$16,000 Tractor Engine Repair with 142 Hours...SERIOUSLY?

Got a letter from Adam who bought a low-houred used tractor and had a major engine failure. Two dealers are telling him it's going to cost $16,000 to replace the engine. SERIOUSLY???
I'm not going to name the brand, but the customer bought a 2016 tractor with 80 hours on it. He put another 60 hours on it. At 142 hours, it stalled in the field. He took it to a dealership where he was told the engine needs to be replaced. A second opinion at another dealership said the same thing...the engine has to be replaced at a cost of $16,000 and trying to find out why it failed with less than 150 hours is a waste of money. Sorry Mr. Customer, but you are screwed! Wow, what great customer service...NOT!
He asked me if it's normal for a tractor engine to die with 142 hours, and if it was worth it to have an independent shop do the work and just bite the bullet and pay the money. Do I have any advice? OH YEAH I DO!!!
First, no, it's not normal for a tractor engine to fail with under 150 hours. They should hold together, with normal care, to 4,000, 5,000, 6,000 hours, I've seen them go to 10,000 hours. Diesel engines are tough! I can't imagine what a customer could have done to make a nearly-new engine to fail unless he took all the oil out and ran it for a week.
Second, no, don't bite the bullet and just pay. Let's do some research and find out what the dealer should have done. First, is it possible there was a service bulletin/recall on this tractor that was ignored by the dealer that sold it? I went on the company website and they have contact information where a customer can give his serial number and see if there are service recalls that needed to be done. A new tractor engine shouldn't fail and it would indicate to me a factory defect that may have been addressed by the company but not by the dealer. That's more common than it should be.
Finally, I'd want to know if there might be a power train warranty on this tractor that was still in place. You'd think one of the dealers who examined it would have thought of that, but since they're not bending over backwards to take care of Adam, it's possible that part of this bill might be covered.
Guess what? Adam got back to me and the tractor did, in fact, have a six year/3,000 hour limited warranty which can be transferred between customers. He called one of the dealerships that looked at the tractor and it's likely the company who built the tractor is going to pay a good part of the bill.
WHY NEITHER DEALER TRIED TO FIND THIS OUT IS UNACCEPTABLE!!! It really infuriates me the lack of both customer service and just plain empathy that both dealers exhibited for Adam. I told him I'd think seriously about getting the tractor fixed and then trading it for a brand with a local dealer that cared about his customers. Obviously, the two places he took it to do not and they don't deserve his business. End of rant.
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[@henryrodgers3409]

Hiding the brand name of the tractor doesn't do anyone any good . Same with the 2 dealers . These guys should be named . Maybe they will change their ways if they are outed .Good advice you gave us but you must name names . Not doing so is not helping the public . It just hides the fact that these 2 dealers should not get your buisness .Do the public a favour and give us names .

[@ryanedwardson6541]

I get that, but it could also be a liability thing. He doesn't know for a fact that the story is as represented and if there is a fact that was misrepresented, he could be on the hook for damages.

[@ryanfowler6900]

I want to know who is not making rebuildable engines. That is ridiculous.

[@ryanv3751]

There are also two sides to every story like he pointed out. Not saying it’s wrong to want to know but it could unnecessarily damage an otherwise good reputable business.

[@joey011582]

tym-tractors.com/warranty/

[@KelvinSoftail2007]

6 Yr powertrain warranty - sounds like JD

[@joeyg8172]

Had a brand new Case backhoe have a hydraulic pump go down at 300hrs, dealer wouldn't cover it under warranty.....until I called the parent company and explain that we had been a Case backhoe family since 1964, and this was our first major claim against the brand. The parent company contacted our dealer and they were more than obliging on getting it fixed. Brought us a rental backhoe to use (free of charge) for us to use while ours was getting fixed! Funny how one simple call changed the complete dynamics of the situation.

[@dukeman7595]

Your dealer is a low down crook. Don't promote his business and tell everyone what happened and not to to deal with them.

[@Sthilboy56]

Well said Mike , keep us updated if he gets it sorted 👍

[@georgegg4846]

Definitely a new holland 😂

[@ricksanchez7459]

@@georgegg4846 The dealer is everything. Our workmaster had a pulley bolt shear off on the front of the engine at 13hrs and cnhi and the dealer fixed it no problem, even gave us a loaner while ours was in the shop. Kubota was tempting, but I think we have a good dealer.

[@jeffyoung493]

We need to hear how this turns out and what the brand is.

[@russellrogers3260]

I agree with your comment about customer service. I can say that a couple years ago when I was looking for a tractor ( which I actually asked you questions about transmission options) the normal big two tractor dealerships were awful to talk to. The one acted like he was to good to get out of his seat to talk about utility/compact tractor. I got the impression if I wasn't buying a $100k + tractor he didn't want to talk to me. The other if the big 2 was worse. They were busy when I stopped so I left a message that I wanted to look at buying. He never called back even after I called ( was busy had to leave a message) and emailed. I suppose since it has been over 2 years he isn't calling lol. A few Miles farther away was a Mahindra dealer. I decided one evening to email that dealership. The next morning I had a call from a salesman and before lunch had an email from corporate in texas to make sure the dealer responded. I am not trying to toot the horn of the manufacturer. My point being if you can't be bothered to talk to me about a $30 to $40k tractor why would I think your service department would take care of me

[@christopherbrosz5003]

You are totally correct. Dealer service is extremely important. I will be loyal to a dealer, insurance, etc, that advocates for me and works hard to resolve my problems. If not, find someone who does.

[@haroldwaig2242]

Yeah.. I Once Told A Auto Dealer: I Do Not Have Too Spend My Money Here!! And This Is True Most Times. ...And Auto Dealer Are Mostly Crooks

[@amazoniaamazonia7225]

Thanks Mike for highlighting this shameful situation, it’s refreshing to here someone with a good moral compass, I hope you’re able to follow this up in the future.

[@saltydog3714]

Thanks Mike for getting riled up over the lack of dealer service. My thoughts are if it locked up at 142 hours, then there was a metal part that let go internally.

[@dustinschneider6496]

Are you sure? Tell me exactly what the failure was. It's funny how many experts there are here with absolutely no real information produced. Maybe the dealer should be on the hook but there was no real information to base a professional decision on.

[@Flyfish325]

I messed up my new Kubota MX5200HST engine, trying to start it on -15 degree morning. Wolf Kubota in Mattawan, MI took care of everything and got it running again. Most everything was covered under warranty, dealer worked with Kubota to make so. Hats off to my dealer!

[@wildbill23c]

So you can't use a Kubota tractor when its cold? What happened with your tractor that caused problems for you?

[@court2379]

@@wildbill23c I'm interested to know as well. I use mine for snow and it gets close to that sometimes.

[@lcee6592]

@ - 15 degrees, any tractor should have either a block heater or a oil heater (or both) in use before attempting to start it. Oil just does NOT flow that well at those frigid temperatures!

[@bruced1429]

@@wildbill23c I use my Kubota all winter a Canadian winter, plowing snow a minus 25 , never plugged in the block heater and my tractor sits in an open shed all year. I have had it for 15 years. he must have not warmed the engine and hydraulic oil before moving the tractor. their manual tells you how long to warm it at each range of temps you might be in. even gas engines need warm up time when it cold out. maybe you live in the southern states and have not had to warm the tractor up.

[@JawzXlives]

@@court2379 I routinely start my 1995 Ford 1720 when it's -35F. (yes, I run semi-synthetic hydraulic fluid and semi-syn engine oil)

[@jonirelan2904]

Please do a follow up, if possible, with this fellow. Ethics is always paramount in business and life. I’ve purchased several items from your store and they have been superb! I appreciate your candid reviews and suggestions. Keep up the good work and thank you.

[@kenking35]

Thanks for the video, we've had issues with our previous JD tractor with the "emissions system" 2016 52 HP and around 320 hours it began giving issues. (It was flawless prior to this time! ) We could run three hours and faults would arise. So, 3 hours in the field equaled three weeks at the dealer. I would have to go to the dealer after a couple weeks as they didn't seem to have time to return calls or would put me on eternal hold. Long Story short-ish, we now own a 75 hp Mahindra. That said, the tractor is performing all tasks as required, however... it to has had some small yet annoying issues. Mostly due to the cab and hydraulic stuff. We took it in due to the air bag blowing in the seat, heater core leaking (coolant smell) and the bucket leaking down no matter if it's running or not. And a hydraulic leak on the added function valve that they installed. We hauled it in for the issues, they had the tractor a month. (we purchased and older tractor in the mean time to continue working) So, we got the tractor back, seat replaced, missing the headrest, coolant smell still present, bucket and boom still drop faster than specified by their specs. And the hydraulic leak still present. The hydraulics of the loader portion are now out of warranty. Bottom line, I repaired the hydraulic leaks, tightened a hose clamp in the cab heater core, and haven't addressed the loader hydraulics yet. All this under 60 hrs. Dealer service department says that any repairs I make to said tractor void warranty to that item period. Even if its to get it loaded for transport. Anything to get out of ANY repair. (this is my summarized rant). Thanks again... (I'm am a "Retired" shop owner mechanic) This wouldn't fly in my place.

[@dukeman7595]

People still buy these shiny new foreign tractors and have nothing but trouble and aggravation. Stick with the time tested older tractors that have been working hard for the last 40 + years and will continue working long after were gone.

[@mattcanfield6384]

There's alot of terrible dealers chose wisely there's alot of great dealers as well I ended up buying 250 miles away from home because of this reason thank you for your videos Mike we appreciate them all

[@dwayneloftice2326]

Keep on Tractor Mike! Dealers and manufacturers need to stand behind their brand. If not....the Brand needs to become "history"!

[@dansorger7714]

These dealers and the company need to learn the 3-11 rule of retail, you make someone happy, they tell 3 people, you piss them off, they tell 11.

[@lgl_137noname6]

Come on man: Name names . The public must know who the bad guys are.

[@matthewsims359]

I agree but would also lime to hear how this deal unfolds.

[@joey011582]

Well look up the tractors with motors that can't be rebuilt

[@court2379]

@@joey011582 what are you trying to say by posting this? That they have a good warranty, that they are the brand talked about here, that they have motors that cannot be rebuilt? I searched the web for that and all I get are instructions for rebuilding.

[@erics7712]

Social media will be the death of us but if this guy has a legit gripe then they need to be exposed.

[@SubStationSparky]

I think its TYM, looked up warranty information based on 6 years 3000 hours.. Mahindra claims to have a 7 year 3000 hour warranty... but i wouldnt touch Mahindra tractors with your stick.

[@rpercifieldjr]

Unfortunately, this person passed two tests. First the wallet biopsy, he probably was seen as having the cash to pay the $16k. Secondly, he passed the uninformed customer test, where he did not think that there could be a warranty to cover the issue. I am also questioning why such low hours at the time of sale. I wonder if there was an issue that the previous owner had that was not communicated.

[@rosewright6590]

We only heard 1 side. There are some poor dealers and warranties are a money loser to the dealership, but sometimes that's the cost of creating loyal customers. Most manufacturers will try to wiggle out of responsibility, but some are very good. And who builds a non repairable engine?

[@johnmedlin5894]

Way to go Mike! You are absolutely right, there is a severe lack of customer service in many establishments these days. As Clark Howard says it, he calls it customer no-service. I absolutely love my small town dealer, because they bend over backwards to help their customers. Thank you for calling out all dealers (in general of course).

[@wildbill23c]

Small town dealers usually do better because, again its a small town, within a few days to a week the whole town would know if a dealer screwed someone over LOL.

[@catfishinwithcrow685]

Great news Mike you are a true advocate for us out here and as always thank you

[@jimputnam2044]

I worked at a GM dealership for years starting back in the mid 70s. We went all out to give good service and warranty to our customers, like you said maybe too much sometimes. We actually lost money on some of these deals but they always traded up with us and brought friends and family to buy from us. All I hear now is do not give anything at all, let them fight with GM of Canada , not our problem they say. what do you think our sales are like? Thats it no return customers.

[@larrymoore6640]

Mike I agree with what you said at the end, after it is fixed find a good customer service type dealer (if there are any out there) and trade your old one in.

[@mikehornsby599]

I live between two John Deere dealers in the panhandle an they are just the opposite customer service is #1. They make me proud to have a John Deere!!!!!

[@kurtsimmons1587]

Mike that’s crazy! I was following someone in Texas and he had the same issue there. I do believe that this is happening everywhere though. That really bothers me! Thanks for all of your suggestions on everything you show and talk about!

[@kerriwilson7732]

We had a Gehl baler. The control box failed. We inquired at the dealership in Mildmay Ontario. They invited me to borrow the box from a used baler on their lot until one could be delivered in a week. We had never dealt with this dealer before (too far from home). That was years ago, but I remember. Thanks guys, hope you prosper!

[@DIYMyWay]

Hi MIke! Wow! That’s a true horror story! I tend to agree with the others demanding to know the tractor brand and dealer names. Thanks for sharing this story!

[@houndsmanone4563]

This story was gut wrenching. $16,000?? That's such a ruse. Thanks for the video, Mike. Have a fine week.

[@markproulx1472]

Thanks for this superb video!

[@tfisadog5260]

I have the other dealer that is taking care of me. my Electric over hydraulic hydro was surging and the PTO quit. I had hay on the ground. I called Sat. evening and they brought me another tractor with "0" hours on it and with an air conditioned cab to use until mine was done by 11:00pm that night. Then my Hydro decided it was not going to back up any more. again they brought the loaner back to me and picked mine up Due and to Covid delays It has been in the shop more in the first year then I have had it almost. All with total of 90 hours on it. I am still using the loaner while they are trying to get me a new tractor. They have bent over backwards to accommodate me and they are the one that suggested the new tractor. My dealer is Mowbility Of Ankeny and Pella Iowa. My hat is off to them. The dealer is half of your purchase. If there are problems and there will be no matter the brand you need someone you can count on to call for help. Everyone at Mowbility from Owner to sales to parts has kept me going with any problems I had and is making my tractor problem as painless as possible.

[@haroldwaig2242]

Yeah..THIS DEALER SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!! Good Luck On Your Tractor?

[@rastapete100]

There is insufficient data to even form a hypothesis but on the surface it doesn't look good. It seems very strange that two separate dealers did no diagnostics. There is a lot more to this than we know.

[@jimpage6533]

Well Mike I just had to pay $1,500 because grass got bound up around the power steering shaft and damaged the seals causing the bearings to go out. When I asked about the power train warranty I was told that nothing was covered, I only had 160 hrs on the tractor which I had bought new, The tractor is a Mahindra the thing that makes me think that this is an on going problem is when I got it back I found that they had placed a make shift shield over the shaft where it goes in to the housing, which I have already had to re-attach the shield using hose clamps. You would thing that this problem could have been foreseen during the design process! They said that there was too much hydro static fluid so that one is on me when it would act up I'd check the level and thought it was low so I added more.

[@brandonforster5446]

I had a similar problem I bought a brand new tractor a few years ago that just kept having a lot of pretty big problems payed several payments with it in the shop and never got it fix mine was a 5065E an will never buy from that dealership again they finally won’t do anything else with it just pretty much told me too deal with it so I traded for a case 75C I wish I could tell all the problems but the comment would be a mile long and not just little problems

[@treylem3]

Great advice., I'm saving this vid.! Thanks tractor Mike

[@pauldavis9693]

It really comes down to the names. We shouldn't play favorites.

[@jameskennerly9748]

Thank you Sir for the information!!

[@lloydpainter1701]

Mike, my 3 point hitch hydrolics failed at 105 hours and 26 months. The warranty was for 2000 hours and 24 months. The dealer assured me I could not have done anything in that few hours to cause the failure. I ended up paying $2700 and the manufacturer paid $1200. My tractor was out of service for over two months. At my age I doubt I will buy another tractor but if I do it will be a different brand and a different dealer. I think the manufacturer should have paid for the repair, 100%. But I am pleased that they at least helped tp some extent.

[@Mmmyess]

Why not share with us the name of the manufacturer?

[@jerrylambert8794]

Boy , would I like to know who these dealers are . Not acceptable ! .

[@joekarwoski]

I loved your attitude! I agree, find a dealer with great customer service and stay with them. I had something similar and did exactly what you suggested in this video.

[@bluevalleyrealty]

Even if you don't want to let us know brand and model (which I would like to know) please let us know size/horsepower. It must be a pretty good size tractor to have a $16,000 engine.

[@haroldwaig2242]

Labor Could Be Around 30-40% Of The Total Cost...

[@emerkamp1]

A little 26hp Kubota is around 10. I'm guessing it's 35-40hp something

[@ryanv3751]

I liked buying new equipment from dealer. When I would return for parts or service I would stop by and say hi to my salesman. I felt like I had an additional advocate for me with the service guys.

[@gregoryfisk6904]

Right on Mike, I have found dealers that aren't very good at all. However I have found one dealer that is exceptional

[@jeffreywaddell1579]

Thanks Mike. My dealer is great but the manufacturer ignored many if their dealers regarding a bad design for an ex loader. The. Rand starts with a K. The Model rymes with BX 2380 with L344 loader. What they did was design a loader that you can remain on the tractor and disconnect by lifting the front tires, disengaging two spring loaded levers and then backing away a little, this disconnecting the hydraulics. Problem is. After 10 hours the springs that hold these two latches in place get stretched and the connection fails. The loader falls off the tractor and causes a ton of damage. Two one once small springs is all that holds the loader latch in place. Literally two springs that stretch and allows the catch latch to disengage and the loader literally falls off the tractor. It trashed the hood and other parts and made it impossible to get back on and even move the tractor. The manufacturer is so backed up on repairs , I filed a claim over 2 months ago and still have been able to get it surviced and repaired. I have owned every tractor made for over 40 years and never expected a catastrophic failure of the loader falling off the tractor while driving it. A $250 deductible is my cost, and with the design I'm assuming it'll be in the shop all the time unless I just leave the loader off and now I paid $25,000 for a lawn mower and no loading functionality. The dealers that I talked to and all of the forums say that they warned the company that rhymes with Kubota and the engineers ignored them. The remedy is now to try to drill a hole through the connector and insert a pin. If we do that, avoids the warranty. So instead of naming names like Kubota. If you are looking for a compact utility tractor, stay away from the easy loader Kubota BX series because the loader literally falls off once the two small springs stretch that hold down a unlocking mechanism. Horrible design and horrible experience. but the dealer was great always has been and can't do anything about it other than have me bring the tractor in and repair it and then trade up to something bigger that doesn't have this ridiculous design. Again I won't name names but it sounds like Kubota.

[@timziegler9358]

I empathize with individual for his loss. I hope it works out for him. Thank you Mike for the story and I understand why your not revealing the brand/dealers involved. Best wishes

[@lawrencebessette754]

You sir are a great guy Thanks for what you do with these videos

[@edspencer7121]

$16,000.00 engine repair? I would expect new brochure and price tag stickers on that tractor when I come to pick it up.....

[@crazyfarmer2564]

I bought a john deere in 2018. In 2019, 1 year to the day and 100 hrs on the tractor the main computer went. It took the dealer over a month because of waiting on john deere to tell them what to try next to fix the problem. I told them 2 weeks in the try the computer and they kept telling me they had to wait on deere. I was getting annoyed because I was not able to put up hay or do any of my brush hogging jobs. They put the new computer in and I haven't had any problems since.

[@brucerushing2363]

You do a great job 👍

[@davidschaub271]

I worked at a forklift dealership after working at a good Massey Ferguson dealership, our company got bought out by the forklift company, my new manager told me I was too close to my customers, customers I kept for 32 years till I retired!

[@billburkhart]

Great video Mike, I agree with the group name names.

[@stevew1851]

Great video. Thanks...

[@robertjackson9601]

Had a great buying experience aith my 2008 kubota. Use them for all my annual maint and always a good experience here in Tallahassee

[@mattcrowell7945]

I bought a kubota m5660 at 60hrs the steering cylinder started leaking. I called my dealer and they came and picked it up the same day and put a new cylinder on. No questions no charge. I am really happy with kubota and southern teir trailer in jamestown N.Y.

[@richardstarke4093]

Was this tractor sold originally by either of the dealers that quoted engine repair cost? They usually have their dealership sticker on tractors they sold. Point being they would have the original predelivery file on the unit. If predilevery was not correctly done that could open up a bucket of worms also. Unless things have changed other dealers that sell this brand can process this as a transit warranty. If things get into a gray area as to warranty or not you should be able to request the manufacturer district service representative review the sistuation. They can be very generous on repairs like this.

[@gbrown2934]

Mike, I was a service writer for a local Saturn dealership for 10 years. I had a great customer who had a 95 model year. His service record was excellent. I got a call one day from him and he told me his car was overheating. He was only a couple miles from the shop. I told him to let it cool down and get here a quick as he could. He arrived and we took the car in, diagnostic showed crack cylinder head. The car had 86,000 miles, 26,000 past warranty, Estimated repair was $1900.00. So I took it upon my self to call

[@gbrown2934]

I hit something and it posted, so here is the rest, I called Saturn Corp, explained the issue, excellent customer, all servive done on time. They ask me what did I want to do. I said can we meet half way, no hesitation they gave me a claim number, customer only had to pay $900, and the car was 26k miles past warranty. The customer was so happy, i did all this in about 10 min

[@ghorn3136]

@@gbrown2934 Nice support and Kudos to you.... but unfortunately, My experience with my new Saturn LS1 was the opposite experience. The dealer was a Bully. The auto was not well-supported, and numerous failures under warranty were ridiculously expensive from the customers point of view in the sense of how long repairs took and how often they were necessary. There’s a reason Saturn is no longer making autos. Good riddance. (PS: my perspective is as a former new car dealership technician and service dept manager.)

[@TractorHoarders]

I'd be interested in hearing an update on this story once you know more details.

[@ddorn04]

Good dealers and good companies earn your business. I had an ASV Sr-80 great machine best machine I have ever owned and operated. Was having trouble shortly after buying it with wiring harness. Take it back to dealer they covered replacing harness, they also told me the axles were bad about breaking on machine. Doing job one side will not drive. Fortunately we were able to load on trailer took it to dealer. Replaced both drive axles even though it was out of warranty. Dealer and company were great.

[@NSNorfolk]

Totally agree, Mike. Before I retired, I owned a large electronics repair business (and was in the reserves, different story). If someone had a catastrophic amplifier (we called it, "blew it up") I went to bat for them. If the product was a couple months beyond the warranty period, sometimes the mfg would only pay for parts, sometimes just labor, at times, both. That approach doesn't cost money, its very cost effective advertising money cannot buy. Abuse of a product was another kettle of fish....

[@davidfreeman4625]

Lots of blame for the dealer and manufacturer but... What is the oil change history? What is the coolant like (fluid levels and radiator cleanliness)? Like others, I would be interested in the final outcome. Thanks Mike.

[@ajlewis9454]

Why aren't you naming the brand and dealers so others stay clear of them?

[@thegreatchickenoverlord5976]

Lawsuits

[@christopherbrosz5003]

The brand isn't necessarily the issue. With any manufacturing process there is a natural distribution to making parts. Statistically there is a chance that there is a combination of parts that was a perfect storm. I am more disappointed in the dealers not working on identifying the problem and taking care of the customer. What I got from the video is that the brand will honor warranty.

[@dustinschneider6496]

Probably because he has absolutely no proof it's the dealer to blame. If there is obvious blame, name it. He said he doesn't know what actually happened. How can he blame anyone?

[@bradbruggeman6745]

Sounds more like a dealer issue than a brand issue to me. I know these kind of failures are rare but do happen on occasion to all brands. It's how the dealers handled it that is the issue in my opinion. And yes,I believe they should be exposed.

[@chrisbishop953]

Sadly Mike most companies have this mentality now. I am with you on the taking care of customers. Poor business practices cost lots of money down the road

[@mitch_smith]

Good example of 2 separate dealers failing absolutely in the customer service department. At the very least, they should have contacted the manufacturer in hopes of getting a warranty claim. Company could very well honor it, but those dealerships will cost them a lot of customers.

[@codyakard5925]

Yeah! #1. Great message!

[@stephengmeiner3264]

Amen! However, while I respect your keeping the brand and dealers anonymous, I think knowledge is a powerful tool. Perhaps others have had similar experiences with the same brand tractor or dealership but thought they had an isolated case. Sharing of information makes us all smarter and keeps others accountable.

[@haroldwaig2242]

THAT MORE TRUE TODAY THEN EVER

[@semco72057]

Thankfully I have not had a problem with my two tractors and they both came from the same dealership and it is my opinion that the dealerships should back up the warranty and so should the company making the tractors.

[@jamesmarr9323]

Mike my 1986 550B John Deere Dozer needed a repair, my dealer service representative informed me well you know your dozer is old with a attitude so with a clear loud voice and a full store of customers I said well that’s why I by John Deere 😊

[@dustinwillis113]

S and H in Lockwood are good people. I forget which town you worked in

[@jphickory522]

Agreed. Good folks there back in 2004 when I bought a tractor from them.

[@williamh9100]

Well said Mike!

[@fastrivers812]

If both dealerships looked at the tractor and recommended a replacement w/o diagnostics, I wonder if the manufacturer is giving incentives to dealerships for engine replacements. Just a thought. I've seen a lot of shady sales people try to get that bonus when the manufacturer gives out free money. Menards does this w/ products at their sales counter. I knew one guy that worked there and he told me how they would push customers towards a particular insulation type when the manufacturer was giving out incentives. The insulation may have been a completely useless R-value for the given application but it didn't matter, they would try to push the customer that way anyway.

[@jifi-0178]

A dealer closer to my location but with poor attitude and difficulty in working people (work ethic) lost my business for not only that tractor purchase, but future business. I traveled twice the distance to the next dealership and this place got not only my business from that transaction but is also receiving my repeat business. I have no problem recommending my dealer and dealership. I know not everything can always go perfect, but my dealer always makes sure I'm saftisfied or we work out the options to make it right. They are a CNH/Kubota dealership, btw, selling the gimangous to the minis.

[@ritzbitz2000]

This, exactly. Just had a very sour deal with Toyota in town. I will not be back. There is rarely customer service these days.

[@GICK117]

I had an issue with a dealer. Then I found the method of contacting the manufacturer rep. @ LS Tractor. The manufacturer got on the dealer to follow thru with promised services and items. The dealer followed thru. It took a year and lots of stress, as we were wondering if we made a bad choice. The tractor has been awesome. No issues. We would buy another one. Only because the manufacturer followed thru on promises and services. It makes all the difference in the world.

[@EugeneCapeder]

Well done Mike - too early in naming the manufacture, please keep us posted with the progress of this issue. Having said this - the dealers need a shot over the box on this, Customer Service (CS) must change 180 degrees for Adam. Judging by these comments - your followers alone have the potential to ensure these dealers get back in the saddle and man up to a resolution for Adam. I too am curious at finding the root cause. Is Adam's tractor a compact or sub compact tractor? If so - perhaps OEM skid plates should be considered, the "belly" of these buggers are vulnerable.

[@danfarge7447]

Was the engine ever serviced oil changes performed overheating no coolant etc there has to be some factors to get to this point when the engine failed I would like to know the brand and model number in case this can happen to some one else Thanks Dan

[@johnhiggs325]

Without a good examination of the engine there’s no reliable way to know if the failure was due to improper use/maintenance or assembly/material defects. Both dealers were negligent in not examining the engine if they in fact did not. Engines are never perfect and on occasion do fail not due to user error.

[@spierce700]

Right on Mike

[@malcolmlinch9564]

Its depends on the first owners had the tractor setting with a half tank of diesel fuel not a full tank and the same way with you the tank got water in the tank that when you ran it it mess up the injectors that made it died check the fuel line Bowl to see if its filled with water if that's the case the water went into the engine with the diesel fuel

[@ThePlowGuys]

I had to get some parts for my van the other day. They looked and the price was quite high. The parts guy looked around spoke with a few people and turns out the part was on recall. NO CHARGE. Thank you. Dealers: If you want to keep us as customers you will have to earn our trust and respect. I can buy a tractor anywheres. What makes you my best choice?

[@sloppyjoe6243]

Mike, when you said “there are two sides to every story” you said a mouthful. There are a couple of points that you did not discuss and I am a little curious why after working at a dealership. First, warranty work is desired and profitable. Those two dealerships may have seen something on the tractor that was considered abuse or negligence. Those are NOT covered by warranty. If the dealership didn’t feel that the work would have been covered by the manufacturer then they would not waste their time on working on a warranty claim and not starting on the tractor repair unless they knew the customer would pay for it. Secondly, the customer may not be forthright in how the tractor seized up. Have you ever seen a customer that abused a piece of machinery and blamed it on the manufacturer or the dealer? I imagine you saw that more than once in your time at a dealership. I am going to assume that the person that wrote the letter to you is an honest person and that these two dealerships are bad. However, you never know. I hate to say this as well but there are times that the dealership lies to the manufacturer about the situation to get the manufacturer to cover things that are outside workmanship. This may be beneficial to the customer and the dealership but I am sure that the manufacturer accounts for this and passes these costs to the consumer by increasing the cost of the tractor. You are smart by not mentioning the brand or the dealerships unless you had their sides of the story.

[@zieg84]

Interesting video Mike. I appreciate your support for the average guy as well as for good dealerships. Nothing against Adam at all, but I do think before there's a rush to judgement about the situation, it's important to establish context and get all the facts. What is the problem with the tractor engine? Should it be covered under warranty? Is there a reason both these dealerships arrived at similar conclusions without testing? Truth matters and establishing the truth usually takes a little time. The less we rush to judgment, the less we have to back up ourselves and eat crow. If in the long run the truth is established and these dealerships are shown to be less than ethical, then you publish the facts.

[@guyward5137]

Some dealerships forget that the service department sales more equipment then a sales man

[@ricdenali4213]

Keep us updated

[@terrybernhardt7424]

I might even take it to a third dealer. Not sure I would want the first two to work on it. My trust factor would be pretty low.

[@haroldwaig2242]

Mike: You had a letter one time ...About buying a tractor from a Local Dealer? Or One Far Away!?...Well i think now " The One That Treats/Helps It's Customers The Best" Just mitte be the one to go to... And I Agree Mr. Rodgers, & Others The Brand/Dealers Name/s And Other Information Should Be Expressed Because Other Owners Could Have Been Screwed By Them Too. IF LEGALLY IT CAN BE DONE Great Video Mike & Hope All's Fine In MO.

[@davidlangley2149]

Just went through this myself three years fighting with dealer .This dealer quoted 16.500 to replace engine .I tore the engine down sent block and crank .head to machine shop .Had to order each piece to rebuild it (cuz there's no rebuild kit available) .As I was reassembling the engine when I came the the oil filter housing which is water cooled the oil holes where blocked by black silicone (manufacturer used during assembly) allowing the oil no to circulate through the engine ..1500 in parts and machine shop. Not including my time of tearing tractor in to 500 pieces ..End of this journey machine runs great but will never invest in another one of these .This company manufactures many of top name tractors.

[@davidlangley2149]

Oh and mine is also a 2016

[@swheeler6848]

Used to work at a boat Yard growing up which always put customers needs first and had a reputation for going out of our way to support our customers, and calling the vendors on their behalf, often. Located in NH, ‘Great Bay Marine’, the marina had customers from all over New England and beyond, as far north as Nova Scotia and south to Long Island. I can’t imagine working for lazy, don’t give a bleep, company…vote with your feet, that’s what my old man used to say. Run from both of these dealerships. I would not buy a bottle of water from them…

[@richardpoe2461]

Great job Mike! Your thoughts are absolutely right!

[@duanemcdaniel1003]

I agree with you 100% a tractor is only good as the dealership is there is a local dealership that just recently sold out to a different company I have had problems with them there Customer Care absolutely sucks

[@stevesspeedshop1559]

62 hp engine locked up 144 hrs dealer charged $14,000 for engine replacement kinda hard to believe insurance paid for it... warranty denied the claim wth....

[@swampwhiteoak1]

Listen carefully! From the presentation the Manufacturer is NOT the problem!

[@donbrutcher4501]

Mike, since you know the brand and dealers involved, YOU should contact them for their sides of the story. If they don't respond to you in an appropriate manner, remind them you have tens of thousands of people waiting upon your report. You might also send the manufacture a heads up. I would not be surprised if the entire tone of the situation changes 180. The power of the press is an awesome thing.

[@averagejoe-kx4sb]

this is what’ scares me about buying a new tractor. i might get a fair deal initially but if the dealer has poor service after the sale then i’m going to always be worrying about my tractor when it needs service. Dealers don’t like to service a tractor they didn’t sell you

[@gregabernathy6249]

Color/brand makes no difference here. The manufacturer didn’t tell Adam it can’t be done, two of their dealers did. The issue is the dealer. I’ve got a Kubota for many reasons...obviously reputation is one of the main reasons, but the other reason is the dealer and network. I’m so damn particular with my stuff and baby it that if I had a failure within 3000 hours at all I’d be pissed lol.

[@joshblick]

So Adam doesn't even try to find out about a warranty for himself but sends Mike an E-mail asking him to??? Millennial?? LOL

[@jimmcknight3021]

I had a very good experience with a John Deere dealer that was near our cabin in Arkansas. We bought a very low hour JD garden tractor which at the time was the largest in its class. I don't think it even had 30 hours on it when the back wheels just stopped running. The dealer realized that even though it was used it was new enough that JD would cover it under warranty. Long story short it was a $900 repair bill and JD covered the entire thing! We are going to need a larger compact tractor to do some things that are smaller and older Kubota can't do. I definitely am going to give JD and that dealership a shot of our business because of the great service we got from the dealership and JD willing to cover it since the hours were so low on it. I know a lot of manufacturers make solid tractors, but the treatment we got on JD and the reliability we've experienced on the Kubota makes us want to only look at those two brands. I am just dumbfounded that two dealerships wouldn't pick up the phone and help your viewer get this figured out. To me that is either ignorance, laziness or greed or a combination of all three. Thanks for your insights and keep up the good work for all of us that have tractors.

[@wildbill23c]

The dealership is I think more important than the color you buy. If it wasn't for the way the JD dealer treated me I may have bought from them, but the way I was treated makes me feel as though if I wasted money there on equipment I'd get treated the same way so I'll avoid Green.

[@jimmcknight3021]

I'm fortunate to be in an area where there are competing Orange and Green dealerships that appear to be sensitive to customer service and needs, but your right when they don't take care of you.

[@Cinder2008]

The manufacturer should know how the dealerships are trying to fleece their customers. We had a local dealer known for their shady treatment. They lost their franchise.

[@emerkamp1]

He definitely needs to find the cause, the very least is to find out the exact problem. They can tell low compression without gauges by the sound while it cranks over. That said it could just be a valve stuck open or something. unless it knocks bad also. Something here doesn't really add up unless it had a problem before the customer got and it's showing up now. I can't see it running them hours though. Other than that it would have to be something like no air filter or no oil in the crankcase.

[@patrickmulrain9744]

The dealer where I bought my tractor has discontinued selling the brand I bought. They don't service the brand anymore either. I found a dealership 50 miles away and the parts department is great. But even they have trouble finding and getting parts.

[@stevemartinez6757]

A lot of people think that you should name the brand/dealer(s) involved with this, but as you pointed out in your video, there are two sides to this story. You are actually doing the right thing for yourself and your channel by not naming brands or specific dealers in a situation like this. You are staying impartial and presenting the facts AS YOU KNOW THEM. Naming a brand just starts a "brand war" which is unnecessary and does no good. In my opinion all of the major brands out there are good tractors and there isn't much difference between them.

[@wildbill23c]

I'd rather know what brand the tractor is, after everything is said and done, and know 100% what caused the failure, then and only then would I want to know the brand. Not to bash the company but to know hey this brand with this engine may have some mechanical faults that need addressed if I'm looking at a tractor with that engine, to know what to expect, and what could be done to avoid the failure.

[@ghorn3136]

@@wildbill23c Mike is correct to not name the brand or the dealers. Why? Because “Adam” is only telling the story as “Adam” wants it told. MIKE has no basis to trash any brand and not much to trash any dealer.... because he only rec’d “Adams” side of the story. As soon as Mike checked on things.... suddenly the mfr’r and dealers acted appropriately it seems. The problem may often be a dealer who is confronted by a person who is not actually THEIR customer...but who has abused or otherwise misrepresented the situation.... but in THIS case, I’m sideing with Mike’s decision not to name brand or dealer since he cannot be confident in Adams version of this story.... he can only report that some dealers did not delve-into the details of the situation sufficiently to help some owner they may not have first felt any basis of loyalty. It’s not difficult to find out who has a warranty with that calendar/hours coverage and figure it out... but to name the specific dealers and brand that failed in this ONE situation to which ADAM seems to have heavily-contributed.... would not be useful information across-the-brands’ range-of-models for any of us to condemn the entire brand and dealerships.

[@natashahancock9896]

S&H is a great dealership. If you need a tractor, old or new, it's the place to go in Missouri.

[@allenhenry1113]

Wow!!! I be pissed to!! If all of that didnt help a lawyer would dome into play!!! What did the other guy do to make the engine failure would be some good questions to.

[@brianhillis3701]

Wow! I am in total agreement with you. I would guess both of those dealerships lost any further nonwarranty work if he has the ability to trailer somewhere else. No future purchases from him. All of your dealership experience was with a worthy establishment thaks for helping.

[@beachfun2901]

I agree with the comments saying, “Name names.” That would be fair to all. I’ve not been pleased with my experiences with a Kioti tractor. After the end of assistance at the local dealership, I wrote a letter to the US headquarters in Weldon, NC. No response was received. The issue concerned potential soft metal in the rear housing (an issue that another dealer told me had sometimes existed with Kioti). So, now, every time I see Kioti post an ad, I comment with my Kioti experience. Just recently, over three years after the initial letter, I got a Facebook response which advised me to email them. Really? An email would be superior to a letter? I could email them a copy of my letter, but then they didn’t address my Facebook post other than to say to email them. Yes, I feel they have made a lifetime decision. Being ignored iced the cake.

[@patriot4258]

Guys, spoke with my JD dealer and it appears true. Appears it’s the 3cyl diesel is not rebuildable