Precision Elite 4450

[Hotflashjr]

I saved up for a few months to get one of the 2 wheel drive 4450 Elite series with the lights/sounds. I just had to have it. Worst precision I have bought yet in terms of quality. One of the duals looks like it is "flat" and off the rim, paint chips on the thing everywhere, glue marks where some of the LED lights mount, and the steering is so flimsy. The front wheels have so much caster and toe-in it looks cartoonish. Called my dealer back, they said they have all been coming in like that. Anyone else buy one and have it arrive looking like its been played with already?

 

[cumminspuller]

I haven't bought any of the new precisions since the classic and series 2 came out. Its just not the same with the new models. Since ERTL company has been sold so many times the quaility has went to crap on a lot of the toys I think. I'll be sure and look at one close if I do buy any new models though after hearing this for sure.

 

[thesmoothedeere]

You gotta get it in the sandbox ,thatll knock that glue right off ... isnt evrything made in china ?

 

[Hotflashjr]

Yup, made in China on the box and stamped under the cab. Darn it I have been had. Just checked my 4960 that is falling apart; yup made in China. I wonder if I can get my wife to agree to sticking with real made in USA antique tractors instead the toys now.....

 

[MFPoor]

I've got one of the "chaser" 4450 MFWD's and one of the 2wd's. Both have no issues, and are amongst the highest quality Precisions I've seen to date. They both came from first production run.

 

[The Dukester]

Seems to me the answer is that we've just got to stop buying this Chinese made junk...at least in the high priced precision type models. If the sandbox stuff has to be made there, so be it but not our nice models meant for showing ond occasional careful playing on the carpet by us grown up boys. I just get sick when I see the decent computer spotted detail messed up by glowing assembly errors and misfit parts. Make Etrl and Spec Cast bring their toy making back home....refuse to buy the foreign made crap.....in everything we really pay a lot for!

 

[Hotflashjr]

Very true. My wife made me "save up" to get this. I mow a couple lawns and a few pastures with my MT for extra cash. Took me 3 months to get up the cash to buy this and I was quite disappointed when it showed up like this. I felt like I was a kid again saving for a bike and it came with a flat tire. I was going to try and get the MFWD next but I think I am going to skip that one and instead work on getting some of the older coin series I don't have yet.

We call it CCC at our house, Cheap China Crap and we are trying to buy less of it... and that is a challenge.

 

[MFPoor]

From a very reliable "insider" @ Ertl, if the Precision line was tooled, cast, and assembled in US with current wage and production cost, you would have paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $600 to $700 (MSRP) for that 2wd 4450.

Pick your poison.