# Got offered a job today at the Kubota dealer



## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

At my Kubota dealer of all things. I swung by, needed an '0' ring for the charge pump on my Cub Cadet zero turn (charge pump was leaking). My Kubota dealer also sells Cub Cadet so it's kind of a one stop shop for me.

Anyway, was chewing the fat with Dennis (he's the head wrench there) and the owner comes up, looks at Dennis, looks at me and says, "You want a job here". I was floored and Dennis laughed. Guess they have been planning on asking me for a while now.

Told them I'd think about it. They need someone for general assembly of new tractors and someone to deliver them and I have a Class A CDL so driving the roll back isn't an issue and as far as securing a load, I'm good with that. Being a retired steel hauler (30 years), I know how to chain down a load securely. The last 5 years I worked, I was the safety and compliance officer for the company I retired from, I know what I'm doing.

I do have other issues (cancer) and ongoing chemo that would interfere with me working there and the owner knows that. Keith said no issue with him, I can come and go when I want to and if I have hospital issues, they can work around that. I'm not as strong or agile as I used to be either. The ongoing chemo (I'm going to be on it for the rest of my days) saps my strength, especially right after an infusion for a day or two and I have issues with my fingers (neuropathy) as well. I'm finally able to sign my name with the help of a physical therapist. It's very frustrating not being able to do things I took for granted all my life that I cannot do now or at least with the ease I once could.

Most days I don't feel 71 but some days I feel like I'm 90.

Didn't discuss wages, I'd probably work there for next to nothing anyway. Like being around tractors and I really like the owner and Dennis and all the guys in the shop too. 

Had to stop in and visit my new bailer that is sitting in the lot. I loaded the twine box and put in a spare roll of net. Don't want it until fall anyway and Keith (the owner) said no issue. Was at the local fair last week. Keith is kind of short on equipment so my bailer went to fair...

I can see I'm going to have to extend the mirrors to see around it. It's a lot wider than my New Holland. I'll need to add some mirror extensions so I can see what is behind me.

Had to have a talk with Kubota the other day. They sent me a questionaire about how I liked my new bailer and I replied that I didn't have it so they called me wondering what was up. Had to explain to them why I didn't have it. Not sure they understood why I'd be making payments on something I didn't have but that is how I do things with my dealer.

Wish every dealer was as understanding as mine is.

So as I get ready to go, Dennis comes out with a new part off a customers tractor and the pivot pin wouldn't line up in the holes in the weldment as it should have so he askes me if I could fix it so it lined up (he knew I could), so it's here at home. Tomorrow, I'll line bore it in the vertical mill so it lines up as it should. Gratis of course. Will take longer to set it up than anything else. The one ear on the weldment is slightly out of square so the pivot boss won't line up. It will tomorrow. The customer will never know I screwed with it.


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## nota4re (Jul 3, 2021)

Cool story!! I'd say take the job - work when you can and you feel like it and pass on some of that great knowledge to others in the process!


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

Been driving a dump truck a little for the Son-in-law this summer. Easiest money I've made in a long time. Good A/C in the truck and "just point where you want the pile". Told him he's got an old school truck driver now...... "I'm just gonna sit on my butt in the A/C and bitch all day to anybody that will listen"


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

I'm on the fence with it actually. I know I'll get shop work (in my machine shop) from them. Just did a piece for a new Kubota tractor where Kubota jigged the weldment crooked and the attachment pin wouldn't line up. Was 1/16" off center. All I did was skim cut the pin and if fits fine now. Took 5 minutes. Painting the part took longer (and I was given a new can of Kubota Orange 2). When they find out I can TIG weld, I suspect I'll be getting more 'stuff' to fix.

Like doing it at home, on my own time. Not real keen about working for them even though the owner is really laid back and yes, the rollback's have ac. In fact they are automatics.

Don't need the money but I'm thinking Amy would like to get rid of me at times...lol

Got to be careful with a dump (I ran them too for my old employer but semi dumps, not straight trucks). When you put the hoist up, you always have to make sure of the truck's stability. They do go over and it's not pretty. Seen a few go over. It really twists the frame. With a tractor trailer dump, usually the tractor steer axle stays on the ground and the farther back you go, the more frame twist there is and it's most time a total wreck.

Usually, the reason they go over is, part of the load sticks in the box at the front and causes an imbalance in the box and the hoist, because it's a single lift point, cannot overcome it so over they go. BAM.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

4900 International single-axle with a 10' bed..... If you roll that over dumping it, you probably shouldn't be allowed to hold a CDL. The only reason you need a CDL to drive it in the first place is it has air brakes......


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Bob Driver said:


> 4900 International single-axle with a 10' bed..... If you roll that over dumping it, you probably shouldn't be allowed to hold a CDL. The only reason you need a CDL to drive it in the first place is it has air brakes......


If it's a straight truck, a class B with an air brake endorsement works just fine.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

SidecarFlip said:


> If it's a straight truck, a class B with an air brake endorsement works just fine.


A-class CDL since 1979


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Don't matter. All you need for a straight truck with air brakes is a 'B' with a brake endorsement. An 'A' endorsement is only required for an articulated (semi truck). I understand an A covers a B as well. What I'm saying is the 'A' endorsement covers everything except tanker, transit bus, doubles-triples, which are all separate endorsements. I have everything except haz-mat. No need for that and I really don't want to have to renew it and pay for a background check (FBI) yearly.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

After 40 years I know everything you posted...... The only thing you didn't mention was the S & P endorsements to haul passengers. That's the good thing about hauling steel, you don't have to talk to it


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## unsquidly (Jul 13, 2021)

Y'all know about the new "X" endorsement?


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

So tell me Bob (without looking), at what pressure does the low air warning buzzer come on at and at what pressure do the spring brakes (if adjusted correctly set) and what is the proper travel DOT spec for the actuator rod?

Never hauled passengers and it I rode in any of the trucks, I was permitted as a company official. Spent more time investigating wrecks and insecure loads than anything else actually. I 'love' dealing with insurance companies.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Looks like I'm about to get a steady diet of remachining screw ups. Took care of the one they gave me the other day (for a new unit) and picked up 2 more 'oops' parts. New tractors again. Keith asked me if I was interested in doing cracked aluminum parts. Told him I would so long as the metal was pre cleaned. Tig welding aluminum that has had lube oil in it is very hard to do. The entrained oil in the aluminum castings tends to cause a weld to fail. Really has to be hot tanked and cleaned very carefully and I don't own that equipment.

Seems as though Kubota is having assembly issues when it comes to properly jigging weldments for alignment with trunnion pins.

Need to come to some sort of cost versus time on this stuff. Don't have a clue what to charge either. Any suggestions?

This last one took all of about 5 minutes. I chucked the pin in the lathe, drilled a center hole in the end and took a skim cut on the end of the pin, in about an inch and it fit fine. Had to go by there today on the way to the hospital. Had a CT scan this morning.


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## unsquidly (Jul 13, 2021)

The local weld type shops in my area charge about 50 to 60 dollars a man hour for work and most of them have a minimum charge for small jobs....I know that you said that you are not really doing it for the money but your time is worth something...Also, I know that you are friends with the owner and all but my thought is that he is charging someone for the repairs that you are doing so why should he make all the money for doing nothing. Just my 2 cents worth...I have no problem doing favors for folks but I am not going to have them profit off of my favors I do for them....


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## TX MX5200 (May 12, 2020)

Sounds like you would enjoy it…as long as it doesn’t become a full on obligation. Do it until it isn’t fun….and what in the hell did you say a trunion is again? Is that a pivot point?

Speaking of securing tractors…here we have to use 4 chains and I attach 2 opposing to the drawbar with clevis ring.

with the loader, the front tie down points is a quandary. Wondering if I could attach something to the front weight rack for quick chain hookups? Can’t go over the front axle without jacking up protective covers for linkage (mines 2wd).


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

SidecarFlip said:


> So tell me Bob (without looking), at what pressure does the low air warning buzzer come on at and at what pressure do the spring brakes (if adjusted correctly set) and what is the proper travel DOT spec for the actuator rod?
> 
> Never hauled passengers and it I rode in any of the trucks, I was permitted as a company official. Spent more time investigating wrecks and insecure loads than anything else actually. I 'love' dealing with insurance companies.



Really SideCar???? 

Federal standard for air warning buzzer/light is 1/2 of governor cut-out. There are two different LP-3 switches... 60PSI for 120 governor cut-out (drum Brakes) 65PSI for 130 governor cut out (Air Disc).

PP1 Dash Emergency brake valve pops at 45PSI

*Max brake stroke depends on the Type # of the chamber. *
Standard Type 24 stroke limit is 1.75" (Steer axle) Type 24LS is 2 1/2" (Long Stroke on trailers)
Standard Type 30 chamber is 2". Type 30LS 2 1/2"(Long Stroke on trailers)
Max stroke on a DD3 (Buses) 2 1/4".
Don't hardly see them any more, but a Type 36 is 2 1/4"

*My Turn.....* (without Looking) 
R12 --- R14 Valves, where do they go? (ASE T-4 Brake test)
Which one has the highest crack pressure? (ASE T-4 Brake test)
Which one has anti-compounding? (ASE T-4 Brake test)
Brake chamber Type #'s, what does the # indicate? (ASE T-4 Brake test)
What is the Federal Safety Standard # that applies to truck air brake systems? (Safety Director BS trivia contest in a bar)


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Nor bad Bob.. Have you bother to pull the actuator rods on the truck you drive or does it have auto adjusting slacks?

Here's one for ya. Buddy stopped by last night with his Ram 3500 dually and it's leaking hypoid oil out of the left side axle flange and blowing it everywhere so I jacked up that side (so the oil wouldn't come out when I pulled the axle) and proceeded to remove the flange bolts. They were all finger tight. Seems as though the dealership 'forgot' to tighten them when they worked on it last time (has 215,000 miles on it). Pulled the axle, cleaned the gasket (it was there), applied some Kubota 3 bond (love that stuff) to the gasket and reassembled everything and torqued the flange cap screws to 100 foot pounds.

Amazing that a Dodge dealer would only finger tighten axle flange bolts and send a customer on his way...


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

SidecarFlip said:


> Nor bad Bob.. Have you bother to pull the actuator rods on the truck you drive or does it have auto adjusting slacks?
> 
> Here's one for ya. Buddy stopped by last night with his Ram 3500 dually and it's leaking hypoid oil out of the left side axle flange and blowing it everywhere so I jacked up that side (so the oil wouldn't come out when I pulled the axle) and proceeded to remove the flange bolts. They were all finger tight. Seems as though the dealership 'forgot' to tighten them when they worked on it last time (has 215,000 miles on it). Pulled the axle, cleaned the gasket (it was there), applied some Kubota 3 bond (love that stuff) to the gasket and reassembled everything and torqued the flange cap screws to 100 foot pounds.
> 
> Amazing that a Dodge dealer would only finger tighten axle flange bolts and send a customer on his way...


Haven't seen a manual slack in years, ASA's came on all trucks after 1994. It had weak brakes when he got it and he had never done air brakes. Showed him how to work on air brakes and now the damn thing will wrinkle the door decals.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Air discs are so much better than internal expanding drum brakes. Easier to work on, easier to replace pads and stop 10 times better too.


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## TX MX5200 (May 12, 2020)

Here’s one for you both gearheads….what do you do when your at the hunting ranch and a very successful friend is flying into the local remote area airport on a leer jet? You and your buds are around a camp fire and wondering how to get him picked up.

After a Jack Daniels fueled board meeting, it’s decided to fire up the 1970 single axle dump truck….and pulled up alongside the runway, climbed in the box holding feed sacks with his name on em like a limo driver. It’s bad when ya can see the pilots laughing their ass off pulling up to drop off area. Friends pull the cruelest of jokes!!!


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

I've flown in a Lear more than once. Kind of like riding in a leather bound paper towel tube. Company owned one and a Beech Bonanza, but then I still prefer to have my feet on the ground.


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