Do you take it to the dealer for maintenance or do it yourself.

[bdhsfz6]

I used to do all the mechanical work on my trucks, cars & tractors but now, I limit it to oil & filter changes.

For anything else, the dealership is just an easy 4 mile drive away.

 

[Rayrla]

After approx 20 hours of use found a puddle of hydraulic oil under my new Ford 1920. Found power steering hose(if memory serves me correctly) rubbing against a pulley.Called dealer for warranty service. Sent UPS new hose, oil and a zip tie with instructions to repair. Over 25 years later, tractor has never seen dealer shop. Thank fully has been a very good tractor with no major problems with just over 1800 hours and the same zip tie.

 

[rScotty]

The first time you do the job yourself pays for all the tools and manuals you could ever want.
The second time is purely enjoyable.

Some of my fondest memories are of dad and I doing brake jobs together on the family sedan.

The big thing I learned was how to do things myself.
Eventually that philosophy led us to build a house instead of taking a loan.
We didn't rush it. Took the time to enjoy.

 

[houska]

I am probably in the minority. The daily maintenance stuff such as checking and topping off fluids, greasing the FEL, clean or change an air filter, or change a light bulb I do. Any fluid change or repair it goes back to the dealer. Each tractor sees about 100 hours a year so that is not too often. After knee replacement I am past the point of being able to get underneath a tractor or wanting to dispose of large quantities of fluids.

This is me, but for different reasons.

I'm still physically in good shape but have little mechanical experience. Our rural property is off-the-grid, undeveloped, with we only have basic tools there so far. I only moonlight there, and still work part-time "in town" running my own business doing computer stuff for as many days/hours a month as I choose.

Therefore time I spend repairing/maintaining my tractor, UTV, etc. is time I don't spend improving my land, or time I could be working and earning money. Because I'm inexperienced, inefficient, and poorly equipped to do equipment maintenance, it's not hard to justify spending the $ to have the dealer do it, even float costs for the equipment if needed.

On the other hand, I do want to learn, and while I'm no prepper I do rather expect we're going to have some sort of crisis in the coming decades where we will all have to be a lot more self-reliant (we've actually had it very easy compared to previous generations in this regard). So each year I try to find some things that are just at the limit of my capabilities and do them myself, inefficiently but as an investment in my future.

Therefore, unless something gets in the way, I expect this year I will do all my fluid changes myself for the first time. It will take 5x as long as it would take some of you, I'll get messy and emit a few choice curse words I'm sure, but learning is good. However, when I next break my tractor, unless all it needs is a part swap-out I can do with a few wrenches, a hammer, and verbal encouragement, back to the dealer's shop it will go.

 

[Bearcat81]

I never took my John Deere 790 to the dealer for anything, did it myself no matter what it was, but now its pretty beat up. So for my L3301 I am thinking its best to have the dealer do everything, but got to pay pickup and delivery back, to say nothing of the sky high charges, but want to keep this one in immaculate shape. Is it worth it?

I do what I can do--my hourly rate is a helluva lot less than my dealers' (both of them- New Holland & Kubota); and, if there's something I can't do I load it up ($75 fee Times 2) and bite the bullet. Oil, filters, fluids, grease pretty easy to do, for me so far. But, you gotta feel good about taking care of your inve$tment .

 

[Bearcat81]

This is me, but for different reasons.

I'm still physically in good shape but have little mechanical experience. Our rural property is off-the-grid, undeveloped, with we only have basic tools there so far. I only moonlight there, and still work part-time "in town" running my own business doing computer stuff for as many days/hours a month as I choose.

Therefore time I spend repairing/maintaining my tractor, UTV, etc. is time I don't spend improving my land, or time I could be working and earning money. Because I'm inexperienced, inefficient, and poorly equipped to do equipment maintenance, it's not hard to justify spending the $ to have the dealer do it, even float costs for the equipment if needed.

On the other hand, I do want to learn, and while I'm no prepper I do rather expect we're going to have some sort of crisis in the coming decades where we will all have to be a lot more self-reliant (we've actually had it very easy compared to previous generations in this regard). So each year I try to find some things that are just at the limit of my capabilities and do them myself, inefficiently but as an investment in my future.

Therefore, unless something gets in the way, I expect this year I will do all my fluid changes myself for the first time. It will take 5x as long as it would take some of you, I'll get messy and emit a few choice curse words I'm sure, but learning is good. However, when I next break my tractor, unless all it needs is a part swap-out I can do with a few wrenches, a hammer, and verbal encouragement, back to the dealer's shop it will go.

If I can do it--you can do it. Take your time and follow the directions and ask your friends for advice, too. You will do fine.

 

[rScotty]

This is me, but for different reasons.

I'm still physically in good shape but have little mechanical experience. Our rural property is off-the-grid, undeveloped, with we only have basic tools there so far. I only moonlight there, and still work part-time "in town" running my own business doing computer stuff for as many days/hours a month as I choose.

Therefore time I spend repairing/maintaining my tractor, UTV, etc. is time I don't spend improving my land, or time I could be working and earning money. Because I'm inexperienced, inefficient, and poorly equipped to do equipment maintenance, it's not hard to justify spending the $ to have the dealer do it, even float costs for the equipment if needed.

On the other hand, I do want to learn, and while I'm no prepper I do rather expect we're going to have some sort of crisis in the coming decades where we will all have to be a lot more self-reliant (we've actually had it very easy compared to previous generations in this regard). So each year I try to find some things that are just at the limit of my capabilities and do them myself, inefficiently but as an investment in my future.

Therefore, unless something gets in the way, I expect this year I will do all my fluid changes myself for the first time. It will take 5x as long as it would take some of you, I'll get messy and emit a few choice curse words I'm sure, but learning is good. However, when I next break my tractor, unless all it needs is a part swap-out I can do with a few wrenches, a hammer, and verbal encouragement, back to the dealer's shop it will go.

Fluid changes are easy and a good way to start. However, right along with fluid changes come filter changes - and they can be difficult even for an experienced mechanic. Don't get discouraged and do get the right tools to start. Good oil filter wrenches are costly and worth it. A strap wrench by itself will eventually just get you in trouble by collapsing the filter. Also a buddy who has done it before is a big help.

Filters make it all too easy to dump their oil, and are sometimes stuck in place from overtightening. That is why special tools are required to turn them. Be patient. Get some help the first time. Resist the urge to overtighten new filters. And get a LARGE oil pan with a spout and a lid.

Everyone has to start out with filters and oil changes. That's where apprentices are put and why. But most mechanical jobs are in fact much easier and more enjoyable than routine maintenance. It beats me why manufacturers have for 100 years now made the routine maintenance jobs the so excessively difficult to access and complete correctly..... but they have. Don't let it discourage you. The gains are worth it.
rScotty

 

[Cougsfan]

I'd do whatever you can by yourself. If it is beyond my skills, I'd take it to an independent tractor mechanic as opposed to a dealer. I have had much much better luck with independent shops. In my experience, in general they seem to be more competent, honest, straightforward and easier to deal with.

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

On my old Ford I did just about everything. On the new Boomer 50 the shop will do the first 50 hour maintenance even though they are over two hours away. I was told I can schedule an appointment and in and out the same day. After than, it's sort of up in the air, but oil and filter changes and greasing I can still handle once we get a concrete pad to work on.

 

[Tony H]

It's dealer's job to make money. They charge you 'book' for a specific job and push to beat it. Pushing is shortcutting. I maintain everything that I own. They seem to outlive all the Dealer/mariner objects around me. My daily tools are all considered classics.