Parts guy blues

[Mobuck]

I guess the days of walking into a dealership and buying p[arts has gone the way of the DoDo bird. Sent Grouch Attack to the nearest JD dealer with a pair of SVC outlets that were stuck(tractor left sitting 3 years) and needing disassembly and cleaning/repair. Hour later, phone buzzes: Hey, these aren't a serviceable part. Cost of parts and shop time are more than new replacement. Reluctantly, OK purchase of new replacements(afraid to ask cost). Hour later part shows up (they only had ONE) and is wrong connecting threads. Call JD parts and explain the problem. Oh yeah, that's a different part but we'll have to order replacements.
Now, this would be easier to understand if the dysfunctional part had not been right in front of them for a side by side comparison. Threads and sealing o-ring location are distinctly different and should have been easily noticed.

 

[wore out]

I guess the days of walking into a dealership and buying p[arts has gone the way of the DoDo bird. Sent Grouch Attack to the nearest JD dealer with a pair of SVC outlets that were stuck(tractor left sitting 3 years) and needing disassembly and cleaning/repair. Hour later, phone buzzes: Hey, these aren't a serviceable part. Cost of parts and shop time are more than new replacement. Reluctantly, OK purchase of new replacements(afraid to ask cost). Hour later part shows up (they only had ONE) and is wrong connecting threads. Call JD parts and explain the problem. Oh yeah, that's a different part but we'll have to order replacements.
Now, this would be easier to understand if the dysfunctional part had not been right in front of them for a side by side comparison. Threads and sealing o-ring location are distinctly different and should have been easily noticed.

What tractor are you working with?

You post here, proving you are "internet savvy", you need to sign up for jdparts online, then you can look up the parts yourself, better have the serial number at hand as well.

 

[Mobuck]

I'm still working on the 5105 project tractor.
As far as looking up part numbers: I do that when I have time. In this case, shop manager at the dealership said she'd pull a tech off baler tune up to work on the couplers if I had them there in an hour.

 

[rrlund]

Do you know how lucky you are that it took this long for that attitude and poor service to arrive at your local super store? I was talking about how bad it had gotten here 20 years ago. I was accused of being every negative term folks could come up with because I was complaining about something that denigrated the name of Deere. I think everybody has experienced it by now and understands that there's a difference between the product and the service, or lack of it.

 

[Hay maker2]

You can buy a parts book; you can get on the internet and look the part numbers up. Don't blame the guy behind the counter when you have every opportunity to look the numbers up. In the amount of time that it took for you to write this thread you could have looked the part numbers up and been done.

 

[Mobuck]

Well, aren't you the snarky one.
The 'guy behind the counter' had the original part IN HIS HAND. How is it my fault that he couldn't figure it out? Which of these is not like the other?

 

[Hay maker2]

Well, aren't you the snarky one.
The 'guy behind the counter' had the original part IN HIS HAND. How is it my fault that he couldn't figure it out? Which of these is not like the other?

Snarky, no. Honest, yes. I believe in taking ownership as YOU also had the parts in YOUR HANDS and every opportunity to verify which updated part number(s) that you may have needed. See pic below of the options. It took a total of 39 seconds verify the part numbers and shows the various options.

 

[Mobuck]

Not buying it. JD parts guy is paid to do this. And BTW, none of those part numbers are actually on the parts.
Yes, had I taken the old parts to the dealership, I would have compared them at the counter.

 

[Fixingfarmer]

IF you are lucky enough to have a part number on the coupler as it sounds like there might be the case it’s game over type it into the previously mentioned website search bar and make sure it looks right boom done no searching order that part…

it is a risk having anyone order your part even the best parts man.

I remember my favorite one ever could fine anything in the world if I had struggled for awhile accidentally missed a number and ordered 3 massive frames off an excavator instead of 3 little hydraulic couplers. Verification up the chain missed that one they were 13000 a piece instead of 130 bucks. Poor guy heard about those frames for a decade luckily Caterpillar took them back all they had to worry about was shipping since they were so large they came by special freight

 

[NY 986]

Parts people have been hired for the paycheck that they are willing to work for. Not for their unique knowledge on any one subject. The person that might know how to approach the problem and walk to the correct bin blindfolded most likely is working in another career where they can get paid for their talents. For any industry it is a race to the bottom in terms of getting people who will work for the smallest paycheck. Been going on before a lot of us were born. Making parts schematics available online and before that paper parts books is an admission that the stores are not perfect regardless of the brand. It also allows would be buyers the opportunity to blow off steam and be reminded in privacy that things such as serial number do matter. It is not just the JD dealerships that have problems but all brands. I can go to the CIH dealer and a 1960's machine only exists on a computer to their parts people. They have never seen nor worked on nearly all products offered 60 years ago. Couple that with a customer that has a poor idea of what their machine looks like up close is the blind leading the blind. If you want to beef about the people on the other side of the counter (or lack of) then lets talk about general retail where you are forced to do your own scanning and bagging while the prices of the goods have remained the same or have gone up.

 

[rrlund]

Snarky, no. Honest, yes. I believe in taking ownership as YOU also had the parts in YOUR HANDS and every opportunity to verify which updated part number(s) that you may have needed. See pic below of the options. It took a total of 39 seconds verify the part numbers and shows the various options.

View attachment 110442

I'm not going to repeat the whole story again, but on the advice of jdmaris right here on this site. when I needed a sleeve for my 1020, I took the part number, tractor serial number, engine serial number, the old sleeve and a description of the difference between the three choices of sleeve for that tractor, and when it came the next day, it was the wrong one. I can tell you with certainty, some of these minimum wage dullards look at the computer and order the first one that comes without looking at ANY detail, including the part number that you gave them. It's just a FACT.

 

[Tx Jim]

Way back in the mid 1960's when I was first employed at local JD dealership standing in parts department I was instructed by dealership owner to ""always read part number foot notes & part # substitutions before ordering any parts"".

I can understand with so many different tractor model #s & part # substitutions that standing behind a parts counter ordering/selling parts wouldn't be very easy task.

From viewing PC 2767 it appears more info is needed to choose between 40A/40B which sub to part # SJ11129 while 40C subs to RE255758

 

[rrlund]

Way back in the mid 1960's when I was first employed at local JD dealership standing in parts department I was instructed by dealership owner to ""always read part number foot notes & part # substitutions before ordering any parts"".

I can understand with so many different tractor model #s & part # substitutions that standing behind a parts counter ordering/selling parts wouldn't be very easy task.

From viewing PC 2767 it appears more info is needed to choose between 40A/40B which sub to part # SJ11129 while 40C subs to RE255758

I got in to that two days ago. Not a Deere, but I called the AGCO dealer needing a pair of sprockets for a New Idea spreader. I didn't recognize the young voice on the phone, but that dealer has always hired some good people, so I had my fingers crossed. I had the numbers, xxx816 nd 817. He said he could get the 816, but the 817 was discontinued. I know I must have audibly groaned, but I asked him if he could check the system and see if any other dealers had one on the shelf. He said hang on, is there a bearing in the center of it? I said ya, a brass bushings. It goes in a slip clutch. He said OK, that's been subbed to an 818, has the bearing in it. I can get it. It's such a relief when somebody is good enough to keep digging and find these things.

That's something you have to be a little careful of if you're looking up parts yourself using an old paper parts book. If the book was printed before your tractor was made, some of these parts were changed and updated. If you don't have a new enough book or a sub sheet, it's real easy to be looking for the wrong part. Been there done that more than once.

 

[NY 986]

I got in to that two days ago. Not a Deere, but I called the AGCO dealer needing a pair of sprockets for a New Idea spreader. I didn't recognize the young voice on the phone, but that dealer has always hired some good people, so I had my fingers crossed. I had the numbers, xxx816 nd 817. He said he could get the 816, but the 817 was discontinued. I know I must have audibly groaned, but I asked him if he could check the system and see if any other dealers had one on the shelf. He said hang on, is there a bearing in the center of it? I said ya, a brass bushings. It goes in a slip clutch. He said OK, that's been subbed to an 818, has the bearing in it. I can get it. It's such a relief when somebody is good enough to keep digging and find these things.

That's something you have to be a little careful of if you're looking up parts yourself using an old paper parts book. If the book was printed before your tractor was made, some of these parts were changed and updated. If you don't have a new enough book or a sub sheet, it's real easy to be looking for the wrong part. Been there done that more than once.

Most places have people capable of detecting that a given part number may substitute to a new number along with recommending associated parts so a repair job can be completed.

 

[rrlund]

Most places have people capable of detecting that a given part number may substitute to a new number along with recommending associated parts so a repair job can be completed.

They all do if they'll take some of their precious time to do it. Every dealer has a good parts guy or two, but apparently store managers are desperate and will keep on tolerating the ones who aren't.

 

[NY 986]

They all do if they'll take some of their precious time to do it. Every dealer has a good parts guy or two, but apparently store managers are desperate and will keep on tolerating the ones who aren't.

Good parts people cost more than what nearly all dealers are willing to pay. I've heard the story over and over again over the decades from guys who used to work parts but now work for a township or a machine shop or some other type of business because the take home pay per period is greater. So at that point what you mostly see at the dealerships are warm bodies.

 

[wore out]

Good parts people cost more than what nearly all dealers are willing to pay. I've heard the story over and over again over the decades from guys who used to work parts but now work for a township or a machine shop or some other type of business because the take home pay per period is greater. So at that point what you mostly see at the dealerships are warm bodies.

And, can you imaging wading through the parts catalog for a modern 4X4 tractor or combine or cotton harvester having never driven one, worked on one, or probably even walked up close to one and having to find some obscure part you've probably never heard the name of before, and on the contrary a guy walks in for parts for an OLD tractor you've never driven, worked on or even seen in person, QUITE a contrast there!

 

[Mcrafty1]

Just curious, does anyone know if Deere or any other of the various brands of equipment parts departments offer discounts if we do our own parts lookups/ordering? Or is it expected of the purchaser to do that work for nothing?

 

[Mobuck]

^^^Good point but I seriously doubt it happens that way.
I've walked in with a part number from the diagrams and parts guy starts from scratch looking it up himself.

 

[Jim.ME]

Just curious, does anyone know if Deere or any other of the various brands of equipment parts departments offer discounts if we do our own parts lookups/ordering? Or is it expected of the purchaser to do that work for nothing?

Never heard of a discount for looking up your own parts. It is not expected the purchaser do that work. Looking up the parts yourself is an option you can do to possibly increase your odds of getting the right parts, if you don't trust the parts person.

If the dealer's person double checks your numbers, or looks it up, there can be an easier return discussion of something is wrong, than if you say here is the list I want, period. I don't mind them checking when I give them a list, it is easier to review discrepancies before ordering than after waiting for the parts to arrive, if they are not in stock, to find out something is wrong.