Kubota L4701 150 hours rear end stripped gear popping noise. NOW WITH VIDEO

[Henro]

‘After they are done I am going to back it down the hill and hit the brakes before I take it home even tho the technician said I should not be doing that.

You may have stated the reason in the previous post, but I don’t remember. Why would the tech say that?

Backing down a hill and hitting the brakes shouldn’t be out of the ordinary. Was he saying that you shouldn’t apply the brakes when you’re also applying the directional pedal to move downhill?

Actually, given the issue, I would think they would want to do that as part of the test/troubleshooting process.

 

[RCW]

@Rdrett - are you backing the tractor with the HST pedal and braking at the same time down the steep grade?

Not sure makes any difference at all; many folks here on OTT have driven their tractors with the parking brake on.

Just trying to get the scenario correct in my own head.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

You can get a John Deere with SSQA, so don't let that stop you.

 

[Russell King]

Perhaps the suggestion made is to use the hydrostatic pedal to move from backwards motion to forwards motion even on a slope and not use the brakes?

I don’t know if this is practical or if there is a free running position between the forward and reverse position of the pedal.

 

[Henro]

Perhaps the suggestion made is to use the hydrostatic pedal to move from backwards motion to forwards motion even on a slope and not use the brakes?

I don’t know if this is practical or if there is a free running position between the forward and reverse position of the pedal.

But that should not be necessary. The symptoms the OP is experiencing are certainly not normal. Avoiding using the brakes, which actually I don’t use very often either, should not be required.

Actually, I’m not sure I ever used the brakes to stop or slow myself on a slope. I only use the brake to hold the tractor in position if I’m on a slope or even on the level when I feel the need.

edit: I should add. I’m also sure that I forget when I actually set the brakes and I frequently run through the brakes for a short period of time before I realize that I didn’t release the brakes. This is on both my tractors. It’s a weakness I have, and I realize it but I’ve never experienced any issues from it in 20 years now on both tractors.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Perhaps the suggestion made is to use the hydrostatic pedal to move from backwards motion to forwards motion even on a slope and not use the brakes?

I don’t know if this is practical or if there is a free running position between the forward and reverse position of the pedal.

I am a little baffled / confused / intrigued why the brakes are being used at all, but hey that's just my logical side thinking.

 

[Henro]

I am a little baffled / confused / intrigued why the brakes are being used at all, but hey that's just my logical side thinking.

I think many of us feel that way, but at the end of the day, if the symptoms are as described by the OP, that certainly isn’t a normal situation, and should be fixed on a basically new tractor.

 

[fried1765]

I am a little baffled / confused / intrigued why the brakes are being used at all, but hey that's just my logical side thinking.

Agreed!

 

[GrizBota]

Agreed!

I’ll be interested in the final resolution of the OP’s issue. A 150 hr tractor should, well, work like a new tractor. My 600 hour, 16 year old tractor works and looks like a new tractor.

Challenging the validity of the OP’s concern is sort of like telling the guy with a newer tractor that waited 2 years to use the 3rd function, only to find out it doesn’t work “What’s it matter, you don’t use it anyhow?” Or asking the same “question” to a person that found out their 4WD doesn’t work, but they rarely use it.

But I don’t see that happen on this site, with any regularity, rather folks jump in and typically help the person resolve the concern. One on many reasons this is a good site and has a different “feel” than some of the vehicle sites that support cockadoodledo (attention seeking) responses.

Folks come here for all sorts of reasons. The OP blew off some steam early on. It happens, not everyone deals with frustration in the same manner.

I appreciate the OP has continued to keep us informed as to the situation. Who knows, once resolution is reached, we might learn something and in a year from now a new person has the same concern, we will be able to point them the right direction. Learning from the experience of others that share it is a pretty cheap lesson for the student.

 

[Rdrett]

I am a little baffled / confused / intrigued why the brakes are being used at all, but hey that's just my logical side thinking.

I use the brakes to stop the tractor from rolling down the hill. If I let off the HST pedal with the tractor on a hill it will roll down the hill. My L2501 also did that, the brand new L2502 the dealer took on a hill to prove to me that I don’t need to use the brakes also started rolling down the hill, it doesn’t even need to be a big hill, the bigger the hill the faster it will creep down the hill.

My L4701 wont even stay still on the hill with the parking brake set.
If I stop the tractor on the hill, using the brake because that is the ONLY way to come to a complete stop on the hill, leave the tractor running and sit the parking brake as hard as I can the tractor will STILL roll down the hill. The ONLY way I can stop the tractor from rolling down the hill is to put the bucket on the ground.

That is what I have been saying this whole time, the brakes on my L4701 have not worked properly since day one.

Another OTT member who also works his kubota tractor on a hill posted a couple pages back that his parking brake was set hard and his tractor ended up also rolling down the hill.

Can anyone please post a video of there HST tractor on a hill and the tractor doesn’t roll?
The only flat spots on my 16.5 acre farm that is flat is the driveway which was cut out the side of the mountain, which goes all the way back to the pond. And the lower driveway which was also cut out of the side of the mountain and goes all the way back to the pond dam.
if I am on my upper or lower drive which are completely flat and release the HST pedal the tractor comes to a stop pretty quickly and I don’t need to use the brakes.

If I am going up the hill in the forward direction and release the HST pedal and leave it in the neutral position. It will come to a stop and then start rolling backwards.

If I am backing down the hill at a very slow pace (slower than walking speed) release the HST pedal, the tractor will slow down but take 20-30 feet to do so and then continue down the hill at a slow creep.

Anyone who wants to prove me wrong is more than welcome to come down to my farm in McKee Kentucky and show me.
If the are really confident in their tractor they would allow me to back down the hill at a walking pace with their tractor, release the HST pedal, after 20-30 foot when the tractor slows to a creep allow me to jump off and sit down with me and have a beer while we watch their tractor slowly creep off the cliff.

Anyone who is super confident can bring 60 stacks down to the farm and I will more that happy to show them with my tractor.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I use the brakes to stop the tractor from rolling down the hill. If I let off the HST pedal with the tractor on a hill it will roll down the hill. My L2501 also did that, the brand new L2502 the dealer took on a hill to prove to me that I don’t need to use the brakes also started rolling down the hill, it doesn’t even need to be a big hill, the bigger the hill the faster it will creep down the hill.

My L4701 wont even stay still on the hill with the parking brake set.
If I stop the tractor on the hill, using the brake because that is the ONLY way to come to a complete stop on the hill, leave the tractor running and sit the parking brake as hard as I can the tractor will STILL roll down the hill. The ONLY way I can stop the tractor from rolling down the hill is to put the bucket on the ground.

That is what I have been saying this whole time, the brakes on my L4701 have not worked properly since day one.

Another OTT member who also works his kubota tractor on a hill posted a couple pages back that his parking brake was set hard and his tractor ended up also rolling down the hill.

Can anyone please post a video of there HST tractor on a hill and the tractor doesn’t roll?
The only flat spots on my 16.5 acre farm that is flat is the driveway which was cut out the side of the mountain, which goes all the way back to the pond. And the lower driveway which was also cut out of the side of the mountain and goes all the way back to the pond dam.
if I am on my upper or lower drive which are completely flat and release the HST pedal the tractor comes to a stop pretty quickly and I don’t need to use the brakes.

If I am going up the hill in the forward direction and release the HST pedal and leave it in the neutral position. It will come to a stop and then start rolling backwards.

If I am backing down the hill at a very slow pace (slower than walking speed) release the HST pedal, the tractor will slow down but take 20-30 feet to do so and then continue down the hill at a slow creep.

Anyone who wants to prove me wrong is more than welcome to come down to my farm in McKee Kentucky and show me.
If the are really confident in their tractor they would allow me to back down the hill at a walking pace with their tractor, release the HST pedal, after 20-30 foot when the tractor slows to a creep allow me to jump off and sit down with me and have a beer while we watch their tractor slowly creep off the cliff.

Anyone who is super confident can bring 60 stacks down to the farm and I will more that happy to show them with my tractor.

The more you post the more it's pointing to a brake issue.
Also the more you post the more we get the Paul Harvey "now for the rest of the story".

Normally operation of an HST tractor is to use the HST pedal to control all movement, And yes I live in the mountains so I know how it works.

Even with a GST tractor I rarely us my brakes even on the side of a mountain with my 100 foot drop off.

 

[Rdrett]

Perhaps the suggestion made is to use the hydrostatic pedal to move from backwards motion to forwards motion even on a slope and not use the brakes?

I don’t know if this is practical or if there is a free running position between the forward and reverse position of the pedal.

He demonstrated it for me.
‘This is what he told me and showed me what to do.

Back down the hill, release the HST pedal, wait for the tractor to come to a creep

when the tractor starts creeping down the hill you push he HST pedal forward and creep 2 inches forward, release the HST pedal, then when you start creeping backwards again down the hill you do so for a few inches then push the HST pedal forward and creep forward a few inches

Repeating the steps to keep the tractor “in position”.

I would rather just push the brakes and hold the tractor in position on the hill because that is what I have done for 5 years with my L2501. Probably just a bad habit from owning a tractor that the brakes actually worked properly.

 

[Rdrett]

The more you post the more it's pointing to a brake issue.
Also the more you post the more we get the Paul Harvey "now for the rest of the story".

Normally operation of an HST tractor is to use the HST pedal to control all movement, And yes I live in the mountains so I know how it works.

Even with a GST tractor I rarely us my brakes even on the side of a mountain with my 100 foot drop off.

Do you ever come to a complete stop on a hill? If so how do you keep your tractor from creeping down the hill?

 

[Russell King]

He demonstrated it for me.
‘This is what he told me and showed me what to do.

Back down the hill, release the HST pedal, wait for the tractor to come to a creep

when the tractor starts creeping down the hill you push he HST pedal forward and creep 2 inches forward, release the HST pedal, then when you start creeping backwards again down the hill you do so for a few inches then push the HST pedal forward and creep forward a few inches

Repeating the steps to keep the tractor “in position”.

I would rather just push the brakes and hold the tractor in position on the hill because that is what I have done for 5 years with my L2501. Probably just a bad habit from owning a tractor that the brakes actually worked properly.

Thank you for clarifying what the suggestion was.

I think I would use a combination of the suggestion and using brakes. Use the hydrostatic pedal to get stop and move slightly uphill and then use the brake pedal to hold the position.

 

[Rdrett]

@Rdrett - are you backing the tractor with the HST pedal and braking at the same time down the steep grade?

Not sure makes any difference at all; many folks here on OTT have driven their tractors with the parking brake on.

Just trying to get the scenario correct in my own head.

No I release the HST pedal leaving it in the neutral position and when I want the tractor to come to a complete stop I push the brake.
When this noise first happened I was backing down the hill very slowly, 1/2 walking speed. Seen a pretty big branch on the trail and hit the brakes to bring the tractor to a stop when I heard one really loud pop, both rear tires jerked. after the first pop is when the brakes started squeaking.

 

[Rdrett]

You may have stated the reason in the previous post, but I don’t remember. Why would the tech say that?

Backing down a hill and hitting the brakes shouldn’t be out of the ordinary. Was he saying that you shouldn’t apply the brakes when you’re also applying the directional pedal to move downhill?

Actually, given the issue, I would think they would want to do that as part of the test/troubleshooting process.

He said that I should only use the brake as a parking brake.
No he said I should never use them, only to park.

 

[cthomas]

I do feel your frustration with the dealership and brakes as I had to take mine in 3 times under warranty to get the parking brake to hold the tractor on a hill. I also use the brakes on my tractor as it is just want I want to be used to. Hopefully the dealership will resolve the issue as I have been on the wrong end as a tech trying to resolve the customer concern that other techs/dealers have sent problems to me. Usually my issues are XM radio, Bluetooth, Apple car play, or auto android. So not a safety concern just annoying.

 

[Rdrett]

I do feel your frustration with the dealership and brakes as I had to take mine in 3 times under warranty to get the parking brake to hold the tractor on a hill. I also use the brakes on my tractor as it is just want I want to be used to. Hopefully the dealership will resolve the issue as I have been on the wrong end as a tech trying to resolve the customer concern that other techs/dealers have sent problems to me. Usually my issues are XM radio, Bluetooth, Apple car play, or auto android. So not a safety concern just annoying.

Wow thank you for a help post. Do you know what they did to solve the problem with your tractor?

 

[GrizBota]

He said that I should only use the brake as a parking brake.
No he said I should never use them, only to park.

Gosh, now that the brakes are on the left side, and a person doesn’t need two right feet any more to use cutting brakes on a HST Kubota, I wonder how the sales guy figures cutting brakes would ever be used? Or is he full of manure? He must be the type that puts his car in park at every stop light, since you know the brakes aren’t intended to hold the vehicle in place (or maybe only his Kubotas are like that?).

 

[PaulL]

I don't think we're getting the full story.

If the general theme here online is similar to how the OP conducts himself when talking to the dealers, I'm not surprised they duck the warranty service. Because he sounds super high maintenance, any dealer would have a decent go at saying "how about you go somewhere else." Once you have his tractor apart you'll have to see it all the way through.

Yes, I hear the stories about how the mechanic told him not to use the brakes. I find that unlikely. Brakes are brakes. So I expect he told him not to use the brakes for things that people don't normally use the brakes on a tractor for, not to not use them at all. As others have said, we're only getting one side of the story. Yes, there are plenty of incompetent tractor mechanics. Yes, they may have said unusual things. But they may also have been trying to deal with a customer who is somewhat difficult and not listening, and trying to put words in their mouth.

As I said way up thread, he's had offers (including from his original dealer) to dismantle and assess, with the usual caveat that if it turns out not to be a warranty issue he'll need to pay. That's standard in any warranty claim. For whatever reason he said no to the first few dealers, and is now saying yes to a dealer a substantial way away from home. I'm guessing too many burned bridges at dealers closer to home.

Yes, a dealer is obligated to do warranty work. But with the half-assed descriptions, how do they know it's warranty work? Plenty of ways to duck customers you don't want.