Mechanics Special Gehl 140 - Cheap!

joerussell · Nov 21, 2014

Here's the deal. These machines are awesome. Top Notch Equipment is awesome. This particular machine has some goofy thing up with the axles. When I run duals on the wheels it will brake the axle drive-shafts within a few weeks. It has broken 7 drive-shafts in 2 years. I have a 340 and another 140 also and have never broken any drive-shafts in either of those machines. I sent it back to dave @ top notch who is SUCH a great guy (you rock Dave) to have the factory hopefully figure something out but he has not had much luck. I need this thing gone. It is up in Minnesota. I paid $36K for it with a BMG, Clam shells, and 4 duals, brand new 2 years ago. If you can run a gehl 140 without duals, here is your bargain of the year. If not, buy a new one from Dave, they are sweet machines for tree work and seem to work fine with duals all the time. This machine has some weird tolerance off or some thing in the axle housing that allows too much play in the drive shaft and I am done with trying to figure it out. I've have considered as low as $14K for it the way it sits in the pictures (which is how it will sell). Make me an offer if interested.
Joe Russell
614.348.8050

Lumberjack · Nov 21, 2014

Not that it's related to the axle issue, but the front tires are backwards. That would offer more traction backing up dragging brush though.

That I know of, only 3 140's have had any axle issues. Yours, one of my customers in MI, and a third that Dave mentioned at TCIA that I hadn't heard about.

2xlclimber · Nov 21, 2014

I wish I hadn't just bought a ditch witch mini because that's one hell of a deal

joerussell · Dec 2, 2014

craneguy1 · Dec 2, 2014

Rather unfortunate that gehl won't stand behind their product. Do they use a differential? Only thing i keep coming back to is that its locking up full time and the driveshaft is the weakest link.? Good luck with the sale.

Coen · Dec 3, 2014

I was wondering if putting duels on it somehow voided any warranty issues?

craneguy1 · Dec 3, 2014

Hmmm. Lumberjack?

Lumberjack · Dec 3, 2014

We think we have the issue figured out, we are checking with the third 140 that was breaking axles to get the feedback from them.

Duals put an enormous load on the bearings in the hub compared to a single tire, and they are not a "factory approved" option. If the problem is as I/we suspect, the problem is the bearings wear/develop play, and that puts an increased load on shaft, causing the breakage. Still, given the relative large number of units in the field, the problem seems rather intermittent.

The 140 does not have a locking differential, only a limited slip. The 340 and 540 models have locking differentials.

craneguy1 · Dec 4, 2014

If not "factory approved"; who makes them? Plenty of manufacturers make pieces of equipment that are designed to run duals reliably. It's a bummer to hear all this mess because i was planning on a 540 in the next few years to replace what we use now. unhappy to let treevet know...but you can easily grab big logs with a "grapple bucket".

Lumberjack · Dec 4, 2014

They are made by Top Notch Equipment at the dealer level.

The 140 is designed to be a compact machine, duals aren't compact.

MooseHead · Dec 4, 2014

If this is still here when I hit the lottery I'll take it!

littlenick · Dec 5, 2014

I have to say, that is pretty ridiculous that Gehl is not standing behind this machine. You would think that if someone spends the money to have 6-7 axles replaced that there is something else wrong with it...

Coen · Dec 5, 2014

Yeah, but putting duels on something that is not engineered for duels seems to be the problem. If I were the manufacturer and there were people doing things to them that they were not designed for, I don't think I would ok when they came to me with problems like this.
I understand Gehl makes great equipment and I don't agree that they're to blame here.