After the Warranty

[cdaigle430]

Hi fellow tractor owners;
My tractor is will be off of the origional warranty in May, it is currently in the shop addressing some issues prior to the warranty end.
My questions are related to owners like me who plan on keeping the tractor for a long time, but, also plan on working it very hard. Is there anything you recommend have have encountered with (specifically the GC serious) the tractor that would have been better known before-in other words the old saying "If only I would have known that before"
Also-is it a good investment to purchas a repair manual?

 

[ToadHill]

Use only the best quality lubricants to increase the lifetime of the tractor. And follow the manufacturers recommendations for greasing and filter changes.

 

[cdaigle430]

Use only the best quality lubricants to increase the lifetime of the tractor. And follow the manufacturers recommendations for greasing and filter changes.

Thanks ToadHill.

 

[Jerry/MT]

Hi fellow tractor owners;
My tractor is will be off of the origional warranty in May, it is currently in the shop addressing some issues prior to the warranty end.
My questions are related to owners like me who plan on keeping the tractor for a long time, but, also plan on working it very hard. Is there anything you recommend have have encountered with (specifically the GC serious) the tractor that would have been better known before-in other words the old saying "If only I would have known that before"
Also-is it a good investment to purchas a repair manual?

In my opinion, purchasing a manufacturer's repair manual is a wise investment. They have system descriptions in them as well as repair procedures. With shop rates in the $100/hr range and the cost of pick up and delivery, you can save a some money doing those repairs and maitenance proceedures that you feel you are capable of doing and leaving the more specialized ones for a dealer wth all the special tools. the manual will allow you to make an informed decision about whcih items you can tackle and which you should leave to the dealer. It also contains all the specs for the lubricantsand fluids, etc.I personally would not be without one.

I used to recommend the parts manual but they are usually available on line so that is not as important anymore.

P.S. Look for used manuals on ebay or at other booksellers. they're geberally cheaper there then through the dealers. Either way they are a bargain.

 

[irvingj]

I'll ditto Jerry's comments; every new vehicle I've purchased for the past 30 years or so gets ordered WITH a factory service manual, or I get one as soon as practical afterward.

They're getting expensive, and more and more primarily available on disk, but I still prefer the "hard copies." Plan on $100 and up, but you'll recoup that the first time you figure out how to repair something, and then it's all "gravy"!:thumbsup:

A good example: We bought Colt Vista 4WD wagon back in 1987; after we'd had it for a few years it started to pop out of 5th gear, more and more often. I was told $2000+ for a transmission rebuild, "They all have weak transmissions."

Looking in the manual, I found that the 5th gear control was actually a large vacuum-operated diaphragm (as was the 4WD control). The shift lever had an electric switch attached to it, that rotated every time you passed the 5th/reverse gate with the stick, that energized the vacuum valve.

Broken wire, internally, under the insulation. Took 15 minutes and a cordless soldering gun, a bit of heat-shrink tubing. Total cost about 25 cents. Never had another problem with it. I could go on....

 

[WilliamBos]

I agree too! The almost $300 that I paid for the 1635/43 manual is money well spent.

 

[irvingj]

And as my tell my "kids" (students): "You think homework stops when you're an adult? Think again!!"

Then I plop down the service manual I'm currently perusing (as time permits)...."THUD!"

...That usually gets the point across....:laughing:

Moral? Never Stop Learning! :thumbsup:

 

[Max2310]

I have a GC2310 that worked hard and still does after 4 years now and well over 500 hours. I read allot of threads on many different subjects. One thing that came often for which I did not suffer (yet) is many people who are using the steering wheel to pull themselves to sit on the tractor end up with a loose/defective steering column.

Other than that, watch out for the hydraulic filter (if placed low like the 2310) and watch for small branches or roots that could reached the hydro fan or puncture the rubber boots in front, that was probably a rock (all happened to me). Don't lift loads higher than necessary -- I see three good reasons for that: 1- over using 2- you could drop stuff on your hood 3- you could easily tilt your tractor on uneven ground. Don't ever take it off gear or switch from high to low unless you are on a leveled ground (and to a complete stop) hence don't rely on the brakes (or parking brake). Don't engage the 4WD while spinning or when you don't need it.

Regarding the shop manual, I almost always get that for my machines but I end up spending more time searching on the web than looking at it. Wise investment? I would say yes and no. Most times I sold my car/truck/atv before having to do serious work on it. Plus so far, this little tractor have been very reliable and trouble free. Spend more time on TBN or Google which will bring you back here anyway :laughing:

Do your regular maintenance + you don't need allot of grease but grease often, the pins will thank you. Anyway, I'm far from being an expert but that has been my experience so far; Sorry for going a bit overboard of your original question . I could probably write few more paragraphs of 'do' and 'don't do' and I learn new things every day.

Have fun! This little tractor have been one of by best purchased.

 

[Rford]

Synthetic oils and grease. Far superior to regular oil and reduces wear on the expensive parts.