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Got the Contributing Memberships stuff finally worked out and made up a thread as a sort of "How-To" to help people figure out how to participate. So if you need help figuring it out, here's the thread you need to take a look at -> http://www.corvetteflorida.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3581 Thank you, everyone! Rich Z.
Well, I guess I have caught redneckitis....
- Thread starter Rich Z
- Start date
Heck, I think I am a little bit out of my mind even considering it. Yeah, sure would be neat to have a supercharged hemi SUV but is it REALLY worth in the neighborhood of $100K? :face_palm_02:
I could buy a heck of a lot of tractor implements with that money.
I could buy a heck of a lot of tractor implements with that money.
85vette
Active member
Yeah, well the old CTS V needs a bit of attention too, but getting this house in order is taking precedent. And honestly, it's getting hard to find some parts for the old girl now at 20 years old. I'm considering selling her.
A 20 year old car with production numbers of 2461 just doesn't maintain an inventory of parts for long I guess. :shrug01:
But I do love that rumble when I start her up. I have no idea what I would replace her with.
A 20 year old car with production numbers of 2461 just doesn't maintain an inventory of parts for long I guess. :shrug01:
But I do love that rumble when I start her up. I have no idea what I would replace her with.
Yeah, every now and again the thought crosses my mind to sell the 2002 C5Z. But I have so much invested in it in blood, sweat, dollars, and tears that I could never recoup that. Plus all it takes is for me to drive it and that erases any thoughts of selling it. I will NEVER have something like that again in my remaining lifetime.
Well got some good news about this. I happened to check my credit card account online last night and saw that Capital One had credited me the full amount I spent on that grapple from EA. I really was surprised by that, as I was pretty sure too much time had elapsed from placing the order to claiming a charge back. I sent the forms off on 02/02/2024 and since I hadn't heard a word back from them, just assumed they threw it in the trashcan. It is a relief to get some surprise good news every now and again.
85vette
Active member
I went to North Carolina this past weekend and got a Branson (Tym) 2610 4 wheel drive tractor with Bush Hog, Loader, Box Blade and Grapple. I checked with your guy at Lee Sales but they didn't have this model in stock and they wanted $3600 more for it plus what ever the shipping charges would be. Plus I got 0 down, 0% for 60 months too, so I think the trip was worth it.
Sounds like you got a good deal. :thumbsup:
Post some pics when you get a chance.
Just did the 50 hour fluid and filter maintenance on my tractor yesterday. Sure wish there was a way to put it up on my lift. Getting too old to be getting underneath stuff to work on it. Thankfully I bought a creeper a while back, so that did help. But my back is aching today from the odd angles I had to work at to break drain plugs loose. Those suckers were on pretty tight, as were the factory installed filters. Had to pull off the front wheels to get to the drain plugs for the front axle, too. No way I want to try to tackle those rear wheels. They look like they would be quite a bit heavier than I want to have to deal with.
Went with all synthetic fluids. Amsoil Severe Gear for the front end axle, Shell Rotella T6 for the engine, and Lucas Synthetic Universal for the hydraulic system. Bought the filter set from Lee Trailers.
85vette
Active member
Funny thing, I got a quote on this setup from Lee and was told they did not have one in stock but the price they quoted me was $3600 more than this one that I picked up in North Carolina. And the implements they were providing were all 48 inch, whereas the one I bought came with 5 foot implements! Plus they were going to tack on shipping and Florida sales tax. North Carolina doesn't charge sales tax if the tractor is "delivered" outside of the state. :dancer01:
After I brought this tractor home I advised Lee that I had indeed found one in stock in North Carolina and had bought it. I asked if the performed service on this tractor since they are the closest dealer to me and I never got a reply (email). The following week (last week) I sent another email stating, "I take this as a "NO"?"
No further communication.
After I brought this tractor home I advised Lee that I had indeed found one in stock in North Carolina and had bought it. I asked if the performed service on this tractor since they are the closest dealer to me and I never got a reply (email). The following week (last week) I sent another email stating, "I take this as a "NO"?"
No further communication.
They can be kind of slow with communications sometimes. I have an outstanding email to then about a land plane I purchased that doesn't seem to have a pin connection for my top link. Didn't hear anything back from them today about that. I included photos too, to show what I was referring to.
I believe that by being a TYM/Branson stocking dealer, they have a contractual obligation to do warranty service on the brands. Worse comes to worse, you could contact TYM corporate and ask them about it.
That being said, there is nothing to say that you would get priority service having purchased from another dealer. So that might be a consideration.
When I was considering having them do the 50 hour service for me, I was quoted a price of over $1100. Included in the price was a $90 charge for pickup and delivery of the tractor. When I purchased the tractor from them, Will told me specifically that he would pick up and deliver the tractor for me as he comes to Crawfordville quite often. Granted, he didn't specifically say it would be for free, but the implication was certainly there. I guess it is just a matter of the honeymoon period being over with.
Which is the reason why I decided to do that service myself, instead.
I believe that by being a TYM/Branson stocking dealer, they have a contractual obligation to do warranty service on the brands. Worse comes to worse, you could contact TYM corporate and ask them about it.
That being said, there is nothing to say that you would get priority service having purchased from another dealer. So that might be a consideration.
When I was considering having them do the 50 hour service for me, I was quoted a price of over $1100. Included in the price was a $90 charge for pickup and delivery of the tractor. When I purchased the tractor from them, Will told me specifically that he would pick up and deliver the tractor for me as he comes to Crawfordville quite often. Granted, he didn't specifically say it would be for free, but the implication was certainly there. I guess it is just a matter of the honeymoon period being over with.
Which is the reason why I decided to do that service myself, instead.
85vette
Active member
Yeah, I figured that since they didn't make any money from the sale they wouldn't be too happy with what they would make on any warranty repairs.
And thanks for answering the question of how much the service would be. Others have done it themselves and advised the cost of the fluids and filters was $300-$400. So about $700 for labor. You did it yourself, did that seem to be reasonable for your time?
I found a Tym Owners page on FaceBook. One guy in Arizona bought one from the same dealer in North Carolina that I did and had it delivered. He said he saved money over buying it from a dealer that was only 60 miles away from his house, even with the shipping!
So I got this package (T2610 with loader, 5 foot box blade, 5 foot bush hog, and 5 foot grapple) for $23K out the door. Two other customers were picking up tractors from him the morning we went up there.
He had a lot full of tractors, equipment and trailers. And he was definitely off the beaten path.
https://www.smithsenterprise.com/?g...lLHdHdSnNETtzHa09-5sza45rENhIeZBoCnlcQAvD_BwE
And thanks for answering the question of how much the service would be. Others have done it themselves and advised the cost of the fluids and filters was $300-$400. So about $700 for labor. You did it yourself, did that seem to be reasonable for your time?
I found a Tym Owners page on FaceBook. One guy in Arizona bought one from the same dealer in North Carolina that I did and had it delivered. He said he saved money over buying it from a dealer that was only 60 miles away from his house, even with the shipping!
So I got this package (T2610 with loader, 5 foot box blade, 5 foot bush hog, and 5 foot grapple) for $23K out the door. Two other customers were picking up tractors from him the morning we went up there.
He had a lot full of tractors, equipment and trailers. And he was definitely off the beaten path.
https://www.smithsenterprise.com/?g...lLHdHdSnNETtzHa09-5sza45rENhIeZBoCnlcQAvD_BwE
Well, for me doing my own 50hr service, these were the costs involved:
Filters - $272.00
Amsoil Severe Gear Oil - $118.00
Shell Rotella T6 - $60
Lucas Synthetic Universal - $226.00
So all total that came to $676.00 for filters and fluids.
Now I did get a new air filter, fuel filter element, and fuel/water separator filter that I didn't need to replace at this time. And certainly I paid top dollar on the fluids as I went with all synthetics whereas I am sure Lee Trailer uses regular dino fluids, plus they buy them in bulk. I will say that since putting the synthetics in the tractor, everything seems a lot quieter, especially the hydraulics, which used to squeal quite a bit. And the front end loader seems a lot more responsive to the touch.
The only thing I see that would be a real pain is that hydraulic strainer/filter. I could barely pull it out just to clean part of it, but to replace the thing, well, it looks like I would have to take off the driver's side rear wheel AND a sizeable part of the frame that would block that endeavor. Fortunately it didn't need to be replaced for the 50hr service, but when it comes time to replace it, unless I can find a trick for doing it easily myself, I may have Lee Trailer do that for me. I would imagine those rear wheels are quite heavy, and likely more than I want to be handling.
Other than that, it was kind of an all day job, which would probably go quicker the second time around. Is it worth saving a few hundred bucks? Well, figure into the expense of doing yourself that you will likely ruin whatever clothes you are wearing from being soaked with one oil or another. Then you have cleanup, and disposal of the old fluids. I dunno. Probably a toss up. Being retired, I have the time to spare, but if you are working your job, it might mean giving up a weekend to do it. How much is that worth to you? :shrug01:
Filters - $272.00
Amsoil Severe Gear Oil - $118.00
Shell Rotella T6 - $60
Lucas Synthetic Universal - $226.00
So all total that came to $676.00 for filters and fluids.
Now I did get a new air filter, fuel filter element, and fuel/water separator filter that I didn't need to replace at this time. And certainly I paid top dollar on the fluids as I went with all synthetics whereas I am sure Lee Trailer uses regular dino fluids, plus they buy them in bulk. I will say that since putting the synthetics in the tractor, everything seems a lot quieter, especially the hydraulics, which used to squeal quite a bit. And the front end loader seems a lot more responsive to the touch.
The only thing I see that would be a real pain is that hydraulic strainer/filter. I could barely pull it out just to clean part of it, but to replace the thing, well, it looks like I would have to take off the driver's side rear wheel AND a sizeable part of the frame that would block that endeavor. Fortunately it didn't need to be replaced for the 50hr service, but when it comes time to replace it, unless I can find a trick for doing it easily myself, I may have Lee Trailer do that for me. I would imagine those rear wheels are quite heavy, and likely more than I want to be handling.
Other than that, it was kind of an all day job, which would probably go quicker the second time around. Is it worth saving a few hundred bucks? Well, figure into the expense of doing yourself that you will likely ruin whatever clothes you are wearing from being soaked with one oil or another. Then you have cleanup, and disposal of the old fluids. I dunno. Probably a toss up. Being retired, I have the time to spare, but if you are working your job, it might mean giving up a weekend to do it. How much is that worth to you? :shrug01:
85vette
Active member
So. Since Lee Trailer Sales will not respond to the two emails I sent I can only presume they don't wish to perform service on tractors that they didn't sell.
During my times working in the service department of Ford and Chevrolet dealers I found this to be the norm. Warranty repairs only pay a predetermined amount to the dealers so they much prefer to get the customer pay jobs where they can fudge on the flat rate hours as most people have no access to the labor rate guides. So they used the excuse that," You didn't buy it here so we don't want to do warranty repairs on it". They couldn't really refuse to do it but they implied that they didn't want to. And with that attitude would you really trust them to work on your car? Although I wasn't asking about any warranty repairs so I was a bit surprised. I guess they were just miffed that I inquired about a certain model that they didn't have in stock and when they told me this I bought one elsewhere instead of paying the price they quoted.
So I looked up Tym/Branson dealers close to me here in Georgia and found one in Wicksburg, Alabama. Dixie Horse and Mule Company. At 60 miles away, it's actually a bit closer to me than the Tallahassee dealer.
I sent an email Saturday evening inquiring about the possibility of getting the 50 hour service done there, even though I had made my purchase elsewhere, and I got a reply from Marcus Grimes this morning. Marcus said they would be glad to do the required service for $400 or they could sell me the filter pack for $200 if I wanted to do it myself. This sounds like a bargain to me.
During my times working in the service department of Ford and Chevrolet dealers I found this to be the norm. Warranty repairs only pay a predetermined amount to the dealers so they much prefer to get the customer pay jobs where they can fudge on the flat rate hours as most people have no access to the labor rate guides. So they used the excuse that," You didn't buy it here so we don't want to do warranty repairs on it". They couldn't really refuse to do it but they implied that they didn't want to. And with that attitude would you really trust them to work on your car? Although I wasn't asking about any warranty repairs so I was a bit surprised. I guess they were just miffed that I inquired about a certain model that they didn't have in stock and when they told me this I bought one elsewhere instead of paying the price they quoted.
So I looked up Tym/Branson dealers close to me here in Georgia and found one in Wicksburg, Alabama. Dixie Horse and Mule Company. At 60 miles away, it's actually a bit closer to me than the Tallahassee dealer.
I sent an email Saturday evening inquiring about the possibility of getting the 50 hour service done there, even though I had made my purchase elsewhere, and I got a reply from Marcus Grimes this morning. Marcus said they would be glad to do the required service for $400 or they could sell me the filter pack for $200 if I wanted to do it myself. This sounds like a bargain to me.
Damn!! You might want to verify that the $400 includes the new fluids too. Sounds awfully cheap to me, but if you can snag it at that price, heck, DO IT!
I think you would have better luck talking to Lee Trailers via phone. I often have to send them emails several times before I get a response. I think not as many people rely on emails any longer.
Oh yeah, the other day I was carrying some brush in the grapple from around the side of the house, and it was a tight squeeze near the old mouse building. So I was trying to swivel my head around like crazy to make sure the wheels cleared and the grapple cleared. Didn't think about the flail mower sticking out further on the driver's side than the wheel did. Banged up the flail mower drive belt guard pretty badly. It is pretty heavy metal so it will be a real bugger to straighten out. Probably be buying a new one. :face_palm_02:
I think you would have better luck talking to Lee Trailers via phone. I often have to send them emails several times before I get a response. I think not as many people rely on emails any longer.
Oh yeah, the other day I was carrying some brush in the grapple from around the side of the house, and it was a tight squeeze near the old mouse building. So I was trying to swivel my head around like crazy to make sure the wheels cleared and the grapple cleared. Didn't think about the flail mower sticking out further on the driver's side than the wheel did. Banged up the flail mower drive belt guard pretty badly. It is pretty heavy metal so it will be a real bugger to straighten out. Probably be buying a new one. :face_palm_02:
Attachments
Ouch! At least it still works, right?
Yeah, I'll let you know about that service when it comes due.
I don't want to use it with the belts and pulleys open to all the dust it makes and the debris it kicks up. Could cause even more issues. Will at Lee Trailers said it will only be around $100 for a replacement, so I just ordered one. Might be able to straighten it, but might be more work than it is worth trying.