M7040 Front End Fender Benders are not cheap!!

[red4now]

So we buy a lot of large square hay bales and normally the dealer uses his front end loader to unload his wagons and pile in the barns. On occasion, in a pinch he has asked us if he can borrow our M7040 or M8540, depending on which farm he was delivering, and for the most part it has been OK - until this past week. One of his guys used the M7040, unloaded his load and left. Our manager then got on the tractor and noticed that the steering wheel was really loose - still worked but the mounting was very wobbly. Thought it was strange and commented to me that this only happened after the hay had been unloaded. Couple days went by and our manager was going to power wash the unit before taking it in for service. I get a call and he noticed that when he looked closer, the grill had been pushed into the hood! I took a look and the whole hood had been pushed backward. You could see the paint from the wagon on the grill where it had hit. I can't imagine how hard he hit it to cause this damage. So we took it into the dealer - got a separate work order for this problem. Service manager comments that he has seem this steering wheel thing before - snow plow on the front end and a guy ran into a curb at a good speed- not only blew the bearing, but also bent the steering shaft from his body hitting the steering wheel and the impact causing the damage - so that explained the bearing and the loose steering - only a bearing has to be replaced - that was the sort of good news. The rest was not pretty - between parts and labor over $4,000!! Over $2000 just for the grill, front bracket and hood which could not be repaired.

Leaves us wondering - this driver bangs up the tractor and just leaves - without telling us or his boss?? Some people..

Moral of the story is, be careful who you lend your tractor to. Things happen.

 

[rswyan]

So we buy a lot of large square hay bales and normally the dealer uses his front end loader to unload his wagons and pile in the barns. On occasion, in a pinch he has asked us if he can borrow our M7040 or M8540 ...... The rest was not pretty - between parts and labor over $4,000!! Over $2000 just for the grill, front bracket and hood which could not be repaired.

So ..... how many large square bales does that come out to ?

 

[Mounted Madness]

That's not unusual.

There's a lot of people that will walk away from something like that, claiming 'oh, I didn't realize it happened' or whatever. These are the same people that wouldn't give a darn about walking out of a restaurant without paying the tab, or would cheat on an exam.

They figure they if they can get away with it, good for them and nuts to you.

I'm no longer amazed at what people will do to or against others. I have faith in 'what goes around, comes around'...so the guy will get his down the road. You have to be satisfied with that belief...

Or you could just hunt him down like the rabid dog he is.

Options are nice...

 

[Evil the Weasel]

Nobody has ever asked to borrow my tractor. Nobody knows I have it which may have something to do with it.

 

[foreman Etexas]

I have a kudota 5040 and 7040 but when im asked to borrow a tractor,I point outside the shed to a 1992 belarus 802 with ldr and say have at it. It doesnt get borrowed but once!!

 

[bullbreaker]

I guessing you plan on talking to the guy that called you to borrow "equipment".
I would try and see how this could get resolved.I would have called him from the dealer and held off on work order till he sees it.
Sorry that this has happened to you.
Also the guy that called you might not know what an irresponsesible donkey's rear end he has working for him.Don't know how he will react,pay the whole bill,insurance,50/50 etc.
If he did'nt man up to at least half of it($$$$$$$$$$) I'd get my hay somewhere else.
Thats why a wise old farmer once told me:I'd rather loan my "Olivia"(wife) than my "Oliver"(tractor).
I hope it gets settled in a decent manner.

Boone

 

[big bubba]

my policy on those who ask to borrow my high priced vulnerable equip: i try to be a good neighbor and say " sure, you can borrow ME and my equipment"...but i'm always the operator. wish you the best on that

 

[jonyyuma]

my policy on those who ask to borrow my high priced vulnerable equip: i try to be a good neighbor and say " sure, you can borrow ME and my equipment"...but i'm always the operator. wish you the best on that

Agreed, if you want to take the time, this method is best. But, I don't loan chainsaws, tractors , or outboard motors...

 

[acme97]

I also learned my lesson on lending. When I had to take a job up in DC, I let my neighbor who is a great guy and very handy with farm equipment use my Kubota L35 to move a large pile of logs, stumps, dirt etc from when he had a pasture cleared. When I went back several months later, the clutch was gone. I had told him not to ride it, since it was a shuttle shift, but must have forgot. Cost me a pretty penny to have clutch replaced. I sucked up the cost - but now don't lend any power tools or equipment out without me!

 

[scrappy isb67]

my policy on those who ask to borrow my high priced vulnerable equip: i try to be a good neighbor and say " sure, you can borrow ME and my equipment"...but i'm always the operator. wish you the best on that

I also learned my lesson on lending. When I had to take a job up in DC, I let my neighbor who is a great guy and very handy with farm equipment use my Kubota L35 to move a large pile of logs, stumps, dirt etc from when he had a pasture cleared. When I went back several months later, the clutch was gone. I had told him not to ride it, since it was a shuttle shift, but must have forgot. Cost me a pretty penny to have clutch replaced. I sucked up the cost - but now don't lend any power tools or equipment out without me!

I haven't really had mine long enough for anyone to ask to "borrow"it but if someone wants to borrow it I too will be borrowed! I wouldn't mind too much, I can always use more seat time!