I bought a new L-35 in 2002, at 276 hours, the clutch went out. It has a shuttle shift. Took it to a Kubota dealer for repairs, was one ( 1 ) month past warranty. Bill was $ 3500.00, but Kubota did provide clutch & pressure plate. I am the only person that runs this piece of equipment. ..was not happy after the new cost of the Kubota. Am a millwright/ machinist by trade. Clutch again went out this past fall ( 2015 ) at now 476 hours. Clutch disc still looks good but center of clutch splines completely reamed out and gone. Replaced the input shaft, cluch, pressure plate and some other smaller parts for a cost of $ 2141.00 plus labor of $ 1400.00, total cost of $ 3541. Anybody else have clutch issues with this tractor unit. Believe the imput shaft rockwell hardness is much harder than the softer center spline of the clutch...therefore the failures....material fault....just wondering...any responses would be appreciated...thank you
Kubota L-35
- Thread starter Easy52street
- Start date
I have over 1300 hrs on a 1995 L35 with original clutch. I usually only use the clutch to stop under heavy load pressure otherwise just use the shuttle shifter. Sounds like you definitely have something wrong with the tractor to go through 2 clutches in those few hours. =-(
I have the same machine, 800 hours or so.
No problems with the dry clutch but I do have a problem with the shuttle shift. This winter the machine wasn't allowed to warm all the way up and someone (not me) forced it into reverse. Well that didn't really happen but now it goes into forward easily and reverse sometimes.
I'm sure something is bent/stripped etc. The really bad thing is the L35 has no way to replace these parts except by splitting it. The L38xx at least has some access to the shuttle shift engagement "THING". I call it that because it simply rests in a slot that moves the rod that actually pushes the shifting fork into forward or reverse.
I am posting this to say I don't think the dry clutch is inherently a problem. Neither is the wet clutch pack. However that simple laying of a; for a better term, spade on a round shaft with a flat spot is a problem. If it wasn't, the newer models would not have access built into the middle case.
I have not been able to get the machine anywhere and if I am wrong and it is simply the set screw that holds the actual shifting fork to the shaft has been sheered off then splitting the tractor is silly.
Sorry for the little rant but these machines were sold as a step above to take some abuse.
I concur with the original poster, these anomalies should be a thing of a lesser beast.
Anyone experience anything like this?
No problems with the dry clutch but I do have a problem with the shuttle shift. This winter the machine wasn't allowed to warm all the way up and someone (not me) forced it into reverse. Well that didn't really happen but now it goes into forward easily and reverse sometimes.
I'm sure something is bent/stripped etc. The really bad thing is the L35 has no way to replace these parts except by splitting it. The L38xx at least has some access to the shuttle shift engagement "THING". I call it that because it simply rests in a slot that moves the rod that actually pushes the shifting fork into forward or reverse.
I am posting this to say I don't think the dry clutch is inherently a problem. Neither is the wet clutch pack. However that simple laying of a; for a better term, spade on a round shaft with a flat spot is a problem. If it wasn't, the newer models would not have access built into the middle case.
I have not been able to get the machine anywhere and if I am wrong and it is simply the set screw that holds the actual shifting fork to the shaft has been sheered off then splitting the tractor is silly.
Sorry for the little rant but these machines were sold as a step above to take some abuse.
I concur with the original poster, these anomalies should be a thing of a lesser beast.
Anyone experience anything like this?
Typically we see this repeat failure on tractors that their clutches are abused. not so much excessive slippage, but from what I have been able to gather from the tractor users was that the tractor was placed into a shock loading event. For instance, driving into a pile of gravel at some speed and getting the wheels bouncing/spinning usually in higher ranges. Also, rust can build up between the input shaft and the disc, which will also wear the two parts. Once it wears a little, the disc is now shock loading the shaft every time it's engaged and disengaged. Snowball effect, the end is near. Rust is more common in humid and/or salty areas. The bellhousing is vented to allow hot air out and cooler air back in. As another poster mentioned, really the only time the clutch is used is to stop in an oops situation. Most of the time the shuttle lever is moved back and forth to engage and disengage the hydraulic clutch packs. That is why it was called a "glide shift" transmission...smooth shifting. Really it's a very similar setup as an M series hydraulic shuttle style transmission which has been pretty stout to my surprise. There is no main clutch on those, just a set of hydraulic clutches actuated by the "clutch" pedal.
Your tractor doesn't have a lot of hours, so I'm guessing it may sit quite a bit? Just guessing.
As for the repairs themselves, the warranty statement specifically states that clutches are not warranty items. Page 6, IIRC. The other issue is the cost. The L35 is a royal pain in the backside to split and replace the clutch. The loader has to come off, and it's not a quickly detachable loader. In order for it to come off, the entire rops and canopy has to come off. Then the backhoe. Then the fenders. Lower subframe. From there it isn't too bad but it's just really labor intensive. I've done several and I can usually do them in 4 work days if I work at normal pace being careful as to where I am putting the removed nuts and bolts (hundreds of them), pins, parts, etc. I have hurried and done one in just under 3 full work days but I hate to hurry like that. Sometimes the hurry gets you forgetting a part, a part that usually is in the middle of the tractor requiring some disassembly to get to it...so the time you just saved ends up getting eaten up plus a little.
The disc is softer than the shaft. To replace it, disassembly of the transmission is required. Even more fun (and money) but you already found this out.
Yours was all done recently with the updated parts. The original part numbers are NLA. I do not know what they changed with the new parts, they don't tell me. They might be a different color paint on them, but the originals part number did change. The clutch parts are similar if not identical to an L2900/3300 but the engine has a little more power and the machine is quite a bit heavier.
On the bright side, some of the local grave diggers had bought the newer (at the time) L39's and they all say that the L35 would outdig the 39's. I don't know, I've planted people with L35's and L39's both and I can't tell a big difference, but I don't do it every day. Couple guys keep checking in with me looking for a good used L35, so there must be some demand out there for a low hour L35.
Your tractor doesn't have a lot of hours, so I'm guessing it may sit quite a bit? Just guessing.
As for the repairs themselves, the warranty statement specifically states that clutches are not warranty items. Page 6, IIRC. The other issue is the cost. The L35 is a royal pain in the backside to split and replace the clutch. The loader has to come off, and it's not a quickly detachable loader. In order for it to come off, the entire rops and canopy has to come off. Then the backhoe. Then the fenders. Lower subframe. From there it isn't too bad but it's just really labor intensive. I've done several and I can usually do them in 4 work days if I work at normal pace being careful as to where I am putting the removed nuts and bolts (hundreds of them), pins, parts, etc. I have hurried and done one in just under 3 full work days but I hate to hurry like that. Sometimes the hurry gets you forgetting a part, a part that usually is in the middle of the tractor requiring some disassembly to get to it...so the time you just saved ends up getting eaten up plus a little.
The disc is softer than the shaft. To replace it, disassembly of the transmission is required. Even more fun (and money) but you already found this out.
Yours was all done recently with the updated parts. The original part numbers are NLA. I do not know what they changed with the new parts, they don't tell me. They might be a different color paint on them, but the originals part number did change. The clutch parts are similar if not identical to an L2900/3300 but the engine has a little more power and the machine is quite a bit heavier.
On the bright side, some of the local grave diggers had bought the newer (at the time) L39's and they all say that the L35 would outdig the 39's. I don't know, I've planted people with L35's and L39's both and I can't tell a big difference, but I don't do it every day. Couple guys keep checking in with me looking for a good used L35, so there must be some demand out there for a low hour L35.