HELP..rear wheel breaks off!

[ejb]

Back in business...

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice re: my rear tire falling off...it happened last Saturday late afternoon, and is fixed as of about an hour or so ago...all covered under warranty.

For anyone that is interested: The repairman from the dealer managed to use a special drill bit (reveresed threaded I think) to pull out in the one bolt that broke-off, took a matter of a couple of minutes, I was pretty impressed...the theory is that it is drilling into the broken off bolt in the reverse direction do that when it finally gets resistance it is actually unscrewing the other bolt...I may just have to pick me up a set of those special drill bits. For the remaining bolt holes, he had a kit called a re-threader...basically a superhardened bolt that you work back and forth (from both sides) until it cleans out that bad threads, they weren't nearly as bad as they could have been and only one gave him any trouble at all.

The real hard part was manuvering the tire into place, w/out any equipment to help move it....keep in mind these are HEAVY. 16.9 X 30's filled with calcium chloride, easily over 1000 punds I would guess...but between the two of us, a wrecking bar, and a lot of wood, we were able to get it back on...so I am back in business.

Just wanted to let anyone know in case they were interested.

(BTW: The mechanic who came out kind of indicated that the guy that worked at the shop "is not all there" so he was not at all suprised that the tire came off...perhaps that was why the dealer was so accomodating to cover this under warrantly...you can be sure I will go over the rest of the machine with a fine tooth comb for now on...)

 

[MChalkley]

Re: Back in business...

ejb - When you try to find those "special bits", they're called "Easy-Outs", and while they are somewhat optimistically named, they do sometimes make life a lot easier when a bolt has broken off.

Mark

 

[Thomas]

Re: Back in business...

ejb,
By the sounds you pick a fine dealership that will stand beside you.

Those type of people seem to be popping up more and more,and its the dealer thats get the bad name not the person. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Like Mark said easy outs are handy and buy a good set,also buy a good set of taps.
The easy outs & taps will cost $$$ but well worth it believe me. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Have some fun this weekend. /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

Thomas..NH

 

[gordon]

Re: Back in business...

Easy outs can be a life saver or make life alot harder if you break an easyout off!!!! I have an easyout set with left handed cobalt drillbits, a rethreader set and when all else fails some good tap sets . One key thing to remember when you bit bits, easyouts, taps, you get what you pay for so buy the best. The price hurts but they will pay for themselves many times over in a life time.
Gordon

 

[ejb]

Re: Back in business...

I agree...I am a big beleiver in buying the best quality whenever possible...you only regret the extra cost for a short time, whereas with poor quality items, you regret the purchase every time you use them.

 

[W5FL]

Re: Back in business...

I couldn't afford high quality easy outs in that size. I have to settle for the small and medium size ones and then buy the big ones when you need one of them. The left handed bits are a really good idea, but have never seen a set of them - or even just a good selection that would be the size for standard easy out sizes.

 

[Thomas]

Re: Back in business...wen.

wen,
Justify a high quality set of easy outs & taps & left hand drills up to 1 inch would indeed be difficult for me.

I watch for construction company also machine shops that are going out of business which have auctions,and one can get some good buys.

The only draw back sometimes you have to buy that lot,and I have about 30 some odd of half inch drills/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Haven't had all that much luck in the M.M. tap size yet,/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif so thats over the counter purchase.




Thomas..NH

 

[Bird]

Re: Back in business...

Wen, page 118 of Northern Tool's summer 2000 master catalog has a couple of sets of the "U.S.A. made" left hand drill bits; 15 piece 1/16" to 1/2" by 32nds is $54.99 and the 29 piece; 1/16" to 1/2" by 64ths is $84.99. And they have the same size sets (without saying where they were made) for $19.99 and $32.99 respectively. I haven't looked to see if they also have them listed on their web site. You reckon those cheap ones are a little lesser quality?/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Bird

 

[W5FL]

Re: Back in business...

Probably,

But since we have a Harbor Freight Tool Company store here now, I notice I am getting a lot of made in China tools. They had a 3/4 inch drive ratchet and breakover with two extensions and full set of metric sockets up to HUGE sizes for $39.95. I paid that for two sockets and a short extension when I was working on another tractor. I doubt that their high temper tools are as good, but things like tractor jacks and decent auto floor jacks for $39 for a jack that is sold for $90, isn't too bad. Have their Electric Cement Mixer, Cut off 16 inch metal saw, and several small air tools, and large wrenches and cressen wrenches - also large as well as impact sockets. Haven't had any problems with their stuff yet. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Back in business...

I've related this story on this post before but wish everyone knew it. I saw it with my own eyes. Some friends and I were in a hardware store, while I was getting something rung up one friend was playing with a big vise, one of those we all WISH we had. The thing just shattered into two pieces, he wasn't hitting it or anything just tightening up the bar with his hand. It was MADE IN CHINA.

China does have the capability to make a fine product but I don't think all companies have it necessarily as a goal. I wouldn't buy anything in a tool unless an American CO or someone was backing the thing up 100% including liability. Steel comes in many flavors. Just my 2cents, don't want anyone hurt, we need all the good mechanics and helpful neighbors with tractors out there!

 

[Bird]

Re: Back in business...

Wen and del, cheap tools always make you wonder what you'll get. I still use a 3/8" butterfly that I ordered from Harbor Freight about 16 years ago and it's seen a lot use. I also use a cheap 3/8" air ratchet that's worked for years as well as an expensive one. On the other hand, I bought a cheap bench grinder that lasted 2 weeks. And I've been using a cheap 4" vice for 5 years with no problem, del, but my brother bought one of the same vices and it broke in less than a week. I have quite a mixture of "cheap" vs "good" tools. It's just a gamble; sometimes you win, sometimes you lose./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Bird

 

[JimBinMI]

Re: Back in business...

Bird,

I bought one of those "cheap" Made in China, five inch bench grinders at a mobile tool sale and have been lucky so far! Only thing that has given me a problem is the on/off switch. I only use it occasionally, but it does what I need. If I used one more frequently, I would have bought a name brand USA.

And of course, you know since I own BLUE, I use my tools less and less all the time...nothing to fix! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

 

[W5FL]

Re: Back in business...

Jim

Bring your tractor over to my place. With all the rocks, I am sure I can break something on it daily and you will need to learn to weld and use those tools. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Bird]

Re: Back in business...

Actually, JimBinMI, the "cheap" 6" bench grinder I bought didn't last long, so I bought a little more expensive one that's lasted 5 years; however, I did a lot of shopping first locally, and I didn't find one that didn't either say "Made in China" or "Made in Taiwan."

And since you own a blue tractor that's not used, I wouldn't expect you to use your bench grinder much, but I use my orange tractor enough that I have to sharpen the mower blades occasionally./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif Of course, my bench grinder is used for at least a few minutes 4 or 5 days a week, with a wire wheel on it, to remove rust and corrosion from tool parts.

Bird

 

[Mike H]

Re: Back in business...

Wen: I've had really good luck with Harbor Freight tools as well. I've got plenty of Craftsman too, but about 10 years ago I wanted a 15" adjustable wrench for something. It was $40 at Sears and I got a 15", 18", and 24" for that price from Harbor Freight. I figured I could break two and still be ahead - I haven't had a problem. I've never broken a socket or wrench I've gotten from them, although the cheap groove joint pliers didn't work at all and quickly led me to ChannelLock's (sp). I even made a point of visiting my sister when she lived in Lexington, KY just a mile from the Harbor Freight store there (OK, my wife made me visit - but I did go shopping)! You get what you pay for, but I figure I don't need much from some tools; and from others I need a lot.

 

[W5FL]

Re: Back in business...

I was raised in a family where my dad was a mechanic. He wouldn't let me use a pair of pliers for anything except twisting wire! He had (and still has) only SNAP ON tools. They are fine (and expensive) tools, but he thought my Craftsman tools were also very good tools. Now there are a lot of other popular brands that compete for Sears' tool market, that it is hard to tell which is which any more. The place where the SNAP ON tools and Craftsman showed their stuff was in the thin wall sockets and ratchets that held up when others would not. The thing I noticed was that my Dad would use primarily 3/8 in drive sockets to do heavy work and I would usually resort to 1/2 inch. He made a living with his tools and being very fast was very cost effective. SNAP ON also stocked a lot of special tools that you could not get anywhere else. Sounds kinda like John Deere Implements, doesn't it. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[JimBinMI]

Re: Back in business...

Wen,

IF it broke, would it have to wait for you to fix your Kubota to be worked on? /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Since you can teach me, have you had a lot of experience fixing that Kubota?

JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

 

[Bird]

Re: Back in business...

Wen, I love your comment about your dad using 3/8" sockets when you'd use 1/2". That's a major part of my little air tool repair business; fixing 3/8" ratchets and impacts that mechanics used when they should have used a 1/2". And of course if they save enough time that way, it may be money well spent and may be worth it to them (and I'm glad to get the business)./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Bird

 

[Alan W.]

Re: Back in business...

Mike I've bought quite a few tools from that same Harbor Freight store in Lexington. I think the 3/4 drive socket set is one of their best buys. I think everyone should pick and choose tools on its quality regardless of where its made.