Model 2555

[HollowOakFarm]

Has anyone experienced an issue with their block heater going haywire? Ours apparently shorted out somewhere and burnt to a crisp a lot of the electric grid. Our usual mechanic, a local guy, figures the damage is too extensive for him to wade into...not that I blame him. He was frankly amazed the tractor didn't catch fire, that's how fried some of the components are, including the starter.

Temps were in the mid-30's that night, not that that should factor into it.

 

[arrow]

We had a customer who's tractor burn't to the ground when he left the key in the "on" position. Fortunately his tractor was still outside when this happened or else it would have burn't our entire building down. He trailered and dropped off his own tractor and had just spent 10 grand on it with a new engine, fenders, hood, tires, starter, hydraulic pump and complete fluid and filter service just 1 month before.
What you describe could possibly have been caused by a "grounding" issue causing a "dead short".

 

[HollowOakFarm]

We'll have to have the dealer come this week and winch it onto one of their trailers. This couldn't have happened at a worse time as we use the tractor far more Dec to March grappling logs than at any other time of year.

I will update with the grim news as it is relayed to us.

 

[HollowOakFarm]

Present damage assessment : $28,000 and climbing

They think the meltdown started with a faulty switch related to throttle (if I heard that correctly?) and that it was probably all over in a matter of less than a minute.

 

[SimpleSimon]

you mean...$2,800. ?

 

[HollowOakFarm]

Unfortunately not. 28 grand.

200 hours labor, give or take.

I should think one could build an entire tractor in that time, including forging the steel...but what do I know, I'm just a landscaper.

 

[HollowOakFarm]

To be clear: that's not a repair estimate, it's an insurance repair appraisal. Pretty obviously a total loss.

 

[SimpleSimon]

oh wow, I guess that is totaled then. maybe you could buy it back, then rebuild it.....?

 

[HollowOakFarm]

The new tractor is here, 2660. Some how we managed not to notice that it's not hydrostatic (clutch pedal is a dead giveaway), but we are getting used to shifting.

I have a quick question: we were having a bear of a time mounting the loader, and that is pretty much the easiest attachment to get on. I noticed the lift plates are misaligned, which didn't seem possible and led to observing the forks themselves are at slightly different positions in their cycle.

Dealer suggested running them up & down / in & out a number of times to, I'm guessing, 'rebalance' the fluid? That hasn't done the trick, as seen at rest in the photo.

Any suggestions are welcome. If I can save the dealer a trip out here I'm sure he'd appreciate it.

 

[Hay Dude]

I’d put a loader bucket full of weight on it and try to curl/uncurl and see what happens. Did you measure the ends of the chrome rod and get an actual measurement how far off they are?

 

[HollowOakFarm]

I’d put a loader bucket full of weight on it and try to curl/uncurl and see what happens. Did you measure the ends of the chrome rod and get an actual measurement how far off they are?

Yes, I tried that when the bucket was on. The heaviest thing we have around here presently is red oak firewood, so maybe a bucketful of that is not heavy enough.

To attach the loader we had to lock down the one side then jam it against a tree to lock down the other. The grapple will not go on no matter what. I wanted to do the same exercise with a heavy log.

I didn't measure, but the difference is around an inch.

 

[SimpleSimon]

By "lift plates" you mean the quick attachment plates?
And, was the FEL attached when you bought it?
-Simon

 

[HollowOakFarm]

By "lift plates" you mean the quick attachment plates?
And, was the FEL attached when you bought it?
-Simon

Yes, attachment plates.

The loader was on, but who knows if it was properly locked down. The misalignment is off by so much you can throw the lock handle down and the pin goes BEHIND the pin receiver. We found that out when we used the forks to move something and later realized the top was in, the bottom was not.

 

[HollowOakFarm]

3/4 of an inch offset.
Top - Right side
Bottom - Left

 

[SimpleSimon]

Could it be bolted crooked to the Tractor Frame? You should get it back to where you bought it from, or maybe they would come out and look at it....

 

[arrow]

Get that thing on a level cement floor if you have it. Dismount it from the tractor. Put a board across the loader arms. If the floor is level, so should be the loader.
If it shows level, make sure your loader mounting brackets are the same distance from the floor one side to the other.

It sounds like you caught a loader that was tweaked otherwise.

 

[HollowOakFarm]

The dealer is sending a trailer Friday. After several suggestions they had didn't do the trick they feel their shop is the next step. I will update.