3039R....engine frame broke!,,,

Hobart15 · Mar 20, 2017

Ok, got my ride back. After a ton of research and more money than I wanted to spend I am as good as new. Yes the older LS tractors (2013 R3039) had an issue with a frame crack at the bolt connection. I had a new frame installed with the extra bracket. The new frame is bigger than the old one and I am sure I am good to go.
This is the first real issue I have had with my tractor after 850 hours. This has been a good tractor and I would buy it again....well I would buy a bigger LS :thumbsup:

LEOpilot · Mar 26, 2017

Hobart15 said:
This has been a good tractor and I would buy it again....well I would buy a bigger LS :thumbsup:

Wouldn't matter.... I was doing some chisel plowing today and noticed my 2016 XU6168 jumped out of 4wd and wouldn't go back. I got off and checked the linkage and noticed the frame was broken in the same place as yours on both sides. It looks like an old crack that finally split enough to notice as there is rust in the crack apart from the clean break. Somehow it had bound the front drive shaft and screwed up the 4wd. No telling what is damaged. You get what you pay for with LS. Cheap is cheap. If I had to do it over again, I'd spend the extra money and get something proven and made to be a daily farm tractor.

TSO · Mar 26, 2017

LEOpilot said:
Wouldn't matter.... I was doing some chisel plowing today and noticed my 2016 XU6168 jumped out of 4wd and wouldn't go back. I got off and checked the linkage and noticed the frame was broken in the same place as yours on both sides. It looks like an old crack that finally split enough to notice as there is rust in the crack apart from the clean break. Somehow it had bound the front drive shaft and screwed up the 4wd. No telling what is damaged. You get what you pay for with LS. Cheap is cheap. If I had to do it over again, I'd spend the extra money and get something proven and made to be a daily farm tractor.

Warranty claim?

LEOpilot · Mar 26, 2017

TSO said:
Warranty claim?

Yes. And hopefully they'll honor it. Its still a pain in the ....

Brinbane · Apr 4, 2017

Wow. After months of research, was making final decisions on tractor brand and had decided LS would be in my top 3 and my clear favorite to win it. Visited the forums here one more time looking for any reason to avoid LS and stumbled across this. A 4 year old tractor that splits its frame is bad, bad, bad. And the dealeership used the "not under warranty" excuse? This pretty much kills it for me. They should have bent over backwards to address this. I don't care if this is an issue they've fixed in more recent years. This is not a light weight sub-compact... stunning.

mrmikey · Apr 4, 2017

Weld it, reinforce it with doublers on both sides and ur done.........Mike

Underdog57 · Apr 5, 2017

Brinbane said:
Wow. After months of research, was making final decisions on tractor brand and had decided LS would be in my top 3 and my clear favorite to win it. Visited the forums here one more time looking for any reason to avoid LS and stumbled across this. A 4 year old tractor that splits its frame is bad, bad, bad. And the dealeership used the "not under warranty" excuse? This pretty much kills it for me. They should have bent over backwards to address this. I don't care if this is an issue they've fixed in more recent years. This is not a light weight sub-compact... stunning.

I agree that LS should stand behind this as it is a known problem with this model. I believe they should bring all the 3039 models in and repair them!

I wouldn't judge the whole LS brand on this problem. I have a 2013 R4041H and have worked it pretty hard and have had no problems or regrets with mine.

I am guessing that 95% of the people that post here LOVE their LS tractor, I know I love mine!

Good Luck

old gray · May 20, 2017

I have a 2013 3039R with loader and backhoe. have not had any problems. I did hear of this problem a few years back and it appears that some dealers were more helpful in getting this repaired than others with a plate reinforcement welded in.

4tillingdirt · May 24, 2017

LEOpilot said:
Wouldn't matter.... I was doing some chisel plowing today and noticed my 2016 XU6168 jumped out of 4wd and wouldn't go back. I got off and checked the linkage and noticed the frame was broken in the same place as yours on both sides. It looks like an old crack that finally split enough to notice as there is rust in the crack apart from the clean break. Somehow it had bound the front drive shaft and screwed up the 4wd. No telling what is damaged. You get what you pay for with LS. Cheap is cheap. If I had to do it over again, I'd spend the extra money and get something proven and made to be a daily farm tractor.

What would you get instead of the LS? Doesn't LS build tractors for New Holland?

Teachu2 · May 24, 2017

Underdog57 said:
I agree that LS should stand behind this as it is a known problem with this model. I believe they should bring all the 3039 models in and repair them!

I wouldn't judge the whole LS brand on this problem. I have a 2013 R4041H and have worked it pretty hard and have had no problems or regrets with mine.

I am guessing that 95% of the people that post here LOVE their LS tractor, I know I love mine!

Good Luck

Not judging the brand based on this problem, but I AM judging the company on their failure to support customers who suffered a loss due to the company's mistake. Had LS stepped up and covered this, they would have earned my respect and consideration for my next tractor - for far less than the cost of an advertisement.

LEOpilot · May 24, 2017

4tillingdirt said:
What would you get instead of the LS? Doesn't LS build tractors for New Holland?

Certain smaller models, yes. If I had to do it over again, I'd do what I did a couple weeks ago: buy a Deere (or Kubota). I've bought two lessons in tractors over the years both were odd-ball cheap tractors that cost both time and money. I get it that all brands have tractors that have problems yadayada.... but when I sit in the seat of my Deere, I can sense the improved quality and craftsmanship over the LS I owned. I'm comparing apples to oranges, since the Deere is larger and has a cab, but I feel like there wasn't any attempts to cut corners.

Cub72 · Aug 29, 2020

Hobart15 said:
Ok, got my ride back. After a ton of research and more money than I wanted to spend I am as good as new. Yes the older LS tractors (2013 R3039) had an issue with a frame crack at the bolt connection. I had a new frame installed with the extra bracket. The new frame is bigger than the old one and I am sure I am good to go.
This is the first real issue I have had with my tractor after 850 hours. This has been a good tractor and I would buy it again....well I would buy a bigger LS :thumbsup:

Sorry for bringing up an old thread, but I noticed yesterday my R3039H is cracked too. I've read a couple threads on here about this issue, and by looking at your pictures it looks like yours already had the reinforced brackets off the loader, and it now broke at the bolt hole (the next weakest point). You said the frame is "bigger" that they gave you. Just wondering where it was bigger. I'm debating buying a new frame, or just repairing this one. I'll try to post some pics of mine. You'll notice it doesn't have the reinforced brackets off the loader.

Cub72 · Aug 29, 2020

ptsg · Aug 29, 2020

Cub72 said:
Sorry for bringing up an old thread, but I noticed yesterday my R3039H is cracked too. I've read a couple threads on here about this issue, and by looking at your pictures it looks like yours already had the reinforced brackets off the loader, and it now broke at the bolt hole (the next weakest point). You said the frame is "bigger" that they gave you. Just wondering where it was bigger. I'm debating buying a new frame, or just repairing this one. I'll try to post some pics of mine. You'll notice it doesn't have the reinforced brackets off the loader.

Yours looks "fixable". You can weld and fish plate it on the outside. Looks like the crack started on the weld for the bottom plate where the front axle pivot mounts to.

I'm actually surprised that there is not more cases like this in the US, since all manufacturers decided to get away with the cross member from the loader mount to the front of the tractor that spreads the load much better.

Yes, it's kinda of a pain for maintenance because it blocks the access but to me is a minor inconvenience considering all the stress concentrated in the bell housing, subframe and engine block. ie: picture attached.

Cub72 · Aug 29, 2020

Yeah, it's definitely fixable. The hardest thing will be straighting the frame as it is bowed up and putting strain on my front differential. I'll probably have to take it apart and put it in the shop press.
My dealer and his mechanic just stopped by to check it out. He's only seen one other 30 series crack. He said they had a few of the larger 40 series tractors crack there. I guess the new LS tractors have a much longer brace like yours that goes up to the front. He's going to call his Rep and see what they can do for me.

old gray · Aug 29, 2020

Cub72 said:
Yeah, it's definitely fixable. The hardest thing will be straighting the frame as it is bowed up and putting strain on my front differential. I'll probably have to take it apart and put it in the shop press.
My dealer and his mechanic just stopped by to check it out. He's only seen one other 30 series crack. He said they had a few of the larger 40 series tractors crack there. I guess the new LS tractors have a much longer brace like yours that goes up to the front. He's going to call his Rep and see what they can do for me.

Looking at the picture. Looks like a crack on the top of frame coming down and another from the bottom coming up. Is that correct? Just wondering. I have a 3039 and have not had an issue. It has been worked pretty hard. Im not sure of the year 2012 or 13. I see no problem with welding in a fish plate.

Cub72 · Aug 29, 2020

old gray said:
Looking at the picture. Looks like a crack on the top of frame coming down and another from the bottom coming up. Is that correct? Just wondering. I have a 3039 and have not had an issue. It has been worked pretty hard. Im not sure of the year 2012 or 13. I see no problem with welding in a fish plate.

No, both sides are about identical. Crack coming up from the bottom. Almost half way through the frame. The giveaway is you'll hear the fan blade rub the shroud when you start lifting loads. You may want to talk to your dealer, mine made it sound like LS was giving away the brackets that extend the loader mount to the next hole in the frame. I bought my tractor in 2014, so I bet yours frame is like mine.

ptsg · Aug 29, 2020

Let us know how it goes.

I was wondering how much it will take for the fan to hit the radiator, looks like, not much.

JCoastie · Aug 29, 2020

brought home a MT240 this week, dealer said they have beefed up the frame design (of course they said that) but it does look like the FEL brackets are pretty strong and they have tried to distribute the weight a little more forward and a lot rearward.

Oldpath05 · Aug 29, 2020

ptsg said:
Yours looks "fixable". You can weld and fish plate it on the outside. Looks like the crack started on the weld for the bottom plate where the front axle pivot mounts to.

I'm actually surprised that there is not more cases like this in the US, since all manufacturers decided to get away with the cross member from the loader mount to the front of the tractor that spreads the load much better.

Yes, it's kinda of a pain for maintenance because it blocks the access but to me is a minor inconvenience considering all the stress concentrated in the bell housing, subframe and engine block. ie: picture attached.

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