Did I Make a Mistake?

[Chrisb009]

I’m in Virginia selling dealer is in Alabama. I don’t believe there’s much an AG can do in this case.

 

[rademamj1]

Shocked that your gas tank was totally cracked and destroyed by installation at the Mahindra factory. Furthermore, that's an outdated design for tractor fuel tanks these days, and prone to cracking at the tank mounts. I agree with recommendations to replace the fuel tank under warranty or replace the entire tractor.
That 10 hours away means your going to have to handle everything by phone. The defect was there when you recieved your tractor.

 

[HEC]

Have a friend who bought the same tractor and he had the same problem with his. It went back to the dealer several times . The reason they can't get a new tank is they had so many bad ones to replace . My friend is on his 2nd. fuel tank replacement and second fuel line leak problem . He is very fortunate that he has an outstanding dealer who just keeps coming back and picking up his tractor for repair . Hope you have a good ending to all this , my friend seems satisfied , at least for now .

 

[Chrisb009]

Shocked that your gas tank was totally cracked and destroyed by installation at the Mahindra factory. Furthermore, that's an outdated design for tractor fuel tanks these days, and prone to cracking at the tank mounts. I agree with recommendations to replace the fuel tank under warranty or replace the entire tractor.
That 10 hours away means your going to have to handle everything by phone. The defect was there when you recieved your tractor.

Is it more common to see the lower, close by the step, mounted fuel tanks today?

Thanks,

Chris

 

[rademamj1]

Is it more common to see the lower, close by the step, mounted fuel tanks today?

Thanks,

Chris

I was more referring to overall design of the fuel tank. The attached photo shows a JD fuel tank, note the bolts holding the fuel tank onto the tractor, do not create any stress on the tank. Kubota and Kioti tanks have similar designs.
View attachment 683688

 

[Leadfoot64]

Ok heres my two cents. Im new to tractors myself and recently bought a used mahindra which has been mostly satisfying save for a few issues and little things that aggravate me. I did buy it for significantly cheaper than any comparable name brand machine, and im still ahead considering money spent on repairs etc. When I was contemplating purchase and asking the dealer if i would suffer with mahindra due to poor parts support, he replied that mahindra has been very good with parts, but covid was screwing that up a bit lately. He further went on to say that i may be disappointed if im the type that buys aftermarket parts because there isnt a whole lot of support for them.. yet... So in the few times I called him looking for parts or prices on parts, all but one thing (loader valve) was readily available and within a few days shipping. I also found out that mahindra does not actually manufacture a lot of their machines and implements. For instance, my tractor is an emax22 which is actually made by tym, has a daedong engine which is also used in kioti and bobcat tractors, the loader is made by another company in korea, and the backhoe is american. That being said, you may be able to find the part you need by searching other manufacturers and cross referencing assuming you know the part is the same across brands. As for the dealers, I wouldnt get too mad at them yet. Your local dealer may not be giving you their top notch service because they know you purchased elsewhere, and may even be honest enough to tell you that to which i would counter with them that you would have preferred to do business with them but they did not/could not have the machine you needed in stock which is why you had to purchase elsewhere, and remind them that NOW is the time to earn your continued and future business with good service and parts. As for the selling dealer, they should try to make it their priority to find you a tank asap or offer a loaner or make some sort of consideration for you being out of a working machine. As for mahindra, im guessing they dont have stock of tanks for one or more of a few reasons: either they know there is an issue and they have sold out of replacements, or there isnt a known issue and fuel tanks failing on a new tractor is rare so they dont keep much/any stock, or whoever supplies their tanks is not able to keep up due to covid. You may also want to try calling other mahindra dealers in the off chance they may have the part in stock. You may have to purchase it yourself, but can always seek reimbursement from mahindra later. And finally, since this is a serious safety issue considering leaking fuel could spill on hot engine components and cause a fire or death, I would HIGHLY recommend filing a report at saferproducts.gov because this will allow tracking and alerts if other owners experience the same problem and could lead to a recall and a better designed tank. Definitely dont forget to mention in your report that this leaking tank is a serious fire/safety risk as well as an environmental issue due to spilled fuel and contaminated grounds.. A nice side effect of filing this report is that once mahindra gets notified of this report by the govt, they will likely call you practically begging to help and have a sudden burning interest to help you get your tractor fixed because they dont want govt on their backs! This exact thing happened when a hose on my expensive name brand gas grill started leaking and the manufacturer denied there was a problem despite me emailing pictures and videos of the leak to their customer svc reps. Once the govt notified them of the report, they were all but begging to help me, and even gave me a special direct number to call should I ever have problems in the future. Sucks that you got a bad tank, and you will definitely have to jump thru some hoops to get this resolved, but best of luck to you!

 

[Chrisb009]

I was more referring to overall design of the fuel tank. The attached photo shows a JD fuel tank, note the bolts holding the fuel tank onto the tractor, do not create any stress on the tank. Kubota and Kioti tanks have similar designs.
View attachment 683688

The attachment isn't linked.

 

[Chrisb009]

Ok heres my two cents. Im new to tractors myself and recently bought a used mahindra which has been mostly satisfying save for a few issues and little things that aggravate me. I did buy it for significantly cheaper than any comparable name brand machine, and im still ahead considering money spent on repairs etc. When I was contemplating purchase and asking the dealer if i would suffer with mahindra due to poor parts support, he replied that mahindra has been very good with parts, but covid was screwing that up a bit lately. He further went on to say that i may be disappointed if im the type that buys aftermarket parts because there isnt a whole lot of support for them.. yet... So in the few times I called him looking for parts or prices on parts, all but one thing (loader valve) was readily available and within a few days shipping. I also found out that mahindra does not actually manufacture a lot of their machines and implements. For instance, my tractor is an emax22 which is actually made by tym, has a daedong engine which is also used in kioti and bobcat tractors, the loader is made by another company in korea, and the backhoe is american. That being said, you may be able to find the part you need by searching other manufacturers and cross referencing assuming you know the part is the same across brands. As for the dealers, I wouldnt get too mad at them yet. Your local dealer may not be giving you their top notch service because they know you purchased elsewhere, and may even be honest enough to tell you that to which i would counter with them that you would have preferred to do business with them but they did not/could not have the machine you needed in stock which is why you had to purchase elsewhere, and remind them that NOW is the time to earn your continued and future business with good service and parts. As for the selling dealer, they should try to make it their priority to find you a tank asap or offer a loaner or make some sort of consideration for you being out of a working machine. As for mahindra, im guessing they dont have stock of tanks for one or more of a few reasons: either they know there is an issue and they have sold out of replacements, or there isnt a known issue and fuel tanks failing on a new tractor is rare so they dont keep much/any stock, or whoever supplies their tanks is not able to keep up due to covid. You may also want to try calling other mahindra dealers in the off chance they may have the part in stock. You may have to purchase it yourself, but can always seek reimbursement from mahindra later. And finally, since this is a serious safety issue considering leaking fuel could spill on hot engine components and cause a fire or death, I would HIGHLY recommend filing a report at saferproducts.gov because this will allow tracking and alerts if other owners experience the same problem and could lead to a recall and a better designed tank. Definitely dont forget to mention in your report that this leaking tank is a serious fire/safety risk as well as an environmental issue due to spilled fuel and contaminated grounds.. A nice side effect of filing this report is that once mahindra gets notified of this report by the govt, they will likely call you practically begging to help and have a sudden burning interest to help you get your tractor fixed because they dont want govt on their backs! This exact thing happened when a hose on my expensive name brand gas grill started leaking and the manufacturer denied there was a problem despite me emailing pictures and videos of the leak to their customer svc reps. Once the govt notified them of the report, they were all but begging to help me, and even gave me a special direct number to call should I ever have problems in the future. Sucks that you got a bad tank, and you will definitely have to jump thru some hoops to get this resolved, but best of luck to you!

I agree 100% it's not the local dealers issue - it's the selling. The local dealer has been nothing but overly accommodating through this process. I have purchased from them in the past just not AG related equipment. The selling dealer is the issue - not doing much from their end and telling me to work locally. I'll see if that changes today. I filled a report last week @ saferproducts.gov as that was the first thing that came to mind due to the nature of the issue.

Thanks,

Chris

 

[Leadfoot64]

I agree 100% it's not the local dealers issue - it's the selling. The local dealer has been nothing but overly accommodating through this process. I have purchased from them in the past just not AG related equipment. The selling dealer is the issue - not doing much from their end and telling me to work locally. I'll see if that changes today. I filled a report last week @ saferproducts.gov as that was the first thing that came to mind due to the mature of the issue.

Thanks,

Chris

Awesome! Sounds like you are already on it! It痴 obviously going to be an uphill battle but stick with it! Also may consider contacting the attorney general or consumer protection dept of your state as well as selling dealers state. Perhaps a little extra pressure from the govt may hurry them and mahindra along into making a fast and fair resolution. Make them sweat!

 

[fried1765]

Is it more common to see the lower, close by the step, mounted fuel tanks today?

Thanks,

Chris

Replacing your leaking tank with another of the exact same design?

That is repeating a failed project, and expecting a different result.
What will be your plan after 2nd tank also fails?

 

[Chrisb009]

Replacing your leaking tank with another of the exact same design?

That is repeating a failed project, and expecting a different result.
What will be your plan after 2nd tank also fails?

Totally agree - could have the same issue unless a change in design occurred.

 

[Chrisb009]

So quick update to this fiasco. Called the selling dealer this afternoon. They have a couple of tractors with the same tank design. They are going to pull a tank from one of the tractors and inspect it for cracks around the inserts. If there's no cracks I believe they will to ship it to me. Now the concern comes into play log term. I'm almost assured I'll experience the same issue at some future point in time. One idea is to take the old tank and have an aluminum tank fabricated. A second idea is to change the tank altogether and go with a tank mounted in the step area on the left side of the tractor. One issue with a different tank mounted in a different area could be the draw of fuel from the tank as the current design seems to be somewhat gravity fed.

Thanks,

Chris

 

[Peter 315]

All that work for a new tractor I would put the tank on and see if they come up with a better tank mounting system before I made a new tank setup..And keep all the paper work and pictures.

 

[buck12]

Good to hear they are taking care of the issue and you can use your new tractor.

 

[rademamj1]

Chris....I like the idea of yours fabricating an aluminum fuel tank to mount exactly the same way and similar dimensions as your original tank. I cannot see any downside except for cost. Aluminum welding should seal all metal seams quite well. It's certainly not going to be prone to stress cracking. And will look really sharp.

Alternatively, You could also consider rescuing the original tank, by simply applying a several layers of fiberglass with extra resin around the exterior, to seal all leaks and add strength to the current tank. Paint it red. Its certainly a lot lower cost than fabrication.

 

[s219]

Is it possible to replace with a generic tank? You could probably find a better quality tank that fits in the same area. Or go completely generic and just rig something that works. I've been around a lot of old equipment that had it's tank replaced by something generic (sometimes it's portable marine tank for an outboard motor that just gets strapped somewhere on top).

 

[Chrisb009]

Good to hear they are taking care of the issue and you can use your new tractor.

They were supposed to remove and review a tank today and call me to discuss findings. Call never came so it痴 not exactly being taken care of yet. Hopefully they call tomorrow.

 

[Chrisb009]

Chris....I like the idea of yours fabricating an aluminum fuel tank to mount exactly the same way and similar dimensions as your original tank. I cannot see any downside except for cost. Aluminum welding should seal all metal seams quite well. It's certainly not going to be prone to stress cracking. And will look really sharp.

Alternatively, You could also consider rescuing the original tank, by simply applying a several layers of fiberglass with extra resin around the exterior, to seal all leaks and add strength to the current tank. Paint it red. Its certainly a lot lower cost than fabrication.

I like the aluminum idea as it would prevent any future issues. One would assume something as simple as a fluid container, fuel tank in this case, could be made without leaks.

Not sure about reinforcing the current tank. It’s cracked at every brass insert. My concern is that it would still leak at the brass inserts.

 

[Chrisb009]

Is it possible to replace with a generic tank? You could probably find a better quality tank that fits in the same area. Or go completely generic and just rig something that works. I've been around a lot of old equipment that had it's tank replaced by something generic (sometimes it's portable marine tank for an outboard motor that just gets strapped somewhere on top).

I’ve given a generic tank a thought...problem is mounting location. The only location that’s not going to require substantial tank modification is a tank which hangs by the cab step. I’d have to fab up brackets but brackets are a whole lots easier than tank mods or a full fab. Other issue is fuel draw...current tank is drawn from the bottom via gravity. I’ve also considered fab’ing up my own tank from aluminum. I have the equipment to cut and weld it..the time it would require is questionable.

 

[Leadfoot64]

I致e given a generic tank a thought...problem is mounting location. The only location that痴 not going to require substantial tank modification is a tank which hangs by the cab step. I壇 have to fab up brackets but brackets are a whole lots easier than tank mods or a full fab. Other issue is fuel draw...current tank is drawn from the bottom via gravity. I致e also considered fab段ng up my own tank from aluminum. I have the equipment to cut and weld it..the time it would require is questionable.

Not sure if the inserts caused the tank to fail by being overtorqued or if the way the tank was mounted caused it to fail by flexing and vibration and torsion on those bolts but you could possibly make a metal plate with holes that are tight tolerance that line up exactly with the insert holes in the tank. This metal plate would take the stress off the inserts from vibration and torsion and flexing, but it still wouldnt help you if the inserts are twisting and cracking tank due to mounting torque. You could always mount them with light torque and use loctite to hold them in..