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Should I keep GF 1800 or replace

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yuppiecanada
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 6 Ontario, Canada
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2008-12-19          158701

I own a property of less than 100 acres. I use several different vehicles to maintain it. I bought a GF 1800 4W with removable mower deck and snow blade about 10 years ago to manage the property. I mow about 20 acres. I have a lot of snow to remove. I have maintained it religiously.

My GF 1800 has to have its "hydraulic motor"(?), I am not technical" repaired/replaced. I am quoted (all Canadian dollars) $2500 or so in parts plus labor etc and it has been suggested that I may want to simply replace with a newer/new unit. We have 1,470 hours on the unit and the engine has just had an overhaul. I no longer use the unit to mow.

First, what do you think about the cost to repair and the suggestion to replace.

Second, if to replace what would people recommend since I only use the unit for snow plowing and hauling/dumping with the attached trailer. It would seem I may not need this big a unit if I am not mowing with it. What do you think it might be worth in tradein. It has been suggested that I could get $1000 "to use it for parts" and I haven't asked it that includes the blade or mower deck.

I am looking forward to whatever comment you want to share. This is a big expediture for us and I would like to research it well.



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Should I keep GF 1800 or replace

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auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2168 West of Toronto
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2008-12-20          158709

If that's a Kubota, there's lots of dealers. If someone told you it needs a hydraulic pump, I'd get a second opinion. ....

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Should I keep GF 1800 or replace

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2008-12-20          158714

Typically when a hydraulic motor--assuming it's the drive motor goes bad AND it's not part or integrated into the drive pump, the pump has to be serviced too as (typically) metal particals have degraded the pump's mechanicals too.

Your system may have the pump and motor integrated into one unit.

(Art White plug your ears LOL :) )
Are they rebuilding it or installing new?
If they're sending it out to have it rebuilt be assured they are marking it up handsomely for doing nothing but making a call.

And how difficult is it to remove the pump and motor and have it rebuilt yourself? I would imagine it can't be all that difficult.

My backhoe pump went out---about the size of a cantaloupe. A rebuilder 4 hours away told me they would not warranty the pump rebuild UNLESS I had them rebuild the motor. Cost was $1000 for both. It took longer to drive there than it did to remove and replace them. And I waited at their shop and got the "$1.50 tour" of their 200,000 sq ft facility. For comparsion, I called around to local "rebuilders" who lied through their %$#@ teeth that they were going to rebuild it themselves when in fact this company (JB Hydraulics on the west shore of Michigan) does it for them and nearly every other national shop the owner told me. Other supposed rebuliders price was upwards of "$85 an hour to have an engineer disassemble it and measure all the parts" which turned out to BS as all they did was send it to JB via UPS. Then it cost $2000-$3000 per pump and motor! I watched them rebuild mine and took less than a half hour for both.

They offered a grand, eh? More BS IMHO. And "for parts"? SUUUUURE! They would much rather sell someone a brand new part from Kubota for 100% markup then sell a used parts ofr 50% of new. They would have to pay someone to remove the parts, stock them, AND have a need for those particular parts to make it cost effective--add to that a horrendous markup to make it worthwhile. Something stinks. Very few dealers actually take or buy crapped out machines "for parts" because of the (in the US) tax laws carrying inventory if they are being honest with "Aunt IRS". For 70 years my local dealer used to take any old junk for trades to offest his profit and call it a loss tax wise. The new owners swept out all that junk.

Your dealer probably has someone waiting-in-the-wings salivating over buying it--possibly someone in the dealership itself (usually a mechanic) that can throw a few hundred into it and flip for thousands more.

IMHO, now that the engine is rebuilt, you are way past the point of no return moneywise. I'd do more research on the motor (and pump) issue.

I'd keep it and run into the ground OR when spring rolls around sell it in the classifieds--Craigslist is best--and free. I sold a tractor to a guy in New York and I'm in Michigan. Sold a road grader to a guy in Nebraska and my big wood chipper to guy in Iowa, and a huge trencher to another guy in Iowa.

Let us know what you decide to do, and welcome to the TP board! ....

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Should I keep GF 1800 or replace

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2008-12-20          158716

I'm a bit dense on Kubotas, but the Tractor Fact's thingy shows it to be an eighteen horsepower lawn mowwer. I've gotta have this wrong or something. How would you keep up mowing twenty acres with a lawn mower?
EW; Don't you feel guilty dumping your old stuff on us Iowans, pretty soon we'll start hauling old Buicks back to Michigan. Merry Christmas. Frank. ....

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Should I keep GF 1800 or replace

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yuppiecanada
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 6 Ontario, Canada
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2008-12-20          158717

The designation seems to be only a Canadian one. See www.Kubota.ca and look at tractors. ....


Link:   Kubota Canada

 
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Should I keep GF 1800 or replace

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yuppiecanada
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 6 Ontario, Canada
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2008-12-20          158720

auerbach: Since you are in the same area as I am, which would you recommend? Do you know of any "rebuilders"? ....

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Should I keep GF 1800 or replace

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2008-12-20          158721

Yup: here's the link to JB Hydraulics. It's worth checking out.

And here in the US we wouldn't refer to your machine as a tractor even though 'bota does. We would call this a FMM (Front Mounted Mower). Basically IMHO it's a larger garden tractor with the seat and controls turned around.

Franky: Guilty? Heck no! These guys were elated to find a great deal that they didn't have to repair when they got it home. The guy with the chipper sent me pix of him standing next to it making money hand-over-fist. Go ahead an' send them Buicks back--scrap values have gone up the past week. ....


Link:   JB Hydraulics

 
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Should I keep GF 1800 or replace

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yuppiecanada
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 6 Ontario, Canada
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2008-12-20          158722

Okay, I have done some homework and the dealer says the HYDROSTATIC PUMP (all one piece pump and motor) must be replaced. I have spoken to one other tractor servicer and am not so sure. Guess I better get a second opinion and then I can possible have it rebuilt. ....

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Should I keep GF 1800 or replace

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2008-12-20          158725

(Art cover your ears)

You need to have them explain how they came up with that diagnosis. If not, that's like a customer complaining their car stopped running and the dealer coming back saying it needs a new transmission only to find out a seal was bad or low on fluid, or LOL the engine isn't running. It's way too easy for dealers or anyone who has a vested intere$t to jump the gun on what's wrong. After all--it's YOUR money and could be theirs in no time. LOL

How do they know it's not just a charge pump that's bad? And are there any extra ordinary warranty service claim history due to bad parts? Ask the service manager. Sometimes dealers don't want to butt heads with Regional or District offices over warranty issues they know are problems. Why? It's all relationship-based and deaelrs don't want to be seen as a pain in the ass, so they forget about dealing with Kubota Management and just stick it to you.

It's much easier, as I've posted it here before, my situation I had: in short, New Holland tried to shuffle me away about a bad $32,000 skid steer I had. They ended up buying me out, paid off my loan and sold me a new one with a $14,000 discount after I mentioned the tree golden words a Regional Rep doesn't want to hear: "my attorney said...". ....

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Should I keep GF 1800 or replace

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2008-12-20          158734

Back to Yuppie's original question whether to keep it or fix it. If you can't get an honest estimate on fixing it that is in the 5-600.00 range or less I think I'd quit throwing money at a lawnmower. A recent rebuild engine should have some salvage value on E-Bay or somewhere like that. There are zillions of good used mowers in that size range for sale some probably with a bit of warranty from an orange, green, or blue dealer. Merry Christmas. Frank. ....

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Should I keep GF 1800 or replace

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yuppiecanada
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 6 Ontario, Canada
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2008-12-23          158833

Just an update. I actually spoke to the technician who looked at the problem. I cannot feel comfortable about the whole thing (not the technician, the place he works). So, I have instructed them to just send it back to my barn as is. I'll find someone who is more reasonable in January.

Thank you all for your comments. It is nice to have some facts to help with my "gut feel". ....

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