B3350 dpf issues

[Repair]

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

The way the company - Mahindra - is doing it is by running the engines "hot" all of the time, we will see how this holds up long term.

That solution was rejected by all of the other engine manufacturers because of the long term effects on the engines.

I don't know exactly how the DPF system's computer controls the Kubota's after treatment but I will tell you that I have seen an after treatment system that had the DPF internal filter removed and the computer could not tell because the system basically is looking at the readings from the differential pressure sensors, when the computer sees a difference in the readings from the pre-DPF sensor to the after-DPF sensor it knows that the DPF is starting to clog up and needs a regeneration.....if it never sees a difference it never tries to do it.

This is not a recommendation to do it just letting you know what I have seen.

 

[Daren Todd]

The 49 hp was on a new Deutz. I can tell you that they didn't run it much hotter then some tier 3 engines I have in the fleet. The tier 4 Deutz under a load runs around 190 to 200 degrees. The mechanically governed John Deere 4024 under a load has normal operating temps of 220 degrees. The air cooled Deutz engines can range from 220 to 230 degrees under heavy load and will last for decades with out major issues.

I think the biggest thing they need to do, is if running higher engine temps, then oil pressure needs to be increased, with larger oil capacity to allow for greater heat dissipation.

 

[sheepfarmer]

My soapbox thing is that there is plenty of responsibility to go around. Don't blame the EPA without blaming the Congress too, and the final responsibility lies with the manufacturer to come up with a workable solution. The EPA says we need lower emissions, you have 15 years to figure it out.

Something or several things have gone wrong with the design of the B3350. I agree and sympathize with drsii, you buy a tractor to use. A regen of an hour every 5 is not acceptable.

On the other hand, I have had very good luck with the L3560. I hope it comtinues, I've had it for almost 3 years.On paper 2 more hp, but totally different engine design. It regenerated yesterday, took 10 min, I knew it was coming up because of the bar graph hovering around 98% for several days, and so I pushed it into regen by finding something to do at idle. It regens every 25 or 30 hrs, about 3 or 4 times a year, and so it isn't really a burden. If I had had mowing to do I could have knocked off 15% and put the regen off for a couple of weeks. The average fuel consumption is 0.4 gal per hour, don't know how that would compare with a non dpf engine.

Repair, for at least some of the Kubotas the computer also monitors fuel usage to decide when a regen is due (in addition to monitoring pressure across the dpf filter.)

 

[Repair]

The 49 hp was on a new Deutz. I can tell you that they didn't run it much hotter then some tier 3 engines I have in the fleet. The tier 4 Deutz under a load runs around 190 to 200 degrees. The mechanically governed John Deere 4024 under a load has normal operating temps of 220 degrees. The air cooled Deutz engines can range from 220 to 230 degrees under heavy load and will last for decades with out major issues.

I think the biggest thing they need to do, is if running higher engine temps, then oil pressure needs to be increased, with larger oil capacity to allow for greater heat dissipation.

I'm wasn't talking about the coolant temperature of the engine, I was talking about the exhaust temp......I should have been more clear.

 

[Repair]

Repair, for at least some of the Kubotas the computer also monitors fuel usage to decide when a regen is due (in addition to monitoring pressure across the dpf filter.)

Thanks, I know how Cummins controls their after treatment but I was just guessing on Kubota.

 

[Myb3350]

My soapbox thing is that there is plenty of responsibility to go around. Don't blame the EPA without blaming the Congress too, and the final responsibility lies with the manufacturer to come up with a workable solution. The EPA says we need lower emissions, you have 15 years to figure it out.

Something or several things have gone wrong with the design of the B3350. I agree and sympathize with drsii, you buy a tractor to use. A regen of an hour every 5 is not acceptable.

On the other hand, I have had very good luck with the L3560. I hope it comtinues, I've had it for almost 3 years.On paper 2 more hp, but totally different engine design. It regenerated yesterday, took 10 min, I knew it was coming up because of the bar graph hovering around 98% for several days, and so I pushed it into regen by finding something to do at idle. It regens every 25 or 30 hrs, about 3 or 4 times a year, and so it isn't really a burden. If I had had mowing to do I could have knocked off 15% and put the regen off for a couple of weeks. The average fuel consumption is 0.4 gal per hour, don't know how that would compare with a non dpf engine.

Repair, for at least some of the Kubotas the computer also monitors fuel usage to decide when a regen is due (in addition to monitoring pressure across the dpf filter.)

I agree with you sheepfarmer, the Federal government which is the Congress and the EPA , why DEP on a small Farm tractor? but 15 years is a long time for Kubota to come up with a better system than they have on the B3350, my B3350 is working good but I feel for all the guys having problem, be honest I blame both federal government and Kubota .

 

[drsii]

Thanks @sheepfarmer. Thats good to hear on the l3560. I wouldn't mind that at all. I'm torn at the fact that I know my options will likely be a b2560 or an L series. But I'm also not looking forward to having to pay the difference just to get the HP I need around the property. I had planned to do A lot of earth moving with my b3350 and I have rocky ground.

My biggest issue now is just trying to get Kubota to respond to the dealer. It's been 10 days since the dealer started working the process with Kubota but found out last Friday they haven't been returning their calls.

So I'm currently sitting here... during spring time, with a vacation week coming up that i'll likely not be able to enjoy. /endrant

 

[drsii]

My dealer made good and set me up in an L3301. I'm very happy to have a working tractor.

However over the past weeks i've decided I need to do full write up on this issue. Especially on how Kubota corporate handled this situation so poorly. I don't think this is the place for names and such but I'm perfectly fine with giving a full account of what I experienced and how they treated me and my dealer.

I'd like to thank everyone that helped give advice during this ordeal and I can only hope that when I write that blog that it will save others the trouble. I can't imagine how many b3350 owners out there who have not hit the hours to experience the issues or might still be buying these tractors. Hopefully we've reduced that number with our threads. One thing is for sure. Kubota Corporate isn't making any effort.

 

[Myb3350]

So far my B3350 is great best tractor I have ever owned.

 

[D2Cat]

Myb3350. maybe you ought to buy at least one lottery ticket. You won't need any more because everything turns out so good.

 

[eserv]

Thanks, I know how Cummins controls their after treatment but I was just guessing on Kubota.

Kubota techs claim they monitor fuel usage but I'm questioning whether they do or not! We have a customer with a svl90-2 who got fed up with regens and took his dpf apart and drilled holes through it. He has almost 800 hours since and claims the machine runs better and hasn't called for a regen yet. In one of Kubota's online courses (for dealer personnel) they do say the computer looks for no differential pressure at startup then some differential pressure once running so that might create a problem if the dpf was completely removed, but I have run the svl's for a few hours with the hoses off the differential pressure switch and haven't seen a code. ( I did it on a tradein just to see what would happen)

 

[drsii]

So I read up on that very same thing. I'm a software engineer by trade and contemplated making some changes if I ended up stuck with the 3350.

But then you get into the whole JD situation of which I'm unsure if Kubota follows the same practice. The practice of preventing owners from modifying the computer code of their tractors to fix, tune their own tractors.

 

[Myb3350]

SO FAR tomorrow I may hate it but TODAY it is perfect, but if the B3350 is that bad then Kubota is a sorry company they made the tractor

 

[jreitz]

Has this issue been fixed with the B3350? I'm considering purchasing a new one, but now I'm not so sure. Also seems odd that all posts stopped after May 2017 on this topic.

 

[dirtydeed]

supposed to be a new engine design coming out for the 3350. I would wait for that for sure if you only interested in the 3350. I would not buy one now....that is if you could even find a dealer willing to sell you one.

When I was looking, 3 dealers refused to sell me one...and they all had them sitting there on their lots. That said enough for me.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Has this issue been fixed with the B3350? I'm considering purchasing a new one, but now I'm not so sure. Also seems odd that all posts stopped after May 2017 on this topic.

There are some on here that keep having to send their B3350's in for service still to this day.

Some B3350's have been at the dealer more then with the owners, that's sad!

 

[SDT]

There are some on here that keep having to send their B3350's in for service still to this day.

Some B3350's have been at the dealer more then with the owners, that's sad!

The jury is still out and the issues are not resolved.

My 3350 has been at the dealer for DPF shut down issues for almost eight weeks now. It has 32 hours on it about ten of which is actual time that I have used it.

Neither dealer nor Kubota knows what is wrong, and it hasn't been touched for ten days now.

SDT

 

[SDT]

Has this issue been fixed with the B3350? I'm considering purchasing a new one, but now I'm not so sure. Also seems odd that all posts stopped after May 2017 on this topic.

Ii would not recommend buying a 3350 at this time.

If the 2650 does not have enough HP (for me, it doesn't) wait for the replacement.

SDT

 

[dirtydeed]

The jury is still out and the issues are not resolved.

My 3350 has been at the dealer for DPF shut down issues for almost eight weeks now. It has 32 hours on it about ten of which is actual time that I have used it.

Neither dealer nor Kubota knows what is wrong, and it hasn't been touched for ten days now.

SDT

That really blows. I had heard initially that the southerners with 3350's have had better luck.

Hope they get you fixed up soon or allow you to trade it out for something else if that's what you wanted to do.

 

[bumper]

I have almost 700 hours on my Nov 2013 B3350.

Re-gens are 10 to 13 hours apart depending on how I'm running it - hard is better.

It's been to the dealer twice for updates, last time about 3 years ago.

Runs fine, but I sure wish it didn't have the DPF.