I'm Done With Branson

[EddieWalker]

Thanks Larry, I didn't know there where two fusible links. I found the first one and replaced it. I'll look for the second one when I get home tonight.

 

[DavesTractor]

Dave, I really like your customers service oriented response. It show's that you still have a good customer service attitude about things. I commend you in your attitude. And you are right, it is mainly the other Branson dealers out there. Yet Branson needs to stand up and make a few changes in requiring the dealers out there to do a little better. As you already know, and I might add are smart enough, parts availability can be the making or breaking of a company. I would hate to see Branson going by the way side in the future because of this parts issue. Thay make a fine tractor and at a more reasonable price than most. Mine is a 2005 3510. I have worked the bejesus out of it throughout the first 10 years and I have had only 2 real problems. A fuel pump issue which I replace with a aftermarket one with a metal plunger in it instead of the one from Branson which has a plastic plunger. Nut in all fairness it lasted 5 or six years. The other was a couple of electrical problems with some connectors. They caused starting problems and was difficult to find and fix, especially with the wiring so very tight. Branson and all tractors alike have some little design flaws which are a little aggravating and unique to their brand (just like cars), however It is overall a really good tractor. It is dependable abd very strong. Thank you for your post it was excellent.

Thanks for the kind words Larry. We have sold enough Bransons to know what tends to go wrong. Of course you don't know that for a year or three or five. But it does not take a lot of shelf space to stock the needed parts. Fuel shutoff motor for the early units, the little fuel lift pump that you described, tie rod ends for the early 2000 non-"I" models, the plastic power-steering tank for the early models, etc. When you sell a couple two-three-hundred units a year you start to see trends. And I am sure it is that way with all brands. But sometimes we guess wrong. Sometimes you see a couple failures in a row and order up a bunch of spare parts....and no more failures. It is a little bit of a guessing game, but the more volume you sell the easier it is to figure out.

There are quite a few really, really good Branson dealers. But there are also some that probably should go back to selling used equipment or whatever they were doing when they decided to take on a new tractor line. But some of those little unlikely to succeed dealers grow to become super good high volume dealers. This is somewhat of a pattern across the newish brands. In theory they will only take on a dealer with all sorts of good attributes. But in reality if a guy will buy 15 tractors and has good credit he has met a big part of the requirement. We are a volume Mahindra dealer and they were the same as they ramped up. Now they are toeing the line much more and new Mahindra dealers tend to be more established and more likely to succeed. As Branson gets more good dealers and grows, I suspect the poorer performing dealers will be dropped and better ones will replace them. Meanwhile, some of these dealers damage the brands reputation.

 

[DavesTractor]

Thanks Larry, I didn't know there where two fusible links. I found the first one and replaced it. I'll look for the second one when I get home tonight.

Eddie. I found a wiring schematic. I will upload it soon.

 

[EddieWalker]

Eddie. I found a wiring schematic. I will upload it soon.

Thank you VERY MUCH, I'm looking forward to it!!!!

 

[k0ua]

Just read through this. We are one of the largest Branson dealers in the USA. It is embarrassing to know that there are dealers that do not stock parts. A dealer that will not stock parts ought not to be a dealer. Parts are a profit center, it makes no sense to not stock them. At least filters and fast moving parts. And as a dealer grows and has more units in his area, he can grow his parts supply.

As for Branson not responding, we do not see that. Yet it is rare that a customer of ours wants or needs to speak with Branson. A dealer ought to do all of that. Even if a customer has a complaint about warranty coverage or something like that, the dealer needs to advocate for his customer.

As for Branson not responding directly to the customer, I think that is wrong. Even if the question is really just an unsolvable complaint, the customer should have a response. There may be a time that a customer is beating a dead horse, communication at that point might change a little. But I think it is always wrong to ignore a customer.

In summary, I'd like to blame the poor dealer and not Branson. But I will acknowledge that Branson is the one that set up the dealer and allows him to remain a dealer, so they must shoulder some blame.

There are quite a few larger dealers across the USA that will UPS/FedEx you parts. The closer they are to you, the cheaper and faster the shipping will be. It makes little sense for us to send parts from California to the east coast, so this response is not a veiled advertisement for parts orders. Support your local dealer, or if you do not have one, you next closest good dealer.

We should all have dealers as responsive and caring as this.

 

[DavesTractor]

If I have done this correctly, here is some wiring info for the pre Cummins Branson and Century tractors.

 

[k0ua]

Eddie notice that the 12 volts from the battery goes from the battery to a fusible link then to a 5 millimeter white wire to the B terminal on the key switch. Trace back that white wire.

 

[EddieWalker]

View attachment 518261View attachment 518262View attachment 518263View attachment 518264View attachment 518265View attachment 518266

If I have done this correctly, here is some wiring info for the pre Cummins Branson and Century tractors.

This is amazing!!! Thank you very much, it makes it all look so much easier to see what goes where.

 

[EddieWalker]

Eddie notice that the 12 volts from the battery goes from the battery to a fusible link then to a 5 millimeter white wire to the B terminal on the key switch. Trace back that white wire.

Yes sir, that's going to be plan A!!!

 

[Texasmark]

TYM bought out Branson's parent company. Will both brands still exist 5 years from now, or will one be an orphan tractor (like Montana, Farmtrac, Scorpion, Century, etc.)? If that happens parts will be difficult to come by and resale value will plummet.

I was exposed to this rumor also. In that it was said that they wanted the Cummins licensed engine manufacturing capability that Branson has. That Cummins (licensed) engine is why I bought my 6530 in the first place (B 3.3 NA)....along with lots of other things. With the 2400 I got one too (A 1100 N).