How many hours should a NEW tractor have?

[Larry_Van_Horn]

Folks,
I took delivery of my NEW TC40D on Friday afternoon. On delivery the hour meter read 14.4 hours! I paid for a brand new tractor and my sales person said that it was coming straight from the factory (hence my wait). I called my salesperson at the time of delivery indicating my displeasure. He said that it should only have 8 hours on it since they Dyno all new machines for 8 hours. He was going to look into it and find out why it had the additional 6.5 hours. Am I making a big deal out of nothing? I told him that when I pay top dollar for a new machine I expect it new, and I don't know hat happened for the intervening 6 hours. I expected his organization to do something for me. What should I do, expect, or should I forget about it. The dealer is local and has been good to deal with.

In addition to this, the tractor was delivered with a leaking hydraulic line at the front, the engine block heater was not installed, and the rotary cutter I purchased (Kodiak 6 ft) had a broken shear pin. Needless to say I was displeased with all.

The delivery person and my salesman were profusely apologeitc and had a road guy out there within the hour to address these issues. Didn't get a chance to use it much over the weekend other than to shear another bolt on the cutter mowing simple grass, and oh .... my 4n1 bucket stopped working (I have a Fasse valve electric over hydraulic plumbed by the dealer). Guess I have to make another call in the morning.

Would have taken pictures but just wasn't in the mood anymore. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
Larry

 

[Egon]

Perhaps the broken shear pin is an indication of the extra hours.

Egon

 

[SacandagaBrad]

I've had my TC24D for a little over a week and it just turned 10 hours. Over 14 hours would certainly take the New out it for me. When mine was delivered, it had 0.6 hours on it, all the plastic wrap on the controls, and it was clean. And it was located from another dealer from another state. The only thing that concerned me was the antifreeze was dropping in the overflow canister, but it stablized. I think when the block heater was installed, some was lost and the system took a while to make it up. In a week, I have pulled docks, mowed the lawn, popped 5 rocks out of the lawn that averaged 300 lbs each, moved 2 face cords of wood, and graded a gravel road. Again, 10 hours.

I think your dealer owes you a solid explanation at the very least. It sounds like he is working with you. Maybe he can throw in some services like the 50 hour, transportation during the warranty period, etc. Or order you a new machine. Somebody has to know where those hours came from, and somebody had to benefit from you paying for them. I agree with you, it was not delivered as a new tractor. I have never heard of a machine being tested for 8 hours. Demo maybe, rental maybe, purchased and returned for a larger or smaller unit maybe, but not tested. Other than the shear pin, did the implements appear to be used?

Not sure if NH financed it, but if you really wanted to push it (this could get the dealer in some hot water which won't help in the long run), you could check with NH regarding their policy on financing "used" equipment. You could also check with another dealer if there are any in the area.

Good luck. Let us know how you make out. It sounds like your dealer doesn't want the buying experience to be a sour one.

Brad

 

[spencer200]

Checking with New Holland financing will not get you anywhere but it will annoy you they consider up too 100 hours new and comes with new warranty. Since your tractor has 14 hours on it I would say the dealer has used this tractor for a demo unit, or if he transferred the machine in from another dealer that dealer used the unit as a demo, at the very least a demo allowance should have been made in your pricing. I also find that 8 hours dyno is kind on not the norm, but who knows what your dealers policies are.

 

[Secretec]

Do yourself a favor a get a clutch for that brush hog. Those shear pins will drive you nuts.

 

[stvman]

I think I would ask a few of your dealers other customers about the hours on the machine. Our dealership sends out all our tractors for demos and our customers know that. Once a tractor has about 6 hours on it we start discounting for hours. A tractor with 14.4 hours would be discounted between 500-750 depending on scratches and dings. If your salesman was referring to NH doing an 8 hour dyno that is not the case. A conversation with the factory (giving them the s/n) will tell when it was manufactured. A new machine comes in with about .3-.8 hours on average any thing over 2.0 I would be suspect.

I do not think you are being nit picky for your dissatisfaction. I don't know what your dealers policy is but we log the hours out on all invoices so it's doubtful they are not aware how many hours were on your tractor. Steve...

 

[thcri]

I got a special deal on my TC29D because it did sit on a lot for over a year. I was told that it would more than likely have a few hours on it as the dealer that my dealer got it from said they used it for some demo. It still had less than 5 hours on it. Demo-ing on a lot will not ad hours up very fast in my assumption. If New Holland does do dyna testing I would think it would come before the tach is even hooked up.

But the 14 hours would not bother me--but I do understand you paid for new and you should have new.

murph

 

[TCowner]

My new TC40D was delivered with 1.5 hours and was delivered without a blemish.

 

[Spencer]

My TC33D had only an hour or two on the meter when it was delivered to me. I don't remember exactly but I know it wasn't over 2 hours. That tractor showing up with 14.4 hours on it would definately piss me off. The dealer giving me a line about the unit being Dyno'd for 8 hours would make me consider a different dealer.

 

[DavidJ]

Mine showed up at the house with .7 hrs on it and the dealer let a couple people drive it before he deivered it (with my permission). They don't sell many HST's and he had a couple interested and asked if he could let them drive it around the dealership. I agreed in exchange for free 50 hr service with pickup and delivery.