Kubota 057-5 with factory hydraulic pin grabber

[masterwelder]

Just got a 057-5 with the factory hydraulic pin grabber. It’s also the 50th anniversary badged machine. Came with a few features- air seat, rear camera, keyless start, two line hydraulics.

I had a 057-5 before this one just couldn’t deal with the old style manual coupler any more. I went to the dealer iso an after market manual pin grabber. We found Kubota just loaded all the part numbers for the 057-5 factory pin grabber. Long story short I had them fit it to a new machine on the lot.

Finally Kubota has seen the light about pin grabbers. I know the 040 has had it for awhile. Nice to have it as a factory option. I hope it becomes available on all machines.

Works just like most of the other pin grabbers, hit the switch and curl the bucket. Can reverse buckets as well.

Only issue so far is they blew it with the thumb. It is so far off the stick it makes digging in a deep hole very difficult. Called dealer and they said they contacted the rep. Haven’t heard anything in two days. I can’t believe Kubota let this go like this. I have no faith they will correct mine. The thumb of course is different do to the coupler so someone had to design a new one.

It’s an expensive option to add the pin grabber and thumb combo to the machine. At this point unless they fix it, I would hold off. If I have deep digging I’m going to have to remove the thumb, get a shorter main pin and cap lines.

 

[KSSS]

Yea that is a very poorly designed thumb. If it were me, I would see if Kubota would take back their thumb, it is clearly a design disaster and go to Werk Brau, PSM, HPF, or Solesbee and get a Prolink thumb for it. I would leave Kubota out of the thumb conversation all together. Whose pin grabber coupler did they use?

 

[Tags]

That’s just moronic the way that thumb sits. It’s clearly not right, seems like a rushed design to make an existing thumb they had work with the pin grabber. I know Werk Brau used to make all the buckets and couplers for Kubota but I’m not sure that’s the case anymore. I would do as KSSS said and send it back and get something that works correctly, there’s no way I could deal with that sticking out that far.

 

[zeroo]

Its not because of the pin grabber that the thumb sticks out. It is the only thing I dislike about my u48-5. I dig deep sewers and it doesnt bother me too bad, it when I reach out in a ditch line to clean it out before I move back that it gets in the way. I would love to get that pin grabber but it looks like it takes all new new buckets.

Here’s my thumb all the way up, it uses the same thumb as the kx057.

 

[KSSS]

I agree it is not due to the coupler, it is just shittty designed thumb.

 

[92U 3406]

Those pin grabbers sure put the bucket a long way below the stick.

I agree, that thumb needs a redesign. Bring it in closer to the stick.

 

[Tags]

My point is, I believe they made a longer thumb to match up with the buckets for a pin grabber coupler, but in order to make the thumb long enough it needs to stick out from the stick of the excavator too much. It’s almost like they rushed the design without much thought

 

[skyking1]

I see it differently.

Look at that picture I see that the main pin on the grabber is nowhere near lined up with the center of the stick, it is way forward. slide the bucket toward the blade in this picture about 6" and now that main pin lines up properly and it fixes a bunch of those geometry issues. Now the thumb can be shortened up and fixed.
It is the pin grabber adapter that is the problem. The only thing it does is give you some extra reach with that design.

 

[masterwelder]

I needed a set of ears and pins to convert my Mongo tilt bucket over to the pin grabber and I called Werk Brau to see if they were familiar with the new offering from Kubota. They were and I asked if it was there coupler. They said it was not theirs. The gentleman I was talking to also said they are in the process of ramping up production capabilities to make more of Kubotas attachments as Kubota just can’t keep up- even with or because of the land pride acquisition. He said Japan originally pulled back from them and now there back looking for help.
My guess is that Kubota is in over there head both in manufacturing and engineering. I think the coupler was there creation. I agree rushed design on the thumb, just made the original longer.
I had reservations about going for the fist offering from Kubota. I had intentions of going with werk brau but the Kubota grabber was available and the werk was a ways off. I own and owned lots of Kubota equipment and I never would of thought Kubota would cut such an obvious corner. Will they fix it? Probably at some point as a revision not a correction that would help me.

The big question is will Kubota let me out of the thumb at the least. I have never had an issue like this. The machine has 8 hours on it and it was delivered with 4 on it. I’m not happy with the product. My guess is I’m stuck with it.
The dealer I bought it from is more of an ag dealer. When I went in to inquire about a pin grabber, the owner had to look pin grabbers up on YouTube to understand what I was talking about. I doubt they feel my pain with this thumb.

 

[zeroo]

You could possibly sell the machine in record time, possibly for more than what you paid if you hurry before the market changes.

 

[zeroo]

Here’s a pic of each. Mine is the same quick attach/thumb the 057 uses.

op’s is considerably worse.

 

[skyking1]

Yes, yours lines up better.

 

[92U 3406]

Here’s a pic of each. Mine is the same quick attach/thumb the 057 uses.

op’s is considerably worse.

View attachment 270770 View attachment 270771

Almost looks like your thumb cylinder is pinned to the stick further up than OP's.

 

[masterwelder]

Talked with solesbee today about making a custom thumb and their reply was they agree with Skyking that the coupler is the bigger issue. The coupler attaching to the front bucket pin not close to inline with the main stick pin is an issue causing the thumb to be out of wack for lack of a better term.

Did hear from the dealer that they are in agreement that the thumb sticks out to far. They say their on it and waiting for Kubota.

My machine came with the original manual style coupler and that was removed and the hydraulic pin grabber installed at the dealer. Apparently the dealer gets to add the coupler of choice not Japan. With that being said my thumb mount should be the in the same spot as other 057-5’s.

Great machine other than the coupler debacle. This is my 2nd -5. I hope they can come up with something, it’s awesome having a hydraulic pin grabber on a mini.

 

[KSSS]

Hyd. couplers are worth every penny if you switch buckets a lot. If you can get another thumb, I would consider getting a prolink. The increase in articulation of the thumb makes a big difference if you use your thumb a lot. I am not sure if Solesbee makes one for this size machine, but I like their thumbs. I have one on my 160X4, while not even close to the same class machine, it is well designed and works excellent. I am sure their smaller ones are built with the same mindset. If they would credit you back the thumb and coupler and not bend you over on the deal you can probably due better on both accounts. As I stated, i am not sure who's coupler they are using, but clearly whatever Kubota guy was in charge of this, is probably making decisions based on the economic advantages of a particular thumb and coupler and not its construction and design. I still think the thumb is design is incorrect for the machine but I will bow to the guys that build them. My Taki is on a job and I cant get a photo of my thumb, but as soon as I get back up there, I will, for comparison. I went with the Strickland hyd. coupler that Taki will supply (after a lot of research), but I certainly didn't use their thumb or bucket suppliers. They make it easy to go with their selection, but seldom is it the best possible option available, it is just the most convenient.

 

[T320FL]

Masterwelder, can you elaborate more on your first 057-5? What did you use it for and how many hours on it? Did you have any problems with it?

 

[masterwelder]

KSSS- when I was talking to Solesbee they wanted no part of building a thumb either standard or progressive link. Part of the reason was due to their current work load the other was their opinion that the coupler was more of the issue. I understand and respect where they’re coming from and don’t hold it against them.

From what I know it’s probably highly unlikely that Kubota built that coupler 100% in house, if at all. They clearly have a very public relationship with Werk Brau and even though I asked Werk directly if it was there coupler- they said it wasn’t-that doesn’t mean it isn’t. There’s plenty of reasons why they’re not going to release information to a random guy on the telephone. So whether it’s a 100% or a 50% collaboration with Kubota, either way I think Werk is most likely company that would have their hands on it based on the past history with Kubota and Werk Brau.

There is absolutely no markings on the coupler except for a five digit alpha numeric number and the safe working load in kilograms.



I searched around on the Internet and informally from what I can see there are a fair amount of couplers where the pin is more in line with the main stickpin but there are some that are back like the one supplied on my machine.

In my own uneducated thinking, I would have to believe that a good thumb design could be engineered to work with the setback coupler. But clearly I am not an engineer. I have no knowledge of breakout force and bucket/ thumb geometry etc. etc. And of course the most important consideration is the economics, mine and theirs.

At this point I would prefer if Kabota would just take their coupler and thumb back and let me go after market. It’s going into the off-season here in the Northeast and now I’ve got time to wait for an aftermarket coupler/ thumb.

 

[masterwelder]

T320FL

My 057-5 I traded and had 200 hours on it and I primarily traded it in because the dealer said it would be better to install Kabota‘s quick coupler on a new machine and start from day one with warranty on everything. They did give me a good trade in number, and I liked the idea of the warranty starting all together on everything.

I had absolutely no issues or complaints with my 1st–5. The roomy cab is awesome the hydraulics are smooth the machine has plenty of lifting power the only things I didn’t like was the single line auxiliary hydraulics and the fact that there was no pin grabber coupler. I change my buckets a lot and the Kubota style manual quick attach may be OK for a homeowner or occasional user but not for my application. I do a variety of work from grading with a Mongo tilt grading bucket, waterlines, foundation repair, septic systems etc. The machine handles everything very well. It picks a 500 gallon dry well easily and feels stable with a 36 inch loaded digging bucket fully extended.

In my opinion you can’t go wrong with the new 057–5 machine however right at this point I would strongly suggest if you want a pin grabber coupler to go aftermarket until Kubota gets the issue with theirs sorted it out. Other than that the machine is right near the top of it’s class.

 

[KSSS]

Can post some pictures of the coupler? Maybe someone on here an identify it. Do you have any indication that the dealer or Kubota themselves will take it back?

 

[masterwelder]

I can get pictures today. Here are pictures from the installation manual.


As far as a response from Kubota or my dealer- I notified my dealer last Thursday morning that the thumb was an issue along with a bracket that the thumb hydraulic lines are held in that interferes with the bucket cylinder when the bucket is in the fully open position. The dealer said my concern and pictures were relayed to the Kubota rep. The dealer said they would come look at the bracket.
The next contact was Monday around 9:30 am to say they agree the thumb is an issue and they are still waiting for a response from Kubota. I again mentioned the bracket that is now cracked, and there was no response about addressing the bracket. That was the last time I heard from them.




I reached out to Werk Brau to get them started on a quote for an aftermarket offering on a coupler and thumb.

It appears my thumb operation and installation manual is for a U-55.