tlbuser
Veteran Member
Well, that's an encouraging thing to hear everybody.
Another ASV failure
- Thread starter QwikDraw
- Start date
- Views: 43873
palmettobrush
Silver Member
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2008
- Messages
- 105
- Location
- florence SC
- Tractor
- 2011 Terex pt 100g 2012 case cx210 2006 gyrotrac gt 25
hey Buck how are things in asv land is there any chance of a bigger asv coming soon
OP
QwikDraw
Platinum Member
I had a very good discussion with Buck yesterday and I will say ASV is working hard to improve their machines.
Full details of discussion soon..
Full details of discussion soon..
palmettobrush
Silver Member
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2008
- Messages
- 105
- Location
- florence SC
- Tractor
- 2011 Terex pt 100g 2012 case cx210 2006 gyrotrac gt 25
the pts i have now are a lot better than the rc i had i have over 2500 hours between the two in a year and a half in hard times i dont think that is to bad quickdraw what do you want for the excavator
yellowdogsvc
Platinum Member
awesome. I am glad someone was paying attention and gave you a direct line into the organization. It's a start, right?
Kudos to ASV for showing up.
OP
QwikDraw
Platinum Member
AX MAN
Silver Member
ASV should finally be working hard to attempt to satisfy customers for a change. It is amazing what companys do when the economy goes south. Suddenly the unreliable product they put out 2006-2008 has caused alot of people to turn away from their product.
I bought my machine from CraneWorks in Alabama. There were so many problems and lawsuits they quit pushing the product. They finally told me that I needed to call ASV directly with problems. Trust Me. They (ASV) do not feel your pain.
I found someone this week that I could pay to take my machine.
I wish each of you the best. I'm finally out. Take the advice of the knowledgeable experienced operators on this site.
If you are going to mulch. Buy something to mulch with. Or you can make the same very expensive mistake I did
I bought my machine from CraneWorks in Alabama. There were so many problems and lawsuits they quit pushing the product. They finally told me that I needed to call ASV directly with problems. Trust Me. They (ASV) do not feel your pain.
I found someone this week that I could pay to take my machine.
I wish each of you the best. I'm finally out. Take the advice of the knowledgeable experienced operators on this site.
If you are going to mulch. Buy something to mulch with. Or you can make the same very expensive mistake I did
Last edited:
cann mulching
Bronze Member
Help Axe I have one too to let go!!!! I have been trying to sell mine for a couple yrs now & now luck. People are still interested in this type of work too, that is the only thing keeping me going just to pay the bills!!!
AX MAN
Silver Member
Pray very hard for God to take the burden from you and lead you to something else. I'm not saying you can't find work. The lowballing hacks that were stealing business @$85-$95 per hr. are now going the way of the dodo.
If you can hold on. Maybe it will work. But for me my ASV consumed more than I could make. The dealer even through their hands up. After my warranty was over was tough. I was on my on. I am convinced that if you buy this product you better have another source of income or another piece of equipment to work with. I sold for $9700.00 less than my payoff plus a 16,500 # warn winch. It wasnt that I could not find work. I just could not afford to continue to do the work.
If you can hold on. Maybe it will work. But for me my ASV consumed more than I could make. The dealer even through their hands up. After my warranty was over was tough. I was on my on. I am convinced that if you buy this product you better have another source of income or another piece of equipment to work with. I sold for $9700.00 less than my payoff plus a 16,500 # warn winch. It wasnt that I could not find work. I just could not afford to continue to do the work.
Yeah you're probably 100% correct. Any company that has been in this business for over 25 years can't care one lick for its customers or how it makes machines unless the economy goes bad. I think they teach that at the Harvard School of Business- only care about customers when it is convenient and you will be one of the best small companies in the US for close to a decade. I'm sure that every one of their customers that bought an RC100 or PT100 is had nothing but the same problems you have had and are trying to dump their machines too. CAT, Deere and Bobcat must be licking their chops.
I'm not in the brush cutting market, but I have watched this company grow over the last 15 years and I own an RC50 (I sold Bobcats for over 8 years). Has anyone ever given any thought to the fact that ASV has gotten into this market by default because they have always had the best high flow and most hp? They are marketed as a construction/landscaping machine and I bet they adapted their machines into what is now the PT100 forestry because guys kept buying them and complaining to them to imporove this and improve that. There are other OEMs out there that make machines just for mulching- RAYCO, FECON, Gyrotrac, etc. Why don't people by those instead of the ASV machines? I bet its because many of them don't want to spend $150k+ and think that they can get buy on only spending around $100k. Do more with less- makes sense to me.
I don't know all of QuickDraw's machine problems other than what he has shared, but think it says something about ASV given that they even posted on this site and asked him to call them. I have been on many other sites and I have seen attachment and aftermarket reps post but never anyone from CAT, Bobcat, Deere, NH etc. Maybe they don't have problems with their machines and all of their customers hear angels sing every time they turn the key to start the machine. You might want to look at one of the CAT, Deere, Bobcat, or NH CTLS. Or maybe you ought to pony up the dough and buy a dedicated machine. Either way, I wish you luck finding something that works up to your standards.
AX MAN
Silver Member
My ASV was a very powerfull and usefull machine for moving dirt. I did not buy it for that. I had an air conditioner they could not fix ever. One example.
Buck has been with the company along time and if you can get him on the phone he is the man to talk to. But. He has not publicly offered his services until now. Hmmmm! Wonder why soooooooo long.
I hope this continues for each of you who might need him. If you own this product save his number.
Buck has been with the company along time and if you can get him on the phone he is the man to talk to. But. He has not publicly offered his services until now. Hmmmm! Wonder why soooooooo long.
I hope this continues for each of you who might need him. If you own this product save his number.
OP
QwikDraw
Platinum Member
I talked with Buck, I told him the whole story of the motor and other issues I had in the past. The best thing about Buck he didn't deny the ASV had problems but explained how each of the issues I had were improved on the PT. He mentioned a new machine coming out that he couldn't talk about until April. I really got the feeling ASV is trying hard to improve their machine and is moving in the right direction.
Then he asked if I had fixed the ASV and I replied "yes", he then said I should fax him the invoice and he would warranry the whole cost! I was speechless....this was over $10,000...
When a company stands behind a machine like that, it's saying something. I can't wait to see what the new machine is all about.
Then he asked if I had fixed the ASV and I replied "yes", he then said I should fax him the invoice and he would warranry the whole cost! I was speechless....this was over $10,000...
When a company stands behind a machine like that, it's saying something. I can't wait to see what the new machine is all about.
DIRTROAD
Platinum Member
That is amazing !!! I guess $10K in positive public relations is worth more than empty advertising and promises.
Remember, the only thing that spreads faster than wildfire is bad word of mouth/reputation. Looks like ASV is trying to quench the flames a little.
Remember, the only thing that spreads faster than wildfire is bad word of mouth/reputation. Looks like ASV is trying to quench the flames a little.
Renze
Super Member
They must be confident about their new machine being so much better.... If not, they would'nt give away 10 grand, because if the new machine wasnt any better, they would have to keep drawing the wallet for customers like you
RedDog
Platinum Member
What exactly is the problem? I'm seriously considering selling/trading my tractor for one. I really like the Perkins motor in these and my tractor.
I've never operated a ASV, only a Bobcat T-300.
I've never operated a ASV, only a Bobcat T-300.
masalser
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2008
- Messages
- 55
- Location
- Snohomish County, Washington
- Tractor
- John Deere 5510, Kubota HST 3010, ASV RC100 tracked skidsteer, Bobcat 435 excavator, Howard Price 15' finish mower, Kubota ZD331 mower, Woodmizer LT40 super hydraulic sawmill
I can't say that I'm impressed with my RC100. I've dealt with Buck over at ASV before. In my case it was because my idiot dealer, who I bought my machine from brand new, didn't catch that there had been a factory service bulletin on my RC100. Even though I had brought my machine in to that same dealer a couple of times after the service bulletin was sent out, they didn't catch it and as a result my undercarriage cracked completely in half on one side and both sides had to be replaced. The dealer was so "generous" that they ended up selling me the new undercarriage at their cost plus labor, so their missing the service bulletin ended up costing me only about $10k. Then, I had a final drive failure on one side. Come to find out that my genius of a dealer had been putting the wrong fluid in my machine when I brought it in for servicing by them (one time they put Kubota UDT fluid in the hydraulic system and the next time they put in Kubota AW46 rather than the thinner Rycon AW32 fluid speced by ASV, and this is documented on their repair records). During the final drive failure I talked to Buck and a couple of other people at ASV. I could never get any help from them on the issue even though their dealer was clearly an idiot and at fault. At that point I switched to a different dealer and had them replace the final drive, then I had to have them replace the other side final drive about a year later, probably due to damage caused by the "servicing" of the previous dealer.
My new dealer seems to try hard - they aren't great dealing with the machine and figuring out problems, but they try hard and they try to work with me on their billing because they recognize that my machine was trashed by the previous dealer. Presumably they try to bill me reasonably enough that I don't just dump my machine and move on to a more reliable machine.
I should have sued the first dealer over the undercarriage failure and the final drive failure which I believe was caused by the out of spec fluids they used, but I'm just not the suing kind of guy. I am, however, happy to give the facts to other people considering buying ASV equipment. In my opinion ASV tried to grow their dealer network too fast and then didn't stand behind customers who got hurt by their pathetic dealers. My case was not the only one for the dealer in question - one day I pulled up to pick up my RC100 and there was another RC100 being unloaded from a trailer with two pretty pissed off looking guys. I talked to them and they were having very similar problems to mine and in their case they had concluded that the machine was unsafe to work with because the out of spec hydraulic fluid made the movement of the machine unpredictable in relation to the control stick movements and they couldn't risk running into a clients building or hurting on of their employees. I currently have those same control problems that they described but because I generally work alone I don't have to worry about maiming someone.
Every couple of months I talk to my Bobcat dealer to find out if they have come out with a machine that rivals the ASV in terms of top ground speed - for me that is a critical factor and in fact is the only reason I haven't gotten rid of my ASV. I should mention that I don't use the machine for mulching. I basically use the standard bucket, a 4-in-1 bucket, a hydraulic auger, and the Davco mower deck branded by ASV to be used with that machine, so my use of the machine is in no way outside of the expected norm of what the machine was intended to do.
Buck, if you're still reading this thread the service bulletin was ASVRC007 and I dealt with that issue back in 1/2008, then I started dealing with my first final drive failure in early 2008. That's when I spoke with you and others at ASV and got the run around over the fluid that Sound Tractor of Everett had been putting in my machine. You didn't do a reasonable job of sticking up for your customer, but I notice that since then you appear to have gotten rid of Sound Tractor as one of your dealers. I admit that there are some qualities of your machines that are hard to beat, but the dreadful experience I had dealing with ASV directly and with Sound Tractor was probably enough to drive me away for good. In contrast to that experience, I bought a mini excavator from my local Bobcat dealer and have nothing but great things to say about them - there have been some problems with the machine, but the dealer handles problems quickly and reasonably, and bottom line they know how to work on the machines.
My new dealer seems to try hard - they aren't great dealing with the machine and figuring out problems, but they try hard and they try to work with me on their billing because they recognize that my machine was trashed by the previous dealer. Presumably they try to bill me reasonably enough that I don't just dump my machine and move on to a more reliable machine.
I should have sued the first dealer over the undercarriage failure and the final drive failure which I believe was caused by the out of spec fluids they used, but I'm just not the suing kind of guy. I am, however, happy to give the facts to other people considering buying ASV equipment. In my opinion ASV tried to grow their dealer network too fast and then didn't stand behind customers who got hurt by their pathetic dealers. My case was not the only one for the dealer in question - one day I pulled up to pick up my RC100 and there was another RC100 being unloaded from a trailer with two pretty pissed off looking guys. I talked to them and they were having very similar problems to mine and in their case they had concluded that the machine was unsafe to work with because the out of spec hydraulic fluid made the movement of the machine unpredictable in relation to the control stick movements and they couldn't risk running into a clients building or hurting on of their employees. I currently have those same control problems that they described but because I generally work alone I don't have to worry about maiming someone.
Every couple of months I talk to my Bobcat dealer to find out if they have come out with a machine that rivals the ASV in terms of top ground speed - for me that is a critical factor and in fact is the only reason I haven't gotten rid of my ASV. I should mention that I don't use the machine for mulching. I basically use the standard bucket, a 4-in-1 bucket, a hydraulic auger, and the Davco mower deck branded by ASV to be used with that machine, so my use of the machine is in no way outside of the expected norm of what the machine was intended to do.
Buck, if you're still reading this thread the service bulletin was ASVRC007 and I dealt with that issue back in 1/2008, then I started dealing with my first final drive failure in early 2008. That's when I spoke with you and others at ASV and got the run around over the fluid that Sound Tractor of Everett had been putting in my machine. You didn't do a reasonable job of sticking up for your customer, but I notice that since then you appear to have gotten rid of Sound Tractor as one of your dealers. I admit that there are some qualities of your machines that are hard to beat, but the dreadful experience I had dealing with ASV directly and with Sound Tractor was probably enough to drive me away for good. In contrast to that experience, I bought a mini excavator from my local Bobcat dealer and have nothing but great things to say about them - there have been some problems with the machine, but the dealer handles problems quickly and reasonably, and bottom line they know how to work on the machines.
I just wanted to chime in here. I've read this site for a long time. I am not an owner, but I have been an operator for Asplundh for quite a while. I have operated most all of the track loaders at some point in mulching applications- CAT (297/299) Bobcat (T250/300/320) Mustang (MTL25) ASV (RC100/PT100/PT100 Forestry) Deere (332CT). They all have their problems- Deere cooling is the worst, CAT machines catch on fire easy and you cant clean well under the cab, Bobcat machines catch on fire easy too and the hydraulics aren't that strong, Mustang machines beat the operator can't climb well and cab is loud and A/C is bad, ASV track system get lots of mud in it and is pain to clean, but it is best for stable operation and comfort and their hydraulics are the best by a lot. All the machines have had breakdowns and we have worked with lots of dealers because we travel. I have visted good and bad dealers for all brands. My experience has been that ASV dealers are further apart than most, but they have been good and ASV factory has helped us when we called them. Try to call the CAT, Bobcat, Deere or Mustang factory and you will find out that you can't even call them. At least the ASV factory has a "Buck" or "Tim" to call. Thanks for listening.
cann mulching
Bronze Member
I have never heard of a service buliton on the ASV RC-100. I bought mine new in '05, & have had it back to the dealer a couple times. They never said anything about a recall. Anyway I have done the repair on my machine myself. The axels could fall out tomorrow but so far they are hanging in there. For as much as it costs you would think that ASV would send their customers a monthly letter or something just talking about the machine.
Just my 2 cents!!
Just my 2 cents!!
I have experienced the exact same failure as QuickDraw.
I was mulching a small job with my ASV RC100 with a Gyro Trac HF500 cutterhead and noticed a loss of power. I was not working the machine very hard the material we were clearing was light brush. No warning lights came on to indicate a mechanical problem, but I shut the machine down to investigate. What I found was not fun...
When I examined the engine compartment I noticed what appeared to be a spray of oil on the right side of the engine compartment (if looking at machine from the rear). I knew I had a fairly serious problem so I backed a trailer right up to the machine and cranked it and quickly loaded it and shut it down.
When I got the machine back to the shop we examined it further and noticed that one of the motor mount bolts had come out. I was skeptical that this could be my problem at first. I replaced the bolt filled her up with fresh oil and cranked her up. The machine fired right up however the engine was knocking so I shut it down and took it into the dealer. I explained the problem and asked if it is possible if the motor mount bolts go through to the crank case. They told me that there is no way that the motor mount bolt coming out could have caused me to lose oil. Anyway, when they fired it up to jump it of the trailer and put it in the shop that knocking self revealed itself when it through a rod out the side of the block busting a whole the size of a watermelon.
My machine was no longer under warranty, and with only 800 hours on the machine you can imagine I was highly disappointed that I was having to replace the engine.
We order a new engine and I wanted the dealer to call me when it came in so I could look at it. When I went to look at the new engine I took a 12 inch screw driver and stuck it in one of the motor mount bolt holes and stuck it in all the way to the handle. The mechanic was dumbfounded! He had never seen or heard of anything like this.
Anyway, sorry for the long story...some what of a touchy subject.
I feel your pain QuickDraw
ASV owners beware of this potential problem
I was mulching a small job with my ASV RC100 with a Gyro Trac HF500 cutterhead and noticed a loss of power. I was not working the machine very hard the material we were clearing was light brush. No warning lights came on to indicate a mechanical problem, but I shut the machine down to investigate. What I found was not fun...
When I examined the engine compartment I noticed what appeared to be a spray of oil on the right side of the engine compartment (if looking at machine from the rear). I knew I had a fairly serious problem so I backed a trailer right up to the machine and cranked it and quickly loaded it and shut it down.
When I got the machine back to the shop we examined it further and noticed that one of the motor mount bolts had come out. I was skeptical that this could be my problem at first. I replaced the bolt filled her up with fresh oil and cranked her up. The machine fired right up however the engine was knocking so I shut it down and took it into the dealer. I explained the problem and asked if it is possible if the motor mount bolts go through to the crank case. They told me that there is no way that the motor mount bolt coming out could have caused me to lose oil. Anyway, when they fired it up to jump it of the trailer and put it in the shop that knocking self revealed itself when it through a rod out the side of the block busting a whole the size of a watermelon.
My machine was no longer under warranty, and with only 800 hours on the machine you can imagine I was highly disappointed that I was having to replace the engine.
We order a new engine and I wanted the dealer to call me when it came in so I could look at it. When I went to look at the new engine I took a 12 inch screw driver and stuck it in one of the motor mount bolt holes and stuck it in all the way to the handle. The mechanic was dumbfounded! He had never seen or heard of anything like this.
Anyway, sorry for the long story...some what of a touchy subject.
I feel your pain QuickDraw
ASV owners beware of this potential problem
McCaskey
Silver Member
QuickDraw, Thanks for starting this tread. Otherwise, I would have overlooked a potential serious problem. Too bad I was never notified by ASV.
I finally got around to checking the engine mount bolts and 6 of the 8 bolts were loose. Picture below shows the oil caked dirt on the left engine mount. Both sides were loaded from leaking engine oil. 18mm wrench saved a potential engine replacement.
I finally got around to checking the engine mount bolts and 6 of the 8 bolts were loose. Picture below shows the oil caked dirt on the left engine mount. Both sides were loaded from leaking engine oil. 18mm wrench saved a potential engine replacement.
