Warranty Question

[ruglad03835]

I'm trying to get a consensus here. In the past while my 1050 was under warranty I used nothing but JD filters, oil, or grease on my tractor. My reasoning was this, if something happened to the engine or drivetrain I did not want to give my dealer any chanceto say the problem occurred due to non JD products being used. Am I all wet on this or not?

Rick

 

[NSBound]

I can respond from the automotive end of the world. I have been employed by a major import auto manufacturer for many moons, and I can say that customers who use genuine oil and fluids certainly are treating their vehicles better. But the warranty requirements, in our case, do not call for only genuine OE fluids to be used. More important by a long shot is following the manufacturer's maintenance schedule. As long as the frequency of oil changes etc are maintained, and records of such are kept for review (work orders, receipts of supplies etc), then it's tough for any manufacturer to deny warranty, IF the failure is due to a defect in materials or workmanship at the factory level . Some "warranties" these days for other types of producsts cover such things as damaging an item by driving over it with your car. More traditionally in any automotive or mechanical company (like tractors too, I would suspect), the warranty covers what is "deemed to be" (by the manufacturer, of course) a defect in material or workmanship.

So, I guess the short answer, IMHO, is that using the original equipment manufacturers' products might endear you to them somewhat if there is a failure that is questionable and might or might not be "warrantable", but it should not be REQUIRED to maintain the warranty, UNLESS it says so in your warranty book.

Manufacturers' representatives typically are looking for evidence that an owner properly maintained their product, and it's quite amazing to see how many people just don't bother to provide proper maintenance for such expensive products as cars, trucks and tractors. We have even on occasion declined a repair due to a total absence of maintenance records and admissions of not having performed ANY maintenance ("gosh, the sales rep never told me I had to change the oil"). And when challenged in small claims court on the few times we have done this, the court has more often than not sided with the customer (""This is The People's Court and I think the Big Company can better afford the repair than the owner who drove the car for 4 years and never changed the oil").

Sorry to be so long-winded!! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[ruglad03835]

Thanks for the info. How do you like NS. My wife spent a week there in New Ross last summer.

 

[NSBound]

Hi Rick :

I absolutely LOVE it here! Pretty countryside, and a lot less busy and frantic than where I moved here from (Toronto). I'm still trying to slow things down!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( gosh, the sales rep never told me I had to change the oil )</font>

I'll never forget a young lady who worked for me and was so proud of the new Buick she bought. And about a year later, it died. She had not only never changed the oil, she had never raised the hood, or had it raised, in the time she owned the car; absolutely nothing had been done to it except add gasoline and drive it until the engine seized. Until then, we had no idea that she knew so little about an automobile and that she had never bothered to even look at the owner's manual.

 

[Roger2561]

It never cease to amaze me how ignorant people are when it comes to proper vehicle maintenance. I work for a well known Ivy League college and I'm surprised how many of the young people do not know they should be checking the oil in the engine and transmission at least once a week, plus maintaining proper tire pressure. When asked if they can put their hands on the operators manual, many can not for they do not know where it is. I guess they are doing their part to the economy working. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[MadReferee]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I work for a well known Ivy League college and I'm surprised how many of the young people do not know they should be checking the oil in the engine and transmission at least once a week, plus maintaining proper tire pressure. When asked if they can put their hands on the operators manual, many can not for they do not know where it is. )</font>

Well, I guess if daddy can afford to send them to Dartmouth then daddy can afford to buy them a new car when this one breaks. HaHa. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Roger2561]

Mad - I guess you have a point there. Some of these kids have no clue the value of a dollar when everything has been handed to them. I guess when one drives around in a Jag. they aren't expected to get their hands dirty. That's one reason I love working in the engineering department. The look on the faces of some of these kids when they get a little dirt under their fingernails in quite funny...it messes up their manicures. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[ruglad03835]

Heck I live in New Hampshire and can't afford to send my oldest to Dartmouth. It does amaze me how some kids just sit there and wait for a handout from mommy and daddy.