bman you've got to be kidding me you're going to say that same BS that the rep told me one year five minutes and 2 seconds warranty after that it's your problem! Where is the craftsmanship pride in the company's name and respect for the customer have you watched some of the videos where NH claims that the loader is designed for heavy-duty use you've got to be kidding me picking up some rocks in a row laying on top of the earth is not heavy-duty. I consider myself a morally decent person who doesn't go out of his way to start fights or badmouth manufactures, it's simply a question of opinions, you have yours and I have mine. I will never accept any manufacturer telling me a cast part or solid steel has a one year warranty on something that should last 20 years, if I had ever known when I signed that contract that I would be dealing with a cracked loader frame two years into the ownership I would've stood up and told him to f!!! off and walk out the door laughing. Once again this post was starter for a simple reason to give people a heads up on the possibility of a manufacturers problem by the way new Holland is aware of this issue apparently I'm not the only one there are quite a few frames breaking. Instead of worrying about my punctuation why don't you put something constructive in like your experience of mechanical devices which I'm sure is quite impressive ;-). One more quick fact if you bother to read my post, oh yeah that's right my punctuation I have decided to sell the loader off and keep the tractor as a matter of fact this whole episode will be over by next Friday a local farmer is buying the loader he has a TC 48 . I will be purchasing a Westendorf 25 a and I'll say it again love the tractor hate the company ;-) deal with it It's just my opinion . And remember to check your towers maybe when a few more break people might be a little more upset when their $30,000 investment needs to be welded two years into ownership. I'll post some pictures and video today of the loader working perhaps you could tell me what I'm doing wrong. LOL take care
I think a lot of emotions are taking over in this discussion. While I sympathize with your situation, lets put this loader problem into perspective.
You bought a tractor with a loader for like $40,000. The loader part was probably lke $5000 -$7000 of the purchase price and the towers were probaly $500 of that, not with standing the replacement parts cost is some thing like $1400-1500 each. So this is not a $30,000 problem or even a $40,000 problem. The problem is really somewhere between $500 - $3000, tops and the basic tractor, which is made by NH is not the problem, only the loader towers are. My guess is these were probably subbed out parts since NH is in the tractor business not the loader business. But they put NH on the loader so they are responsible.
The warranty is the warranty and NH has no LEGAL obligation to do anything more for you. Thats what YOU agreed to when you bought the loader. They have repaired the towers by welding which is a plus for them but is not acceptable to you. Since does not appear to be a wide spread problem, it sounds like you were the victim of what the QC people call an "escape". The QC system didn't catch the faulty welds. Based on your discussion, you have extrapolated the problem into a "poor design" or a "design flaw". You offer no anaysis to support your claim of a "design flaw" only your OPINION that this cracking is a "design flaw" and shouldn't happen. Nor have you proved that poor welds were not the problem. Opinions are like belly button-everybody's got one!
From a PR standpoint, in my opinion, NH would be ahead to have provided new towers and shipped the old towers to the manufacturer and for analysis and reimbursements, but they have chosen to get your tractor back in use quickly by a factory approved repair to the towers. I don't recall whether you were charged for the repair, but since the loader was off warranty, you probably were. Again, you signed up for the warranty when you bought the loader.
You have taken the next step and voted with your own dollars to replace the NH loader wth a Westendorf. (What kind of warranty did you get with it?) I doubt whether that was a cost effective solution but it's your $'s and you can do what you want.
So from my point of view, you have made a big rant about NH not supporting an out of warranty problem the way YOU want it taken care of. Do you think that maybe your rants about NH may have contributed to the way they (NH) handled the problem? You run them down and make a big deal out off relatively minor problem in an out of warranty situation and you expect them to give in to your browbeating? Further, it's not that they didn't do anything, it's that they didn't do what YOU wanted them to do.
I'm sorry you feel they are bad guys, but have you looked at this from their point of view. They provided a fix when they weren't obligated to doing anything.
Personally, I think you made a bigger issue out of this than was necessary and you let your emotions get the better of you. It probably contributed to NH 's position on the problem, but that's conjecture.
I hope you are happy with your new loader and you don't have any problems with it.
God bless and take care you to housemasters
