Semi burned out JD5725

[workshopman]

Quick question.

Scrap it or restore it?

Last night during a thunder storm it caught fire, the operator station is gone, no glass, seat or anything else for that matter and it looks like the left side took the most damage. but the rest of the tractor seems to be fine, not sure if we should scrap it or restore it. I personally think we should scrap it but management is not so keen on the idea, and I can understand why. any thoughts on the subject.

 

[Tx Jim]

Many years ago while serving as a JD dealer service manager I supervised rebuilding a JD 4020 that neighbor had borrowed & neighbors son while raising a rd bale with frt end loader dropped bale on tractor muffler. Tractor operator got off tractor leaving engine operating. Long story, short story after overhauling engine, repairing hyd leaks & returning tractor to owner I thought I'd never get all the hyd leaks to stop leaking. I would not accept another fire rebuild. Newer tractors have a lot more electronic control devices than older models.

 

[Scott 730]

Quick question.

Scrap it or restore it?

Last night during a thunder storm it caught fire, the operator station is gone, no glass, seat or anything else for that matter and it looks like the left side took the most damage. but the rest of the tractor seems to be fine, not sure if we should scrap it or restore it. I personally think we should scrap it but management is not so keen on the idea, and I can understand why. any thoughts on the subject.

Need pictures to make an honest assessment...............

 

[DoubleO7]

Quick question.

Scrap it or restore it?

Last night during a thunder storm it caught fire, the operator station is gone, no glass, seat or anything else for that matter and it looks like the left side took the most damage. but the rest of the tractor seems to be fine, not sure if we should scrap it or restore it. I personally think we should scrap it but management is not so keen on the idea, and I can understand why. any thoughts on the subject.

If covered by insurance, insurance may exclude that tractor from the policy after rebuild.

 

[620 John]

Id do everything I could to scrap it. Unless labor is really cheap somehow, pretty good chance it'll take about as much $$ to fix as the tractor is worth. Even if you replace everything that is visibly damaged it might not be completely "fixed".

 

[Steve in IL]

Location could impact the best solution. I don’t think the Deere 5725 was ever sold in the US.

 

[Jim.ME]

Quick question.

Scrap it or restore it?

Last night during a thunder storm it caught fire, the operator station is gone, no glass, seat or anything else for that matter and it looks like the left side took the most damage. but the rest of the tractor seems to be fine, not sure if we should scrap it or restore it. I personally think we should scrap it but management is not so keen on the idea, and I can understand why. any thoughts on the subject.

Are you still working at the same place in South Africa you have posted about having issues with the owners in the past? If so the value of it and how much can be feasible to spend on repairs may be quite different than here in the USA, so our thoughts on that part of it may not be very relevant.

I am guessing they/you are looking at doing this "in House". About all you can do as an employee is to make the most complete list of parts you can identify will be needed and get them priced out. Add at least 25% (likely should be more) for contingency as more things will be found after you open it up and like Tx Jim said after it is running again. Estimate the labor hours and cost the best you can along with outside resources that will be needed. Include an estimated time frame you think it will take. Write it all up and present it to the proper management level. They likely may think it is too high. Then down the road if the costs and time runs over what they thought it would be you at least have in writing you warned them. Beware that if they use your estimate and you are too low in the end they will blame you for the short fall.

If they are going to send it to a dealer or other shop, they should get the same type of estimate from the shop.

Do they have another tractor of the model or similar parts from it could be used to keep another going?

The best you can do is give them real facts in writing, not just what you feel about it. In the end they own it, and whether to repair or replace is their choice.

 

[ss55]

Quick question.

Scrap it or restore it?

Last night during a thunder storm it caught fire, the operator station is gone, no glass, seat or anything else for that matter and it looks like the left side took the most damage. but the rest of the tractor seems to be fine, not sure if we should scrap it or restore it. I personally think we should scrap it but management is not so keen on the idea, and I can understand why. any thoughts on the subject.

Quick question.

Scrap it or restore it?

Last night during a thunder storm it caught fire, the operator station is gone, no glass, seat or anything else for that matter and it looks like the left side took the most damage. but the rest of the tractor seems to be fine, not sure if we should scrap it or restore it. I personally think we should scrap it but management is not so keen on the idea, and I can understand why. any thoughts on the subject.

Some people will spend a $Million to save a $Thousand and have enough money to do that. Others say that at the beginning and then back out when the bill comes.

From your name workshopman are you the person who is expected to rebuild the tractor and warranty it? If so, explain your concerns to the owner in writing on your written quote of the costs of parts and hours. Maybe write the quote in two parts, a basic minimum of what can be seen without opening it up and a list of potential additional problems and what will and will not be warrantied. Get a written agreement on how much the owner is willing to spend before starting the project, in case you need to get a mechanic's lien on it later.

Hopefully they will take that project to another shop.

 

[ss55]

Quick question.

Scrap it or restore it?

Last night during a thunder storm it caught fire, the operator station is gone, no glass, seat or anything else for that matter and it looks like the left side took the most damage. but the rest of the tractor seems to be fine, not sure if we should scrap it or restore it. I personally think we should scrap it but management is not so keen on the idea, and I can understand why. any thoughts on the subject.

Check the salvage value of the tractor as-is and present that to management. Many repairable late model wrecked cars are totaled because the value of the salvageable parts is far more than the value gained from repairing the car.

 

[rrlund]

Will insurance pay for it? I repaired a New Idea Uni tractor after a fire one time. Kicked myself from day one. Seals, hoses that weren't replaced, got too hot and went out. I ended up buying a replacement for it at my own expense after I let the insurance company pay to fix that one.

 

[rrlund]

Check the salvage value of the tractor as-is and present that to management. Many repairable late model wrecked cars are totaled because the value of the salvageable parts is far more than the value gained from repairing the car.

It always amazed me back 50-60 years ago at the sale in Archbold. Tractors that were burned right to the ground from being in barn fires would bring almost as much as running tractors of the same make and model that were driven through the ring.

 

[M-MAN]

I wouldn't want any part of repairing it. Fires and floods leave never ending problems.

 

[Tx Jim]

I suggest to run away from that burnt tractor!!!!!!!!!!!!