Are extended warranties a con

Barneydog

Member
We are looking at two new machines both with extended warranties, one three years and one five years. The machine will do around 500 hrs per year and to comply with the warranty terms be serviced by dealers which we will of course have to pay for. Is this a way dealers can artificially inflate the price of the machine by servicing. I understand there is still a cost even if I service it, but I won’t be paying fitters labour rates to drive around in a van whilst also paying mileage on top of that. Also the first year will already be covered by the standard manufacturers warranty. Interested in people’s thoughts please
 

melted welly

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
DD9.
Depends on your attitude to risk in my opinion, at 500hrs/yr I don’t think it’s worth extended warranty, unless you are solely dependent on that machine at key points of the year, then maybe, as peace of mind.
 
Depends if it breaks or not😂

my last tractor didn’t have extended warranty and cost a fortune in repairs got the new one with extended warranty and has been trouble free for 3000 hours 🙄
 

KennyO

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Angus
My last tractor came with a 'free' 5 yr 3000hr warranty. I got offered a service package at the same tine from the dealer so also paid £4k iirc for 5services at 600hr inverval. All labour and filters but not oils. Was lumped in with purchase price.
 
I guess what I’m really asking is it worth the money on 500hrs per year, as melted welly suggests I think not.
I don't wish to throw a spanner on the works but anyway..........
The original idea behind warranties (12 months) was that any faulty/sub standard part or anything not correctly put together would fail during the first 12 months and be rectified at manufacturers cost. As machines have in theory got to the stage they are better built its possible to offer longer warranties often as a settling point. Beware some extended warranties are actually an insurance beyond the first 12 months so you may actually have an excess to pay on any repairs. At 500 hrs per year I'd be thinking are you gonna use it hard enough to find any weakness if it's there? I'll be honest I'd think you should but its worth bearing in mind.
 

dave mountain

Member
Livestock Farmer
id say definitely not for 500 hrs/year, but then personally i definitely wouldn't be buying a brand new tractor for those hours anyway. each to their own.
 

Driller

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Down south
Not sure if this applies to farm machinery or no, if it does then you’ve no need to get dealer service, as long as the service schedule is met and done right then who’s to argue?
 

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bobajob

Member
Location
Sw Scotland
If you decide not to take it out- Would it be an idea to work out what the extended warranty would cost you plus the dealer to come out and service it and set up a separate bank account and put the money away in it.
The money in that account could go towards a repair (or a replacement further down the line)
You have to be quite disciplined to keep the money and not spend it on something else!
 

box

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
NZ
What exactly is "the machine"? It's kind of hard to make a call without knowing what it is.

Assuming it's a tractor and not a space ship, tell them shove their extended warranty and dealer servicing up their arse. If "the machine" can't last three or five years without failing spectacularly, it's probably a heap of sh!t.

Buy "the machine", service it yourself from day 1 (unless the dealer offers the first service for free), live happy.
 
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box

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
NZ
My last tractor came with a 'free' 5 yr 3000hr warranty. I got offered a service package at the same tine from the dealer so also paid £4k iirc for 5services at 600hr inverval. All labour and filters but not oils. Was lumped in with purchase price.
Are you serious? 4 grand for 5 services, except for the most important part of the service which is the oil? Christ, I may as well go back to swinging on spanners.
 

Sid

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South Molton
Got 5 year 5000 hr no excess manufacturers warranty on latest tractor FOC in deal.

Have to pay dealer to service.

So far it has cost me in the region of £1/hour for warranty and servicing.
 

Speedstar

Member
Location
Scottish Borders
Are you serious? 4 grand for 5 services, except for the most important part of the service which is the oil? Christ, I may as well go back to swinging on spanners.
Sorry to say but that is about the going rate for them services,
There are warranties & some are poor Every thing on a fendt is covered free , were as on John Deere it costs you £175 for each claim you have , New Holland & Case are all so poor were you have to pay as well. For the OP if he buys a tractor like a Fendt with 3000 hours of 5 years warranty , keeps it for 5 years then sells it it will be worth a lot more money second hand as it can still have warranty on it at 5 years old , more than likey he will have no problems with the tractor in the 5 years but when he sells it he will be a lot better off , we have been down the road of MF tractors with one years warranty & by the time they are 5 years old have cost us 10s of thousands to run & repair.
 

Boysground

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Wiltshire
I can never decide with warranties . I have had machines that have had nothing go wrong and others with issues which would have been surprisingly expensive if not for the warranty. I have also had the “you bought the wrong warranty” conversation which I was not impressed with.

Current practice is to price tractors/loaders with 5000 hours cover and have a think. That’s probably the way I will continue as kit gets more complex.

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Lincsman

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
Sorry to say but that is about the going rate for them services,
There are warranties & some are poor Every thing on a fendt is covered free , were as on John Deere it costs you £175 for each claim you have , New Holland & Case are all so poor were you have to pay as well. For the OP if he buys a tractor like a Fendt with 3000 hours of 5 years warranty , keeps it for 5 years then sells it it will be worth a lot more money second hand as it can still have warranty on it at 5 years old , more than likey he will have no problems with the tractor in the 5 years but when he sells it he will be a lot better off , we have been down the road of MF tractors with one years warranty & by the time they are 5 years old have cost us 10s of thousands to run & repair.

Isnt that all covered by Fendt charging £5k extra in the first place?... i understand their not the cheapest tractor on the market
 

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