Beware of Husqvarna Garden Tractors!

gt48dxls

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I have a GT48DXLS, with 63 hrs on it, purchased 11 months ago for the specific purpose I'm using it for. I had been very happy with my GT. I now deeply regret this purchase.
On 17 JULY 2017 I purchased my GT from our local Dealer. Our Dealer claimed it was an actual "Garden Tractor" capable of all the accessories ("Ground Engagement Work") that were represented by Husqvarna in their ads. These officially include things like a front scoop (bucket), snow blower attachment, etc. This tractor came with a ground engagement transaxle (Tuff Torq K66), 23" rear wheels, upgraded engine (Kawasaki FR730V), and allegedly a “heavy duty” chassis.
On 07 JUNE 2018, less than a year after purchase, while moving sand in my yard, and using it well within the design parameters, the frame BUCKLED in the area between the scoop support bracket and the steering support plate. I had used it multiple times before, in the exact same way, with no problems at all.
Since I was using it within it’s advertised design specs, AND still had 4 years and 1 month left on the “5 year FRAME warranty” that came with the tractor, I presumed they would stand by their product, and HONOR their warranty. Silly me.
According to the service writer at our local Husqvarna Dealer (who was very hostile to my wife) Husqvarna will “NEVER pay to replace that frame”. “Never” was the word they spat at my wife. The Dealer justified it, by saying that any and ALL “frame” defects in it would have been evident on the VERY FIRST day we bought it, otherwise it is not a “frame defect” and will NOT be covered under warranty. WHAT?? (So then, WHAT would the point of a “5 year FRAME warranty” be?)
So, according to the HUSQVARNA dealer here, the 5 year chassis/frame warranty has been reduced to a ONE DAY warranty. To add insult to injury, my wife was told that they would fix it for $518, and included in that was a special “freight charge” for the FRAME, from Husqvarna, of $95. Upon checking on the ordering of the frame myself, I found out that this expensive “freight charge” was a lie, no surprise at this point. I picked up the tractor the very next business day from that Dealer. I will no longer use that Dealer, and will go out of my way to not recommend this dealer, and/or the Husqvarna products, any chance I can, NOW THAT I KNOW THAT THEIR “WARRANTY”, AND THEIR ADVERTISING, ARE MOSTLY LIES.
I have since learned, that current manufacturers of ACTUAL Garden Tractors that claim their product capable of ground engagement work have at minimum, a channel steel or “c” channel steel frame.
My frustration with this product is mainly that their STATED warranty (at least for the frame) is worthless, and their published advertisements for this tractor’s capabilities for accessories are FALSE. It didn’t help that their licensed Dealer knew less than a box store employee about his Husqvarna product, OR, that he did know, but he had no difficulty directly deceiving me.
If you plan on using it to cut grass, odds are you’ll probably be OK. I’m thankful at least that Husqvarna did NOT build the transaxle or the engine.
I’ve also since found out that the style of frame on this Husqvarna “Garden Tractor” is actually identical to my older Ariens basic riding mower (HD $900.00 special, 2011) that I originally bought to mow grass a few years ago. I pulled that out of storage and am relying on it again to at least keep my grass cut and to pull my small yard trailer. It’s nothing to look at, but it runs as was represented in advertising, no false claims, so no regrets with that one.
If my Husqvarna GT had not been falsely represented to me, as a True Garden Tractor fully capable of residential level “ground engagement” work, I would have moved right on past it, and paid more money to buy what I needed, since I was already aware of just what I needed it for. I fell for the deception, but hopefully I can share enough to help steer someone else away so they won’t make the same expensive mistake.

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cpurvis

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What were the 'design parameters' that you were well within?
 

Rivets

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Forget the dealers and contact Husqvarna directly. Don’t use the same voice as you did in your post, just explain your situation and how the dealer dealt with you. I’ve seen dealers who have less sympathy for customers than the big box stores. They know this would take some time and effort on their part to help you, but just want your $$$. If you registered your unit and have a copy of the warranty, you do have other recourses if needed. This website may be of some help, as it has phone numbers. If you don’t get help at the support phone number, don’t be scared to try the corporate number second. Start documenting each conversation, making sure you have persons names and titles. Don’t be scared to give them dealer info also. Finally, remember that you want to work with them and not get them mad at you. It may take a couple of phone calls to get to the right person.

http://www.husqvarnagroup.com/en/contact
 

mhavanti

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I know exactly what I'd do. Instead of screwing around replacing the frame, even if under a warranty. I'd tie that rascal down right in the middle of the flex area, them place a jack equal distances from the flexed area. Jack it back into place and while going past center at least 5 degrees and release to make sure the frame is straight or at least where you want it. I'd then marry a plate both inside and outside the frame channel by welding it at least a foot long.

Six inches of plate on either side will make that sucker a "real garden tractor" or more so than what you believed was a real garden tractor.

Good luck with whatever you end up doing.

Max
 

bertsmobile1

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Doubling up on Rivets post.
What gets said in the first few moments will make a very big difference to how your claim is handled, so it is "can you please" & "I don't understand why"

Next frame warranties cover defects in materials & workmanship.
That means exactly what it says, bad welds, faulty pressing or flaws in the steel itself, not failure in use.
For all Husqvarna know you may have been trying to shift a D9 dozer with it, push a 10' high rock or other uses way above the capacity of the tractor

And not trying to be insulting but the tractor was obviously too light for what you wanted to do with it.
Unfortunately you have now done the "due dilligance" that should have been done before your wallet was opened.
Garden tractors are mostly slightly uprated lawn mowers , you only get what you pay for and in the case of this tractor that was not much.

The Husqvarna's are just their lawnmowers sitting on a frame exactly the same as the lawn mowers but pressed from a heavier section steel so you are quite right, they are not up to the job of doing a lot of heavy shoving.
Thus you very well could have a ligitimate complaint to take up with your consumer protection authority in so far as "fit for purpose" and "deceptive advertising" but don't mention those till substantially latter on.
Unfortunately it is up to you to prove that the tractor can not do what you were TOLD IN WRITING it could do.

If it were me I would be angling for a full refund based on a "fit for purpose" claim and go looking for a better machine more likely in the sub-compact tractor class which as you probably have noticed is substantially more expensive.
 

ILENGINE

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As a Husqvarna Consumer Products service center I would have to deny your warranty on the grounds that the mower had been abused. Like Bert said, warranty covers defects in workmanship like cracks, broken welds,. It doesn't cover bending the frame. My first thought without hearing your story would be that you backed into it with something or dropped if off of a truck. If you have the scoop that I think you have it has a 200 pound working limit. How do I know that you didn't have 250 pounds in the scoop, or maybe was hauling something much heavier, and just said you were hauling sand. Possible to be within the weight guidelines but hit a bump in the yard that shock loaded the frame causing it to bend.

As far as the $95 freight charge to ship the frame, I could say that to be true. The distributor could be charging the dealer around that amount to ship the oversize/overweight frame LTL on a tractor trailer. Most parts distributors have a additional freight allowance that they charge the dealers for certain oversize items.

I wish you the best on your frame issues, but I can see where Husqvarna has the avenues within the warranty guidelines to deny your bent frame as being a manufacturer defect. Not trying to be a pain, but just trying to show that things can go wrong that are beyond the scope of the warranty, and even though you did everything right, could still go south due to outside forces beyond your control that result in non warrant failure.
 

bertsmobile1

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Deciding what level of equipment you need to do a job. is always difficult.
Way too many people go with the minimum spec that will do the job at hand.
It was always a big problem for me trying to get gear for the foundry that was rated above what was needed to give us some wriggle room.
In so far as SWL (Safe working load ) on consummer grade products it has to be 1.5 x the rated load.
So if husqvarna said it was good for 200 lbs it has to be capable of handleing 300 lbs without catastrophic failure that could cause injury to the operator or by standers.
Simple little things like moisture can make a massive difference in weight.
A lot of sharks in the landscaping supply industry will spray down their sand , soil, gravel to "prevent dust"
Fine if they ae selling by volume but naughty if selling by weight as water can double the weight of sand, soil & particularly mulch.

Now as you have already bent the frame using the tractor, if you get an exact replacement and continue to do the same thing then you will end up in the same place.
Those square holes in the frame are stress concentrators as well as cross section reducers and I would imagine are there so the frame fails before the load arms in the case overload.
Strengthening the side rails as per the previous thread will most likely prevent further frame bending but could cause the anchor points to rip out.

Seriously you will be much better off with a substantially heavier machine if you intend doing the same work with it.
And pulling a plough for instance puts a lot less load on the tractor than pushing as wrought steel is a lot lot lot stronger in tension than compression.
 

cpurvis

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Am I mistaken or is there a rack on the rear for suitcase weights? From the looks of the wheel weights, there may have been a problem with the rear of the tractor coming off the ground and some measures were taken to keep that from happening.

my wife was told that they would fix it for $518

$518 may be the price for a lesson about counterweights. It doesn't sound unreasonable to me, considering how much work there is in replacing a frame. But, if you can butter up some Husqvarna customer service employee who is giving away someone else's money, maybe they'll foot the bill. If it was me, I wouldn't. From what has been presented so far, this looks like a case of abuse.
 

gt48dxls

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I appreciate all your responses, and so many I will try and answer some of the top responses.

My tone in the warning to other would be buyers is angry. Can anyone blame me?

My wife is a Professional Property Manager, I let her deal with administration issues in the house because, well she is just better at it. Those that commented on how you approach this kind of issue using diplomacy, I believe is correct, and for those that might learn from this experience at my expense I think it good to cover this.

My wife handled all conversations except the latest which I will share later. As a Property Manager she is used to dealing with contracts, warranties, uncooperative people and businesses, to include lawyers and that whole world of posturing and deceptive practices. She talked with 2 people at the dealer, one who was in charge of warranty claims and one of the owners of the business. Please understand that the owner knew who we were, and why I bought the tractor, I did at his recommendation. The Dealer also was the one to install the tires on the extra set of wheels I bought from him, the 6 Kawasaki oil filters from, my Shindaiwa trimmer, and the Tuff Torque Trans K66 filter he tried to talk me out of, all in 10 months time.

My requirement for this tractor was very specific to using it for "ground engagement work" with a front scoop (not hydraulic, just something to help in moving the sand on my property), a rear tiller, garden trailer, and such. I was only looking at the Husqvarna because I had just looked at the Craftsman GT6000 that had advertised all this and more to include a Johnny Bucket if I could afford one in the future (I do have the uni sleeve). When making my next move to look at the JD X500, Cub Cadet XT3, and Simplicity I was told to look at the Husqvarna equivalent to the Craftsman GT6000 (the Husqvarna GT/TS series tractors). I had my wife there while I put the owner on the spot and he assured me that as long as the scoop was no more than 42" (he claimed Husqvarna sold a 42" and 32" scoop), 200lb max, no hydraulics, and did not not exceed the height of the frame (13 or 14" approx) I would be fine, and that in assuring me, if Husqvarna or Craftsman for Husqvarna (including the Agri Fab accessories built for Husqvarna) built it for this tractor that they would warranty it also with a 5 year warranty. The Dealer also informed me of another customer that had one with the scoop with no issues. Please keep in mind that My acre is actually sand. I have to buy dirt at $225 a dump truck load for gardening and rock is very expensive. I live within 6 miles of the beach in a development that is elevated at approximately 30 to 50 feet above sea level and I don't have a shallow water table (my well is 700'sh ft). The sand here drains very quickly and that presents unique challenges to growing gardens and trees, and the efforts to keep the yard from going into my neighbors yard during storms, but grass and palms do very well.

I went back and confirmed that the GT6000 is the same tractor as the GT48DXLS and it was $200 more than mine with a Kawasaki engine and with these assurances, including a 5 year chassis warranty (I live in a small town in Florida Agriculture, not cities or tourism) and the same K66 with manual locking diff (minus hydraulic power steering ports on the jdx500) I purchased it. I also had been using my front scoop for approximately 9 months and on this morning the sand I was scooping was already a loose pile (I had rented a mini excavator to dig holes for my project earlier).

The Dealer registered my tractor the day I bought it and I have 63 hrs on it in the 11 months I've used it. I had been very happy with the purchase until I found out how little support there is from Husqvarna, including the authorized Dealer. The authorized Dealer represents Husqvarna as being a part of a network like any other dealer network. If this is not true than that would be another good thing to voice.

I will be adding the update that I said I would later today, but for now I will be using my old Ariens gear tractor ($900 HD special) to try and finish the sand project. With my shovel and small trailer, and a lot of sweat, that's were I'll be. The the old Ariens has countless hrs on it, every piece of the body and hood have dents, scratches, and paint fade (even though I keep my tractors on my covered porch). It also has lost its stickers. I resealed the Tuff Torq 6 speed last year and am running mobile one synthetic in it, painted it black with texture (there was very little wear on the gears). Its not pretty to look at but it is the one still getting the job done!

I don't want to believe that Husqvarna is this bad for customer service after the purchase, It is what is is, but if the tractor had been properly represented I would not have purchased it but would have purchased the JD X500 as I had been leaning toward and after time learned why the only true Garden Tractors (being capable of actual ground engagement work) have c-channel frames, sufficient hp, & a transmission rated for ground engagement work with a minimum of 1" axles (for light duty), as a minimum. What I have is a very comfortable, efficient riding lawn mower.
 

EngineMan

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A good panel beater should be able to put that back into shape.
 
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