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Smiffy
Well-known member
Also they will already have a team of fitters in place so won't be as reliant on the smaller dealers if they are struggling to provide backup.
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Lee
Well-known member
I think what I’ve come to realise is basically once you’ve paid your money your on your own, warranty and dealer support from all main dealers whether it’s car/truck/machine whatever has been absolutely shite for me and always more costly than me sorting it out myself or with own part time fitter or local companies. With vans it always down to driver error, wear and tear etc and not covered by warranty. Machines of my size rarely go wrong really, and when they do the bits are easy enough to get hold of and replace.
If your the type of person that will chase and complain, spend masses of your own time and energy and basically wear a main dealer down until they sort the problem, new and big brand is probably best. Personally I tend to just need to solve the problem quickly and that means diy.
Example, someone split a hitch hose on one of the 2.7t doosan machines a few weeks ago and I called Lloyds on the off chance they’d have a hose in stock as my local guy didn’t have a 1/4 banjo fitting to make a new one straight away. Lloyds must have sold hundreds of the same machine locally over the years and the hitch is quite exposed so I don’t think it’s the first time it will have happened. When I rang the store person couldn’t work out what I was on about despite a very clear description but said he’d have a look and ring back. I’m still waiting for the call.
Luckily we have a hydraulic cylinder and hose place within 20 miles who made a new hose in under 2 minutes whilst I waited, charged me £9 and thanked me for the business.
We’ve had nothing but trouble with a Vito van nox sensor/dpf regeneration. Tried to get it sorted under warranty but despite several times in bells no joy and big bills. When just out of warranty I was asked ‘do you do short journeys?’ And told ‘ well that’s the problem’
I asked what dpd and all the other courier vans did that were parked up outside and they said oh they all have the same problem! Awesome customer service 
so it’ll go to the local indie who will no doubt sort it for £100 or similar.
If your the type of person that will chase and complain, spend masses of your own time and energy and basically wear a main dealer down until they sort the problem, new and big brand is probably best. Personally I tend to just need to solve the problem quickly and that means diy.
Example, someone split a hitch hose on one of the 2.7t doosan machines a few weeks ago and I called Lloyds on the off chance they’d have a hose in stock as my local guy didn’t have a 1/4 banjo fitting to make a new one straight away. Lloyds must have sold hundreds of the same machine locally over the years and the hitch is quite exposed so I don’t think it’s the first time it will have happened. When I rang the store person couldn’t work out what I was on about despite a very clear description but said he’d have a look and ring back. I’m still waiting for the call.
Luckily we have a hydraulic cylinder and hose place within 20 miles who made a new hose in under 2 minutes whilst I waited, charged me £9 and thanked me for the business.
We’ve had nothing but trouble with a Vito van nox sensor/dpf regeneration. Tried to get it sorted under warranty but despite several times in bells no joy and big bills. When just out of warranty I was asked ‘do you do short journeys?’ And told ‘ well that’s the problem’
I asked what dpd and all the other courier vans did that were parked up outside and they said oh they all have the same problem! Awesome customer service so it’ll go to the local indie who will no doubt sort it for £100 or similar.
HuntingHicap
Well-known member
We've had a customer reject a brand new Bobcat 5t on site. "I only drive Kubota". W anchor.
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Monkeybusiness
Well-known member
‘Go and buy one then!’ would be my response…
kabin man
Well-known member
I've had plenty agency drivers arrive to rubbish machines.
I remember one whose opening line was "Bobcat mate, dont expect my grading to be good i only drive Hitachi"..
From a guy who arrived in a nissan micra.
As monkey said,if you have reached peak expert mode, go buy your own.
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Lee
Well-known member
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Monkeybusiness
Well-known member
You’re like the Paris Hilton of Planttalk - spenderama!!!
TiltyShaun
Well-known member
I would divorce you as well……what can you dig with one of those!!
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6feetdown
Well-known member
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Lee
Well-known member
I’ve dug myself a deeper hole that’s for sure! Not bothered if it digs…will it hire, that’s the question. The 100hp one it’s replacing died several times in the past month, mostly on our own work but occasionally on self drive and it just knacks all my plans when these things die on a customer. With the little diggers and dumpers it’s never really a problem, can get another round to replace easily enough and sort the problem back at the yard. Getting tractor recovered and replaced is a ball ache, so fingers crossed for some stress free ownership. First tractor was a 2wd international with the cab cut off, gradually worked up to this first brand new one..only taken 17 years
doobin
Well-known member
What do you use it for?
I’m seriously contemplating a new alpine tractor with a cab.
I’m seriously contemplating a new alpine tractor with a cab.
Lancs Lad
Well-known member
Ooh.
What you lookin at?
Goldini dealer was decent tbf.
Mates recently got a tidy vipar 30 I'm borrowing for a job in next week or two..
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Monkeybusiness
Well-known member
I was (still am I suppose) seriously contemplating a full-fat reverse-drive cabbed hydrostatic 60-plus HP (as much power as can still be towed with a decent flail mower) new just before Xmas - had a job where it would have been handy but managed to do it without.
I have limited need for one but know it would be fairly busy here if available, and would undoubtedly unlock more work.
If I was in your shoes @doobin I reckon I’d get the chequebook out - cash in on some of the other little tractors and get something made to measure!
Lancs Lad
Well-known member
Gotta be faster on the banks than the curent robo craze...?
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Lee
Well-known member
Bit of everything really, we’re rural but work very locally and a lot of our jobs are dragging the bigger digger to a job in the 14t dump trailer who then needs muck away across fields. Really like @Furniss set up, with a few skips it would be perfect for our domestic work but on the bigger jobs it’s always on farms and they want to keep muck for another job or won’t pay to have taken away so want it tipped in the hole/quarry/Bankside. Do a fair bit of alkathene install, usually with the little diggers but I’m going to have a bash at moling to speed things up. We move a bit of timber(logs, purlins and fencing gear), concrete panels and metal work for sheds and handling systems which could and possibly should be done by wagons but there’s always access/terrain issues and half the time have to swap from wagon to tractor and trailer to get to final spot. I’m also looking forward to not driving the 13m telehandler on the road, now it’ll go on the low loader behind tractor and get there in half the time without steam coming out of its ears.
Or possibly it’ll never be home if it works on the hire side. The old one only went out maybe 6-10 weeks a year as didn’t have the guff for most customers attachments, this one should do most stuff so I’d like to get more like 20 weeks.
doobin
Well-known member
The tractors I have aren’t worth that much. I’d have to keep the new Kubota, it owes me too much and it’s brilliantly agile for gardens, churchyards etc. plus it’s my collection ride on machine. I’d also have to keep the current alpine for bashing around in the woods and under trees with no rollbar. That leaves the isekis which are worth maybe 3 and 5k so they might as well stay to save changing attachments.
The only tractor I’d consider new is an Antonio Carraro. Question is whether to stick at 38hp or go up the the 60hp with vario transmission which I presume is what you were looking at? I can’t see that you’d get much more out of the larger machine and it’s a big jump in costs. Still too small to run a mulcher.
The trouble with tractors is they are like diggers- there no one tractor ‘made to measure’ for your work. I thought the Kubota would be that, but then I tried the alpine…
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Lee
Well-known member
The new tractor been flat out since getting picked up on Friday night. Picked the 6t digger up on Saturday am whilst no one else was in, very smooth, plenty of power and brakes on the road and longer wheelbase makes a huge difference to the comfort across a rough field. Very impressed with it. Lad who drives it loves it too so there’s a chance I’ll keep him 
On the flip side the sany 2.6 is terrible to operate, I should have stuck with my gut when if first tried it instead of being tempted by a cheap deal. Proper noddy, jerky on the sticks and the geometry of bucket, hitch and blade means cleaning up is impossible..the worst I’ve ever seen. I’ll have to change the ditcher to a swede style with a longer toe or something. The fan/control box is bolted in cab possibly as an afterthought so you struggle to use offset easily as you can’t cleanly lift foot without touching or catching on the box, Shame really as all could be ironed out with a bit of fine tuning and very little cash.
Little ones both going really well though, us and customers like using them and standing up to everyday use well, will buy more as needed.
On the flip side the sany 2.6 is terrible to operate, I should have stuck with my gut when if first tried it instead of being tempted by a cheap deal. Proper noddy, jerky on the sticks and the geometry of bucket, hitch and blade means cleaning up is impossible..the worst I’ve ever seen. I’ll have to change the ditcher to a swede style with a longer toe or something. The fan/control box is bolted in cab possibly as an afterthought so you struggle to use offset easily as you can’t cleanly lift foot without touching or catching on the box, Shame really as all could be ironed out with a bit of fine tuning and very little cash.
Little ones both going really well though, us and customers like using them and standing up to everyday use well, will buy more as needed.
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Lee
Well-known member
The old htd5 got very close to dying in the heat today apparently, so might have to take the wallet on Wednesday if jcb have decided they actually want to sell at least one electric htd in this country! Are there any other options ? Pretty sure jcb only manufacturer with battery powered at the minute.
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