Brand new 1735M broke after ~3hrs of use. Is this a freak occurrence?

[TheLandofSnipers]

Do you remember hitting anything? That must have been some rotational force to snap it off. Can you tell which direction it snapped in? Did it bend the 3PT link arm at all?

I didn't feel it hit anything. I've hit things in my old Ford that would stop the tractor and yank the front end off the ground and that never broke anything on the old Ford. Nothing else looks bent or damaged on the 3-Point.

 

[JWR]

Certainly true, but my point is how many units of this design are in service? More than 100 maybe more than 1,000. How many have broken? Its doesn't seem like many as this is the first I have know of, maybe there are others. However, with the others that are in service I would have to believe some of them have pulled a implement utilizing their 3-point hitch and applied a shear force that is not enough to brake the casing, indicating something abnormal happened here.

It appears that a larger Massey's (1750M and maybe others) do utilize 2 tabs, one on each side of the stud, so Massey must have decided they needed addition structure for the mount. I just hope this was just a manufacturing defect and Massey stands behind the warranty, especially since this this seems like it was the first pull with this tractor.

Has to be many thousands of these in service. I agree that it is a poor design to have the main 3pt attached to a stud/post rather than pin supported on both sides. Asks for trouble. However I think the casting was defective and I would certainly expect Massey to back it. Preferably just swap tractors as new as this was !! Worst case a loaner. I'd expect repairs to take a long time, that housing is going take time to acquire, and the repair itself is a major tear down. The regional service rep should be involved and I'd want a conversation with him about this incident even if the dealer handles it under warrantee as he should. Has he ever seen this before ? etc. If this is supported under warrantee the regional service rep will need to sign off on it so the dealer is not really paying anyway.

Like others have said, every tractor I ever had (antique Massey, John Deere 4700, MF 2660 larger ones) you could unexpectedly snag something on the 3pt and jerk the tractor to a sudden almost instant jaw snapping halt and NEVER see the lift arm break loose from the tractor !

By the way this is just a terrible thing on brand new machine. So sorry to see it. Please keep us posted on what the dealer does.

Just a wild after thought: Do you suppose that the stud was not quite a perfect fit for the hole in the cast metal, had an imperfect rib on the stud, the hole was slight oversize or any of these things AND then the stud was over tightened ? That MIGHT have caused a crack to start or some sizeable outward spreading force on the hole ?? If so 'normal' 3pt forces added to that might have broken it off due to pre-loading or even a pre-cracking?

 

[LouNY]

To the original poster were the sway bars snugged up or loose?
Also were you turning with the blade down?
Either of those can add considerable to the stress on the lift arms.

 

[TheLandofSnipers]

To the original poster were the sway bars snugged up or loose?
Also were you turning with the blade down?
Either of those can add considerable to the stress on the lift arms.

Sway bars were not loose. I NEVER turn with the box down . . . unless it's a minor course correction.

 

[LouNY]

Then it seems like a defect and I hope Massey takes care of you, Good Luck.

 

[Agvg]

It's a very common design to have support on one side so it's not a bad design.

 

[TMGT]

It's not a good design either, maybe adequate but less then I would expect from a tractor that size from a major manufacturer.

Looking at the pictures I don't see any pre-existing cracks or damage to the cast mount, is it possible that the 3pt bound up when raised/lowered?
As many of these tractors are out there I wouldn't think this is a common issue. I have to believe some excessive force broke this, either during your use or before you recieved it.

 

[TMGT]

How long were you using the box blade before it broke and how hard?

Looking at the pictures again it looks like the paint was rubbed off the arm and top corner of the mount like it was chained down in that area.
Wondering if it was chained down over the arm/mount and cranked down wrong it could have been broken before you even used it?

 

[TheLandofSnipers]

How long were you using the box blade before it broke and how hard?

Looking at the pictures again it looks like the paint was rubbed off the arm and top corner of the mount like it was chained down in that area.
Wondering if it was chained down over the arm/mount and cranked down wrong it could have been broken before you even used it?

It made it ~300 yards. So 5-7 minutes maybe. I was moving at a snails pace. Never felt a thing. Just lifted at the end of the 1st run and it was hanging funny.
No idea how it may have been chained down before. We used HD straps on the front tie downs and over the steel plates on the axle housing to get it home.

 

[TMGT]

I'm betting that was broken before you started grading, only thing is I would expect some corrosion on the break.

I imagine the stud was holding the peices together and the sway link kept the box blade mostly in place.