596 troubles

[chh]

Well I've posted on here several times about the 500 series MF's and I thought I would give an report on some problems that I'm having with my 596 over the last few months. I have talked to several other people that have 596's like mine and none have had any significant trouble, so I guess I may have gotten the odd one.
Shortly after delivery the heat knob breaks and the sun shade was broken, no big deal, new parts sent and all is well. A couple of minor glitches is to be expected anymore right?
At around 100 hrs while using the loader one of the main hydraulic lines blew nearly emptying the system before I noticed it. The dealer brought down a new hose and fluid. No other problems found and we thought it was an odd bad hose.
2 weeks later and at about 110 hrs the other main line blew, while not doing loader work. I took the tractor in and everything was tested, line replaced, and new fluid. No other problems found.
About 2 weeks later, while loading hay, the tranny locks up in first gear. I take the tractor in and it was inspected, the trans unstuck, all linkages checked and lubed, once again it was given a clean bill of health.
4 weeks or so after that, the trans locks up again, once more, I load it up, the dealer keeps it for 2 weeks, replaces all the shifters, linkages and adjusts everything. I am at this point expressing real displeasure at the idea of starting the custom hay season with a tractor I don't have confidence in. Total time at this point is about 150 hrs.
Well haying has been off to a slow start, so the hours have not been racking up too fast. Sunday afernoon, we rush to finish a small field, before the next front blows in(its raining as I post this). 190 hrs on the tractor. Cleaning up afterwards I notice a line in the grass. The hydraulic line that was changed out first is leaking and no fuild is visible on the dipstick, but no warning lights have come on yet.
First thing this AM I was on the phone to the shop foreman. I'm getting the same song and dance, bring it in and we will check it out. This week is going to be a bust haying wise because of rain chances all week, I'm really ticked off, so I start calling around to different dealers and brands getting quotes on new/near new tractors. I call the MF dealer back and tell him about whats going on and what the shop has had to say. Long story short he has offered me my money back out of the tractor in trade on a 5455 with the Dyna 4 tranny. His price quote is better than the other quotes I have been getting, but still it is more money.
I'm planning to run up tomorrow and look at what he has. I didn't want the 5455 to start with because I am a bit nervous over all the electro/hydraulics in the trans ect... But the Dyna 4 is supposed to be a bullet proof trans. The wife is screaming for me to take the trade and get out of the 596 before it goes down in the middle of a big job. But I'm still reluctant, after all this is an 8 month old tractor with over 2 years left on the warranty. The wife's argument is that I will never get offered my money back out of it again(no other dealer was even close).
This is the fourth new MF I have bought, 3 from this dealer, up to this point my total warranty claims was 2. A hydraulic seal kit in a loader valve and a bent loader bracket(my fault, but they warrantied it anyway).
Suggestions or comments anyone. (And don't suggest going JD. That dealership ticks me off everytime I talk to them and the local shop is a joke)

 

[MAHINDRA OF OHIO]

The loader was made in Iowa and it could have been installed on a 5455
Try looking at a 3645--nice tractor

 

[chh]

The lines that I have been having problems with are the lines going from the tractor to the loadblock, not the loader lines. These are compression fitting lines that can't be made up locally.

Would the 3645 be marginal on a 2746A round baler? The 596 does a very good job with it.

 

[MFRED]

That 5455 will quickly make you wonder why you bought the 596. Try one with the 940 loader made by ALO. Perfect fit.

The 596 remotes are fed by steel lines right? Could rubber be used to eliminate the vibration? I've done that before.

 

[DMW]

Blowing one hose may be part quality, but the 2nd and 3rd would have me looking at the hydraulics system relief valve. The system will fail at the weakest point. Your relief valve could be sticking causing excess pressure buildup.JMO

Dennis

 

[WilliamBos]

That 5455 will quickly make you wonder why you bought the 596. Try one with the 940 loader made by ALO. Perfect fit.

The 596 remotes are fed by steel lines right? Could rubber be used to eliminate the vibration? I've done that before.

The new MF series loaders ARE ALO loaders, so go with the one that gives the better price.

Good Luck.

 

[chh]

Well I brought this back today on a 2 week approval. '07 5455 with a DL280 FEL sold Sept. 7 last year. Traded in last month on a new 5465. Currently has 208 hrs, about 30 of those by they dealer baling his own hay over the last couple of weekends. Everything checks out good so far and it still has the plastic on the seat and the shipping cover on the floor. I pic is of the tractor and 1 is my baler moniter installed. They are still thinking a sticking valve in the hydraulics on the 596, but the deal I was offered gives me my money back out of it and about 5 grand off the price of a new 5455 on this tractor.
It looks like the weather is going to keep us from cutting before about Sat. So I've got a bit to get set up and used to the controls.

 

[mark.r]

I think you did/are making the right choice. The 5400 series is the only tractor that I am really considering outside of the NH T5000 series. In my research I am understanding that the Dyna 4 is based on the Fendt tranny? At any rate, I would love to get my hands on an '08 5460. Do let us know how you like it. It should be great. Good luck!!!

On a side note, the 3645 is also a looker. I like that as well.

 

[chh]

I have not seen any of the 3645's in this area yet. The MF dealer says he has some coming, but none available yet.
The plan is for the 596 to be repaired and tested again by this weekend. The dealer plans to use it as a baler tractor and see if the can figuire out what is going on with it.
As far as liking the 5455, we will have to see. So far it is pretty impressive, but I have not really been able to get it out and work it. According to the dealer the only 2 possible outcomes to the 2 week approval period are;
1. I keep the 5455
2. I call and take the new 5455 he has on the lot and send the 200+ hr one back for him to sell.
Either way is a win for him.
He doesn't see me asking for the 596 back at all, but I guess we will see.

The wife wouldn't come with me yesterday to look at the 5455, but she ran it around the yard after I brought it in. Her only complaint was that it had too many buttons to learn.

 

[WilliamBos]

I have not seen any of the 3645's in this area yet. The MF dealer says he has some coming, but none available yet.
The plan is for the 596 to be repaired and tested again by this weekend. The dealer plans to use it as a baler tractor and see if the can figuire out what is going on with it.
As far as liking the 5455, we will have to see. So far it is pretty impressive, but I have not really been able to get it out and work it. According to the dealer the only 2 possible outcomes to the 2 week approval period are;
1. I keep the 5455
2. I call and take the new 5455 he has on the lot and send the 200+ hr one back for him to sell.
Either way is a win for him.
He doesn't see me asking for the 596 back at all, but I guess we will see.

The wife wouldn't come with me yesterday to look at the 5455, but she ran it around the yard after I brought it in. Her only complaint was that it had too many buttons to learn.

Is it a Dyna-4? I think you will be happy.

Good Luck, and keep us posted.

Will

 

[mark.r]

Is it a Dyna-4? I think you will be happy.

Good Luck, and keep us posted.

Will

Yes, it is a '07 which has the Dyna 4.

The 3645 really caught my attention when I was at the dealership looking at a 5455. I could believe how a small it really looked yet it was rated at 91/75pto horsepower. I have never had the good fortune to run one but I picked up all the literature. I would be happy with one with the power shuttle and loader. The only reason I am looking at the 5400 series or the NH5070 is because IF I go for a larger tractor I am going to make darn sure I get something that I can do EVERYTHING I need, period. Even if it means 10-15hp over kill. I am not looking to by another tractor anytime soon. I have my 45hp DK for raking/tedder and even loader work so the next on is going to be as close to 100pto hp as I can afford.

 

[chh]

I don't know about going small. I looked at Kubota's on the way to the MF dealership. The intent being if something wasn't done to make me happier I was going to have them stick a hose on it and trade it in on a Kubota if I could make a deal. The salesman kept trying to push me off on a smaller frame size Kubota that was rated at 95 hp if I remember correctly. I was really afraid the tractor would be too light. Being pushed around by a round baler isn't fun. And I have some steep hills to work and move equipment on. I have heard so much about the Dyna 4 tranny though that I am really hoping now for some nice weather so I can see how it really performs.

BTW, I didn't mention that I also test drove a new 596 while I was waiting for them to get the 5455 ready for me to take. The new one shifted better(easier & smoother) than mine ever did. Even after all the work that has been done on it.(or maybe because of it ) That leads me to think there is still something not set up right in the shifters or ??? Anyway it will be interesting to see what they come up with after they use it for a bit.

All this going one is something I really hate and tried to avoid. I wanted to go into the hay season set up and rolling. Not chasing around trading tractors. I greatly prefer doing all my equipment purchases in the winter so I have time to shop for deals and be familiar with everything. As it stands now it looks like the weather is going to break off after the round Thursday for a week or so(1.5 inches of rain again today). So I will most likely be hitting the fields again Saturday or Sunday ,after church, if the ground isn't too wet with a tractor I am still learning to use.

 

[mark.r]

We're on the same page. That's what I didn't feel comfortable with about the 3645. It has the power but dimenionally its one class to small.

 

[chh]

Rained yesterday so we went and worked at a church camp getting a cabin ready for campers, but that is another story. Way to wet to do much work and a 70% chance of rain tonite, but I had the feeling I really had to get the 5455 out and do something to start getting used to it, so today I put the spikes on and started shuffling round bales off to the sides of the field. I'm in my late 40's, been around equipment my whole life and running tractors since I was 6 or 7, run dozers, heavy equipment , trucks , I even have a private pilots license. I couldn't believe I as sitting in a field looking at an operators manual trying to figuire why that one little light kept blinking at me feeling as dumb as a brick. Not to mention flipping the shuttle lever the wrong way and generally thrashing around the field like a drunken fool. The rows of round bales off of the first field are not straight or even. How can something that is so effortless to run make a grown man feel like he got his tail kicked today? After a couple of hours I started getting the hang of it. One finger shifting and shuttle, near effortless power steering and loader controls. It is really a nice tractor. But the owners manual will have to stay in it along with the baler manual until I am a lot more comfortable with it.
It really does have several neat features that I have never had before. If both brake pedals are pushed the MFWD enages to provide braking action thru all the wheels, all the controls all well placed and easy to use(once you know what they all do), toggle switch 3 pt, great visibilty, air ride seat(my back likes that), the list just goes on. I rarely ever used a parking brake on a tractor, this one requires that it be on to keep it from rolling and the trans won't engage if the lever is up. The only time the foot clutch is required is to start it.
My wife says I will probably be permantly spoiled. My truck isn't this nice.

 

[mark.r]

Rained yesterday so we went and worked at a church camp getting a cabin ready for campers, but that is another story. Way to wet to do much work and a 70% chance of rain tonite, but I had the feeling I really had to get the 5455 out and do something to start getting used to it, so today I put the spikes on and started shuffling round bales off to the sides of the field. I'm in my late 40's, been around equipment my whole life and running tractors since I was 6 or 7, run dozers, heavy equipment , trucks , I even have a private pilots license. I couldn't believe I as sitting in a field looking at an operators manual trying to figuire why that one little light kept blinking at me feeling as dumb as a brick. Not to mention flipping the shuttle lever the wrong way and generally thrashing around the field like a drunken fool. The rows of round bales off of the first field are not straight or even. How can something that is so effortless to run make a grown man feel like he got his tail kicked today? After a couple of hours I started getting the hang of it. One finger shifting and shuttle, near effortless power steering and loader controls. It is really a nice tractor. But the owners manual will have to stay in it along with the baler manual until I am a lot more comfortable with it.
It really does have several neat features that I have never had before. If both brake pedals are pushed the MFWD enages to provide braking action thru all the wheels, all the controls all well placed and easy to use(once you know what they all do), toggle switch 3 pt, great visibilty, air ride seat(my back likes that), the list just goes on. I rarely ever used a parking brake on a tractor, this one requires that it be on to keep it from rolling and the trans won't engage if the lever is up. The only time the foot clutch is required is to start it.
My wife says I will probably be permantly spoiled. My truck isn't this nice.

Oh stop it, just stop it. You're killin' me over here (actully tell me more). I love the machine. I'd really like to hear as much as you can stand to tell us as you continue to use it. That really is great looking tractor. Some more pics if you get a minute.

 

[chh]

Well Friday turned out like this 1.5 inches.


Finally started cutting again this morning. I might get something done if I could keep a tractor under me. Mowed about 2 hours and stopped between feilds. Diesel fuel was coating the side of the block. The dealerships head mechanic will be out first thing in the morning. He thinks it is a return line leaking, I guess we will see. I have a hay customer that wants me to move a couple of miles down the road and do a 20 acre field for him in addition to the hay he is buying. I'm still not sure I have a tractor I'm willing to trust out on a custom job and I've got big ones lined up for as soon as the weather settles down. Top it off with orders for more hay than I have been able to get cut in the last couple of weeks and things are going to start getting interesting.
The 5455(if it straightens out) will be a haying machine though. The Dyna-4 is really nice as you go through the various field conditions. I was cutting in 2nd range D speed, (4.9 mph,1950 engine rpm, 520 pto rpm) over much of the field today. Dropping down to C or B was just a quick flip on the reverser/gear lever. I sure have never run anything like it before, much less had all the info in front of me like that.

 

[mark.r]

Well Friday turned out like this 1.5 inches.
View attachment 105242

Finally started cutting again this morning. I might get something done if I could keep a tractor under me. Mowed about 2 hours and stopped between feilds. Diesel fuel was coating the side of the block. The dealerships head mechanic will be out first thing in the morning. He thinks it is a return line leaking, I guess we will see. I have a hay customer that wants me to move a couple of miles down the road and do a 20 acre field for him in addition to the hay he is buying. I'm still not sure I have a tractor I'm willing to trust out on a custom job and I've got big ones lined up for as soon as the weather settles down. Top it off with orders for more hay than I have been able to get cut in the last couple of weeks and things are going to start getting interesting.
The 5455(if it straightens out) will be a haying machine though. The Dyna-4 is really nice as you go through the various field conditions. I was cutting in 2nd range D speed, (4.9 mph,1950 engine rpm, 520 pto rpm) over much of the field today. Dropping down to C or B was just a quick flip on the reverser/gear lever. I sure have never run anything like it before, much less had all the info in front of me like that.

Goodness, I can't believe your luck with tractors. Keep us updated as to what the problem is. As for the weather, I got home just in time to cut the yard and then we got dumped on for about an hour so so. Wasn't a lot but enough to ruin anyone's hay day and to keep the stuff growing FAST like it has been lately . . .

 

[chh]

This is going to get interesting yet. "First thing this morning," turned into "Sometime after lunch" when I called the shop late this morning. At 3 when I still hadn't heard back from them we are back to "first thing in the morning". I talk to him about what to look for and pull the plastic cover from over the injectors. #1 injector is leaking. Called in again, tighten the nut where the injector line connects. Now it misses when you throttle up for about 4 to 5 seconds and belches black smoke before leveling out. Mechanic says he is ordering new injectors. Then I called and talked to the owner and asked for my 596 back. He has sold it! They never tested a thing, just stuck another new line on it and sold it to the first person to ask about it. So I have a tractor I can refuse, but the tractor I am supposed to be able to turn it back for is gone.
To top it off, I found the former owners name on a piece of not paper in the back of the loaders owners manual this evening. Put the name in anywho and called him. Turns out, yes he did trade it for a larger tractor, but it was having injection problems and he was tired of taking it back trying to get it fixed. Sound familiar? Other than that it is a great tractor he says .
With that info I am sure going to take this one back, for what I'm not sure. The dealer just keeps telling me he is going to make it right.
I have been dealing with them regularly since 2000 and bought a baler and a rake from them in the early 90's. The father ran it up until about 2004 and has been turning it over gradually to his son and is pretty much completely out of it now. All my dealings up to this point have been basically trouble free. Of course this is the first time I have ever had serious warranty problems.
My new baler and mowers came from another MF dealer a little farther away. Most of the reasons for that come back to the way they where taking care of the problems on the 596. I am most likely going to take all future dealings to them, but first I have to get this mess straightened out.

 

[mark.r]

Didn't they have another 5455 on the lot that was basically new . . . newer than the one you have now? Can you get that one?

 

[chh]

Well just got a deal done for the new 5455. They have it on another lot, so they have to transport it to the main dealership to prep it and put a DL 280 loader in it. I am supposed to have it late tomorrow evening or first thing Friday morning. Since it was going to take time to get it here, I asked if it was going to hurt this tractor to bale with it. They said to go ahead it was theirs no matter what happened. Just finished rolling 40+ bales. It ran good under a light load, but when the baler got full it sounded terrible. My wife and #1 rake hand said she thought she was in the field with an old poppin' johnny part of the time. We have a good chance of rain starting tomorrow and running thru the weekend, so being shut down isn't going to put me any farther behind than I already am. I will post a couple of pics when it comes in and I hopefully will have it working the first of the week.