The Woe-some Tale of the Low Hour SVL90-2 from Oklahoma

[Truck Shop]

Internet, internet review coverage in business good or bad--mostly doesn't make much
difference. If reading bad reviews really made a diff by prospective buyers it doesn't
factor much with businesses, unless percentage bad is 40% plus. A bad transaction
here and there is expected. As KSSS said, a third party inspection is the best bet on a
unseen piece, even then buying used is a gamble, crap happens. Not ranking the OP,
buying out of area is risky business, some have nothing but good luck others not so
much. It's a tough decision hitting the key or signing the check for payment with the
thought of {am I doing the right thing}. I don't know about the rest of the folks on
here, but for me I want to see/watch the facial expressions of the person I'm dealing
with. Texting and Emailing is a cold way to do business.
*
I'm asked about three to four times a year to go perform a pre-buy look on a truck.
Two thirds of the time I tell them to keep looking-unless the price is dropped by X
amount of thousands.
*
Karma--27 years ago I went with three others to look at this large Massy that had a
KTA 600 installed in it, high hours pulling a plow. I was really apprehensive, it just
didn't sound right, I told the guy looking not to buy. One of the other in group considered
himself a Massy guru, didn't think I knew what I was looking at or talking about when
I made the comment {it's about ready to drop a valve}. He stepped up and bought it.
Got to his place and spent the winter doing some hydraulic repairs/service work and
repainting the entire tractor. He sold it out of state. I found out through a very reliable
grape vine--while loading it on a lowboy---it dropped a #5 exhaust valve. Crap happens.

 

[hseII]

My failure was believing the OEM dealer of said machine would be thorough & forthright regarding a machine they were selling.

Typically such a tractor or machine would not qualify for KTAC for instance.

This has been an expensive lesson that I’ve had to relearn.

 

[HarleyHappy]

That’s the difference in this situation. It was a Kubota, traded in, probably on another Kubota, so they had reason to or had knowledge, that something wasn’t right. If you were to hire an independent Kubota dealer to check it out, it would be a tech from the same dealer, probably.
My brother had something like this happen on a SxS and being the computer nerd he was, he made and posted a Tik Tock video and even posted it on You Tube. By the end of the week, they were begging him to get it back to them, so they could fix the damn thing.
Know anyone who does the real social media thing?

 

[mudfarmer]

My failure was believing the OEM dealer of said machine would be thorough & forthright regarding a machine they were selling.

Typically such a tractor or machine would not qualify for KTAC for instance.

This has been an expensive lesson that I’ve had to relearn.

Perhaps this is fraudulent in some way? Did they misrepresent the machine to the finance company in order to slip it through the cracks? Maybe the finance company would be willing to go after them?

Sorry to hear about the troubles

 

[smifwal]

That’s the difference in this situation. It was a Kubota, traded in, probably on another Kubota, so they had reason to or had knowledge, that something wasn’t right. If you were to hire an independent Kubota dealer to check it out, it would be a tech from the same dealer, probably.
My brother had something like this happen on a SxS and being the computer nerd he was, he made and posted a Tik Tock video and even posted it on You Tube. By the end of the week, they were begging him to get it back to them, so they could fix the damn thing.
Know anyone who does the real social media thing?

This is more or less what I was alluding to when I suggested blast them on social media they don't want the bad publicity and they don't want their dirty laundry aired for everybody to see cuz it sounds like they got poop stains in their drawers

 

[Welder Dave]

I think there is more of a burden on a (new) machine dealer to represent the true condition of a used machine especially when it's the brand they sell. They can't claim they don't know how the machine should run or that they didn't know it had a dead cylinder. Running through the shop anyone with even the slightest knowledge of engines should be able to tell it's missing just by driving it in or out of the shop. Perhaps contacting another Kubota dealer would confirm what is expected of an authorized Kubota dealer. Contacting Kubota might not be a bad idea either. It wasn't sold as a machine needing $20K worth of repairs. They tried to hide that fact and that could be fraud.

 

[crane operator]

Ok, I'm missing something here. I've read $18,000 to repair all issues with the machine. You show $11,000 in expenses, but those are just your expenses in buying the machine, and getting it transported, not repairs.
The last page, you mention that all it might need is a new injector?

I'd like to see the $18,000 list of "all possible problems" and the list of "this makes it run".

Buying 1/2 way across the country has its risk and rewards, you better know what you're buying, and you better know who you are doing business with.

I guess I'm wanting to know where we lay between $18,000 of making a old machine into a new machine- (which I don't blame the dealer at all for not paying that repair bill), because they sold you a used machine- as is where is. They aren't paying someone else to turn it into a new machine. Or-- its got a bad injector, and "I'm wishing it was a better machine than it is"- for what you paid for it.

You're wanting it all your way, and the dealer is so far away from you (which was your choice- not theirs), I don't blame them for not wanting to deal with some other repair place taking them to the cleaners.

Pay to fix it, take them up on their offer to trade it for something else they have for sale, or sell it yourself. They did their job as a seller with "as is where is" which you signed. You didn't do your job as a buyer.

I think you are being a stand up guy, by posting up here about the problems, and as a warning to people. Thanks for doing that. I'm not sure we've got all the info on what's really wrong, and I've got a hard time seeing how any of that is the dealers fault.

 

[Truck Shop]

There is also this side--the original owner with a low hour non-def machine {no one wants
emissions} trades for tax purpose? Most would rather be shot. The dealer makes a mistake
on not inspecting before trade-in then finds issue after the fact. Put's out on the market
"as is where is", and only 1525 hours???? They were going to be upside down on a trade-in,
seen this scenario many times in truck market.

 

[Welder Dave]

The dealer said they would run it through the shop and check it out. How do they explain they missed a dead cylinder? Was everybody at the dealer completely deaf/blind? I can see some things needed repair being missed or not reported but a dead cylinder would be very obvious.

 

[Acoals]

I'd like to see the $18,000 list of "all possible problems" and the list of "this makes it run".

A disgruntled owner bringing a newly purchased machine into a shop or dealer is pretty much a sure way to come up with a sky high bill.

I worked in a shop long enough; "New purchase, make a list of everything wrong with this" means pick it apart and come up with a long list - great fun!

 

[hseII]

A disgruntled owner bringing a newly purchased machine into a shop or dealer is pretty much a sure way to come up with a sky high bill.

I worked in a shop long enough; "New purchase, make a list of everything wrong with this" means pick it apart and come up with a long list - great fun!

There are legitimate call outs on the estimate.

1. The A/C is barely functioning; the system need to be serviced. There is a filter missing so likely everything is clogged completely.

2. The HF circuit doesn’t work; there are hard parts in there to correct it. Roughly $3,000 worth of parts & labor.

3. The tracks are still together but there are some serious cuts in them that will warrant replacement before too long.

Overall the machine looks great but there are a host of issues when you start looking over it.

 

[AMBMike]

The A/C is barely functioning; the system need to be serviced. There is a filter missing so likely everything is clogged completely.

Unfortunately the AC on these machines "barely functions" even when new. There's no comparison to the AC in a Case, Bobcat, or Cat for example. The Kubota's AC from new is even worse than the Takeuchi CTLs.

The -3 Kubota CTLs have a sealed cab and a much better HVAC system but all the -2 and older Kubota machines were poor right from new.

 

[hseII]

Update-

It was a faulty injector.
I attempted to modify one of the old injectors but finally decided to just buy the CAT adapter & move on.

Strange enough, besides the faulty #4, injectors 1 & 2 failed testing.

It’s clear now why the dealership advocates for swapping them out in sets rather than individually.
Accessibility.

 

[hseII]

I contacted multiple local shops & after waiting 2 weeks & 2 others that either stopped engaging or did not have the Kubota software, a local company helped get it back together & perform the injector programming. He also recommended doing a forced regen which we did.


It was also apparent that the PO did not keep up on maintenance so I went ahead & sourced all the items to do a 1,500 hr service. I had to change the engine oil anyway after doing the injector swap.

Here’s where I stand-
$10,103- down payment & monthly payments on a “$40k machine.”


$7,603.32- Injectors, labor, manuals, maintenance items & servicing.

Still outstanding-
• A/C system needs to be serviced.
• High Flow Circuit does not function.
• tracks

 

[KSSS]

Well that is better than rebuilding the engine. I have never bought a used machine where the dealer hadn't serviced the machine prior to reselling it. When I trade something back, a service is part of the trade number as a deduction from the value. Back to the "run it through the shop" would certainly mean to me that it was at least serviced. Pretty clear that dealer did absolutely nothing to that machine besides maybe wash it and resell it. They said it was well maintained (somewhere in here I believe that was said). It clearly wasn't maintained looking at the filter in the photo. Not that I need to worry about that dealer selling me anything, but hard to believe they run that many stores and this is how they conduct themselves. I guess just because they are big doesn't mean they are competent.

 

[mowingman]

I contacted multiple local shops & after waiting 2 weeks & 2 others that either stopped engaging or did not have the Kubota software, a local company helped get it back together & perform the injector programming. He also recommended doing a forced regen which we did.


It was also apparent that the PO did not keep up on maintenance so I went ahead & sourced all the items to do a 1,500 hr service. I had to change the engine oil anyway after doing the injector swap.

Here’s where I stand-
$10,103- down payment & monthly payments on a “$40k machine.”


$7,603.32- Injectors, labor, manuals, maintenance items & servicing.

Still outstanding-
• A/C system needs to be serviced.
• High Flow Circuit does not function.
• tracks

Don't spend a lot of money cleaning the A/C . After all is said and done, it will not work worth a cr-p anyway.

 

[Truck Shop]

Shenanigans--there isn't a dealer that doesn't or hasn't performed shenanigans when
it comes right down to it. It definitely was {as is}, it's always about the money and
nothing but the money.
*
Years ago a shop called me on the weekend {back in 70's working foreign} wanting
a fuel pump for a Audi 100 continuous injection. Sold them one, next get a call about
where the fuel pump relay is located. Was headed home so stopped by with a new relay
and showed them it was located under topside of left dash in corner. Pump ran-engine
started, next thing that happened was he hooked the old pump to 24V-fried it then put
it in a bag to return old parts to customer. nice honest guy.

 

[HATCHEQUIP]

While your at it check the fuel filler neck for rust inside it. They had problems and a different neck to fix it. It will ***k up that system.

 

[MG84]

Still outstanding-
• A/C system needs to be serviced.
• High Flow Circuit does not function.
• tracks

Not saying the way the dealer treated you was right, but I don't expect the AC to work on any older used vehicle or equipment I buy, just seems to be the way it is. As for the tracks, I personally would rather it come with old tracks (reflected in the price) and I can put what I want on it. Anyone selling a used machine with "new tracks" most likely put on the cheapest made in China crap available and you'll be throwing tracks and cussing within a few weeks time. Not sure what to tell you on the high-flow, most likely something simple electrical related. Regardless, I always budget a few thousand dollars for repairs on any used equipment I buy. Even when you check them out thoroughly there are always some hidden thing you miss.

 

[heymccall]

Regardless of whether the HVAC filter was present or not, the evaporator is dirt plugged, period. It is a crap design. The filter(s) are not directly ducted to the HVAC inlet.

This thread covers it, as does the link in post 2 of this thread.

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/help-cleaning-a-c-evaporator-in-kubota-svl-75.83651/#post-968287