330 Volvo

[coalburner]

Here is our new machine.

Coalburner

[Wulf]

Great pictures coalburner!

That's a pretty large and heavy bucket... is it a stupid question to ask what kind of work the machine is equipped for? Also what kind of tooth arrangement is that?

[coalburner]

Oklahoma coal; most of the time it is soft and loose but we have a dead storage pile that is layered in and packed so it won't get air and burn. That is when we need the teeth it is almost like mining it all over again. The bucket is not an oversized coal bucket but it is slightly larger than a rock bucket. 16yd is what it’s rated for. It has bolt on segments between the teeth.

[MetalDragon_boy]

Very nice pics! I have one to.. although it is only in 1:50th scale... :laugh

[Countryboy]

Good looking machine coalburner. :yup Are you gonna be the operator or is somebody else gonna get that privilege?

[coalburner]

When the meetings, budgets, variance reports, phone calls, contracts, get to busy I go find one of the loaders and get a stress relief fix.:wink2

[Dozerboy]

Very nice

[Wolf]

Great looking machine. How's the power on it?

[coalburner]

Power is good. quality control from the factory is bad.

[Wolf]

Poor quality control is the fastest way to lose customers.

[coalburner]

The service truck is here all the time; I just hope he gets all the loose hydraulic fittings tight before the warranty is out. One of the main lines on the hydraulic pump came loose the other day and was spraying fluid all over the turbo charger it was almost all over but the crying.

The bucket pins were installed per factory directions and kept coming loose. The service mechanic figured out that they were installed backwards. Ordered a new set and installed them his way and they have been tight since.

[coalburner]

I apologize for putting this and the 980G post in the wrong spot. I noticed that this thread is for trucks and trailers.

[Wulf]

lines on the hydraulic pump came loose the other day and was spraying fluid all over the turbo charger

Your dealer and Volvo Limited should be all over that not only because of the machine being new but because of the risk of fire.

Most manufacturers have applied a lot of design work to reduce the risk of fire in engine compartments to reduce liabililities.

I don't know Volvo that well but I thought their build quality was better than that.

[Lashlander]

An outfit we do a lot of work with bought one of these a few years ago. I haven't ran it more than a few hours but it is nice to operate, It seems to always have transmission problems. They just put the 4th transmission in it. The first 3 were under warranty, all well and good except they have to rent a machine all the time. I haven't heard of any other Volvo's having the same problem though.

[coalburner]

Lashlander guess what?

Yep it's the transmission:mad: and the front axle (cracked and leaking oil)! The 2000 hours service was done last week and today I got the bad news. They are going to pull the bucket and send it to the shop. He is estimating 2 weeks, but is having problems finding a replacement 330. Is there a lemon law for equipment?

[Lashlander]

Thats a bummer, They are a nice machine to operate but reliability suffers. There should be a lemon law.

[coalburner]

A new week new leak:rolleyes:

[dayexco]

i must have missed something here...the last pic posted, that's the same machine you posted a pic of on 12/24? uh uh

[coalburner]

Same machine 2000 hours later in a coal yard, Yes it gets dirty:)

[dayexco]

good friend of mine is a volvo dealer, althought i don't buy anything from him. ii prefer deere equipment. with your permission, i'm going to pass these pics on to him. forget the leaks, i can't believe the paint, body hold up any better than that. you posted that pic 12/24 saying it was new, and in less than a months time, this is the way it looks? man, i'd never buy a volvo now

[coalburner]

The first pic was on June 19 right after the tires were put on, after a quick steam cleaning it looks like new again. Our coal is high in sulfur and really acidic and it does do a number on paint jobs.

[Lashlander]

Thanks for the clarification on this, The hours in a month weren't quite adding up. You would have been runnin her 66 hours a day. Shoot I can't even run em that hard. :bouncegri

[komatsukid]

i ran a volvo L220E last summer. that loader felt like it was made of the highest quality. i wished we would have bought it. but after the things i have heard, i dont know now. volvo has a reputation for building high quality cars, trucks, and heavy equipment. i figured their equipment better than that.

[Wulf]

i ran a volvo L220E last summer. that loader felt like it was made of the highest quality. i wished we would have bought it. but after the things i have heard, i dont know now. volvo has a reputation for building high quality cars, trucks, and heavy equipment. i figured their equipment better than that.

It surprised me too komatsukid

coalburner, just a thought... you mentioned about multiple hydraulic leaks way down earlier in the thread and I was wondering whether anyone had cranked the main hydraulic and steering pressure up to cope with that large bucket and to compete with your Cats?

[komatsukid]

ya know the hydraluic leaks suprised me. i thought their quality control would be alot better, just for the simple fact that their name is on the line for something as ignorant as a leak.

[coalburner]

The mechanics ran all the checks they could in the field. He says the pressure is not set hi, but on the low side. I'm meeting with the dealer Wednesday to find out what the options are. We run 95% of the time out of a soft pile feeding a underground hopper, its not like we are digging rocks and loading dump trucks.

[komatsukid]

i dont think the task should matter. the loader should not have failed this early in its service life. seems like volvo has butt kissing to do.

[Tigerotor77W]

i wished we would have bought it. but after the things i have heard, i dont know now.

Guys, I know which manufacturer's horn I usually toot, but this instance doesn't necessarily implicate Volvo of having a poor product. The L330E has faced issues, especially with its powertrain, and is undergoing the change to the L350F (in part to address those issues). While it's unfortunate that such a new machine isn't really hitting reliability or uptime targets, every manufacturer may have such issues.

I'm not trying to tell you that you should always buy Volvo and that oh, gee whiz, every other product will come out on top, but I'd bet I can dig up a thread or two that'll make you guys scratch heads on whether to buy any brand. Just don't give up on Volvo yet!

(Not meant to be offensive -- the "Gee whiz" comment was just there for emphasis. It's early for me -- 7AM in IL -- and I haven't quite recovered from winter break yet!)

(PPS: I really am sorry your L330E isn't working so well, coalburner... I'm not trying to underplay the severity of the issue.)

[digger242j]

...but I'd bet I can dig up a thread or two that'll make you guys scratch heads on whether to buy any brand.

That comment is right on target, but I feel the need to expound on that, since Tigerotor has gone to such great lengths to qualify his statements.

There's a lot to be said, when formulating your own opinion, for collecting all the available information and experiences/opinions of others, and weighing and considering them, before reaching any conclusion.

This is in the forum rules: "This site is designed for the exchange of information. It is not however, intended to provide members with a forum to trash one manufacturer over another. Third party experiences are discouraged, unless you were on hand to witness any problem the third party may have had with a particular machine."

I, for one, think everybody is doing a really great job sticking to that one, without ever having to be reminded of it.

That has several benefits. One, it gives those, who are the end users of the equipment, an honest peer-to-peer type review of particular manufacturers, equipment models, dealer support, etc. For another, it gives the manufacturers, dealers, etc. an opportunity to eavesdrop on what is being said about them and their equipment, by those who make the purchasing decisions, and those who use them in the field, (and even respond, if they so choose). That should help them to know where their weaknesses and strengths are, and help them to improve those products and services.

A classic win-win scenario.

Sorry to digress. Back to the Volvo discussion...

[komatsukid]

i am sorry if ofended anyone. i got out of hand with the issue.

[digger242j]

I wasn't aiming that at you, komatsukid.

the loader should not have failed this early in its service life. seems like volvo has butt kissing to do.

I didn't consider that comment as out of line. If that's your honest opinion, after having read what's been posted, and any real life experiences, then that's fine. Actually, that's part of what I was referring to when I said the manufacturers and dealers have a chance to eavesdrop.

The nuts and bolts facts of equipment quality is one thing, but what people think about the equipment, and what they're willing to say about it to others, is what determines how it will sell. If you have a product on the market, and your quality and/or support isn't getting you good word of mouth, you'd be foolish to ignore that.

[komatsukid]

I agree 100 percent. im sorry for the confusion.

[coalburner]

I want to add, Volvo is working to fix all the issues with this machine. Our dealer is bending over back wards to fix it when ever we call. The leak yesterday was called in at 4:45 PM and they had a truck there and we were back in business with in the hour. (loose fitting) Yes I do have serious concerns about this machine when the warranty is out.

There are a lot of things I really like about Volvo to.


One thing that is for sure if it is man made it will break!!

[komatsukid]

thats the truth! what kind of warrenty does volvo have for their machines? (if you dont mind me asking?)

[Tigerotor77W]

i am sorry if ofended anyone. i got out of hand with the issue.

My hard drive crashed a few days ago... I had been using a school computer. Hence few replies from me.

komatsukid, you certainly didn't offend me -- and it looks like my comment killed this thread -- I was just saying that one runty Volvo doesn't mean the company or all its products are bad.

digger, it was my fault... feel free to delete that post. I wasn't trying to ram this thread clear out of the park.

[digger242j]

digger, it was my fault... feel free to delete that post.

GEEZ! I must look like some kind of ogre!

I wasn't trying to fault anybody for anything that was said. I saw an opportunity to reinforce that which I believe to be true--that we have a good exchange of honest opinions from well informed members that goes on here, and everybody benefits from knowing the kind of results that people are getting in the field. The only reason I mentioned the rule was to point out that that's the way we do operate. Nothing more than that, and nothing less...

:thumbsup

[MetalDragon_boy]

Shame on your new machine. Was it completly new or was it used?

Oh and that machine isnt very dirty compare to the machines in the locan steelmill I used to work. You always got surprised when you washed one and discovered yellow paint! LOL

[coalburner]

One thing is for sure Volvo has a really good warranty! I was thinking that the new Axel would be just the case and all the internal hardware would be changed out, wrong Volvo is sending a complete new front Axel, everything. If they weren't changing the transmission it would be fixed in a day or so.

[komatsukid]

I was tought on power shift transmissions. When I ran the L220E It was really hard to let the machine shift it self, With out my imput. I have heard that Volvo has had a hard time developing their automatic transmissions. If they can refine this I think it would be a great asset to the operator. As for their axels they seem to use the same design as Komatsu and Cat, with the wet clutch brakes..ect. Even after what I have seen on this thread I am still a PRO volvo guy. The experence I had in a Volvo loader was top notch everything in the cab was where I would have put it as a operator. I think Volvo builds a high quality machine.

[farm_boy]

The T-III L220E that I ran a few months back had the best shifting transmission I have ever felt in a Volvo loader. They have come a long way with there transmissions. :thumbsup

The problem I have with Volvo is that they don't seem to address problems that they know they have. For instance....I have experience with a medium sized redi-mix and aggregate operation that used Volvo loaders. You could set your watch to every 2,500 hours on the L90C needing a turbo charger. When was time to trade that machine off for a L90D this problem was said to be fixed, but behold....at ~2,500 hours a failed turbo. By 12K hours the "new and improved" D series machine had consumed 4 turbos again.

Another beef I have with Volvo as a whole is that the parts prices are high $$$$ when compared to the other major players in the market. Sure, ok everyone's parts prices seem high at some point, but across the board, apples to apples the boys in Asheville seem to sell their machines cheap and make up the difference on the parts. That is in my humble opinion anyway .:wink2

[komatsukid]

hey coalburner did they fix your 330 yet?

[Gmads]

Hi - new to the site. This thread was particularly interesting to me as I've had great luck with Volvo equipment so far. I started off experimenting with a 360 excavator back in '02 and added a L70E wheel loader in '04. That quickly became the operators favorite over our Cat loaders (primarily IT28G's). Since I've recently expanded, I've added another 2 L60E's, a L50E wheel loader, and hopefully by this Saturday a L110E. Again - the operators love 'em. Reliability on the older 360 and L70 have so far been stellar and is one of the reasons I've become more of a Volvo guy. (Also added 2 EW180B's, a 290BLC, and a 330 BLC in the last few months). Hope it all works out for you Coalburner.

[Countryboy]

Welcome to HEF Gmads. :drinkup

Sounds like Volvo has treated you well. :thumbsup

[komatsukid]

thats good to hear, welcome to the site!

[coalburner]

The axel is here, looks really rough for $71000.

[Lashlander]

Has your machine been down this whole time? If so did they furnish you a loaner?

[Countryboy]

:eek: $71,000, they outta at least Chromed it. :bouncegri

[Orchard Ex]

Did the old one look like that too? Or could this one be a prototype casting?
Just wondering...

[komatsukid]

$71,000!!, that thing should be spit-shined to a glosy finish for that price!!!

[coalburner]

They will start working on the loader Monday. The crack hasn't grew any and we have 26000 tons to unload and move this weekend so we are still running the 330. They are supplying us with a 220 and a 110 or some numbers like that. Everything is under warranty.

[coalburner]

Making progress.

[komatsukid]

are the close-up pics of the crack in the axel?

[coalburner]

Yes, we wiped the right side off.

[komatsukid]

wow, i have never seen a cracked axel housing before, what is the cause of failure?

[Wulf]

wow, i have never seen a cracked axel housing before, what is the cause of failure?

It looks to me as if there are two cracks in similar positions just below the axle hanger where it pins to the front frame... either that or the axle has ben wiped off in that area for inspection.

Another thing is that it could be the way the pic is taken but the new axle looks to have a heavier reinforcing rib that runs under the axle?

[coalburner]

Update

Still waiting on transmission parts.:mad:

[komatsukid]

parts must be on the slow boat from Sweden;) . oh well keep us posted on the progess.

[coalburner]

Well it was put in service today..................working fine. They spent over a week just cleaning orifices getting brakes and parking brakes right.

[coalburner]

Here we go again, just got an e-mail form one of my guys,:mad:

"The Volvo has and engine oil leak on the front end next to the transmission, cant tell the exact point. Its dripping down the rear differential an equal amount on each side so the leak must be dead center. Rear seal?

Also looks like there may be a pin-hole in the transmission casting, cleaned the area and will tell others to watch. "

[Lashlander]

Was it down that whole time with the tranny problem? Do you have enough machines to cover for it. Its a shame to spend that kind of money on something and not have it to use.

[coalburner]

Update, transmission does not have a hole in the casting, oil was shooting from a solenoid leak and hitting transmission. The other leak is behind the torque converter, they are pulling it back apart tomorrow.

[20dub]

Update, transmission does not have a hole in the casting, oil was shooting from a solenoid leak and hitting transmission. The other leak is behind the torque converter, they are pulling it back apart tomorrow.

coalburner i feel your pain...seems like it never ends...:Banghead

[komatsukid]

on Volvo wheel loaders is the transmission bolted directly to the engine, or is there a driveshaft between the engine and the torque converter?

[fll0203]

Hello,everyone,it is my first time getting here
I wonder what brand of bucket tooth you prefer,and where can I buy them.
Thanks:slomo :slomo

[Countryboy]

Welcome to HEF Fll0203! :drinkup

I personally prefer the Esco tooth and shank system for mining buckets. They are alot easier to change and last longer (at least they seem to) than the Cat system.

As far as availability in China.....well.....I'm not really familiar with the China area...... :D


Forgot about this thread, hows that loader treating you Coalburner? Still giving you problems?

[fll0203]

Thank you Countryboy~:)

Time for my off duty:waving see you~~~

[coalburner]

Hi,
Got about two days work out of it before it broke again. It won't shift right, been waiting for parts, still didn't fix it. Volvo expert flying in from Washington, and customer service tec. tomorrow. They took the loaner loaders and I have been with out the 330 for over a week. All I can say is live and learn. Cat from now on....................Any body want to buy and like new Volvo?:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[Countryboy]

Hi,
Got about two days work out of it before it broke again. It won't shift right, been waiting for parts, still didn't fix it. Volvo expert flying in from Washington, and customer service tec. tomorrow. They took the loaner loaders and I have been with out the 330 for over a week. All I can say is live and learn. Cat from now on....................Any body want to buy and like new Volvo?:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

You have been very patient through this ordeal, I'll definately give you that. Your absolutely right to express your opinion as you have. I hope you give Volvo your opinion of that machine too.

Good luck with your loader and make sure you are not asking but demanding the service you want. :thumbsup

[coalburner]

They think they got it fixed. They gave it to us around 7:00 and my guys are going to run it tonight and I am going in around 3:00 this morning to run it for myself. The expert and mechanics are coming back in the morning to fix anything we find wrong with it. Yesterday we had the salesman, company manager, service manager, parts manager, expert from Washington, Volvo customer service rep, and two mechanics working on making this right. Volvo is sending us a letter acknowledging the problems and promising to see this loader fixed, after warranty. Our plant is down for a major outage and we have 36K tons to move this week, I will be in deep *&^* if the Volvo doesn't do what we bought it for!!!!!!!!!!!

[alco]

Coalburner,

Thanks for the information. We are currently looking at buying a new loader to replace a 988F that is getting pretty tired. We aren't sure the monoboom on a 988H will stand up to the stress of handling 100' pipe all day. I have never had any experience at all around Volvo loaders, so this has been a bit of an eye opener for me. I have always heard very favourable things about Volvo loaders, so I didn't expect this. I am however, well aware that this type of thing can happen with any brand. It is nice to see the dealer and company trying to rectify the issues. So was your machine built first thing on a Monday morning, or last thing on Friday afternoon...lol.

Keep us updated as to what's happening.

Brian

[DirectTech]

It's well known that Volvo had a lot of trouble with the L-330E, that is why they did away with that model and went to the L-350F, which looks like a great machine.

[jmac]

It's well known that Volvo had a lot of trouble with the L-330E, that is why they did away with that model and went to the L-350F, which looks like a great machine.
Today 03:03 AM

Hey Directtech, this could have been well known to you but obviously Coalbunner wasn't in the loop!
Doesn’t make a bit of difference to him, all he wants is his huge investment to do what it was supposed to do.
Sorry to here about your problems coalburner but it does sound like Volvo is trying to fix it, but maybe they should trade you a 350F!

[Lashlander]

I know I'm really wanting to run out and buy one!:rolleyes:

[Gmads]

In defense of Volvo loaders, I have 6 of 'em - a L110E, (2) L70Es, (2) L60Es, and a L50E. No problems out of any of them. One of the GCs we work for has all CAT equipment - except for wheel loaders. Yep - Volvo. In the last 45 days they have brought out 4 brand new L90Es to go with the 5 or 6 loaders they already have running around this jobsite. So between the two of us we look like a Volvo testing ground. I don't know run anything near as big as a L330, but I have nothing but good things to say about the Volvo wheel loader.

[jperfect]

i was run a l90 for a pipe crew last summer and that was junk. once you finaly got in the cab you had to leave the doors open because they wood not let you back out. i did try to fix the problem work for a day. could not lift a full buck of sand. you had to ram the pile to get a full bucket. im not im pressed, but maybe it was a lemon. i dont think so by talk to some other oprators here in michigan.

[Gmads]

A little more clarification. I'm happy with the "E" series of the wheel loaders. We demo'd a L120D once about 5 or 6 years ago and ran it against a CAT 950F. That machine did seem underpowered compared to the CAT. But these newer series seem every bit as powerful as a CAT and every one of my loader operators prefered the Volvo over our CAT loaders or our Komatsu loaders.

[coalburner]

Hi,
I am sorry every time I reply it is when the machine is down but this is a grate place to vent! I just wanted to say thanks for all for the support and kind words you have given.

Yep now the vent part,,,,,,got the transmission fixed, it lasted the weekend before the hydraulic cooler cracked and blew fluid every where. They fixed the cooler, then ran another tank of fuel and got a warning alarm every time we shifted gears about the brake something failure if forget. but it is down again.
The "expert" showed me the down load off the computer and he said that we run the machine in a perfect environment and that it showed less than 1% sever duty. Let me tell you the computer tells every thing, alarms @hours, temps on every thing, fuel consumption, shifts, down shifts, average speed, lets just say they know every time the operator farts in the cab, but the "expert" said we are doing nothing wrong to the machine.
This machine is severely affecting our business and I formally asked for a complete report on every thing that has been done to our machine since it was new. We will be seeking a solution to this machine.
I will add that it is a great machine when it is running, very quiet and relaxing to operate. I just cannot afford to have a machine that will not run more than a tank of fuel.

[alco]

Please don't be sorry at all. I appreciate you keeping us informed on what is happening. Here's hoping they go ahead and give you a different machine to replace that one.

Just curious, would you be willing to take one of the new L350F loaders if they offered it to replace this one? I have no idea if they would even do that, but it was just a thought.

Brian

[PSDF350]

This must be driving you to:drinkup :drinkup :drinkup :drinkup Cant believe your calm manner on this. I would be though the roof. But all that would accomplish is noone wanting to resolve this. But I think maybe the only way to resolve this is for them to give you a new loader or your money back (not). Good luck!

[digger242j]

When the meetings, budgets, variance reports, phone calls, contracts, get to busy I go find one of the loaders and get a stress relief fix.:wink2

:cool2

[coalburner]

Hydraulic cooler over pressured and cracked again, they are going to tig it and try and get us going in the morning, it will be temporary at most because there must be more issues. So much for the weekend...

The guys are talking about digging a hole and burring it, pushing it in the river or TNT..................:Banghead

[jperfect]

make it come up missing and call the insurance company tell them that you want a CAT.:Banghead

[Jeff D.]

Coalburner, my little "one semi" truck business is peanuts compared too your operation, but I can understand the frustration you're going through with a brand new piece of equipment that can't be used to do what it was purchased for, especially when it's integral part of the business.

I had similair "troubles" with my current truck when I purchased it new in '03.
Eventually the problems were resolved, but they did bring me close to having to throw in the towel completely at one point.

Poor initial build quality control and the follow-up dealer support has left such a bad taste in my mouth that I'll never consider buying this brand again, despite the fact I've had a run of acceptable service from it for some time now.

I sure hope things start getting better for you.

Good Luck!:)

[Water-N-Mine]

I operate a 220 LE just a size smaller then your loader with a 15 yrd. bucket. I know they have had several issues with the operations two loaders. It seems to be transmission troubles also. Mine work as you know is not easy on equipment or tranny's. I am glad it's not my dime paying for them. I will say one thing about Volvo they are a comfortable loader to run and with the large size. It doesn't take long to run a 1,000 yrds of material.

[coalburner]

The loader has run three days in a row :drinkup

[Electra_Glide]

The loader has run three days in a row :drinkup

Well coalburner,

Don't want to jinx you, but is it still running? It's been a whole week...

Joe

[mtb345]

up here in the northeast everybody loves them [loaders and end dumps.] the outfit that i work for has six of them . the 150 that i run is 10 yrs old aside from the new engine i cant complain . i think the people who built coalburners must've came in hungover:drinkup

[coalburner]

The cooler busted again this Tuesday night and they got it fixed Friday. This time we got Don Mingerink, Volvo Customer Support Specialist, out of Michigan to trouble shoot it. He is ordering parts to change every thing that has failed on other 330 Volvo's. He is going to detune the turbo, but he says it won't change the HP I call BS. What we will have is a New loader with 2200 hours and almost every part changed. Right now it is a environmental disaster. oil drips constantly even after high pressure washing. We have no allowances for oil in our storm water run off, or coal pile discharge. :Banghead

What would you do if you were in my shoes?

[jperfect]

COALBURNER SORRY ABOUT THE LUCK THAT YOUVE HAD WITH THAT 330, BUT I THINK THAT I WOULD HAVE THE DEALER GIVE YOU A LOANER UNTILL THEY GET YOUR LOADER FIXED PROPERLY. THEN AS SOON AS IT IS FIXED CALL A LOWBOY AND TRADE THAT THING IN AS SOON ASAP. BEFORE IT BRAKES AGAIN. HOPE THE BEST. :notworthy FOR DEALING WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS I WOULD HAVE HAD A LAW SUIT GOING A LONG TIME A GO AND BOUGHT SOMETHING DIFFERNT FOR SURE.

[PSDF350]

What would you do if you were in my shoes?

:beatsme :Banghead :Banghead I wish I knew what to tell you. I'm sure you have tried to have them give you a new loader and call that one scrap iron. Because I am sure no matter what that one will never be anything but what it is, a money pit. But maybe if they wont give you a new, one maybe a good low hour bla bla bla used one. Also have you talked with your lawyer. Maybe also consider a voluntry repossesion. Not ideal, but would get rid of problem. But would create other problems. Trow it on lowboy deliver it to corprate headquarter, and leave it on there front steps with a gift basket of lemons. Make sure the media is there for the show:beatsme

[ben46a]

I would cut your losses and trade It on a Cat 988 or a WA600. We have a customer up here going through a similar ordeal with a letourneau 950 PitBull and is really kicking his ass that he didnt get a 992. Hes a coal producer as well and needs all the uptime he can, but this machine will not run for more thn a week at a time without a dealer service tech visiting it. Between xmas and march 1 it had run 3 days !?! Soon as the warrantees up a 992 is going in.

[coalburner]

Hi,
The Volvo guy that was so arrogant last week that my 330 was no big deal was humbled today. "I have never seen this before, I don't understand" he was wiping the sweat off his for head. He did crash the computer last night, and it won't start now, keeps jumping timing, parts are on order. It was funny having a cat 5 cable run 100' across our shop while he had some one in Canada try and fix the computer. I am going to eat lemon pie, drink lemon Ade, and try and fugue out how we are going to get the coal moved. I am so embarrassed from the cuts and jokes form the guys at work about the VOLVO:mad:

I promise that all this is true and not a sop opera:Banghead

[PSDF350]

Hi,
The Volvo guy that was so arrogant last week that my 330 was no big deal was humbled today. "I have never seen this before, I don't understand" he was wiping the sweat off his for head. He did crash the computer last night, and it won't start now, keeps jumping timing, parts are on order. It was funny having a cat 5 cable run 100' across our shop while he had some one in Canada try and fix the computer. I am going to eat lemon pie, drink lemon Ade, and try and fugue out how we are going to get the coal moved. I am so embarrassed from the cuts and jokes form the guys at work about the VOLVO:mad:

I promise that all this is true and not a sop opera:Banghead

I dont doubt it, and sure no one else does either.

Maybe now that there top tech is there you will start seeing progress one way or the other ie; fix it for real, or call it scrap iron. Either way get you moving coal.

[Wulf]

I would cut your losses and trade It...

What are your conditions of purchase coalburner?
Outright purchase, rental purchase or some other deal?
Rental purchase works well because you basically have an option to return the unit if it doesn't fit your requirements.

[jazak]

Coalburner I would send a letter to several high ranking people at Volvo. Tell them you want your money back & to come take the loader. Then go buy a JD or CAT....I hvae never heard of a JD or CAT giving someone that many problems!!!!!!

H*ll I wouldn't wait for VOLVO to buy it back I park the d*mn thing and buy a JD or CAT now so that you can stay working all week!!!!

[coalburner]

It is paid for. :) I like Cat, John deer, Case backhoes, and Bobcat skid steer. I believe every company makes a lemon every now and again. There is a process that every manufacture goes through in situations like this. Putting my self in their shoes I wouldn't want to do a buy back or new machine replacement unless all resources have been exhausted. I hope that we are at the end of this process with this situation though. I will say again the Volvo is a pleasure to run, It is so quiet and smooth. :) I just wish it was dependable. :(

As of today it is running.

[coalburner]

Ever watch the movie Ground Hog Day? Yep it sprung a oil leak, fast drip growing to a stream. They are ordering parts machine it will be down two to three days. Horn quit working again, and front lights dimly glow all the time running or not.

Cat come and done a 2000K hours service on the 980G Friday, got to work this morning Volvo down, and the 980G still sitting in the same spot with the hood up. The guys tell me all it does is click. Dig through my cell phone history and find the field tecks number, call him to find out if he was done and why was the hood still up. He tells me all it would do is click.:rolleyes: I call the Cat service manager, told him that they left the hood up and the machine wasn't' ready for operation, and there were rub marks to the metal on the hood, yes he put the crain boom on it trying to push it closed, so much for the new paint job. Let me tell you it was Monday all day long:rolleyes:

[Dirt Dogg]

the lemon law applies to anything that moves under its own power ya might want to consider legal action. We had a machine that spent more time in the shop than in the field and after our lawyer had kind words with the manufacturer they were more than willing to replace the machine. Just something to think about

[coalburner]

I will keep it short, still having lots of down time. Transmission is dieing again. Volvo has brought me a old 220 for a back up. Volvo is sent product application people this week, they had no idea what they were walking into and appeared shocked. I don't believe Volvo has any intention of fixing this situation. I will get some pics when they haul it off for the transmission change out. I refused to let them change it out at our plant again.

[surfer-joe]

You been more than patient with the Volvo people coalburner. If they haul that machine off the property, I wouldn't let them bring it back if you have any say so in the matter. Like someone else here said, tell them they can bring you a spanking new 350, or you will bring in a new Cat.

Sometimes you gotta just dig in your heels and be a real obstinate SOB about stuff like this. Mercy knows, I've been on both sides of deals like yours, and the very loud and squeaky customer wheel usually gets the grease.

Some years ago, I was a finalist to become a Volvo service rep. Flew up to the factory in NC and interviewed and all. They recruited heavily from my alma mater they said. But I was turned down because being as my background and experience was from more the customer than the dealer aspect, they felt that I might be too sympathetic to their customers in warranty situations. They were probably right.

After reading all your posts, I have to conclude that you do indeed have a early Monday or late Friday built machine. You may also have one that is close to being last built for the model or series. Hopefully, you don't have one that was used as a test bed for a while before being gone through, repainted and sold. (ran into one of those with another manufacturer once, nasty) Sometimes a machine like yours is made under a bad sign and just never becomes a good reliable performer. I've tried to turn some of those around and never was completely successful.

Three years ago, Quinn ran into a new 988 that was delivered to a cement plant in California with front differential and wheel problems. After a couple of service techs practically lived up to the plant for several weeks, it was found that the axle assembly was not machined to spec. (nearly drove my PSR guy crazy) Quinn decided to bring in a completely brand new axle assembly to replace the bad one. The only one available in a short length of time, was in Singapore. It could be shipped in two to three weeks sooner than another one could be assembled at the big Cat house in Illinois.

The cement people were raising absolute hell over this loader and they had bought a couple of trucks too. Quinn had worked hard to get Cat into the plant as the cement folks had run just about everything but Cat for many years, but they were on the verge of having Quinn come and get their iron back. Cat and Quinn made the decision to haul the new axle in. They also picked up all the cost of the parts and labor and freight. Well over a hundred grand all told. They of course, did not pick up the tab for lost production costs.

Anyway, good luck! Keep us posted.

[CascadeScaper]

I just stumbled on this thread, I can't believe I haven't read it by now. I'd be crawling all over those guys if it were me, by the sounds of things you've been EXTREMELY leniant to getting things fixed. Hell, I was pissed off last summer when Cat decided to take 3.5 months to send me 2 buckets we ordered for our 312. Lost some money on a utility job as I was dragging a huge 36" GP bucket when I could have been using the 24" utility bucket I ordered months before. Sometimes you just gotta start yelling, I finally got the buckets I needed after a little bit of hassling.

[Water-N-Mine]

The operators manual caught on fire under the seat.... :(

[coalburner]

It's back........new transmission, radiator, hoses, steering cylinders, another turbo (new update).
The only word I have from Volvo is nothing, they continue to try and fix it. They sent a 220 and I told them a 6yd bucket didn't make up for a 16yd bucket, they sent another 220 from Maryland but it got here two days before the 330 showed back up.:( All I can say is I will NEVER NEVER NEVER buy anything again with out leasing it for a year first. Live and learn........

I really love the Volvo when it runs but I will never buy another one. Volvo hasn't do the right thing and I don't think they ever will. Sorry but that is how it is, and how it was dealt to me!

[coalburner]

Here they all are:) All running :)

I don't know how long they will leave the two 220s but they are sitting right now, they are replacement machines and I will not run them for spite. I just hope they stay because the 330 will die again I'm sorry to say.

[Tigerotor77W]

I can't fathom your unhappiness with the whole process thus far, but be careful about burning all bridges... you never know what great fortunes Volvo may bring yet.

Whatever the result, I do wish you the best -- it's been quite an ordeal, and your patience has really been quite admirable. :notworthy

[Lashlander]

Thanks for the update. Nice pics too!:thumbsup I went by the shop of the company that has had the four new transmissions put in theirs and Volvo was there changing out all the hydraulic hardlines on it. I know its off warranty so don't really know if who was paying for it. If I get a chance I'll find out.

[Ford LT-9000]

Nothing beats Cat wheel loaders they are proven machines. Even used well worn out Cat loaders from the 1970s fetch a decent dollar. Local mines have tried all brands and went back to Cat. The 966-980 and 988 are all popular sizes.

These other manufacturers sell their equipment cheaper but when it comes to repairs its " I Got ya " and your dragged over the coals with prices of parts

[komatsukid]

bla, bla, bla, Cat is the best. bla, bla, bla.

[MKTEF]

This is a sad story for you coalburner.:(
As someone else her stated; you have showed an enormously amount of patience with the dealer.:notworthy :notworthy

But i know from experience that Volvo is reading the posts here on the forum.
Some of them is located high up in the Volvo organisation.
And this case will not pass by unattended there....

Regarding your 330 i had a discussion with some Volvo mecanics/parts guy's on the floor, they admitted that the 220/330 was not the best modell produced with the Volvo markings on.:( (I call them Michigan's)
It is a reason for the introduction of the L350F before the rest of the new F modells.

Said that i hope your dealer will show up with a free testing period with a new L350F, when it comes by for demonstration.(you should have been given one for free, in exchange for that mondayprodused 330)
And a change should be a topic next time you get problems.

I sincerely hope the 330 will hold together and make you change your mind about Volvo loaders. :o

[alco]

This is a sad story for you coalburner.:(
As someone else her stated; you have showed an enormously amount of patience with the dealer.:notworthy :notworthy

But i know from experience that Volvo is reading the posts here on the forum.
Some of them is located high up in the Volvo organisation.
And this case will not pass by unattended there....

I sincerely hope the 330 will hold together and make you change your mind about Volvo loaders. :o

While it may not be too late for Coalburner, it may have cost a sale from someone else. We are looking to replace and aging 988F and a Volvo had been suggested as a possibility. I showed this thread to the manager overseeing the replacement project and he has stated that if that is the quality that can be expected, then Volvo is almost certainly out of the running.

Brian

[komatsukid]

i have operated a Volvo loader on a demo and that machine seemed to built to the highest quality, in my opinion everyone will build a "lemon" be it Cat, Komatsu, Leibherr, or what ever. from time to time. i think Volve could have handeled Coalburners' situtation better, but I still hold Volvo in a high reguard.

[Squizzy246B]

Information like that contained in this thread throws up a bit of a dilemma for those potential purchaser's. Its just one incident...is it indicative of the manufacturer???....is it more of a dealer problem?...is it just a friday arvo machine??.....are all Volvos junk. I try and put myself in Coalburner's boots....and I'm sure I'd have some serious reservations about going back to Wolvo. That said we had a subbie out a couple of weeks ago in a L60E brand spanking new...said it was his 2nd Wolvo loader and had nothing but praise......but then again...he did one of the worst jobs I've ever seen:rolleyes: . You hear stuff like this and its no wonder guys tend to stick with the brand they know and trust.

[digger242j]

Information like that contained in this thread throws up a bit of a dilemma for those potential purchaser's. Its just one incident...is it indicative of the manufacturer???....

But i know from experience that Volvo is reading the posts here on the forum.
Some of them is located high up in the Volvo organisation.
And this case will not pass by unattended there....

The nuts and bolts facts of equipment quality is one thing, but what people think about the equipment, and what they're willing to say about it to others, is what determines how it will sell. If you have a product on the market, and your quality and/or support isn't getting you good word of mouth, you'd be foolish to ignore that.

As I think I pointed out someplace else, sometimes the way a company stands behind their product, and takes care of any issues that arise, can generate even better word of mouth than if there'd been no problem at all. On the other hand, if you and/or your product let(s) your customer down time and again, people are going to hear about that (especially in this day and age.) Unless I'm completely wrong about that, you have to wonder whether anybody actually is paying attention, and then refer back to Squizzy's question above...

[komatsukid]

Hey Coalburner hows your L330E running?

[mwhyte]

I had an L330E for 3 years and it was a nightmare, went through three torque convertors, turbo, oil pump, mainly trans problems. got an L350F now. not that impressed to be honest. great looking cab, but 330 was much better for digging into the face

[Countryboy]

Welcome to HEF mwhyte! :drinkup

[seo]

Hello,
I'm looking at a peculiar job that I'm trying to figure out the best machine for. Maybe someone here has some ideas...
I need to remove the top 3-4 feet from a 40 acre field, which amounts to between 190,000 and 250,000 yards of material. It is all silt loam topsoil, no rocks, no ledge. Almost all of the material will be loaded out onto trucks and hauled away. The object would be to get this job over with quickly, and to that end I've been thnking in terms of a large wheel loader. I've heard Cat 988, Volvo 330, and even one guy mentiioned a very large Clark, I think a 475C (although I've spent a lot of time nursemaiding Cummins VTA1710's in tugboats, and am not a huge Cummins fan).
Other people say to get a scraper, but I don't see how that loads trucks, and it seems like this isn't a good job for a track loader.
The idea would be to buy a used machine, move it to the jobsite, then sell it when the project is over.
The jobsite is only 20 miles from a large Cat dealer, which I've dealt with before. I don't know who carries parts for Clark-Michigan now. Volvo?
Anyway, thanks for the comments
SEO

[RonG]

I think I would lease a loader from the Cat guys.An old 475 might leave you with a line of trucks waiting for a load too often.I think they ran Detroits too but they're just too old in my estimation to be reliable.It would be great to have two machines,smaller loaders would be easier to resell and working together could produce as much and if one breaks you can still keep working.Ron G

[seo]

Leasing is certainly one of the options, and you make an excellent point about the risk of having a long line of irate truckers standing there while I fool around with the hydraulics. Or is it the steering?
That being said, does a wheel loader seem like the logical machine for this type of job?
SEO

[alco]

Personally, I would use an excavator based on what you have said so far.

Brian

[RonG]

I was thinking about the mobility end of it as he probably will have to make haul roads and tracking pads etc plus clean the main road from time to time if they track anything on it that anyone could complain about.Ron G

[seo]

Alco,
Is that because an excavator is:
a) cheaper
b) faster
c) more reliable
d) does a better final job

I should admit here that I have almost no experience with excavators. I work around dredging projects where the primary tool is a clamshell bucket on a crane. I drive the tugboat that moves the dredge-barge around, and tows the dump barges away to the dump. This method is necessary when the bottom is rocky, but it's way slower than a suction dredge that works like an underwater vacuum cleaner, which works very well in sand.

My experience with earthmoving on dry land is with bulldozers and track loaders, which seem like simpler machines than excavators, but once again, what do I know?

SEO

[Lashlander]

I work around dredging projects where the primary tool is a clamshell bucket on a crane. I drive the tugboat that moves the dredge-barge around, and tows the dump barges away to the dump. This method is necessary when the bottom is rocky, but it's way slower than a suction dredge that works like an underwater vacuum cleaner, which works very well in sand.SEO

Loaders need firm footing to dig. If your pulling 4 feet of loomy topsoil of soft ground your going to have a tough time with a loader.
We need some pics of your dredging operation.:thumbsup

[Squizzy246B]

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong but an excavator (a really big one in this case) would only be good so long as the trucks are able to get to where the machine is digging: and

Would a dozer stripping/pushing and something like 966 loading out be the fastest and most economical?? it all depends on the ground I suppose but I'm talking generic.

I remember awhile back we were going through the Caterpillar performance handbook and the figures where well in favour of the dozer for stripping topsoil.

[ben46a]

I think i would probably use a D8 stripping and feeding a 980 sized loader with a 7-7.5 yd bucket to feed out. A 980 will load a tandem truck in two buckets and a tandem semi trailer in 3 so it efficient as you dont have to go back for the little bit extra. The D8 will easily peel out that topsoil and give the loader an easier job of loading it out.

[JimBruce42]

I would think that if you had a D8 cutting down to grade and pushing the topsoil up into windrows (about 8-10 feet high) and then leveled the tops of the windrows and sat a good sized excavator on top of those windrows and let the trucks run next to it that would work well.

A 345 with even a 60" 3 yard bucket in that type of material can load a standard sized dump truck in 3-4 passes. And if the truck is positioned right, it might be faster (and cheaper) than a 980 loader. And you can use the dozer to keep up wiht ruts and haul roads every so often while its stripping.

Just my thought, in the end its up to you.:usa

[Digger992]

Their nice size,we used one over the winter in our mine to do some stripping in wet clay..Our 990 was down for service...


As far as Volvo goes,we had a L220D Long boom...P.O.S. ... dont get me wrong,i know there are usually some minor kinks with any machine from the factory and even more with machines that are built then taken apart for shipment then reassembled on site...We had major Tranny probs and also Hyd Pump....If im not mistaken they use a type of Car Tranny fluid in their's...The only thing that didnt give us a fit was the engine....

[coalburner]

mwhyte

I feel your pain.

Volvo is finally coming to the table with a proposal of trading out the 330 with their 350 demo machine. Volvo says that they want to do a fair market value trade on the machines. I am not impressed. I told the dealer that if Volvo wanted pay me the money I have been out I will gladly entertain the option of a buy out trade.

It has been a while since I last replied it has been such a disappointment I hate to think about it.

Right front wheel broke and spun.
Front drive shaft come apart and broke lots of stuff and dumped hydraulic fluid everywhere.
AC works sometimes.
Alternator went out machine down for three days.
Engine doors won't stay closed and they sure get tore up when they come open and get into the tires.
Grease lines to the bucket pins still keep breaking off.
Last hydraulic sample came back with high iron. We haven't had leaks lately and the fluid samples are showing it.
Still shifts hard when it is at operating temperature.
Seatbelt latch broke.

[John C.]

CoalBurner,
A Fair Market Value trade out? You might ask them for a definition of Fair Market Value. I'm sure it will come out to what they would offer anyone else as a trade in value.

I would think they should offer to just trade out the old machine for the demo one and continue on under the current financing.

I think there are some provisions in the UCC that cover your situation. The machine has not operated to what any reasonable person would consider acceptable performance. Perhaps a good attorney well versed in business law might be at your side when they make an offer. I'm sure the dealer and Volvo corporate have consulted with theirs.

Thanks for the update.

Good Luck!

[Squizzy246B]

G,day Coalburner, thanks for the update. I was starting to wonder how it was going....."market value"...maybe they should see what the members of HEF would offer for it????:eek:

I like to see the dealer work on their offers, stew over it, go back and forward before you start lawyering up though. You got a lemon and they should buy back at exactly what you paid for it......the problem here I feel is not going to be the dealer...its Volvo for sure and I have seen dealers well and truly screwed over by Volvo before.

Good Luck and hope it works out for you.

[Digger992]

mwhyte

I feel your pain.

Volvo is finally coming to the table with a proposal of trading out the 330 with their 350 demo machine. Volvo says that they want to do a fair market value trade on the machines. I am not impressed. I told the dealer that if Volvo wanted pay me the money I have been out I will gladly entertain the option of a buy out trade.

It has been a while since I last replied it has been such a disappointment I hate to think about it.

Right front wheel broke and spun.
Front drive shaft come apart and broke lots of stuff and dumped hydraulic fluid everywhere.
AC works sometimes.
Alternator went out machine down for three days.
Engine doors won't stay closed and they sure get tore up when they come open and get into the tires.
Grease lines to the bucket pins still keep breaking off.
Last hydraulic sample came back with high iron. We haven't had leaks lately and the fluid samples are showing it.
Still shifts hard when it is at operating temperature.
Seatbelt latch broke.

Front Wheel = unreal,thats odd on a Loader but does happen...
Driveshaft = they dont have a guard over it??? I have broke a few in my day,usually traction hop first then SNAP...
Alt = well thats just electrical chit...gonna happen...
Engine door = Thats a Safety issue if they are hitting your tires...That machine would be Tagged D.N.O. where i work til they fixed it...
Hyd Sample = I had 2 that came back High,They said on new machines during break in they will usually show high,things are wearing in place...
Tranny = thats a tuff one IMO...I would rather a Tranny shift a little hard then slip...If it shifts so hard it hurts your back thats a whole different thing...
Seatbelt=D.N.O. PER M.S.H.A. REG'S...M.S.H.A. is handing out big fines for silly chit...There are not many more lil love taps on the hand...Our last fine was $2500 for a single handrail missing,it was about 2ft long...I havnt dealt with O.S.H.A. in years but i would say thats a D.N.O. with them too...

How long has this machine been down compared to in service time???Thats a pretty good list you got going...

[Digger992]

G,day Coalburner, thanks for the update. I was starting to wonder how it was going....."market value"...maybe they should see what the members of HEF would offer for it????:eek:

I like to see the dealer work on their offers, stew over it, go back and forward before you start lawyering up though. You got a lemon and they should buy back at exactly what you paid for it......the problem here I feel is not going to be the dealer...its Volvo for sure and I have seen dealers well and truly screwed over by Volvo before.

Good Luck and hope it works out for you.

I have too and if Volvo would at least try to work with them,they dont seem to give a chit...I believe there are certain time frame laws as to run time hrs vs down time hrs on new machines,i may be wrong on that or it may be state to state...Thats why I asked that question..

[coalburner]

digger992
I get the feeling you didn't read this thread from the beginning.


Volvo has almost spent the cost of this machine fixing it.

[zlssefi]

Hello guys, new to the forum here. This is a great site i stumbled upon when i was looking for terex loader information. Would someone be so kind to start a thread for me so i can ask a few questions regarding my 73-31ba? thanks in advance guys!

Brian

[RollOver Pete]

Welcome to HEF zlssefi :drinkup
:cool:

[coalburner]

Update: I made a responce to there ???K trade out price. Haven't heard from them yet. They are telling me that the new 350 is going to save me money and increase production, I told them that is the same thing they said the 330 would do over two 980's which it hasn't. The sad part is I didn't post this problem company wide and now one of our other plants has a PO for a 350. I shouln'd have been so paitent and torpedoed that deal.

Last failures:
Front drive shaft let loose, we keep telling them that the transmission is still shifting to hard, they say that is normal for the 330.

Dealer teck says the rear differential has a lot of play in it.

Had another hydraulic sample come back bad.

Bucket pin broke into pieces and parked the machine. The dealer did bring a small loader to help out. Our 980 F had a broken fan belt spring, and a VERY hard to find broken fuel line that was causing it to suck air. The 980 G had a hydraulic leak. I wish the Volvo would do what we bought it for. It is expensive keeping back up loaders for what one 330 should be doing.

[alco]

Coalburner,

Do you have an update on your situation for us?

Brian

[coalburner]

It is almost over.:)

[equipment fan]

Hmmm,nice new loader.Please,take us a pic of it when he will be completely assemble!

[hvy 1ton]

Pretty sure that's the old 330 leaving, and if it's leaving you can bet there won't be a Volvo replacing it, considering coalburner's experiences thus far.

[Rockbreaker]

To me that looks like a brand new 350F:beatsme

[Lashlander]

I don't thinks thats the old one. It would have to be looking pretty tough by now. I'm guessing its getting replaced.

[hvy 1ton]

They are telling me that the new 350 is going to save me money and increase production, I told them that is the same thing they said the 330 would do over two 980's which it hasn't. The sad part is I didn't post this problem company wide and now one of our other plants has a PO for a 350. I shouln'd have been so paitent and torpedoed that deal.
I stand corrected. Pneumonia may be getting the better of mental abilities, but still sounds like that 350 is on the way out. I could be wrong twice.

[MKTEF]

We could have a nice betting here::D

Mine is as this:
He's getting a new 350 for the old 330.
Somebody up in Volvo has been forced to solve this bad topic going over HEF for so long time.:cool:

And thats the new one arriving for assembly....

And i also bet that coalburner should come out with some positive feedbacks on the 350F here on HEF very soon....

Or what????

[coalburner]

Yes we did work out a deal and it wasn't an even trade. Trust me nothing is free anymore.

My first thoughts on the new L350.
It's a 115K pound sports car, fast, smooth shifting, quiet, powerful, a very impressive machine. So far so good:)

One more thing the L330 has been had some problems with the CDC, and ac, but it has been fairly dependable over the last few months, it will be a good loader for some one.

[Tigerotor77W]

My first thoughts on the new L350.
It's a 115K pound sports car, fast, smooth shifting, quiet, powerful, a very impressive machine. So far so good:)

Glad it all got worked out for you.

[equipment fan]

nice loader,congratulations!

[AtlasRob]

Yes we did work out a deal and it wasn't an even trade. Trust me nothing is free anymore.

My first thoughts on the new L350.
It's a 115K pound sports car, fast, smooth shifting, quiet, powerful, a very impressive machine. So far so good:)

One more thing the L330 has been had some problems with the CDC, and ac, but it has been fairly dependable over the last few months, it will be a good loader for some one.

Thanks for pulling this thread to the top.
It has been my evenings reading :)
coalburner you are an :angel or at least a saint :D with the patience you have.
I sincerely hope that loader is everything that you expected the last one to be. Good luck.

[euclid]

I read every thread and from my experience in System Safety and Reliability with aircraft and even though it is apples and oranges as far as the subject goes but from what I’m reading the 330 was a quickly manufactured loader to answer some sort need and a way to compete to the other manufactures. It is very obvious that Volvo messed up and the engineering department has gotten beat up over this poorly made piece. It was clear with other post that other operators voiced very similar issues with reliability and again Volvo basically has to bite the bullet on this unit and hopefully this 350F is the answer. I have run different equipment over the last twenty years but I don’t do it long enough to really give an honest no BS assessment on how it stood up to another piece. What I’ve found is heaps of research has been done to keep the operator focused on the job with a lot less work physically with over long periods of time through ergonomics. I believe the experiences that Coalburner has witnessed and the knowledge he has since he seems to be in a place of upper management that he can and could clearly express ways of mitigating future issues. It was clear that the computer didn’t lie and it proved with out of doubt the operators where doing there jobs within the perimeters again it was clearly Volvo who was at fault. I am pointing the finger at the manufacture since you have repeated issues with fittings, and leaks and those are nuisance gripes with low operation hours. To me those kinds of things are expected from time to time due to vibrations and wear but these seem clearly in workmanship was lacking in the test phase. I read several posts that clearly expressed you’d get a lemon from time to time. Now is when legal liabilities get into the mix and where Volvo may not want to get to loose lipped about mistakes made in the development of this machine. It is easier to trade and save face than go to court over a proven faulted and failed piece of equipment and have it on record of a court proceedings for future lawsuits. Maybe I’m looking more into this than is really there but again this is and has been a very interesting thread.

[CatYelloBlooded]

If there was ever a story of a lemon- man this is it. I'm glad to see some resolution to this. Hopefully through your patience you will be rewarded with a dependable loader.

[stretch]

Nice loader! :thumbsup

But is this ad really called for?

[euclid]

Nice loader! :thumbsup

But is this ad really called for?

I believe this guy is peddling product while spamming the board since this has been seem on other post but I could be wrong.

http://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=6537

[elirock83]

I have never ran a volvo and probably never will. My familly has been running a quarry since the 1950's we had allis chalmers loaders, till the first articulated michigan's came out and ran them till the early 1990's. When volvo bought michigan in 1986 it was the begining of the end. We had a L140 and couldn't find parts for it. We call up our dealer and tell them we had an 140 and they say, "oh you got one of those? That could be a problem."

From what i have heard/read about the L350F it should be a boon to man kind over the 330. Our main competitor bought 4 or 5 330's in the mid 90's And know they had to replace tranny's on all of them once. My neighbor is a mechanic for them.

I just hope you don't give up on other brands though, if cat thinks they have you hooked they don't price very good. we bought a new komatsu wa500 for 80% of what a used 980g was priced. The big komatsu's are good and i think the kawasaki's are well like, i just wish we had a dealer with in a 100miles.

[Sparffo]

The service truck is here all the time; I just hope he gets all the loose hydraulic fittings tight before the warranty is out. One of the main lines on the hydraulic pump came loose the other day and was spraying fluid all over the turbo charger it was almost all over but the crying.

The bucket pins were installed per factory directions and kept coming loose. The service mechanic figured out that they were installed backwards. Ordered a new set and installed them his way and they have been tight since.

you probably did not notice that you bought a volvo earthmoving machine :D
i would take one even if it would be almost free, the cost of leaking oil is to high! it's the same with the excavators also :mad:
but the trucks seems to beed decent!
why buy a volvo, when CAT, komatsu and some other japanese machines are leak free?
My D8 14A (1955model) doesn't leak oil at all...

[awful knawful]

Hope you have better luck with this one CB.

[pierre_volvo]

Hope you have better luck with this one CB.

yes hope you have better luck with this piece of swedish steal :usa

[D5G]

So coalburner, hows everything going now?

[JimInOz]

Hey Coalburner,
You only have to look at your local "Fair Trading" laws,which applies to every business,big or small.
Here in Australia we have one law which states.." You are required to give a refund if the goods:
1...are faulty(even if the fault becomes obvious after reasonable use)
2..are unfit for their purpose ( ie..won't do what they are reasonably expected to do.)
3...don't match the description or sample given.

My advice...don't go to Volvo to get them to decide your fate (after spending ?????$$$).....go to your Consumer Affairs Bureau or whatever you have there.
Tell them the exact truth...that you spent huge dollars on a pile of scrap that made you look bad to your customers.
Every company makes piles of scrap on occassion...a guy spending his house away to buy it should not wear the cost of shoddy workmanship & bad service.

I wish you well.
Jim

[BillyP]

So coalburner, hows everything going now?

I'm not coalburner but I work with him and run this machine (L350) and it has issues. same design on the seat, wires being cut when the seat is lowered , bucket pins replaced twice, one set was an upgrade the second was due to improper install, two computer replacements, a/c problems, hard to start, sounds like it looses prime, return to dig has to be reset at each startup (no fix for this yet) Seems like every fix leads to a new problem.
Takes a long time to get parts.
It's been better than the 330 though.
Personally I'd rather have a Cat!

[euclid]

I'm return to dig has to be reset at each startup (no fix for this yet) Seems like every fix leads to a new problem.
Takes a long time to get parts.


You gotta love software and the amount of code used in upgrades and patches. To me it sounds like the computers and the software was a fast install and engineering didn't want to spend money on proper research on software up grades and the problems associated when you add code to the existing programs.....From what you posted these issues are more a nuisance and not safety related.

[[-Agent-]]

It is almost over.:)

Since this thread has come back. Did anyone notice (on the page before this) the volvo on the trailer the O on Volvo is missing? :rolleyes:

I like your new Volv

[coalburner]

I guess we need to start a new thread on the L350 it is going down the same road as the L330. I have been to frustrated to think about it. :Banghead

[awful knawful]

Well come on with it coalburner, I want to hear it. There are not many Volvos round here but all I hear is good things. Time to go back to some Cats I think.
AK

[BillyP]

We have a log book here where we record service hours, problems and call outs. There are more items there than I care to type but I'll do some highlights soon as we have time.

[BillyP]

The bucket controls on the 350 just broke, we're down again. :deadhorse

[MikeH]

:cool:330 Volvo's axle is come from DANA made in USA, I think that quality of it is right, and it is unlucky for the user.