in the fall of 2016, with a build sheet for a L3301, but rather than price it out for me they made me (the deal I couldn't refuse) on a B 3350 SU they had in stock. Once they delivered it to us, ($100 charge) they cut us loose and refused to do anything on it unless we brought it to them. It's been a great little tractor (but always hard starting, even if the summer) until Dec. 2017, when it refused to regen. I continued to push snow with it and tried to force regen until it quit and would not restart. It has 248 hours on the clock. I called the dealer, and was told there was nothing they could do until we brought it in. After some time I was able to borrow a rig heavy enough to haul it in, no easy task. It had been sitting for some time with the fr. loader and backhoe sitting on the ground. When I dropped it off in early Jan. 2017, the gal at the service counter said there were two others there for the same problem. A few days later they called to say they'd down loaded the ECU, and wanted to talk to me. I went in the next day, and was presented with a bill for around $250 for the diagnostic and an estimate of over $3000. for (our cost for repairs) and refused to go any further until we came up with that total. I immediately contacted Kubota Customer Service asking for help. At this point we've been to the BBB and the Attny. Gnl. and of last week it looks like it may be repaired by the middle of May. Emails from Kubota Customer Service make it sound like the work is being done thru Customer Good Will and not warranty. We've told the reps. we don't want this tractor back, and want to change models. One rep. suggested the L2501, and it looks like new owners are happy with it. Don't know what this trade is going to cost us, we've already paid in around $11000, hoping not to loose that. Thanks guys, I really needed to vent. Steve.

 

[drsii]

@sheepfarmer I parked because I had other obligations that I needed to get on to. Thats one of the main issues with this tractor. I shouldn't be scared to use it.

Update time.

Since I last left off after getting the tractor back from the dealership I was able to do about 5 hours of work before going into a DPF Cycle. I could probably live with that if the regen cycles didn't take so long.

The next day I started it up and let the cycle complete. It took 1hr 15 minutes.

I used the tractor over the past 4 weeks for another 10 hours. In that time it went through on 2 regen cycles. The first took about an hour to complete. I found myself driving around the property finding things to do.

If you use this tractor you have to go in knowing that you are committing yourself to min 1hr + when that light goes on. Keep in mind that you only have 6 cancelled dpf cycles before the computer shuts the tractor down to protect itself.

On the second the DPF cycle which occurred about 5 hours after the first I had just bought a jd 550 tiller off craigslist and was stoked to give it a test run. Before I could get it hooked up the tractor started a regen...

This time it made it about 20 minutes into the cycle before the tractor turned off. It would not turn back on until a few hours later.

At this point I called the dealer and told them I'm done with it. I've been waiting about 7 days for the dealer to get word back from Kubota to give them credit so I can get into another tractor.

Bought the tractor at 170 hours. It has 280 hours. I've used it for about 40 of those hours. The rest has been the dealership in maint and hour + regen cycles.

Hoping they can get me into an L series. I'm worried that they wont be able to match me to an equivalent horsepower though. Feeling a bit cheated since I put half down in cash and a year towards to the remaining loan for a tractor thats been nothing but waste of time and money.

I'll update when I know more.

@myb3350 I hear the newer years don't have the issue but i'll keep my fingers crossed for ya.

 

[Myb3350]

2013 B3350 cab owner, I know people are getting tired of me talking good about my B3350 but so far it has been flawless, tomorrow who knows, I was happy with my B3350 until I started reading OTT, BUT if I start having problems with my B3350 I will be mad at Kubota, if they makes a piece of junk, with all the problems and will not stand behind it they will do it on any thing they make, I will not want a buy back I will want a different brand of tractor, of all the negative things I have read about the B3350 it is a disgrace for the Kubota company.

 

[spanky123]

boy i hate to jinx myself, but after my dealer had the tractor one time, it has been flawless ever since. i believe they changed out the brains. i have added at least 70 hours with i believe just one regen, while i was using it. i use the tractor year round, including blowing snow in the winter. hope the rest of you can get some resolution.

 

[drsii]

@spanky123 I hope so as well. I love the size of the b3350. Thats why I wanted it to begin with. Smaller frame and plenty of hp. I can get in and out of just about anywhere I need to with it.

 

[tempforce]

i finally got a b2650, i miss the power of the 3350. but not the regen issues.. i received my purchase price back. but there is no way kubota can return the year i wasted with the b3350... if there was a way to get a engine that is used in the b3350 without the epa garbage. i would have it in my b2650 in a heartbeat...

 

[Myb3350]

Yep leave it to the federal government and EPA to screw up a good thing

 

[Repair]

Hi folks. Been following this thread for some time, and tho't I'd join up so I could gripe along with the rest of you. Went to the local dealer in the fall of 2016, with a build sheet for a L3301, but rather than price it out for me they made me (the deal I couldn't refuse) on a B 3350 SU they had in stock. Once they delivered it to us, ($100 charge) they cut us loose and refused to do anything on it unless we brought it to them. It's been a great little tractor (but always hard starting, even if the summer) until Dec. 2017, when it refused to regen. I continued to push snow with it and tried to force regen until it quit and would not restart. It has 248 hours on the clock. I called the dealer, and was told there was nothing they could do until we brought it in. After some time I was able to borrow a rig heavy enough to haul it in, no easy task. It had been sitting for some time with the fr. loader and backhoe sitting on the ground. When I dropped it off in early Jan. 2017, the gal at the service counter said there were two others there for the same problem. A few days later they called to say they'd down loaded the ECU, and wanted to talk to me. I went in the next day, and was presented with a bill for around $250 for the diagnostic and an estimate of over $3000. for (our cost for repairs) and refused to go any further until we came up with that total. I immediately contacted Kubota Customer Service asking for help. At this point we've been to the BBB and the Attny. Gnl. and of last week it looks like it may be repaired by the middle of May. Emails from Kubota Customer Service make it sound like the work is being done thru Customer Good Will and not warranty. We've told the reps. we don't want this tractor back, and want to change models. One rep. suggested the L2501, and it looks like new owners are happy with it. Don't know what this trade is going to cost us, we've already paid in around $11000, hoping not to loose that. Thanks guys, I really needed to vent. Steve.

I'm an analyst for Cummins and I deal with DEF, DPF and regen issues often.

I bought a new L2501 because I know what problems these systems can cause, would I have liked to have more HP.....sure but 25hp has been enough and I don't miss not having the additional HP.

We use a lot of Kubota engines in our generators so I was confident in the engines but I was dismayed to find that they were using DPF and DEF on these small tractors.

I'm sorry to hear about the issues people are having but the blame goes squarely on the shoulders of the EPA.

Want to hear something scary.....Fire trucks are having the same problems and the EPA has refused to exempt them, the only good thing is that they do not shut themselves down.

 

[Daren Todd]

This has kind of baffled me. I know for a fact that at least one engine manufacturer has come out with a tier 4 diesel that does not have to regen or use def to meet the epa regulations. And this is on a 49hp engine. It does how ever have a particulate filter in the exhaust that needs to be cleaned every 2,000 hours. The cleaning process takes about an hour to remove the muffler. Clean it, and reinstall. Might have to go to the auto parts store and purchase a couple exhaust clamps if they snap off when removing the muffler.

On there bigger diesels, they use def and regen to meet the requirements.

Seems like some of these companies had some over engineering in there systems. And need to take some notes