Antonio Carrera Tractors

[akman]

We've had our Antonio Carraro SRX8400 since last spring on our 13 acre vineyard. Purchased from Autrusa in PA.

All I can say is I am very sorry for your experience. I would guess from my experience with our machine that the tractor is NOT designed to be "Self Lifted" using a loader. The articulated joint with it's multiple drive-shafts is extremely well built in my opinion. I could see where if you put a lot of negative stress on this joint something bad could happen.

We have over 230 hours on our machine in just over 1 year and all without a hitch. It is extremely versatile as it is maneuverable and the operator station is reversible making it drivable in both directions.

We use it for spraying (1500# CIMA Vineyard Sprayer), Harvest (WIFO forklift (3000#+ Capacity) etc...with no issues at all.

I would expect much better dealer support. Especially from the dealer who sold you the loader.

Autrusa has been phenominal with their support and goes out of their way after the sale. To be expected with a machine of this expense and quality.

 

[wstr75]

I need to get some major work done on my Antonio Carraro TTR 4400. It has a hydraulic problem and a leaking hydrostatic drive. The hydrostatic drive is in great shape but the center section seal leaks and will require the tractor to be pulled apart.

I live in North Carolina and there are not any experienced Antonio Carraro mechanics here so I will be trailering the tractor to somebody up or down the East Coast for the work. Anyone here have a shop or dealer recommendation regarding Antonio Carraro repairs within 600 miles of central NC? This would be within a radius from Florida to New York.

I love this tractor and bought it sight unseen with these problems. I think the hydraulic pump is semi-dead and I could probably do that replacement myself, but the hydrostatic tear-down is well beyond my comfort zone and, while I could go to a local tractor mechanic to get the work done, I'd be taking a chance they would get half way done with the job and then give up (because they ain't seen something like this Carraro) which, would then mean I'd be left with an even worse situation.

Thanks in advance for your help.
Bill in NC

 

[Rara Avis]

http://www.mytractorforum.com/showpost.php?p=777676&postcount=51

Take a gander at Lilly Carraro, who I believe, works for her father Antonio Carraro as the Director of AC External Relations response to someone with a problem with an AC tractor...

 

[Eagleview]

http://www.mytractorforum.com/showpost.php?p=777676&postcount=51

Take a gander at Lilly Carraro, who I believe, works for her father Antonio Carraro as the Director of AC External Relations response to someone with a problem with an AC tractor...

She sounds like a nice lady , NOT .

I wonder how many sales they have lost over this ? A bit of help to rangerdave on their part would have gone a long way .

 

[laen64]

May they never get another sale.
That is not how you treat a customer.
WOW!

 

[Kiwibru]

Wow, what a an interesting read. As an owner of an AC (posted earlier in this thread) with a Sigma 4 loader I can understand what happened. The point of breakage is where the two halves of the front end and the rear end (the point of ocsilation) bolt together. I just don't see how bolts could come loose without you seeing them as such! It certainly looks like a weak link. If AC really cared they would step right up and fix that bugger! Guess I will have to be careful to not lift the front with the loader at all and watch my loads of sheet compost.

 

[rangerdave]

Well, folks have been requesting an update/resolution...
I put the tractor back together this winter.
It took about a month - Some all nighters to get it done so I could work with it before my deadline to work.

Long story short. I used a piece of bridge I beam to cut out a form for a skid plate to bridge the rear and center section together. Then bridged the top and bottom together to the rear of the tractor. Then got rid of all of the plastic bumpers and made better, lower profile, diamond plate bumpers....

Welding the center section sucked - many dealers (including the headquarters) didn't really know what metal it was made out of. When we did comparison tests of known metals vs this metal, we were dumbfounded as to how it behaved!!! Most said cast steel and a few said cast iron.... We tried welding, migging, tigging and brazing with about a dozen methods on some lone pieces not attached to the center section....

Almost all of them would peal the cast off of the piece as the weld would cool, no matter how short the pass. Brazing just would not stick to the metal - simply amazing to watch - No matter how hot the metal got, the brazing material would just sit on top of the metal and roll around, bounce off or peal off... I just didn't have the money to do a metal analysis.. I got the center welded together, but will never trust it. I am only assuming the fix to be the equivalent to a spacer.

I have been using the tractor since Mid February with no problems. This includes logging with the tractor through March - Yeah, AND lifting the front end of the tractor up with the front end loader to put my tire chains on!!!

 

[SPYDERLK]

Wow! Great band aid. With a new casting it might be strong enuf to do hard work with utter abandon. I am amazed at that spare center section considering the forces it would reasonably be called upon to bear. Fasteners are an extreme issue in making that design viable.
larry

 

[docsteviec]

I also have a Carraro TRX8400 that came with a sigma 4 front loader - albeit not attached as the dealer took it off before i took delivery. The tractor has been working very well for 3 years now, but i have finally decided to install the front loader. on reading the above i am starting to wonder if this is wise. i see the date of this thread was 2008 - has there been a resolution to this problem and is there any concensus on whether the sigma 4 loader is appropriate for the ergit TRX8400.
thanks

steve

 

[IH3444]

Yes there was a resolution. He had to fix the tractor himself. Look at the pictures.

 

[docsteviec]

Yes sorry - silly me - first time to this forum and i hadn't realised there were multiple pages. After i posted the above i saw rangerdaves' impressive mend.

I didn't come to a conclusion as to the consensus over whether the ergit was or was not suitable for a front loader? but i realise that is probably opening up a whole can of worms!

 

[Kiwibru]

Well I run a Sigma 4 FEL on my 1999 AC Comtrac 5500 Tigrone. I have used it every year to lift bales of haylage for loading, scooping out compost layered in a winter feeding area with a massive counter balance (55 gal. drum filled with concrete), wheel weights and I have had no issues. The frame does have the same attachment point front / rear as the broken tractor but the engine is only 48hp and it does not have reversible seating and controls.
The tractor having a very long and extended engine mounting does tend to get a bit front end heavy using the Sigma loader and one must be careful. The Sigma FEL frame mounts in such a way as to distribute the load top to bottom with a wrap around mount. Given some care in the use of this loader I see no reason it won't work for other AC tractors.
I really think the OP had an issue with a metal defect or the loader had been used for extremely heavy lifting that stressed an already defective piece of metal. It is too bad AC did not jump in and take care of this. They could have sold a lot of tractors with that kind of service and the resulting word-of-mouth.

 

[FarmallAok]

Seeing my contractor Antonio Carraro Ergit TRX 8400 snapped the cast iron transmission casing like many others had done.
I decided to learn to make the unbreakable or easy to repair with local materials.
Look at this fantastic group to join: articulated or skid steer tractor. I would have a dual drive with reversible seat.
Wait there is more... you will be in the shop building: Global Village Tool Set
LifeTrac - Open Source Ecology

 

[Renze]

They did sell ordinary farm tractors back in the days, but their poor reputation for quality has driven them into the specialist market which they serve today. My uncle traded his Dexta for a Carraro but he said in hindsight he would have been better off fixing the Dexta, because the Carraro allways had something.