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09-09-2008, 10:14 PM
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 30
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Help!!! I broke my tractor in half!!!
I have an Antonio Carraro TRX 8400 68 HP tractor with a front end loader. It's 2 years old...
I was lifting up the front end of the tractor with the front end loader (like I have done with all of my tractors) to put jacks under the frame to perform maintenance.... I heard a groan and then the whole thing just pop, pop, popped in half in a sickening sag and then a pool of hydraulic oil.... I wasn't even on the tractor when it happened, just standing to the side working the levers.
I am convinced that this is a manufacturing defect and am not getting much of a response from the company... The dealer thinks the repair would run about 18,000!!! Oh yeah, the warranty expired a couple of months before this happened too... figures...
Any advice, answers, comments appreciated.
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09-09-2008, 10:28 PM
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 528
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That just plain sucks!!!!!!!
__________________
""If you don't have dreams that are a little beyond your grasp, you have already started to die.""
78 acre hay farm
1965 John Deere 4020
John Deere 1209 Mower Conditioner
Woods MD 315 Batwing Bushhog
1952 8N Ford Tractor
1990 Yazoo 60" Deck with a 20 HP Wisconsin.
I work on a 1000 acre sod farm.
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09-09-2008, 10:46 PM
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 30
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I believe that the casting is defective. When I looked at how thin the housing walls were, I was shocked. Barely thicker than 1/4 inch in spots.
They also skimped on the metal around the threaded bolts that hold it together. That's where the casting initially failed as well. When the shoulder casting around the bottom bolts went, the rest just went for the ride.
I'm sure that if the integrity of the metal wasn't compromised by any internal defects and the shoulder metal was a little more substantial, the failure would never have happened.
I had to bring it back to the dealer for the 100 hour servicing and we discovered that the cast metal bumper guard weight had cracked in half... I had never hit it. This is a 1" thick chunk of metal that protects the engine... We sent it back and the one that the dealer got was ALSO broken... no damage to the box it came in either. Third time was a charm...
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09-09-2008, 11:48 PM
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#4
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Rara avis
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: SmallTown, Vermont
Posts: 95
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Just out of curiosity...is this your dealer?
Gary's Garage
664 Bakerstown Road
Poland ME 04274
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Paul in VT
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09-10-2008, 12:47 AM
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 30
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YUP
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09-10-2008, 08:58 AM
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 9,044
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Before you do anything, I would suggest contacting the AC rep. Bruce Clark who is listed as the rep for your area:
bclark@antoniocarraro.com
Should that not pan out, I would suggest trying to contact AC America Inc.
Antonio Carraro America, Inc.
Corporate & Sales Office
505 Watt Drive Suite 1
Fairfield, California, USA, 94534
Phone: 707-222-3107
Fax: 707-222-4323
Email: office@acamerica.com
http://www.acamerica.com/
I caution you to be prepared for a long drawn out hassle but you never know, this may be a known defect and they may step up and do the right thing. At least give them a chance to make it right and be sure to be as diplomatic as possible and work with them. I can certainly understand how frustrating this must be.
Good luck with this and be sure to post what if any progress you make with it.
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09-10-2008, 09:07 AM
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 30
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Thanks for the advice so far. I've e-mailed the Corporate Offices in both CA and Italy...
I actually purchased the tractor from a guy in CA whom seemed pretty helpful at the time. I figured I wouldn't bug him until I find out a little more...
I also sent a message to that other guy you mentioned PaulC
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09-10-2008, 05:09 PM
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#10
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Rara avis
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: SmallTown, Vermont
Posts: 95
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Well...GOOD LUCK...we'll be awaiting further updates...
One thing you have going for you, is the fact that AC seems to be trying to increase its presence in the US...how they deal with your claim could have a major influence on their expansion effort...
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Paul in VT
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09-10-2008, 08:31 PM
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 30
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That's true. I had convinced a few people in my area that this tractor was the way to go in Compact Utility Tractors because of the high engine power for PTO operated implements.
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09-10-2008, 08:41 PM
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 20
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this my chance my thinking have been looking at a new one with cab..keep us up dated and good luck
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09-10-2008, 08:58 PM
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 30
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I must say that I have owned 3 other Pasquali tractors that are also Italian made. I would have bought a new one, but no one continued to import them into the US.
I then looked at Goldoni - Not big enough to do the work I needed to do.
Ferrari only had one dealer in the US... Antonio Carraro seemed the best bet.
When my wife and I spent a month in New Zealand, I stopped at a few tractor dealerships that had several of the different types of manufacturers side by side, I was content that I seemed to have made a good decision. It looked better made than the others.... but you paid considerably more for the quality...
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09-10-2008, 09:13 PM
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#14
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Rara avis
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: SmallTown, Vermont
Posts: 95
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Quote:
Originally posted by rangerdave
I must say that I have owned 3 other Pasquali tractors that are also Italian made. I would have bought a new one, but no one continued to import them into the US.
I then looked at Goldoni - Not big enough to do the work I needed to do.
Ferrari only had one dealer in the US... Antonio Carraro seemed the best bet.
When my wife and I spent a month in New Zealand, I stopped at a few tractor dealerships that had several of the different types of manufacturers side by side, I was content that I seemed to have made a good decision. It looked better made than the others.... but you paid considerably more for the quality...
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You are aware that JD uses Goldoni to manufacture this product line...all the way up to 96hp
http://www.deere.com/en_US/ProductCatalog/FR/series/tractors/f_series/f_series.html
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Paul in VT
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09-10-2008, 09:23 PM
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 30
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I got a reply from the "tractor rep"..
The problem you're going to have here is that not only is the tractor is out of warranty, and I havent read the old warranty contracts,,, But,,, by installing a front end loader on a tractor not designed for one, this could possibly have already caused an early termination of the warranty. I don't know, and will have to find out so no cause for additional panick,, the damage is already done. The other issue is that the loader manufacturer is most likely not going to be of any help at all $$ . If you were picking up the front of the tractor you void your warranty with many manufacturers instantly even if it's new. If you read the fine print in the loader books, it says "loose materials bucket" Lifting a tractor up indicates excessive force, indicating you are not using it for "loose" materials and beyond the manufacturers recommended duty rating and function..
Digging or jacking your tractor up regardless of reason why, does cause excessive force against the very core of any tractor as well as ebing the common cause of frequently breaking king pins, blowing out front seals and prodmonately crushing bearings on a tractors front end when they hit the ground again,, especially if anything became slightly mis-aligned while it was stretched out in the air, let alone the crushing forces exserted while digging with a loader. That's a HUGE amount of force leveraged on a tractor.
Have any of you heard of this before? It is news to me.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1481658#post1481658
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09-10-2008, 10:35 PM
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#16
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 30
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No Way!! That was new to me about JD. The reason wasn't HP necessarily, but stand over height. Small wheels = small clearance = get stuck.
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09-11-2008, 09:23 AM
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#17
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 1,508
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Rangerdave
I agree with Morgan. That sucks!
I am surprised at the response you got from tractor rep quoting the manufacturer that the FEL may void the warrenty. I thought most tractors could be used with a FEL. Most guys I know who have loaders on their tractors lift up the front end to do maintainance just like you did.
Did the dealer install the loader? If so he is probably the one that will have to eat the repair.
Keep us updated on your progress on this.
Andy
__________________
Stupidity is exasperating. Willful ignorance is bulletproof.
Having government manage your health care is like having Michael Vick watch your dog.
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting to see what they will have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the outcome of the vote.
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09-11-2008, 10:06 AM
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#18
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 9,044
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Quote:
Originally posted by rangerdave
I got a reply from the "tractor rep"..
The problem you're going to have here is that not only is the tractor is out of warranty, and I havent read the old warranty contracts,,, But,,, by installing a front end loader on a tractor not designed for one, this could possibly have already caused an early termination of the warranty. I don't know, and will have to find out so no cause for additional panick,, the damage is already done. The other issue is that the loader manufacturer is most likely not going to be of any help at all $$ . If you were picking up the front of the tractor you void your warranty with many manufacturers instantly even if it's new. If you read the fine print in the loader books, it says "loose materials bucket" Lifting a tractor up indicates excessive force, indicating you are not using it for "loose" materials and beyond the manufacturers recommended duty rating and function..
Digging or jacking your tractor up regardless of reason why, does cause excessive force against the very core of any tractor as well as ebing the common cause of frequently breaking king pins, blowing out front seals and prodmonately crushing bearings on a tractors front end when they hit the ground again,, especially if anything became slightly mis-aligned while it was stretched out in the air, let alone the crushing forces exserted while digging with a loader. That's a HUGE amount of force leveraged on a tractor.
Have any of you heard of this before? It is news to me.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1481658#post1481658
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Please excuse my barn yard language but that sounds like a "loose materials bucket" load of bull**** to me. If that is the case, I think I would be getting this tractor repaired to sell or trade in on a tractor that is designed for work. That is just PURE unadulterate BS! That is one reason why I dropped that tractor board years ago among some other reason like idiot nazi censors who call themselves moderators.
Talk to the factory reps. and see what if any good will assistance or shared cost repair they might be willing to offer. Then get rid of that thing and find a farm tractor designed for WORK.
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09-11-2008, 09:59 PM
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#19
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Rara avis
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: SmallTown, Vermont
Posts: 95
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Tractor Rep is supposedly an AC salestype in the Pacific Northwest...I think I'd have to reconsider any purchase of an AC based on that response...
__________________
Paul in VT
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09-11-2008, 11:13 PM
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#20
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 30
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When I bought the tractor, it was still being put together in Italy. I was told that once it was finished they would bring it down the road to the Sigma loader company and factory install it. It was shipped to my door strait from the factory. No middle man involved.
All of my other tractors built by Pasquali had front end loaders and never even had a hint of a problem. I never treated my AC any different...
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