Blown Engine on the Box Store Tractor

[ddivinia]

Since then I have never purchased anything with a BS engine and I never will! I also tell this story to anyone I know who even thinks about using BS engines.

There ya go - give me a Honda any day.

D.

 

[ddivinia]

MrJimi: Just a point of reference. About 2 weeks ago the battery on my wifes 04 Caddy just up and died. Delco batt and on it it says 6 year warranty. I call the service department, guess what, the batt warrenty is only as long as the car, not 6 years. Of course the warranty on the car expired on October.

That isn't correct. The battery has warranty, but thru the manufacturer, not the Caddy dealer. Now, if it is a Delco battery - they should prorate the warranty onit.

D.

 

[ddivinia]

7 months out of warranty AND the second owner? Sounds like a sorry we can't help you problem to me. I would also wonder if a tractor so cheap even has a warranty that will transfer to a second owner? A lot of products are for the first owner only and it sounds like the first owner wasn't brought into the picture till they refused to help the first time. That's sort of like slowing down after the radar gun has already clocked your speed, doesn't do much good!!

It is really 7 months out of warranty. If the engine has a 2 yr warranty and it was bought from the original owner a year ago and the original owner had it for yr - that is 2 years.

D.

 

[ddivinia]

connecting rods RAREY break after two years of use... If you have a bad rod they go within the first week of ownership.

Connecting rods break because of lack of lubrication. Thus you will never get a warranty. Especially if the dealer took the engine apart and saw medal transfer on the rod and or bearings. There are tell tale signs an engine has had poor lubrication...

Don't blame JD or Briggs, blame the person responsible for maintenance...

Might have run it out of oil.

Maybe the engine wasn't machine properly or something and the crank wasn't oiling properly. Who knows...

D.

 

[Champy]

For what its worth....8 yrs ago I bought an MTD YardMan riding mower from Lowes. Early one morning during the first year, my wife starts yelling at me to get out of bed......I run out to the garage and the mower is sitting there cranking away trying to start all by itself! Smoke is pouring out of the starter, etc....

I called up MTD and was told to take it to their local authorized service location (~5mi). They determined some wiring had shorted out and due to the extended "burn" could not be properly repaired. MTD said take it back to Lowes and get a new one. Did just that...no questions asked...went home with a new one which is still running today out on our tree farm.

Conversely I do have an older JD245(?) that is solid steel everything and is a tank. My only complaint on it is the interlock pin to allow freewheeling is broken and you cannot push it in neutral...only moves under its own power.

 

[cast_and_blast]

ab5056 -

I understand that you are frustrated by the situation, but it seems that you'll probably need more of an engine failure analysis before anything else. Here's a link to a place nearby me (in MN) that does many re-powers:

Small Engine - Replacement Engines - Engine Kit - Repower

This guy is amazing when it comes to Deere products - he'll probably even chat with you about the issue over the phone. He ships out re-power kits; not sure what model your Deere is and or what size/type of engine you'd need.

No - I'm not affiliated with this place at all. He's worked on some of my small engines in the past and is honest and reputable.

Good luck!

Scott

 

[JD3520]

Sounds like the good friend that sold you the mower wasn't that good of a friend. Maybe he run it out of oil and decided to sell it before it broke on him. Why not go back to the good friend for money to repair it? I have to agree with most others here and say JD went above and beyond for simply looking at an item that is that far out of warranty. You are wanting them to add over 25% to their warranty period just for you. Things wear out and things break. It's called life.

 

[hydrovane218]

I hate to add insult to injury but I bought an L120 from the DESPOT(hold your stones....I do feel bad about it) a couple years(2) back. I think it has about 100 hours on it and is fine. It seems to start rich(black smoke) for one or two seconds but is fine otherwise(It has a V Twin B&S).
I have changed the oil three, maybe four times since, scraped the deck clean and oiled it before putting it away & changed the blades once now(with a new set sitting for stock). I always use Stabil before storing for the winter, grease what fittings there are, have changed the air filter once, and will change the plugs and fuel filter in the spring with stock I bought from my JD dealer. I also now have a 3203 and plan on doing the same mainteneance. Bottom line from me is that I knew this was a discount Deere, have treated it well and so far so good. I understand that yours was apparently taken care of also and feel for ya as a result. Hope you get somewhere with it....

 

[Wayne County Hose]

As a small businessman, competing against the big box stores and the internet, I will not warranty ANYTHING that I did not sell. You want warranty, take it back where you bought it. How can you possibly expect any dealer to bend over backwards for you when you drove right past him to buy something from his competition? I never would have taken the thing in my shop to look at it in the first place. I have stated my position to the factory for the products I sell. The factory rep's begrudgingly stand behind me.

I purchased a log splitter 2 years ago from the local small engine shop. I could have gotten it about $200 cheaper from TSC. The pump went on it after 1 year. I brought it in on a Thursday. The guy asked me if I needed to borrow a splitter until mine was repaired. He was prepared to loan his personal splitter. I told him don't worry about it, I need a rest anyway. He called me Saturday morning. He next day aired in the pump and put it on Friday night.

You guys need to put yourself in our shoes. We buy the equipment to service your products, go for the training, spend all kinds of money on technical materials, then you buy from a place that has to do absolutely none of this. Then you want me to warranty it? You have a better chance of seeing Bin Laden in Times Square on New Years Eve having a beer with Giuliani.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

As a small businessman, competing against the big box stores and the internet, I will not warranty ANYTHING that I did not sell. You want warranty, take it back where you bought it. How can you possibly expect any dealer to bend over backwards for you when you drove right past him to buy something from his competition? I never would have taken the thing in my shop to look at it in the first place. I have stated my position to the factory for the products I sell. The factory rep's begrudgingly stand behind me.

I purchased a log splitter 2 years ago from the local small engine shop. I could have gotten it about $200 cheaper from TSC. The pump went on it after 1 year. I brought it in on a Thursday. The guy asked me if I needed to borrow a splitter until mine was repaired. He was prepared to loan his personal splitter. I told him don't worry about it, I need a rest anyway. He called me Saturday morning. He next day aired in the pump and put it on Friday night.

You guys need to put yourself in our shoes. We buy the equipment to service your products, go for the training, spend all kinds of money on technical materials, then you buy from a place that has to do absolutely none of this. Then you want me to warranty it? You have a better chance of seeing Bin Laden in Times Square on New Years Eve having a beer with Giuliani.

I do agree with you but in the case of the OP, he bought this tractor used and took it to the dealer he bought a 2305 from. I have bought used tractors and taken them to my regular dealer for work (got screwed over pretty good this last time but normally I have got great service). The dealer did what he could to help the OP but I think the OP is expecting more which I don't agree with. I do hope he can get something taken care of but I still look at it as a get what you pay for type of deal.