New tractor

Billy Shafer · Jun 23, 2014

Customer of mine has a 574. Wants to get rid of it. But wife wants to keep it since it was her fathers.
Shape it is in.
Brakes work sorta.
Pump is out of injection pump. So it is gravity fed.
Lights work sometimes.
Most of the dash wiring burned out years ago. I have managed to repair enough to keep it running.
Hyd system is slow to respond. If it is cold,forget it.
Front tires lean and not always in the same direction.

I say junk it but wife is fighting me.

jgstrickland · Jun 23, 2014

If my wife said keep something that I know would make her happy regardless of cost to fix it up, then it opens many other doors for me.

LA in WI · Jun 23, 2014

Why are you "fighting" with a customer"s wife!!?

Stay out of it, and keep quiet about this.
LA in WI

Billy Shafer · Jun 23, 2014

I think fighting is a bad choice of words. She wants to stay on a budget. Which I can understand and I know the tractor means a lot to her. But with what they want to do. This tractor is not going to make it.I am more worried about the safyetie problems than anything else.

mkirsch · Jun 24, 2014

Make an itemized list of what is wrong with the tractor and how much it will cost to repair. Arrange the list such that the most important, safety-related repairs are first, and the least important cosmetic repairs are last. Present this to your customer, and allow them to make the decision of what to repair.

If you can't in good conscience make only the repairs they ask for because of safety concerns, then politely refuse to do the work.

The customer has an alternative: Keep the tractor but don't use it. Cost of repairs: $0.

Dblair · Jun 24, 2014

you'll pay forever if you get rid of it . I can't believe you don't get it .

Billy Shafer · Jun 24, 2014

Not my tractor.

Billy Shafer · Jun 24, 2014

I have tried telling her. But maybe a list will make
more of an impact on her. I have told her. Keep your
fathers tractor restore it some day. But at this
time you need a tractor that can work. Not break
down every week. Money is not the problem. I hate to
see people spend money when they don't have to.

Robert Major · Jun 24, 2014

Hi
I have just had 2 customer tractors in my shop. Both were older green units. Both needed money and probably more money spent again in a short time.
I priced the costs for today. Then voiced my concerns over the next things to go wrong, from my inspection of the rest of the machine.
Both guys have called it a day on the tractors.
if it's as bad as you say she can park it and keep it/ restore it one day if she wants. Then go straight cash for something newer and hopefully better, as it's worth scrap money in trade if guys will even bid and take it in .
Sounds like you might be in the same boat as me loosing a bit of work, but some days this old craps better not wasting your time in the shop on.
There is always something worth taking time to fix thats worth doing. And probably stays working for more than 2 weeks before it's back again with something else wrong.
Regards Robert

Billy Shafer · Jun 25, 2014

Thanks Robert. I am new to tractors. Spent my life working on generators and engines.Just trying to help people out with the things I can handle. But this thing is a wreck. I understand her wanting to keep it. But with the project they have going. They need one that can work.

Well just got a call. Tractor has fixed itself. Customer said he was lifting some fence post.When he heard a loud bang and now there is oil all over the ground.Guess I will run out and confirm the damage.

New tractor

Billy Shafer

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jgstrickland

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LA in WI

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Billy Shafer

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mkirsch

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Dblair

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Billy Shafer

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Billy Shafer

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Robert Major

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Billy Shafer

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