Claas tractors

[carbonfibre farmer]

There's plenty of pictures on today at work and it's own thread "one year old" to see how it's looked after since 2013...
I joined here in August 13 so it's been on a fair bit.

 

[carbonfibre farmer]

It’s amazing what a little TFF “publicity” can achieve. You have played by the rules. See if attitudes miraculously alter after Easter.

I wouldn't bet on it necessarily. But I wouldn’t bet against it.

I very very much doubt it.

I haven't threatened nor been blunt.

Polite and factual.

That's all I can do.

The letter reply today prompted my posting.

 

[Renoman]

View attachment 789204
View attachment 789206

Not good at all.

Exactly the same.1st and 6th gear. Basically 1 low range and 1 high range.
Chipped teeth.
View attachment 789200

Not good at all. Its worse when there doesn't seem to be an explanation.

 

[Scribus]

I sent this...
View attachment 789144

And got a polite f##k off letter.


Guess I'll have plenty to write about in my classic tractor running report at Christmas ..........

No doubt a standard corporate response about how sorry they are but its between you and the dealer etc. The neatly ticked the no publicity box by marking it private as well.

At the end of the day Claas will sell to 100 odd countries around the world, On average each country will have a dozen or so media channels (mags and sites) so a little adverse publicity here and there is not going to bother them much. Better to not admit any sort of liability, or even hint at it, and if you get really stroppy then that's what the courts are for, but they'll have the sort of lawyers who'll charge you for the plesure of them farting in your company.

 

[carbonfibre farmer]

No doubt a standard corporate response about how sorry they are but its between you and the dealer etc. The neatly ticked the no publicity box by marking it private as well.

At the end of the day Claas will sell to 100 odd countries around the world, On average each country will have a dozen or so media channels (mags and sites) so a little adverse publicity here and there is not going to bother them much TBH.

My thoughts exactly.

"No such thing as bad publicity "

 

[jondear]

If your dealer was doing the repair would claas of helped out ?I doubt it on a 6 year old tractor.
But your bill would be genuinely massive!
Claas don't like it when farmers get together on here as I found out .

 

[carbonfibre farmer]

If your dealer was doing the repair would claas of helped out ?I doubt it on a 6 year old tractor.
But your bill would be genuinely massive!
Claas don't like it when farmers get together on here as I found out .

Your right, of course. On a near 6yr old tractor there's no way they (or any other manufacturer) would help. It would be financial suicide to help out every Tom, dick and Harry.
If I were running the company would I assist/contribute? Of course not!
My letter didn't ask for financial assistance.
If you run machinery, however hard or not, things break.
I've not engaged in "mud" slinging only factual comment.

 

[Agri Spec Solicitor]

This is an unfortunate experience and I think most of us would say these major repairs are not acceptable for a lightly used machine.
My question is why it failed?
It is possible to get experts who can examine and tell you but probably throwing good after bad?
I have had cases where the manufacturer and supplying dealer between them will make some ex gratia contribution to ease the pain. It helps where the supplying dealer does the servicing and the repair.
I am no engineer but why can't they design tractors which are more modular so that you can remove the gearbox without splitting the tractor and taking off the cab? The labour cost will be eye watering before the technician even gets to the heart of the problem.

 

[6290]

If your dealer was doing the repair would claas of helped out ?I doubt it on a 6 year old tractor.
But your bill would be genuinely massive!
Claas don't like it when farmers get together on here as I found out .

To be fair to them they did with us. We bought a second hand low houred Ares 577 back in 2013 and after 5 months the gearbox had a major breakdown, Parts were just short of £3500, Labour was £1500. Claas paid the parts and we paid the labour. Since then it’s had the head gasket done and a water pump, that’s the only spanner work it’s seen except servicing, currently on 5500 hrs, mainly loader work.

 

[Fendtbro]

If it were me, i’d Repair it and sell it. That is a massive job to strip out the box and the thought of it going again is eye watering.. what hp is your claas, 100? Gears just seem too weak for the power going through them. I’d just cut my losses and hunt out a tidy low hour jd 6400. Only used others, never owned one but they are comfy and most importantly the gearbox is known for it’s reliability. The worst thing that can go on a tractor is the gearbox, so much labour involved to get the parts out.

 

[carbonfibre farmer]

If it were me, i’d Repair it and sell it. That is a massive job to strip out the box and the thought of it going again is eye watering.. what hp is your claas, 100? Gears just seem too weak for the power going through them. I’d just cut my losses and hunt out a tidy low hour jd 6400. Only used others, never owned one but they are comfy and most importantly the gearbox is known for it’s reliability. The worst thing that can go on a tractor is the gearbox, so much labour involved to get the parts out.

Your comments echo @adzy though he recommends a mighty ih 885 xl as a replacement

Our axos 320cx is around 85hp.

 

[Fendtbro]

This is an unfortunate experience and I think most of us would say these major repairs are not acceptable for a lightly used machine.
My question is why it failed?
It is possible to get experts who can examine and tell you but probably throwing good after bad?
I have had cases where the manufacturer and supplying dealer between them will make some ex gratia contribution to ease the pain. It helps where the supplying dealer does the servicing and the repair.
I am no engineer but why can't they design tractors which are more modular so that you can remove the gearbox without splitting the tractor and taking off the cab? The labour cost will be eye watering before the technician even gets to the heart of the problem.

Beat me to it! You are spot on with modular build being so important.. I had two massive gearbox rebuilds on older Fendts that nearly finished me. Dealer quoted 5k just for labour! Did it myself but took a couple of months for one and 2 years for the other!! Needed 9k worth of parts for the 395 so took more than a year to track down a second hand box for parts. Got sick of the 612 costing a fortune and being a nightmare to work on so changed for a mb1500 with a worn gearbox.but that is modular build and you have the box out and stripped in a day.

 

[mtx.jag]

Your comments echo @adzy though he recommends a mighty ih 885 xl as a replacement

Our axos 320cx is around 85hp.

Slap her back together and wave goodbye,find a tidy classic ie 956xl that will do everything on your farm and won’t loose any value

 

[adzy]

Your comments echo @adzy though he recommends a mighty ih 885 xl as a replacement

Our axos 320cx is around 85hp.

In all seriousness, is it worth taking the risk changing to an unknown quantity after spending a small fortune sorting your axos? Unless you can afford to go for a new replacement, you could end up with more problems. What are the chances of a third major repair bill?

 

[adzy]

Slap her back together and wave goodbye,find a tidy classic ie 956xl that will do everything on your farm and won’t loose any value

He'd pack it all in before he went red....

 

[7740 man]

Your comments echo @adzy though he recommends a mighty ih 885 xl as a replacement

Our axos 320cx is around 85hp.

Don’t do it man! That’s like going out of the frying pan into the fire!

 

[mtx.jag]

He'd pack it all in before he went red....

Ford 7810 then

 

[adzy]

Ford 7810 then

Oh gosh no, far too 'big' more like a 6610

 

[Flat 10]

In all seriousness, is it worth taking the risk changing to an unknown quantity after spending a small fortune sorting your axos? Unless you can afford to go for a new replacement, you could end up with more problems. What are the chances of a third major repair bill?

Good idea bet the Major doesn’t need many repairs.....

 

[carbonfibre farmer]

Good idea bet the Major doesn’t need many repairs.....

She smokes a bit. Mind I wouldn't expect her to do some ploughing!!