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

fried1765

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Update, I talked to a reputable kubota dealer about 3 hours away and told them exactly what happened and they said it is not normal for a one year old tractor with 150 hours on it to have a loud squealing noise when utilizing the brakes. She said the same thing I said if they take it apart to diagnose the squeaking noise with the brakes, most likely, they will see the issue with the popping noise. Really nice lady unlike the other half a dozen Kabota dealerships I talk to she told me that you can run the tractor 24 hours a day seven days a week for a year and the brakes still should not be making a squealing noise. She told me that she will have no issue getting the tractor repaired under warranty.
Do you have a capable trailer?
 

Rdrett

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This forum would not let me upload the video so here is a link to the YouTube video.
Now instead of making one loud popping noise it makes multiple loud popping sound, just like a stripped out gear.
I was afraid to take it down the big hill so I took it down the little hill next to my driveway.
 
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Rdrett

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Do you have a capable trailer?
Lucky I do, I spent 10 hours so far pulling the tractor all the way across the state of Kentucky trying to get a my new tractor covered under warranty and I still have a 3 hour drive tomorrow morning to take it to the only kubota dealership in Kentucky who apparently has any common sense. Another 3 hours to pick it up when they are done. All said and done it will be 16 hours of hauling this pile of junk around and several hundred of dollars in gas.
 

whitetiger

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Have you drained out a little hydraulic fluid from each of the final drive drain plugs to see if there is water in the oil? Water in the hydraulic fluid can cause the brakes to chatter, pop, and squeal.
What have you added for hydraulic fluid?
 

Rdrett

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Have you drained out a little hydraulic fluid from each of the final drive drain plugs to see if there is water in the oil? Water in the hydraulic fluid can cause the brakes to chatter, pop, and squeal.
What have you added for hydraulic fluid?
No I haven’t, I suggested to the last dealer to drain and check for metal shaving but they refused. the tractor only has 150 hours on it. I added a little bit of UDT2 after changing the filter for the 50 hour service.
 

Kubota Newbie

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Just hook it to a pole somewhere with a chain and put it under load on level ground. If it is a gear issue it will show up on level ground under a load just the same as on your hill. If it spins the wheels without grinding or popping it's probably related to the brakes as noted.
 
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Rdrett

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Just hook it to a pole somewhere with a chain and put it under load on level ground. If it is a gear issue it will show up on level ground under a load just the same as on your hill. If it spins the wheels without grinding or popping it's probably related to the brakes as noted.
That was a great ideal, I wish I would have tried that before dropping it off at the second dealer.
 

fried1765

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Just hook it to a pole somewhere with a chain and put it under load on level ground. If it is a gear issue it will show up on level ground under a load just the same as on your hill. If it spins the wheels without grinding or popping it's probably related to the brakes as noted.
Excellent idea!
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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No need to break it further to get it fixed properly!
And I'll bet all of the issues are brake disk related.
 

Rdrett

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No need to break it further to get it fixed properly!
And I'll bet all of the issues are brake disk related.
When it was making a single popping noise, I split the brakes and no matter if I used the left or right brake it still popped, I figured that eliminated the brakes unless both failed at the same exact time.
 
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lugbolt

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If you operate a motor vehicle and have a mechanical failure that leads to an accident, that isn’t insurance fraud it is an accident. I am just advising that if my new tractor with 150 hours on it has a mechanical failure there is a good chance that if I can’t stop it it most likely WILL go over one of several 100 foot rock cliffs on my property, that isn’t insurance fraud that is an accident caused by a mechanical failure that should of been properly repaired under warranty. That would be an accident which I paid $6,000 to protect myself from. I am not going to jump off the tractor and attempt to stop it bare handed. I will watch it go over the cliff and laugh as it hits the ground. A mechanical failure that leads to damage to the machine by definition would be considered an accident.

mechanical failures aren't accidents. They are mechanical failures. KTAC looks at this stuff and I've seen them deny mechanical failures quite a few times. and there are other people who watch this forum. So stating several times that it might go off a cliff, could be construed differently by certain people who watch these forums.

I mean, I'm not in the business anymore, and have nothing whatsoever to do with the business but I did spend 30 years doing it, and saw a lot. Certainly not everything but a lot. Just be careful.
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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When it was making a single popping noise, I split the brakes and no matter if I used the left or right brake it still popped, I figured that eliminated the brakes unless both failed at the same exact time.

Edit sorry double posted
Yea I think there is damage to both the brake lining sets, but I'll be curious what they find out.

I don't think it was a manufacturing defect as much it is a part failure.
Why it happened I couldn't tell ya, mechanical things break all the time for the oddest reason.
 

Rdrett

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mechanical failures aren't accidents. They are mechanical failures. KTAC looks at this stuff and I've seen them deny mechanical failures quite a few times. and there are other people who watch this forum. So stating several times that it might go off a cliff, could be construed differently by certain people who watch these forums.

I mean, I'm not in the business anymore, and have nothing whatsoever to do with the business but I did spend 30 years doing it, and saw a lot. Certainly not everything but a lot. Just be careful.
If you are driving down the road in a pickup truck and you have a mechanical failure (loss of brakes) That in itself isn’t an accident, the accident happens when you hit something because you can’t stop the vehicle.

Did you watch the video I posted? My tractor has a major manufacturer defect of a major safety component that went from making one single loud popping noise when the brakes are applied to now making a dozen loud popping noises when the brakes are applied.

If I continued to operate the tractor with a mechanical failure of a major safety component like kubota and the dealership told me to do what do you think is going to happen when I have complete mechanical failure? If I was operating the tractor on perfectly flat land most likely an accident would not happen if complete failure occurred. Unfortunately I am operating the tractor on top of a mountain.

The brakes have not worked properly since day one, My new kubota L4701 has almost crushed me to death already once, luckily my mother was there watching my back or I would of been crushed by the tractor.
The tractor was running with the HST pedal in the neutral position and the parking brake set when it started rolling down the hill and almost crushed me between the tractor and a shipping container.

My L4701 or my old L2501 both will roll on a hill with the HST pedal in the neutral position. Is that a separate mechanical failure?

Operating a tractor with a manufacturer defect of a major safety component failing isn’t a “might go over a 100 foot cliff“ I am saying that it WILL go over a 100 foot rock cliff if I experience a total loss of brakes or the rear tires free wheel when whatever is making that popping noise completely fails.

Exactly like a sky diver, if a sky diver says (if my chute has a failure and doesn’t open up I am going to hit the ground and will die) that is a fact he would be stating that would be 100% accurate. All I am stating is fact, if I have total brake failure operating the tractor on a mountain with a 100 foot rock cliff on the bottom and experience total brake failure it will definitely be going over a 100 foot rock cliff. The mechanical failure itself isn’t an accident, the accident occurs after the mechanical failure when it goes over the cliff because you lose control of the vehicle from the mechanical failure.

I am willing to bet my farm that if I continued to operate that brand new defective kubota L4701 and complete mechanical failure occurred of whatever is making that loud popping noises something bad is going to happen. Luckily I paid $6,000 for KTAC insurance to protect myself from whatever accident would occur after the complete mechanic failure.

If you are flying an airplane and have a mechanical failure (engine dies) that itself is not an accident the accident occurs when you hit the ground.
 

Joisey

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No expert by any means, but that noise sounds like your brakes. If it were gearing, you would get the grind/chatter when you initially start UP the slope, which never happened. I understand what you said about the parking brake on your tractor. My new L47 was parked nose uphill with the parking brake set and engine off. I was talking to my neighbor when he asked why I parked my tractor so close to the ravine drop off (40 feet drop or more, rock walls and bottom). I ran for the tractor and drove it uphill with no problem. The parking brake was set hard when I parked it, and within 30 to 40 minutes it had crept about 40 feet. I informed Kubota when they sent me the customer satisfaction form and have heard nothing in about a month.

I wonder if the factory put two steel or two friction discs next to one another. That would surely cause that noise, among other causes.
 

Rdrett

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No expert by any means, but that noise sounds like your brakes. If it were gearing, you would get the grind/chatter when you initially start UP the slope, which never happened. I understand what you said about the parking brake on your tractor. My new L47 was parked nose uphill with the parking brake set and engine off. I was talking to my neighbor when he asked why I parked my tractor so close to the ravine drop off (40 feet drop or more, rock walls and bottom). I ran for the tractor and drove it uphill with no problem. The parking brake was set hard when I parked it, and within 30 to 40 minutes it had crept about 40 feet. I informed Kubota when they sent me the customer satisfaction form and have heard nothing in about a month.

I wonder if the factory put two steel or two friction discs next to one another. That would surely cause that noise, among other causes.
Be carefu, these kubota tractor brakes are dangerous.
 

Rdrett

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I tried to buy another kubota mx6000, la1065 loader, backhoe sub frame kit and 3rd function kit. Found 3 dealers who initially said they have everything but the subframe kit in stock and all was supposed to return my call to let me know how long to get the subframe kit but only messicks returned my my call. I am going to buy another tractor and sell the L4701 if they don’t fix it this time I will send it to auction. I was going to buy a new John deere but they do not `have a skid steer quick attach so I can’t use my grapple, pallet for or any other of my loader implements.
I think I am going to go with an industrial grade backhoe, thinking about case..
Does anyone have any recommendations for a good commercial backhoe?
Does anyone make a backhoe with a 3 point hit has an option?
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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You 1000% do NOT want a 3 point BH.
You think you have problems now, get a three point BH, and you'll have a ton more!

Why don't you look at a L47 or M62, they are both commercial grade TLB's?

FYI: There is very little comparison between the L47 and the L4701.
 

fried1765

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You 1000% do NOT want a 3 point BH.
You think you have problems now, get a three point BH, and you'll have a ton more!

Why don't you look at a L47 or M62, they are both commercial grade TLB's?

FYI: There is very little comparison between the L47 and the L4701.
"There is very little comparison between the L47 and the L4701"
Well.......the numbers are..... kinda similar.:ROFLMAO:
 
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Rdrett

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You 1000% do NOT want a 3 point BH.
You think you have problems now, get a three point BH, and you'll have a ton more!

Why don't you look at a L47 or M62, they are both commercial grade TLB's?

FYI: There is very little comparison between the L47 and the L4701.
I checked out the L47 and it has a 3 point kit available, does anyone know if you have to remove the 3 point arms off the L47 when the backhoe is installed, difficult to take the backhoe off the L47 or is it as easy as the L4701?
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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I checked out the L47 and it has a 3 point kit available, does anyone know if you have to remove the 3 point arms off the L47 when the backhoe is installed, difficult to take the backhoe off the L47 or is it as easy as the L4701?
Sorry I miss understood what you where asking for.
I thought you wanted a three point mounted BH, not the ability to run three point implements.

Yes I do believe you have to remove the three point arms when you attach the BH.