Talking about your tractor problems

Glenn9643 · Aug 13, 2004

A lot of worthwhile thoughts and comments have been posted in this thread. As Hazmat said, it seems you see more of the problems in the brand specific owning/operating sections. If I have a ‘generic” type of question I’ll usually post here in Owning/Operating… something like when I smelled hot hydraulic fluid when using my FEL. I’d never had a FEL before and didn’t think about the vent port underneath the seat. However, if I have an issue that’s more brand specific I would address it to the brand specific area. I’ve also sent PM’s to other owners of my particular model that I’m aware of on TBM advising them of my problem, etc. but that works for me because there aren’t that many 1455v’s out there!
Slowrev commented “I am sure some of what is posted on this board gets back to the various CUT manufacturers and dealers, etc.” It’s a good bet that all the major manufacturer reps monitor this forum from time to time. A few months ago my MF dealer was celebrating moving into a new facility with an “open house” and while there I met the MF Compact Tractor General Marketing Manager. While we were talking I mentioned TBN and he indicated that he had been here and has had contacts with Muhammad on occasion. Those guys can get a lot of good information about our thoughts regarding their equipment from right here. They are constantly trying to improve their product and provide what the buyer wants. I believe that the threads posted concerning our likes and dislikes are of considerable value in the long haul other than just getting to “vent”.

MicroPilot · Aug 13, 2004

I think there is the possibility that someone new to tBN could see a number of problems reported for a tractor and take them to mean that brand should be avoided, however, there are also a LOT of threads here about how great their tracotor is, or different jobs that the tractor helped to accomplish with minimal effort and time, and these seem to me to balance out the problem reports.

Henro · Aug 13, 2004

My concern is that, in an effort to show a person's brand of tractor as better (that is, to have brand loyalty) we may resist comming here to present issues/problems/short commings of our own brand or model for fear that this will turn off prospective buyers. 

I must admit that this kind of thought is foreign to me...

Do people really care what brand tractor others buy?

Personally the only time I would fear turning off prospective buyers would be if I were selling a certain color and might lose a sale! But I don't sell anything and don't like selling to begin with, so that is not an issue for me...

Cliff, you might be on to something here but I don't think it is the case for the most part. But I sure don't know...

Cliff_Johns · Aug 13, 2004

( Do people really care what brand tractor others buy?)
Henro,
I think general board discussion when someone asks "companyAtractor .vs. companyBtractor" shows how much people want others to buy their brand/tractor.

I'm really not sugesting that it's a common problem, rather, I was worried when I started seeing posts that used phrases like "based on the number of problems posted about the X tractor, I would worry about the quality." It just felt like that was a worrysome trend, and I wanted to make folks aware of the bog we were driving into before we were in up to our collective cup holder.

Problem postings, and the discussion of how to fix them are the life of the board and help keep our tractors in shape and our butt in the seat. Keep 'em comming.

( Cliff, you might be on to something here but I don't think it is the case for the most part.)

I don't think so either, I was looking to stub out a smoking stoogie before the forest caught on fire.
Cliff

To20Chris · Aug 13, 2004

I'm more than willing to discuss the problems I have with my tractor. Like, right now, it has mud on it! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif And even worse, I'm not on it! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Egon · Aug 13, 2004

Anyone want to know about problems with my Kubota B7100 or other equipment for it just ask.

Egon

gabby · Aug 14, 2004

I think most of us are willing to accept a glitch or two when we buy something, as long as the dealer and/or mfr. stand behind their product and make it right.

On the other hand, when they fail to make it right that's a horse of a different color.

I will never again buy anything made by Bush Hog because I was the victim of a driveshaft design failure on their 3210 mower, and they wanted ME to pay through the nose to fix it. I told them to shove it and I patched up my 3210 and it's still running, but . . .

I'm getting a Deere!

Gabby

Glenn9643 · Aug 14, 2004

Sorry to hear you had a problem with the Bush-Hog mower that wasn't resolved to your satisfaction gabby.
I agree that how a product is backed up by the dealer and manufacturer is more important than never having a problem!
I have a Bush-Hog 286 rotary cutter that's been bulletproof. I have a 6' Bush-Hog box blade that I've punished in unimagineable ways, and did destroy the original one that I bought. The welds cracked holding it together in several places when it was about a year old. I took it back to the dealer and he told me to unload it and hook to a new one out on the lot. The welds were bad in several places; apparently someone was having a bad day when they built it. I don't really know who's to get credit for the immediate replacement, Bush-Hog or the dealer, but I'm a happy customer.

Junkman · Aug 14, 2004

( Anyone want to know about problems with my Kubota B7100 or other equipment for it just ask.

Egon )

I'll bite...... please tell us in 10,000 words or less exactly all the problems you have had with your Kubota B7100. Please go into excruciating detail including, but not limited to the number of hours each defect reared its ugly head. Also please advise what remedial action was taken by the dealer, and if that dealer was also the selling dealer. Has this tractor has been fed any high sulfur fuel in its life that might have precipitated its indigestion causing said maladies???? Have you treated said tractor with respect and dignity, washing and drying it when it is dirty? Have you massaged its loader arms with High Pressure Molybdenum Disulfide Lithium Based grease every 10 hours? Does your tractor have a UV resistant coating of Mothers wax? Do you wipe around your tractors snooty nose after it belches out black smoke trying to come to life at 3 AM in the middle of the winter? Do you offer it shelter from the cold night and frigid rains in the winter? Have you given it all of the life blood fluid changes at the proper intervals? Have all of its dialysis canisters been changed on a regular basis? All of these things are important to a tractor, even if they aren't important to you. Treat your tractor well, and it will return the favor three fold. Inquiring mind want to know...... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Soundguy · Aug 15, 2004

( we may resist comming here to present issues/problems/short commings of our own brand or model )

Looks to be quite the opposite. I've seen lots of warranty claim problems reported in the blue, green, and orange forums.. along with lots of HST drive problems in the blue/green forums, and fogging dashes int he blue/green forums, as well as brakes and bearing/casting problems in the blue forums.. doesn't look like people are pulling the punch too much.

Yanmar forum is pretty much online help on how to keep the old japs running, and the chineese forum IS DEFINATELY there to service people with chineese tractors to keep them running. Lots of issues in those forums about problems.. but it seems to actually help the sales as people feel a bit better knowing that there is a support system available..

Soundguy