M5040D Tractor step broke causing serious injuries August 18, 2020

[Crawdaddy2008]

MD50404 tractor was recalled in 2010 for step breaking. The "fix" was a brace underneath the step. This brace does not prevent step from breaking sideways. See the attached files. I notified Kubota about this and they did nothing. Since my injuries from this are very serious, I have now notified government at SaferProducts.gov. I am issuing this warning to all my tractor loving friends to prevent this from happening to them.

 

[torch]

Wow. That's quite a bend. Did it hit something after it broke, or broke after it hit something?

Get well soon.

 

[bernhardine]

I guess it didn't break during regular use!

 

[mcfarmall]

Looks like you tried pushing a stump out with that step and the stump won! This begs the question, "How strong should a step like this be?" Should it be designed to withstand the same amount of force as the FEL or drawbar? Should it be strong enough for a 250 lb human, a 350 lb human, a 550 lb human?

 

[chim]

Sure looks like it was used for a bumper rather than a step

 

[SidecarFlip]

Sure does and Kubota does have a step reinforcement kit. I have one on my M9000 open station. Don't have the part number handy but it's a wholegoods part. It bolts to the step arm and to the tractor frame. For overweight farmers, like me.....lol

Sure looks to me like that step was used for something other than what it was designed for.

 

[whitetiger]

MD50404 tractor was recalled in 2010 for step breaking. The "fix" was a brace underneath the step. This brace does not prevent step from breaking sideways. See the attached files. I notified Kubota about this and they did nothing. Since my injuries from this are very serious, I have now notified government at SaferProducts.gov. I am issuing this warning to all my tractor loving friends to prevent this from happening to them.

Why didn't you replace the bent/broken step when you ran into something, damaged your fuel tank cover, and dented the tank? The break looks to be rusty, so it didn't just happen.
Sorry, but this one is on you.

 

[D2Cat]

MD50404 tractor was recalled in 2010 for step breaking. The "fix" was a brace underneath the step. This brace does not prevent step from breaking sideways. See the attached files. I notified Kubota about this and they did nothing. Since my injuries from this are very serious, I have now notified government at SaferProducts.gov. I am issuing this warning to all my tractor loving friends to prevent this from happening to them.

I appreciate the photos. I am curious about your injuries and how they occurred. How did the step get bent? Do you know the safety recall information?

I did some digging online and found this. "I bought a used 2008 Kubota M5040 and emailed Kubota to see about how to check to see if my tractor had the fix or not. They replied they knew of no recalls for a step problem on a M5040. Does anyone have the recall name or #? Thanks."

 

[Omega123]

Still trying to figure out why this is Kubotas problem? A step is designed for down pressure and yours is bent from lateral. That is a step not a ram.

 

[Cathy Liebchen]

Looks bent from user error; what’s broken?

 

[NCL4701]

Had a similar defect on my dad’s old open station Ford back when I was about 15. We were cutting a 90’ tree beside a power line pulling with a 100’ rope to make sure it went the right way. Knew it was kind of close so we had tension on the rope but tractor was unoccupied with brakes locked, engine off, and tranny in first gear. Tree went the right way but right after it landed we suddenly realized two things: 1) the tree was more like 115’; 2) that danged old tractor had a defective fender and steering wheel.

We knew Ford was too sorry to stand behind their products so we took off the fender and steering wheel and pretty much just whaled on them with a sledge hammer until they were straight enough to not rub on anything important. That’s probably why Ford doesn’t make tractors any more. Defective products they wouldn’t back up.

 

[GeoHorn]

I had to ponder your username for awhile to make certain you weren’t an associate of mine, as your story started-out almost identical to my own experience with my little Ford... We were cutting down an elm tree which stood a good chance of falling on my house due to a strong wind, so we parked the tractor so that it took a good strain on a rope to pull it away from the house as we cut it down.
It worked out almost exactly as we’d hoped... the tree fell away from the house... and did not land on the little Ford... (that’s the point in your story when I realized you weren’t my acquaintance masquerading as NCL4701)... because the tree completely ignored the tractor and headed directly for my garden cyclone-fence and wiped out the top-most galvanized longeron.
Fortunately, Lowe’s sells the fencing-pipe as individual parts, but as you likely suspect... they refused any allowance and charged me full price. As the result, I buy most of my fencing now at Home Depot.

 

[Tx Jim]

Sure looks like it was used for a bumper rather than a step

Ditto it appears step contacted a fixed object similar to a rock or tree stump.

About 6 months back I was exiting my M7040 cab when my knee buckled as I stepped on top step. I ended up with a black eye!! The ground sure seems "HARDER" than it did when I was a lot younger.

 

[fruitcakesa]

2 winters ago while plowing the deep snow around my log pile, I was paying too much attention to the plow blade and got too close to the log pile.
As I passed by the pile I first heard, then felt contact with the logs.
I stopped in time to avoid bending the step back as far as the OP but it did accordion the right side steps enough to require a come along and large steel bar to spread the steps back to an approximation of their original shape.

 

[chim]

Found a few references to this recall on the net. One mentioned a situation with two people involved. One driving and a passenger standing on the step while the tractor was moving. The passenger was injured when the step broke off.

Google Kubota M Series Recalls

 

[freewheel3]

Ditto it appears step contacted a fixed object similar to a rock or tree stump.

About 6 months back I was exiting my M7040 cab when my knee buckled as I stepped on top step. I ended up with a black eye!! The ground sure seems "HARDER" than it did when I was a lot younger.

Same here, a lot harder, and seems like I get there a lot quicker.
Maybe gravity has increased over the years?

 

[SidecarFlip]

Found a few references to this recall on the net. One mentioned a situation with two people involved. One driving and a passenger standing on the step while the tractor was moving. The passenger was injured when the step broke off.

Google Kubota M Series Recalls

Interesting. I have the same exact step and rectangular support on my open station M9000 and like I said Kubota makes a step reinforcement kit and I have that installed, not because I was worried about the step itself, but the length of the rectangular tube. Even with no reinforcement bracket, it's plenty stout and I'd never ride on the step with someone else driving the tractor, that is just plain dumb.

I'll get the Kubota kit number tomorrow, I have it in the shop (box and warning label I did not put on). I find warning labels to be an accessory I don't need.

 

[whitetiger]

I appreciate the photos. I am curious about your injuries and how they occurred. How did the step get bent? Do you know the safety recall information?

I did some digging online and found this. "I bought a used 2008 Kubota M5040 and emailed Kubota to see about how to check to see if my tractor had the fix or not. They replied they knew of no recalls for a step problem on a M5040. Does anyone have the recall name or #? Thanks."

PSB-2009-031-R1

 

[D2Cat]

WT, that doesn't look like it would apply to the OP's model of tractor by a long shot. I appreciate you posting that, but we probably won't be hearing back with much more information. Thanks. I appreciate what you contribute to this forum. Have a good Christmas!