CB85 Backhoe boom arm split

[BCLoco]

Don't know what the warranty is, but that does look like material or workmanship defect. Although, if for some reason you can't get it covered either with warranty or insurance; that could be repaired. First choice would obviously be warranty.

Yes I believe the warranty is two years, but I am not positive. For some reason, I don't have a copy of the warranty policy in my document package.

Ideally, the dealer would document the failure, then hopefully AGCO lets me weld and keep using the defective boom while I'm waiting for the replacement. Unfortunately, I can see it is currently listed as backordered on the AGCO parts website.

 

[BCLoco]

I haven't always been a big fan of how MF handles defects.

Let us know how you make out.

Unfortunately the service advisor I talked to Friday kind of left me with that impression. Don't need the stress of a fight with the dealer right now, so I'm banking on the problem being as obvious to them as it is to us. I'll be sure to post updates as things hopefully progress.

 

[BCLoco]

That’s bad, and I bet it wasn’t cheap to buy that either. Good luck on getting it fixed, I’m not a welder and I can see it’s a bad weld.

Thank you. I'm hoping if 100% of us can plainly see it was defective from the get-go, then surely they can't do much arguing over replacing it. I'm thinking worst-case scenario, they want to repair it themselves. I don't know how much choice I have in the matter, but I think I'd rather disassemble the hoe and take the boom to a welding shop and pay to have it done professionally. I'm an ok welder, but I'd never trust my skill level to hold those two pieces back together for whatever working life it has left ahead of it.

 

[ray66v]

Unfortunately the service advisor I talked to Friday kind of left me with that impression. Don't need the stress of a fight with the dealer right now, so I'm banking on the problem being as obvious to them as it is to us. I'll be sure to post updates as things hopefully progress.

They can't possibly say this is abuse, once they see it. And, it's probably not the only one that was welded incorrectly, so MF may already know about the defect.

The fight could be over the repair, or replace aspect.

I would just stress the point that they can't re-weld the entire part, and you won't ever be able to trust it, which was exactly why you bought new to start with.

 

[BCLoco]

Some delay in getting the backhoe to the dealer, but finally managed to get it down there today. It's roughly a 4-1/2 hour round trip.

In trying to keep focused on the issue at hand, I haven't mentioned to this point that my now-preferred dealer is not the dealer that sold me the machine. We moved during the tractor purchase process, and are now located roughly equal distance between the selling dealer, and my preferred dealer. The selling dealer lost our goodwill over issues that came up after the sale, mostly related to how their service department did the backhoe installation, coincidentally.

Back to today, dropped in at the dealer and spoke with the same service advisor I had on the phone. He's much more amenable to my plight in-person, and has clearly been trained that under-promising is better than under-delivering. I respect that.

We look at the backhoe, he decides the service manager should take a look. Service manager comes out--another really nice guy--and agrees that the issue sure looks like a defect. Unfortunately, MF only does one year warranty on their backhoes and loaders. That means it's the regional reps call to make, as out-of-warranty defects are out of the dealer's hands. The regional rep should be stopping by sometime in the next week or so. I left the backhoe there for him to inspect.

I'm not sure about naming names on TBN (I should probably have read forum rules *before* posting), but in any event--regardless of what happens with AGCO--the ladies and gentlemen at this dealership are first-rate. It's a rare thing to come across a place today that has so many people that clearly hold the best interests of the client as the core of their business.

Will update when the verdict comes back.

 

[irvingj]

You've found a good one (dealer), congratulations. They're worth their weight in gold, I think! --Pssst: when all is said and done, a Jug o' Joe and a box of munchies from Dunkin' goes a long way toward a proper thank-you!

I will add that the one serious (expensive) issue I had with my 2007 GC2310 was also.... a bad weld. Obviously a lack of penetration on the 4WD shift fork/lever. Replacing that $30 part cost me well over $1000. Unfortunately, well out of warranty.

 

[ray66v]

This dealer may very well be "first rate".

However, smart companies are very good at giving you that impression.

I worked with insurance companies that would make the customers feel really great, while they pressured me to behind the scenes to screw them.

At least in my area, my MF dealer has changed so many times, I've stopped trying to keep track of them. The one I bought the tractor from, was 10 minutes away. Now, I spend about an hour and a half, going there and back.

 

[ray66v]

You've found a good one (dealer), congratulations. They're worth their weight in gold, I think! --Pssst: when all is said and done, a Jug o' Joe and a box of munchies from Dunkin' goes a long way toward a proper thank-you!

I will add that the one serious (expensive) issue I had with my 2007 GC2310 was also.... a bad weld. Obviously a lack of penetration on the 4WD shift fork/lever. Replacing that $30 part cost me well over $1000. Unfortunately, well out of warranty.

And, they SHOULD have taken care of that OBVIOUS defect for you.

 

[BCLoco]

You've found a good one (dealer), congratulations. They're worth their weight in gold, I think! --Pssst: when all is said and done, a Jug o' Joe and a box of munchies from Dunkin' goes a long way toward a proper thank-you!

I will add that the one serious (expensive) issue I had with my 2007 GC2310 was also.... a bad weld. Obviously a lack of penetration on the 4WD shift fork/lever. Replacing that $30 part cost me well over $1000. Unfortunately, well out of warranty.

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Nasty! Especially considering that is a part you should just never, never have a problem with. Those are the kinds of failure that really leave a sour taste in your mouth. An issue ticking away deep in the machine that you had no way to know about or prevent.

 

[BCLoco]

This dealer may very well be "first rate".

However, smart companies are very good at giving you that impression.

I worked with insurance companies that would make the customers feel really great, while they pressured me to behind the scenes to screw them.

At least in my area, my MF dealer has changed so many times, I've stopped trying to keep track of them. The one I bought the tractor from, was 10 minutes away. Now, I spend about an hour and a half, going there and back.

Indeed. My industry is automotive. The car dealer's business model is built from the ground up to maximize profits, ethics be damned. I've seen and heard more horror stories than I could ever recall. Between that and my experience at my original MF dealer, combined with the tone of the service advisor on the phone, is why I was expecting pushback from the service department at this dealer. Up to this point, I had yet to deal with them in any significant way.

The fact is, they are nothing but a middle man in this scenario. They didn't build the machine, and they didn't sell it to me. AGCO is who needs to come good for a defective product. If I don't get a satisfactory result, my fight is with AGCO directly. And if they aren't looking to create satisfied, repeat customers in the compact tractor market, they're nuts.

Right now, the tractor market is polarizing, where most growth is at opposite ends of the spectrum: Huge machines for massive commercial operations, and the compact/sub-compact market for small farms, homesteaders, and landowners. Any company that is not growing their compact tractor market, is cutting off a huge chunk of current and future sales. I'm sure AGCO pays someone well to know that fact, and developing a bad reputation just to maximize short-term profits is a quick way to find themselves without a seat when the music stops.