Good News On The 54" Deck Dilemma

3147 Views 24 Replies 14 Participants Last post by ranchkingron, Sep 14, 2010

FD611V

Discussion Starter · Sep 8, 2010

I thought it would be of interest to all to start a new thread on the problems with the V-belt breaking. There is good news...Well! it appears there will be some come Monday, Sept. 13th... 13th might be lucky after all.

Decided against cutting the spindle bracket welds on the 54" deck. Instead, I printed all the pictures you have seen on the two other threads regarding this matter of PTO/Deck belt heating up and separating. Not only did I had the pictures, I loaded the deck into the back of the Tahoe, and off I went to the dealer. I backed the Tahoe right up to the door in the show room...Good thinking on my part, just in case there are several potential customers wanted to buy a JD lawn/garden tractors. Unloaded the deck right next to the door. One of the salesmen ever open the door for me, only to realize this wasn't any social call.

In the store I go and right to the owner's office. Mr. O'....... eyes open real wide when he saw who it was. With my right hand, I motion him to the door where by now several people was standing...thinking what was this about, and what is going to happen next. I showed him the pictures and explain the bracket had been welded on the deck wrong, causing me to pay his business over $530.00 for belt replacements the past 11 years.

To the point, here's what taken place within a 5 minute period. Mr. O'M......
went into his office and made a phone call. His phone conversation lasted about 10 minutes, and when he hanged up the phone, he said the factory is sending a person down and would be here Monday, 13th.

The sales manager sort whispered, you will get a new deck, as we have replaced several that had the bracket welded on wrong.

So, there may comfort here after all.

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1 - 20 of 25 Posts

ranchkingron

· #2 · Sep 8, 2010

Funny how it took them 11 years to figure out there is a problem !

I bet there is a silent recall on those decks, the question now is how will they compensate you for all the money needlessly spent on belts and aggravation ?

But I'm happy that they at least acknowledge theres a problem.

Brett-JDX748

· #3 · Sep 8, 2010

I think you should get a new deck and also reimburse for all the belts!

(I'm a ball breaker!)

Engine_Tech

· #4 · Sep 8, 2010

ranchkingron said:
Funny how it took them 11 years to figure out there is a problem !

I bet there is a silent recall on those decks, the question now is how will they compensate you for all the money needlessly spent on belts and aggravation ?

But I'm happy that they at least acknowledge theres a problem.

I'm a JD fanboy for sure, but comments like this really tick me off. I know JD is the 800lb gorilla in the room and an easy target , but as I said in the original post I have never seen JD sweep something under the rug or ignore a legitimate issue. In every instance where a problem has been found, I've seen JD step up to the plate and make it right. JD didn't get where they are by mistreating customers, much to the chagrin of competitors.

In this instance, the OP was INCREDIBLY patient. For most customers, this would have been found well inside warranty and handled. Which is what warranty is for - defects in materials or workmanship.

I'm extremely happy this going to be taken care of! Keep us updated!

PA318Guy

· #5 · Sep 8, 2010

Glad to hear that you took the problem to the dealer and he took the appropriate action! Having an audience on the showroom floor was a good idea! I'd be curious if John Deere would issue a recall on decks. Any JD dealers out there reading this?

Brett-JDX748

· #6 · Sep 9, 2010

EngineTech,

I agree Deere has always taken care of me.. I had an issue with the Rock Shaft on my 3320 not lifting the Backhoe high enough to insert the mounting pins. They left a yungin work on it at the Dealership, and rather than adjust the rock shaft (the answer I got was "that's too much work" the kid enlarged the holes in the Backhoe frame mounts with a die grinder.. Well you know what that did, every time I would have used the backhoe it would have put massive shock loads on the sloppy pin holes, till it sheared the pins.

I got the owner and I said "Is this the kind of work you want done on your 30K automobile?" He disciplined the kid and ate the cost of all new backhoe mounting brackets ($900 if memory serves me) plus I got a lengthy apology!

ranchkingron

· #7 · Sep 9, 2010

Engine_Tech said:
I'm a JD fanboy for sure, but comments like this really tick me off. I know JD is the 800lb gorilla in the room and an easy target , but as I said in the original post I have never seen JD sweep something under the rug or ignore a legitimate issue. In every instance where a problem has been found, I've seen JD step up to the plate and make it right. JD didn't get where they are by mistreating customers, much to the chagrin of competitors.

In this instance, the OP was INCREDIBLY patient. For most customers, this would have been found well inside warranty and handled. Which is what warranty is for - defects in materials or workmanship.

I'm extremely happy this going to be taken care of! Keep us updated!

I case you haven't read the other threads while it was still in warranty it was looked at by a dealer and FD611V was told there was nothing wrong with the deck !

Now you can say well thats not JD's fault but I disagree the have training for mechanics that work on their products do they not ?

I agree sometimes things happen but when it get's by the assembler, quality control and then the dealer ? at some point you have to ask has JD's quality gone down hill.

Oh and the dealer whispering instead of coming right out and saying it's bad and JD will will make it right causes me to ask why keep it on the down low ?

As long as like has been said they do the right thing and fix the problem and reimburse him for the belts and trouble the thats all that matters.

andyb

· #8 · Sep 9, 2010

ranchkingron said:
Funny how it took them 11 years to figure out there is a problem !

I bet there is a silent recall on those decks, the question now is how will they compensate you for all the money needlessly spent on belts and aggravation ?

But I'm happy that they at least acknowledge theres a problem.

How many other companies would do something after 11 years? I'm glad they took care of it.

pigsitter

· #9 · Sep 9, 2010

I'm glad you're finally getting your problem resolved but I find it odd that after all the trouble you've had that the sales manager confided in you that they had replaced several decks already! Seems to me that they would have brought this solution up already instead of continually selling you new belts in my eyes the dealer dropped the ball on this one. I'm with Brett I'd try and recoup some of my belt money as well as getting a replacement deck you deserve it.

Hats off to Deere for following up on this so quickly now that they are aware of it!:thThumbsU

ranchkingron

· #10 · Sep 9, 2010

andyb said:
How many other companies would do something after 11 years? I'm glad they took care of it.

It wouldn't even be an issue now had they caught the problem 10 years ago.

But as far as are they going to fix it we shall see on Monday, if they do then thats what you call customer service.

Btw allot of companies fix many products for free many years after the warranty is up but it's referred to as a recall.

Dave Shaver

· #11 · Sep 9, 2010

FD611V,

Personally, I think the dealer and John Deere owe you more than belt money and a deck. I really think YOU need to talk to the JD rep and explain how the dealer brushed you off and took your money for 11 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You guys that drink the JD koolaid can call it a simple recall but I call it **** poor customer service,period.

There, now I feel better...........:1106:
dave

FD611V

Discussion Starter · #12 · Sep 9, 2010

pigsitter said:
I'm glad you're finally getting your problem resolved but I find it odd that after all the trouble you've had that the sales manager confided in you that they had replaced several decks already! Seems to me that they would have brought this solution up already instead of continually selling you new belts in my eyes the dealer dropped the ball on this one. I'm with Brett I'd try and recoup some of my belt money as well as getting a replacement deck you deserve it.

Hats off to Deere for following up on this so quickly now that they are aware of it!:thThumbsU

When I bought the 345 in 1999, the sales manager was fairly close to retirement age. He was still around in 2001, and maybe later when I would be at the dealership. In 2006 there was new sales manager, and I don't remember ever approaching him about the belt situation, as I always taken the matter up with the owner, which he gave so many excuses on why I was eating V-belts. In fact, the person..sales manager today was the first time I had seen him. I'm sure he wasn't aware of my problem.

Some day on this forum, I will write the many excuses I have been told that causes mower deck belts to separate/break. I will make an effort to remember them and post here.

andyb

· #13 · Sep 9, 2010

ranchkingron said:
It wouldn't even be an issue now had they caught the problem 10 years ago.

But as far as are they going to fix it we shall see on Monday, if they do then thats what you call customer service.

Btw allot of companies fix many products for free many years after the warranty is up but it's referred to as a recall.

I agree with you there, this seems more like a dealer problem than a Deere problem.

Dave Shaver

· #14 · Sep 9, 2010

Take your list of excuses given to the JD rep or regional manager. Oh yeah, mention that we are ALL watching here to see how they handle this. They probably won't give a crap but it will make me feel better....
dave

VALurker

· #15 · Sep 9, 2010

ranchkingron said:
I case you haven't read the other threads while it was still in warranty it was looked at by a dealer and FD611V was told there was nothing wrong with the deck !

Now you can say well thats not JD's fault but I disagree the have training for mechanics that work on their products do they not ?

I agree sometimes things happen but when it get's by the assembler, quality control and then the dealer ? at some point you have to ask has JD's quality gone down hill.

Oh and the dealer whispering instead of coming right out and saying it's bad and JD will will make it right causes me to ask why keep it on the down low ?

As long as like has been said they do the right thing and fix the problem and reimburse him for the belts and trouble the thats all that matters.

Ranch, I agree with most of what you said, but only as far as the dealer's level. I would more than agree that the dealer did not go far enough to investigate the problem and, perhaps, there is a training issue for the mechanic (whether that is JD's corporate problem or the local dealer's problem, I do not know, it would depend on who is responsible for the training).

However, I am not sure that there is a systemic problem with JD's quality control as far as these decks go. There may have been, in fact, a bad "batch" (how large the "batch" was, we don't know) but there does not appear to be a large number of owners who own these defective decks or we would have heard of them long before now since I highly doubt that a large number of folks would not have complained rather than silently passing on the problem to new owners (i.e. selling their tractors and getting something else), especially in the age of the internet. Therefore, I would agree with the others that JD corporate, while not blameless, is not really the bad guy here. Certainly they had some bad decks get through, but I have not seen any evidence to suggest that they covered up a problem that should be handled with a recall.

Fortunately, yet, unfortunately, for JD, their face are their dealers. Not know much about how JD works, I assume it is similar to car dealerships in that they are independently owned. Therefore, if you have a good dealer who is willing to take your complaints seriously and is willing to go the extra mile to help make/keep you a satisfied customer, people will think JD is a great company, on the otherhand, dealers like FD ran into give JD a black eye.

BTW, I am no fanboy, I own a Craftsman LT that is currently working OK, thanks to band-aiding, but at one point I was about to roll it into the local river and I was originally considering a CC 3200 series to replace it with, but after reading, here on MTF, about some problems that seemed prevalent with them, I drifted to JD. If, by the time I am ready to replace my LT with a new tractor JD's QC has gone downhill then I will consider some other brand, but for now, my next tractor will be a JD.

Paul

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VALurker

· #16 · Sep 9, 2010

Dave Shaver said:
FD611V,

Personally, I think the dealer and John Deere owe you more than belt money and a deck. I really think YOU need to talk to the JD rep and explain how the dealer brushed you off and took your money for 11 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You guys that drink the JD koolaid can call it a simple recall but I call it **** poor customer service,period.

There, now I feel better...........:1106:
dave

Dave,

I agree, but its mainly a dealer issue, IMHO.

I don't own a deere, yet, so I haven't drank the kool-aid. :fing32:

Paul

Dave Shaver

· #17 · Sep 9, 2010

If there was a bad batch all JD had to do was send a letter to all that purchased 54" decks and tell them what had happened and if they are using belts at an unacceptable rate to contact their dealer about it.

andythedrew

· #18 · Sep 9, 2010

Glad to hear the good news! Hope they make it right for you.

HydroHarold

· #19 · Sep 9, 2010

Personally, I think the dealer and John Deere owe you more than belt money and a deck. I really think YOU need to talk to the JD rep and explain how the dealer brushed you off and took your money for 11 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with Dave, and if I'm not mistaken.... the money and time spent on those belts and blood pressure pills ought to add up to a brand new SE suspension seat... IN-STALLED! At least that's where I'd be headed before the word processor/Email/phoning to JD Honchoville started. This "factory error" was off the scale in my book.

chvymn99

· #20 · Sep 9, 2010

Now aren't you glad you got to vent. It aint always bad to bounce a few dice around and see where they land. Sorry it took so long to get it figured out, but at least a solution is within view hopefully.

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