Custom combining help question

[sirhc]

One friend of mine ask another friend to run a combine for him at harvest they have 3 combine only two operators.As soon as friend 1 started running the combine it had a major breakdown if he was in the cab for a half hour it was alot now friend 2 want him to pay for the repairs. I say no he was hired to run the combine it is not his fault it brokedown One other thing the combine has over 3000 hours on it. What do you all think.
 

[DeltaRed]

Your friend was hired to operate a combine,and an
old one at that.Old machines(especially combines) break down!It is not his
obligation/responsibility to repair his employer's
machine.Your friend did his neighbor a favor,look what it has
gotten him.(and I'm all for helping people)Your
friend should 'bail'/run.
 

[mudcreek183]

I agree with DeltaRed the man was helping him then he want him to pay for the repairs what a joke if you work in a factory and the equipment go down you don't pay for fixing it.We have the almost the same problem here with BTO and custom cutter want to be when he cuts for someone everytime he has a break down it is the person he is cutting for fault then he wonders why nobody want him to do anything for them.A couple of weeks ago he mired his combine up to the frame when we went over to help pull him out he acted like it was everybodies fault that came over to get him out my daughter didn't even drop a chain off the 4 wheel drive she just turned around and came home like everyone else.
 

[mike2366]

Need more information, is your friend an experienced operator? Was he operating the combine properly? What was the nature of the break? What was the condition of the combine your friend was operating? 3000 hrs means very little if the machine is properly maintained.

I'm not trying to stir anything up here, just need more information before I could decide.....
 

[fixerupper]

On the wheat harvest if the combine drivers were required to pay for the repairs there would be very few custom operators and a lot of unharvested wheat standing out there.
 

[Dalet]

Did the combine operator run a fence line into the machine? If it was operator error, and my machine, I still wouldn't make the employee pay. Its my fault for hiring the operator.
 

[sirhc]

To answer the questions that were ask the combine was well taken care of until this boy got his hands on it last year it is a JD 9450 the first owner never let it stay out in the weather anything that needed repair was done at once oil was changed every 50 hours after he passed away the deal went through the machine from front to back before it was sold not one thing was wrong when it was taken in to the dealer on Friday I heard they said poor maintance was the cause of the breakdown. As for the operator he was doing it for nothing as a favor to the boy father he is semi retired and had been running a combine before this boy was born. I talked to him yesterday he said it would be a cold day in h*** before he pays for the repair or helps him again the rumor is the other cutter quit the same day and he can't get any help now.
 

[dboll]

Sounds like somebody's trying to get something for nothing, I'd tell him to get stuffed and go home. He can get over it or be mad for along time, I don't need friends like that.