Service Nightmare - Need Advice!

[MikeD74T]

"I was VERY explicit in my instructions NOT to return the tractor when the roads were wet and salty (slushy upstate NY winter roads) - to please wait until the roads were dry"

Not living in a part of the country where this is an issue, is this a common request?

How long did the tractor have to sit at the dela until the roads were dry? A couple of days, a month, three months?

Usually within two days of the sun coming out. MikeD74t

 

[Degolyerent]

I believe if I were that picky about the delivery I would deliver and pick it up myself, I believe your request to the dealer was unreasonable

 

[Fixemall]

I service and restore everything from crap that I know the people can't afford to fix properly but I do it anyhow because they need it for a living...to high end "garage queens" that barely see parade duty. In the winter (and sometimes rain) we have a cheap elastic bound car cover that we put over the machine, followed by a tyvex car cover, couple of bungy cords and I don't have to worry about chips, calcium or whatever crap is being thrown around out there in my NY winters. I pulled one last week that I covered because it had to go thru two miles of road construction, the tar covered rocks on the tyvex I noticed when I got home assured me I had done the right thing.

 

[9973720wb19]

Hmmm...the same thing happened to me...kind of. I took delivery in January of a JD 4720 2011. it showed up nice and clean on the upper body, but the delivery guy told me that when the dealer got it from the JD shipping truck it was "covered in road salt" and been shipped in a snow storm. He was just making conversation and I had sooo much on my mind at that moment, i hardly heard him. when the excitement wore off i noticed a bunch of salt on the "bottom" of the tractor (they did not bother to clean) and thought i should power wash that off. since then the tractor has been cleaned a few time times but i can see pre-mature rust (spots) damage under the tractor from the salt. i put some grease on these areas and just figured it would stop and not cause much harm. i plan to keep an eye on these areas and just spray paint them. so either I'm under reacting or your over reacting...anyway, thanks for sharing.

 

[Weedbo]

For the record - I have had a very good relationship with this dealer, which is why I'm hesitant to even press this. Just wanted to see how best to address the issue. Many thanks for all of the responses. I realize there are more important things in life to worry about, but I'd like to proect this investment as best I can.

 

[Weedbo]

try salt away, you should be able to get it from a marine dealer along the coast or order online. I use it on an aluminum boat and it works real good. Shame you pay all that money and the dealer still does what he wants, after instructions. Good luck with that.

I will try this. Thanks! I think there must have been a miscommunication with whomever was making the delivery, and I'm sure the dealer didn't realize the damage the salt would cause.

 

[tcartwri]

Not living in a part of the country where this is an issue, is this a common request?

It is actually common sense in the NE, not to open trailer when there is slush and salt on the roads. It can cause a lot of damage, particulary to untreated steel. Our tractors are not prepped for paint like a car is.

My dealer did the same thing FWIW. It was a mess. I got the pressure washer out of winter storage to wash it down right away.

 

[riptides]

Hmm... wonder how people would react if the machine was covered in say - dung, oil, or some other nasties?

 

[TripleR]

So let me see if I got this right. You asked/directed your dealer to work on your tractor then provide free storage and tailor his work schedule and employees to deliver your tractor only on a nice, dry day? ]

Which the dealer agreed to up front & (don't see anything expected for free) collected his fee for !! Do you routinely accept less than you paid for?? A coworker's son is in the wrecker business and often transports in an enclosed trailer for those that are willing to pay for it, not an unusual or unreasonable concept. MikeD74t

If the OP did not have some degree of doubt no matter how small, this would never have been posted. When you post something asking for advice/input you run the risk of getting opinions which you might not like.

If I made a request like this to any dealer in my area, every time I went in for parts/service, when they saw me coming they would nudge the other guys and say, "Here comes the guy I was telling you about." Maybe the laughter would have died down by the time I got to the door.

Maybe things are different in New York.

 

[dave1949]

I don't think it was a request that was out of line. It's your tractor, you asked, the dealer could have just as easily accommodated you regardless of what he or anyone else thinks about it. If he had done as asked, you would think all the more of him, no matter his motives.

My FIL might have asked the same. He never put a garden tool away without wiping it down with an oil rag. Hosed out the deck on his rider just about every time he used it. He had lots of things that were old but well cared for and still useful.

On the other hand, after he passed away, I found three lamp cord extensions behind the his couch and think he is lucky he didn't burn the house down. Everyone has their own tastes and definition of what really matters.

There is nothing wrong, and much to admire, with wanting to keep stuff in as good a shape as you can - just because. Not everyone, me included, will take the time and effort to do it. Maybe making fun of someone who does, could be a form of guilt or in the nature of an excuse?
Dave.