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 | DenisS
Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 367 NJ 
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2006-04-06 127295
I took the delivery of my tractor and put it to work. After seven hours on the tachometer, I've moved a dozen cubic yards of compost, did some serious brushhogging, backfilled some ditches, etc. Now I read the manual and it says I should have not run the tractor at the highest speed (oops), pre-warmed the tractor for 5min before going to work (oops), and, in general, not exerted the machine to the full capacity for the first 50 hours. My question is, did I do irreversable damage to my tractor and is there anything I could do to "make up" for the abuse?
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 | kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 5275 South Carolina 
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2006-04-06 127299
I think you will find most if not all equipment comes telling you of their break in period.
I worked for a major heavy equipment mfg and for a few years worked with checking and load test the machines before they were painted even. Guess how we ran those brand new engines and equipment? Throttled wide open from any where to 10 minutes at the time to at least 20 minutes at the time. The avg machine probably had 4 to 6 hours run either at or near full throttle before it ever shipped. That was with major hyd systems, road testing, and diesels from Cat, Cummins, Detorit and Deutz.
Now saying that, I am sure it would be better for the equipment to run the suggested break in. I do not put loads on cold engine or tractor. I do let it warm up at least some. It may be with a slow drive to the work or such. ....
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 | DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2006-04-06 127301
You have done no damage.
I could tell you have a Kubota just by the words you use. Other brands don't even address a break-in period.
Do read that owners manual..... When I get a new machine I keep the OM in the reading room.... oops, the bathroom, to encourage myself to go through it from cover to cover. ....
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| DenisS
Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 367 NJ
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2006-04-06 127303
It's kid-glove treatment for my 'bota from now on! No rough handling.. I should have just read the manual before turning the key, but I think it's too much to ask of a man. ....
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 | Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2006-04-06 127307
Here we are questioning directions and men! I don't believe you have done any thing to hurt your tractor. I know they give caution as well as I would but I don't know that you would have taken any smount of life off of it. ....
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| DenisS
Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 367 NJ
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2006-04-06 127312
well, y'all made me feel a lot better about my tractor! So I didn't shave 1000 hours off it's lifespan afterall. ....
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| kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2006-04-06 127314
horse farmer,
Why don't you take your tractor out for a fresh tank of diesel, an oil change and wash? That might make each of you feel better.
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 | greg_g
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1816 Western Kentucky 
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2006-04-06 127316
Can't address the veracity of Kubota's written break-in stipulations, but I can say that the first maintenance is the most critical one. Mating of new parts is an ongoing process for at least the first 50 hours. At that point, I STRONGLY recommend getting all the metal shavings out of the lubricants and coolant. If you're a drain and fill man, that's your prerogative. I personally subscribe to the drain/flush/fill philosophy.
//greg// ....
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| DenisS
Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 367 NJ
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2006-04-06 127317
kt,
if only spouses were as easy to maintain...
greg,
come 50 hrs I'm gonna do as you advised to make up for my lead foot and general inexperience. ....
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 | SG8NUC
Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 579 g 
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2006-04-06 127322
Horse farmer
Personaly I think that you have reuined the tractor and it is near worthless. Being the nice guy that I am and so it wont be a total loss to you I will take it off your hands for $1,000. Do you deliver? LOL ....
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 | oneace
Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 1490 south central pa
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2006-04-06 127327
I believe that "most" kubota engine are broke in at the factory. The 50 hour break in period is more so for the gears and pumps. ....
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| greg_g
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1816 Western Kentucky
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2006-04-06 127329
Nevertheless, transmissions/differentials/hydraulics/bearings/seals/et cetera - all must require SOME kind of break in period - wouldn't you think ?
//greg// ....
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 | earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2006-04-06 127330
As a former automotive technical writer (service and owners manuals primarily) manufacturers don't put things in the manuals just for the heck of it or take up space. At every stage of design/build/testing/ and especially warranty and the legal departments, someone had to buy-off on the written content. It's there for a reason.
(In most cases there is a business and legal agreement between the OEM and the parts suppier that protects them both from warranty claims primarily in the event if a Customer abuses the OEM's product that the suppier won't have eat the costs.)
That said, real-world---did you do damage to the machine? Probably not.
HOWEVER, at the risk of sounding like "chicken little"---- IMHO the way the legal system is today and the instant ability of a mfg's legal team to find detrimental info on the Net, should you have a catastrophic warranty event in the future (e.g. engine blows, pump fails) you could be hard-pressed to either get a. warranty coverage or b. win in court if you sued them. And your local dealer could be reading this info and if they wanted to be nasty could use this against you to---just 'cuz they could.
Ten years ago I ran up against a Chrysler Corp. Regional Rep. who tried to deny my warranty claim against axle and transmission problems. I unwittingly opened up him telling him where I took my truck offroad when he asked me if we could go offroading some weekend together. He even tried to use the fact that I had an aftermarket trailer hitch that I used to flat tow my Jeep claiming I abused the truck by exceeding the tow rating which was bull. I eventually had to get a Lemon Law attorney which led to the truck being bought back in full. ....
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| oneace
Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 1490 south central pa
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2006-04-06 127333
Greg, that was my point. The machining process these days is good but not 100% you still need that mating period. ....
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| DenisS
Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 367 NJ
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2006-04-07 127348
SG8NUC
That's OK, I'll hold on to it for now.. I think it's still a long way from being a lawn ornament. but I sure do appreciate your kind and generous offer.
earthwrks,
---------------
IMHO the way the legal system is today and the instant ability of a mfg's legal team to find detrimental info on the Net, should you have a catastrophic warranty event in the future (e.g. engine blows, pump fails) you could be hard-pressed to either get a. warranty coverage or b. win in court if you sued them. And your local dealer could be reading this info and if they wanted to be nasty could use this against you to---just 'cuz they could
----------------
That's why my name is Horse Farmer and it ain't Horse Farmer who signed for the tractor :)
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| greg_g
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1816 Western Kentucky
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2006-04-07 127350
And a good one it is Ace. At first glance, it just didn't read that way.
//greg// ....
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| kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2006-04-07 127351
Dennis CTB,
earthwrks,
Made comment here that is interesting. Don't know if you know. Can a company track or find out who someone is here? As I am no lawyer or computer expert I may be fully wrong on both points but they could get warrant or what ever it would be to require TP to supply what ever info they have and use the internet address to track them down.
His post on this as just a couple of so furthe up.
As to warranty type claims, I wonder on rental tractors who runs them that first 50 hours. Also being so dumb here, what does a low load break in period do to make seals and other parts last so much longer?
What is so majic about 50 hours? If I buy a brand new tractor with NO hours on it and ran the break in load for say 49 hours, will it be different than the 50 hours? If I ran it for 100 hours using their break in suggestions, would I get longer life than with short 50 hours given?
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| earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2006-04-07 127389
IMHO anything posted here becomes public domain, which under certian circumstances can be used against you. As far as tracking you down, I don't see why not. I'm no expert but I have believe that since you have a computer it's going to leave a trail. And think of this: Let's say you have problems with the tractor. You, in the heat of the moment exclaim to your dealer or regional rep you'll post something bad on the Net about them unless they fix it. That's your right I suppose, but let's suppose the dealer goes on line, does a search---or even stumbles upon your post---and sees what abuse you did to your machine. You have in effect, sunk your own ship by admission.
Conversely, my counterpart at Chyrsler was interning in the Customer Relations Dept. taking calls from angry customers. Part of her job was to key-in the conversation with notes. Some of those notes declared in so many words her personal--not professional--feelings against this guy. Much of it was recorded as if a truck driver wrote it--and this was a female! The case ended up going to court with a jury trial. The lawyer subpoenaed the Service Reps files. All those nasty things were told to the jury and the guy won (even though she and Chrysler thought he shouldn't). ....
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| SG8NUC
Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 579 g
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2006-04-07 127392
Much of it was recorded as if a truck driver wrote it
----------------------------------------------------
GEICO
I have seen the tv comericals where they say a cave man could do it.
just my strange view of things.
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 | Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2006-04-08 127397
HF, you didn't wreck your new baby, but you might not have pampered it either.
The main reason for the careful operation is the 'break-in' oil it's shipped with. This gets changed at the 50 hour service.
I have had probably more new 'Botas to break-in than a lot of dealers get their hands on, LOL, none of them were treated any more delicately than to be sure they were operated by an old-hand and put on light duty.
Best of luck.
BTW, this is not an optical illusion, I'm sitting on the patio enjoying a clear moonlit night by the pool, and a glass of wine. It's far nicer here than the 34° &rain in Toronto tonight. I had to drop in and see if everyone was Ok. ....
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| Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2006-04-08 127402
Murf, wasn't it still a little cool with your thong on? ....
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 | ncrunch32
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 762 Kingston, NY 
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2006-04-08 127405
Ha! Good one Art! ....
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 | harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY
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2006-04-09 127433
I'm really not sure if I should have looked at your post Art.
That is a visual that is just a little more than me at this hour and my half cup of coffee should have to handle... OK it's a BIG cup. ROTFLMAO and just wet myself! ....
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