Hi. I have a MF 390T, 18 speed. 3 speed forward, then low-medium-high and then high-low electric button on the shift knob. All together 18 speed. The gear shift goes into the side of the range unit behind the transmission. Something is wrong with the low-medium-high shifting inside the range unit. I can sometimes get it into low but not into medium or high. I took out the gearshift from the side of the range unit but no wear on it or sign of bending. Any suggestions or advice?
MF 390T transmission troubles in the range unit.
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I have not had any response so I will put a link in on a British discussion about this issue. MF 4345 12X12 lost its gearbox range operation??
If this is a lemon issue Massey Ferguson should help out.
If this is a lemon issue Massey Ferguson should help out.
Not to be too negative, but this issue is a crisis in my farming operation. I have two 390T´s and when one of them went like this last week I am in a bad place, haying about to start. I talked to my local shop who used to be a Massey Ferguson dealer but no more and he did not know about this issue or so he said. I then showed him a printout from the British forum and he looked surprised. I also talked to the nearest Massey Ferguson dealer and he like the first one, talked about bent forks in the transmission. Only when I told him about this spring issue did he say he knew about it. I have a very hard time believing there is not a service bulletin or something from Massey Ferguson about this. Next I am going to contact Massey Ferguson directly. Will keep you informed.
And now for more negativity. We bought a new 1999 Suburban diesel, or more exactly my mother in law payed for it, she has since passed away. This Suburban was a lemon from day one, the ignition switch one of them, would die in the most embarrassing places, Brooklyn Bridge one. Later one has learned we were driving a deathtrap with all the children these years, a recall issue. Now it just sits out back, a rust bucket.
And more, two years ago we bought a new platform M108S Kubota, four wheel drive with a Kubota loader. A wonderful tractor and has helped us through now 2 1/2 winters, feeding round bales to the beef cattle, the only thing I use the loader for, has 1400 hours on it now. Only this last fall, one front hub started to leak. We brought it to the dealer right away and it was fixed under warranty.
I wanted the other hub overhauled but was refused. Then this spring, that one went and the damage more extensive, parts of the casing had to be replaced. When it came back it was still leaking and is going back to the dealer tomorrow. Then this winter, one of the welds on the loader broke, by the pivot pin on the left arm. Luckily it was not under heavy load when it went, I had almost put the bale into the feeder when it went and nothing got badly bent. It was obvious the weld had not taken, no penetration on the pivot part where the pin goes thru as if the weld had been glued on to the metal, no break on the other side of the weld to the arm. The dealer agreed with me but the bill is still outstanding for $400, the dealer still working on it with Kubota.
I assume this weld was done by a robot and some adjustment not right, worry about the other welds on this loader. Worry than if another weld goes under load, the loader will turn into a heap of bent steel and all warranties expired.
So I have started to try to work with the dealer to have Kubota take this tractor back and sell me another one, without me loosing too much money, I am ready to take a loss, but they should help in my opinion.
About the hubs, my bales are 4x5 feet, dense out of a New Holland silage baler but this tractor should be able to handle them easily and it does, except for these issues. When I bought it new with the loader installed, the dealer asked me how wide I wanted the tires. I said as wide as possible for stability and being able to clear the hay when I am haying, not knowing this was an issue. Now I see I should have thought about this, the further out they are, the more uneven the load on the hub bearings. but the dealer put the wheels out this way, not me. Will keep you informed, right now I feel these issues are going to put us out of businesses. The sun is shining though.
I have pictures of this weld and might put them in here later, we will see.
And now for more negativity. We bought a new 1999 Suburban diesel, or more exactly my mother in law payed for it, she has since passed away. This Suburban was a lemon from day one, the ignition switch one of them, would die in the most embarrassing places, Brooklyn Bridge one. Later one has learned we were driving a deathtrap with all the children these years, a recall issue. Now it just sits out back, a rust bucket.
And more, two years ago we bought a new platform M108S Kubota, four wheel drive with a Kubota loader. A wonderful tractor and has helped us through now 2 1/2 winters, feeding round bales to the beef cattle, the only thing I use the loader for, has 1400 hours on it now. Only this last fall, one front hub started to leak. We brought it to the dealer right away and it was fixed under warranty.
I wanted the other hub overhauled but was refused. Then this spring, that one went and the damage more extensive, parts of the casing had to be replaced. When it came back it was still leaking and is going back to the dealer tomorrow. Then this winter, one of the welds on the loader broke, by the pivot pin on the left arm. Luckily it was not under heavy load when it went, I had almost put the bale into the feeder when it went and nothing got badly bent. It was obvious the weld had not taken, no penetration on the pivot part where the pin goes thru as if the weld had been glued on to the metal, no break on the other side of the weld to the arm. The dealer agreed with me but the bill is still outstanding for $400, the dealer still working on it with Kubota.
I assume this weld was done by a robot and some adjustment not right, worry about the other welds on this loader. Worry than if another weld goes under load, the loader will turn into a heap of bent steel and all warranties expired.
So I have started to try to work with the dealer to have Kubota take this tractor back and sell me another one, without me loosing too much money, I am ready to take a loss, but they should help in my opinion.
About the hubs, my bales are 4x5 feet, dense out of a New Holland silage baler but this tractor should be able to handle them easily and it does, except for these issues. When I bought it new with the loader installed, the dealer asked me how wide I wanted the tires. I said as wide as possible for stability and being able to clear the hay when I am haying, not knowing this was an issue. Now I see I should have thought about this, the further out they are, the more uneven the load on the hub bearings. but the dealer put the wheels out this way, not me. Will keep you informed, right now I feel these issues are going to put us out of businesses. The sun is shining though.
I have pictures of this weld and might put them in here later, we will see.
Well hope as long there is life they say. I bought a shop manual with this 390T. In that one, the range unit is not shown very well. I found a another shop manual on the net and downloaded it.
In that one they show a bolt on top of the unit, a spring under that bolt or plug and then a plunger coming down on the range selector. Looks like if that spring is broken, I would have this problem. If so maybe it does not have to be split, will talk to the shop in the morning. Well maybe the moral should be, do not believe everything you read on the net. We will see, keep you informed.
In that one they show a bolt on top of the unit, a spring under that bolt or plug and then a plunger coming down on the range selector. Looks like if that spring is broken, I would have this problem. If so maybe it does not have to be split, will talk to the shop in the morning. Well maybe the moral should be, do not believe everything you read on the net. We will see, keep you informed.
Been working on this problem for some days now. Turned out this spring under the bolt on top of the range unit was fine, so it has to be as described in the British forum. I talked to my machine dealer and the outcome probably I am going to have them do the job. I also went and talked to the local Massey dealer. He said he would talk to Massey but I had the feeling no help was coming. He wanted to sell me a new tractor and showed me one. I am not about to trade these tractors in for nothing and buy an Asian made tractor with a Massey Ferguson paint and logo stuck on it, I have never heard the name Iseka.
My conclusion, I should quit farming, doesn't make any sense to keep on going, big buissness is going to do us all in. There is no Massey Ferguson no more, just a name used by a huge world wide company, slapping this proud name on products all over the world. Well this is the new world order we all wanted.
My conclusion, I should quit farming, doesn't make any sense to keep on going, big buissness is going to do us all in. There is no Massey Ferguson no more, just a name used by a huge world wide company, slapping this proud name on products all over the world. Well this is the new world order we all wanted.
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Seems like the local Massey Ferguson dealer has no interest in helping me find out if this is an issue with these tractors, keeps on saying he wants it in his shop so he can look at it. The only thing I want, is a declaration from Massey Ferguson if this is an issue with this specific serial number and if so, if they are going to help in anyway or if they have in the past.
I will do my out most to get this information, go as high up the chain in the company as I can. The Better Business Bureo even to be involved. The thing is I bought this tractor new and 15 years on a machine like that is not that old, only 3000 hours makes it even younger. The only reason it doesn't look like new is because Massey Ferguson somehow messed up the paint job, the paint flaking of the hood.
At least they should have a service bulletin and how many hours shop work this is supposed to take. No information does not fly my book. I will rather direct the business to my localmachine dealer if Massey does not want to help in anyway. They used to be a Massey dealer and know Massey tractors.
I will do my out most to get this information, go as high up the chain in the company as I can. The Better Business Bureo even to be involved. The thing is I bought this tractor new and 15 years on a machine like that is not that old, only 3000 hours makes it even younger. The only reason it doesn't look like new is because Massey Ferguson somehow messed up the paint job, the paint flaking of the hood.
At least they should have a service bulletin and how many hours shop work this is supposed to take. No information does not fly my book. I will rather direct the business to my localmachine dealer if Massey does not want to help in anyway. They used to be a Massey dealer and know Massey tractors.
JerryG
Super Member
The size and models of tractors you are dealing with are not Iseki.
No right, but the new tractor the dealer showed us was an Iseki tractor with a Massey Ferguson logo and paint on it. A three cylinder job up to 100 HP. With a platform, loader, four wheel drive and the biggest tires it takes on the front it was over $50.000. They would take the two 390T's for trade, $10.000 a piece, minus the repair cost. I see in Europe they are going for much more, made in Britain, they only have 3000 hours on them for crying out silently.
Somewhere on the label it said China, me and my wife could not figure out what that meant, if China owns Agco, the United States or what? Agco of course in Georgia US, or is it?
Anyway, if parts of this NEW ISEKA tractor are made in China, for Iseki in Japan, for Massey Ferguson, for Agco in Georgia US, we are in real trouble, China confiscating Japanese ships and they butting into each other on the high seas.
The latest news, I just called Massey Ferguson. The lady in Minnesota told me this had been upgraded to service issue and I should wait a couple of days. I will and if they treat me right, I will most surly call it from the rooftops.
Somewhere on the label it said China, me and my wife could not figure out what that meant, if China owns Agco, the United States or what? Agco of course in Georgia US, or is it?
Anyway, if parts of this NEW ISEKA tractor are made in China, for Iseki in Japan, for Massey Ferguson, for Agco in Georgia US, we are in real trouble, China confiscating Japanese ships and they butting into each other on the high seas.
The latest news, I just called Massey Ferguson. The lady in Minnesota told me this had been upgraded to service issue and I should wait a couple of days. I will and if they treat me right, I will most surly call it from the rooftops.
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Now a day later I am thinking about calling AGCO head quarters, found their phone number. I cant wait for days for Massey Ferguson to maybe get back to me. This tractor has to be fixed and very likely they are not going to take part in the repair.
I have been trying now for days to get feedback from AGCO, anything, servive bulletin or denial there is this problem with these tractors, no luck. I get to talk to different people in the Purgatory of their phone system, everybody promising they will get back to me but nothing yet.
Now the plan is, to bring the tractor to my equipment dealer I trust and have this fixed first thing Monday, but record the repair with pictures, ACGO is going to have to answer to this one way or another.
I have been discussing this on an Icelandic forum. Some of you might have guessed I was not born in Brooklyn. Somebody wrote this story in and I will translate, but first in Icelandic. As you probably know geothermal energy is big in Iceland, they get turbines from Japan and but them on top of holes drilled into the ground, the steam making electricty. Mitsubishi one of the companies selling the turbines.
Frændi minn átti þennan fína Pajero, bílinn var bæði nýlegur og lítið ekinn þegar fór í honum gírkassi.
Hekla var boðin og búinn til aðstoða gegn því að fá ófáa hundraðþúsunkalla fyrir verkstæðiskostnaðinn og var þetta þó fyrir allmörgum árum.
Frændinn komst loks á snoðir um að það væri háttsettur framkvæmdastrjóri frá mitsubishi á landinu, sat um hann og bauð sér á hans fund og bað um að fá það skriflegt að þetta væri ekki meira af jeppanum að búast en að þurfa að gera við hann fyrir smábílaverð rétt tilkeyrðan.
Veit ekki hvernig maður segir gefið honum nýjan gírkassa á japönsku, en sú varð allavegana raunin.
My uncle had this fine Pajero SUV. When it was almost new, the transmission went. The dealership Hekla was willing to help for the price of almost a new car. My uncle found out a high up CO was in the country from Mitsubishi. So he found out where he was (not difficult in Iceland where everybody is family) and pesterd him to give him in writing nothing else was wrong with car. My uncle does not know how to say in Japanese "let him have another transmission", but that what he said.
I will keep you informed and put in pictures.
Now the plan is, to bring the tractor to my equipment dealer I trust and have this fixed first thing Monday, but record the repair with pictures, ACGO is going to have to answer to this one way or another.
I have been discussing this on an Icelandic forum. Some of you might have guessed I was not born in Brooklyn. Somebody wrote this story in and I will translate, but first in Icelandic. As you probably know geothermal energy is big in Iceland, they get turbines from Japan and but them on top of holes drilled into the ground, the steam making electricty. Mitsubishi one of the companies selling the turbines.
Frændi minn átti þennan fína Pajero, bílinn var bæði nýlegur og lítið ekinn þegar fór í honum gírkassi.
Hekla var boðin og búinn til aðstoða gegn því að fá ófáa hundraðþúsunkalla fyrir verkstæðiskostnaðinn og var þetta þó fyrir allmörgum árum.
Frændinn komst loks á snoðir um að það væri háttsettur framkvæmdastrjóri frá mitsubishi á landinu, sat um hann og bauð sér á hans fund og bað um að fá það skriflegt að þetta væri ekki meira af jeppanum að búast en að þurfa að gera við hann fyrir smábílaverð rétt tilkeyrðan.
Veit ekki hvernig maður segir gefið honum nýjan gírkassa á japönsku, en sú varð allavegana raunin.
My uncle had this fine Pajero SUV. When it was almost new, the transmission went. The dealership Hekla was willing to help for the price of almost a new car. My uncle found out a high up CO was in the country from Mitsubishi. So he found out where he was (not difficult in Iceland where everybody is family) and pesterd him to give him in writing nothing else was wrong with car. My uncle does not know how to say in Japanese "let him have another transmission", but that what he said.
I will keep you informed and put in pictures.
Yes and I am lucky I have an equipment dealer I trust not too far away, not a Massey Ferguson dealer though, will bring the tractor to him this Monday. But that is not the point, I bought this tractor new in 1995 I think, a real investment for us. Today a tractor in this class goes easy over $50.000, it only has 3000 hours on it. The only thing I am asking for, is support from Massey Ferguson or AGCO, they telling me if this brake-down is an issue with these tractors or not. In AGCO's mission statement it says:
AGCO is committed to creating the best customer experience in the industry. AGCO invests heavily in training service and support personnel, updating processes and systems – particularly with AGCO’s Parts Distribution Centers and Customer Service Centers – while actively seeking input from dealers and customers for continuous improvement.
Not my experience is it, a thing like this can ruin a farmer.
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D7E
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Why do you expect them to help you on something that old ? The 300 series are some of their best tractors . Generally that transmission is very good we have had 390's and 399's with over 10'000 hours with no trouble even on loader tractors.
TomSeller
Super Member
It looks like the Massey 390Ts were last made in 1997. At this point your options would be a mechanic or a lot of google searches. I understand the 390T to be a quality tractor so you should be back in business shortly.
While your purchase in 1995 may be recent to you, in the global market that Massey competes, it is a long time ago. Hopefully your mechanic figures out what is wrong quickly and cost effectively.
While your purchase in 1995 may be recent to you, in the global market that Massey competes, it is a long time ago. Hopefully your mechanic figures out what is wrong quickly and cost effectively.
Why do you expect them to help you on something that old ? The 300 series are some of their best tractors . Generally that transmission is very good we have had 390's and 399's with over 10'000 hours with no trouble even on loader tractors.
Yes what do I expect from Massey Ferguson or AGCO, the name Massey Ferguson by now a name they put on tractors made by other manufacturers.
First about the 300 series Massey Ferguson, I have had 4 and now three, one 383 and two 390T's. Yes they are very good tractors, the problems I have had with them mostly minor. One 383 did not have grease-able steering knuckles (or what you call them). We changed them out a couple years ago, put grease-able in as in the 390T's. The paint job on the hood ****** so they are starting to look a little middle-aged, the paint flaking of, talk about minor. With a loader I feel they flex a little too much. They are good haying tractors. Especially this one we are talking about, 18 speed with an electric button for high and low on the gear shift. Going up hill (lots of hills here) you can slow down and vice verse.
I have to say though, always felt a little moronic shifting to low-medium -high with the gearshift on the 390T's. You push the gearshift to the right and forward and it goes up from low to med. Then you do it again and it goes into high, same the other way. Never been a problem but the design is not confidence building, feels weak. But as I said never been a problem until now. So it felt extra stupid wriggling this gearshift back and forth and nothing happening.
So what does a little farmer expect when he plunks down more than $30.000 of the family fortune in 1995 for a new tractor to last him a live-time. More than a hand-sake, a smile and good-by I guess.
Now more than 15 years later he does not expect AGCO to give him a new tractor or the CO to call to say he he is soooo soooory. If he still lived in Iceland maybe, but he has learned to live with that there are more than 300 million American's and the CO of AGCO probably not married to his cousin. He does not even expect AGCO to help with fixing it (maybe it crossed his mind though).
But what he did expect and still does, that when this problem came up, that Massey Ferguson or AGCO had a service bulletin on this issue at the ready and if this is a problem with these tractors, they would be forthcoming and ready to help him in anyway possible. He would accept that even if they honored at some point participating in this repair up to 4000 hours, that they were not doing it anymore, understandable.
What the farmer does not accept is to end up in Purgatory trying to talk to somebody at AGCO. Next time the farmer (and he does ones in a while) goes out to buy a new machine, it will probably not have a AGCO sticker on it.
How much does it cost a company like AGCO to have a reasonable phone system with people who actually know what they are talking about and can treat a farmer like he is a human being. Not that much I think, not that many combines.
Is it right I have to find out about this problem on a British tractor forum written years ago? Makes me think about a Suburban sitting out back with a ignition key problem, Amercian's dying on the highways while GM kept it secret. Something not right in my mind, or as they are saying in South Korea after this ferry accident, profits above all, nothing else matters.
But then you say, what do you expect from GM on a 1999 Suburban? Nothing I guess but I am a little hurt I was driving my children in a deathtrap and they new it all a long.
Yes what do I expect from Massey Ferguson or AGCO, the name Massey Ferguson by now a name they put on tractors made by other manufacturers.
First about the 300 series Massey Ferguson, I have had 4 and now three, one 383 and two 390T's. Yes they are very good tractors, the problems I have had with them mostly minor. One 383 did not have grease-able steering knuckles (or what you call them). We changed them out a couple years ago, put grease-able in as in the 390T's. The paint job on the hood ****** so they are starting to look a little middle-aged, the paint flaking of, talk about minor. With a loader I feel they flex a little too much. They are good haying tractors. Especially this one we are talking about, 18 speed with an electric button for high and low on the gear shift. Going up hill (lots of hills here) you can slow down and vice verse.
I have to say though, always felt a little moronic shifting to low-medium -high with the gearshift on the 390T's. You push the gearshift to the right and forward and it goes up from low to med. Then you do it again and it goes into high, same the other way. Never been a problem but the design is not confidence building, feels weak. But as I said never been a problem until now. So it felt extra stupid wriggling this gearshift back and forth and nothing happening.
So what does a little farmer expect when he plunks down more than $30.000 of the family fortune in 1995 for a new tractor to last him a live-time. More than a hand-sake, a smile and good-by I guess.
Now more than 15 years later he does not expect AGCO to give him a new tractor or the CO to call to say he he is soooo soooory. If he still lived in Iceland maybe, but he has learned to live with that there are more than 300 million American's and the CO of AGCO probably not married to his cousin. He does not even expect AGCO to help with fixing it (maybe it crossed his mind though).
But what he did expect and still does, that when this problem came up, that Massey Ferguson or AGCO had a service bulletin on this issue at the ready and if this is a problem with these tractors, they would be forthcoming and ready to help him in anyway possible. He would accept that even if they honored at some point participating in this repair up to 4000 hours, that they were not doing it anymore, understandable.
What the farmer does not accept is to end up in Purgatory trying to talk to somebody at AGCO. Next time the farmer (and he does ones in a while) goes out to buy a new machine, it will probably not have a AGCO sticker on it.
How much does it cost a company like AGCO to have a reasonable phone system with people who actually know what they are talking about and can treat a farmer like he is a human being. Not that much I think, not that many combines.
Is it right I have to find out about this problem on a British tractor forum written years ago? Makes me think about a Suburban sitting out back with a ignition key problem, Amercian's dying on the highways while GM kept it secret. Something not right in my mind, or as they are saying in South Korea after this ferry accident, profits above all, nothing else matters.
But then you say, what do you expect from GM on a 1999 Suburban? Nothing I guess but I am a little hurt I was driving my children in a deathtrap and they new it all a long.
I just called the shop, had not worked on it yet. Will keep you informed
JerryG
Super Member
On the lose bolt problem. Drill a hole though the head of the bolts. Then wire tie them like a flywheel.
