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Titan or CHU Pinnacle for a lowboy tractor?


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4 hours ago, bts-4120 said:

do we even have the HD button in the states  I can see where it would be a useless trans  if you don't get the performance button

Useless? Please - the man is running 140 tonnes (300,000lbs). I think the mDrive in econo mode can handle American loads of 80k and under.

I've never seen an HD button. Hauling heavier loads of 125k I just switched between econo and performance. I'd generally leave it on econo unless I was starting on a steep hill or something. But the econo mode would move the truck, no doubt about it.

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3 hours ago, TeamsterGrrrl said:

Sure the Volvo automated manual can handle 100+ tons, but for how long?

For longer than an 18 speed Eaton would last with todays steering wheeler holder seat covers trying to move 140 tons, LOL.

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I've also heard of M-Drives needing rebuilds at only 400-500k miles, we've come to expect twice that from Maxitorques and even Eaton twin countershaft transmissions. There is also the price of a rebuild to consider- $15k for the M-Drive as Volvo is the only source. You might get lucky and find a new take out for $3k or so, as a lot of new Mack buyers are pulling out the M-Drives before they put their new Macks in service.

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59 minutes ago, TeamsterGrrrl said:

a lot of new Mack buyers are pulling out the M-Drives before they put their new Macks in service.

Sure seems like a lot of time & money to do that

must be buying them at a steal

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If they are pulling the M-drives why are they even buying the trucks with them ? Seems kind of stupid to me. 

I talked to my dealer friday and I asked him more about the M-drive and he told me he hasn't had any problems with them at all. He said he heard of one guy having computer issues which caused one to not shift properly but it was resolved quickly. He said he even has one guy who is pushing a million miles on one already without a problem.

I am really considering the M-drive.  I just can not make up my mind on the truck. 

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Tony

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3 hours ago, Tuffguy707 said:

If they are pulling the M-drives why are they even buying the trucks with them ? Seems kind of stupid to me. 

I talked to my dealer friday and I asked him more about the M-drive and he told me he hasn't had any problems with them at all. He said he heard of one guy having computer issues which caused one to not shift properly but it was resolved quickly. He said he even has one guy who is pushing a million miles on one already without a problem.

I am really considering the M-drive.  I just can not make up my mind on the truck. 

Only main concern (for me) if I was buying would be resale value of the Mdrive; 

I've always thought if I bought a new 1 it would last me rest of my life; but don't think that way anymore with all this new stuff; think  if I was going to buy new I would have in my mind of trading it at the best recommended time; could buy a new year old 1 probably lot cheaper than ordering 1; there again don't know; but that way you could also try something & if didn't like it you would know when you trade 

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3 hours ago, 1965 said:

Only main concern (for me) if I was buying would be resale value of the Mdrive; 

I've always thought if I bought a new 1 it would last me rest of my life; but don't think that way anymore with all this new stuff; think  if I was going to buy new I would have in my mind of trading it at the best recommended time; could buy a new year old 1 probably lot cheaper than ordering 1; there again don't know; but that way you could also try something & if didn't like it you would know when you trade 

 

Thats very true. I was thinning about asking a local company around here who runs all Macks and they have CHU tractors some with M-drives and others with 18 speeds if I could drive them or at least get their opinion on the setups they have. 

Tony

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11 hours ago, TeamsterGrrrl said:

I've also heard of M-Drives needing rebuilds at only 400-500k miles, we've come to expect twice that from Maxitorques and even Eaton twin countershaft transmissions. There is also the price of a rebuild to consider- $15k for the M-Drive as Volvo is the only source. You might get lucky and find a new take out for $3k or so, as a lot of new Mack buyers are pulling out the M-Drives before they put their new Macks in service.

I've heard the opposite: that the iShift and mDrive are reliable, trouble free pieces of equipment.  I've never heard of an overhaul at 500k, and I've certainly never heard of anyone yanking them out prematurely.

They're built to take 750hp engines and 140T loads overseas.  They're not going to self-destruct just because they're used in the USA.

 

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1 hour ago, Oso2 said:

I've heard the opposite: that the iShift and mDrive are reliable, trouble free pieces of equipment.  I've never heard of an overhaul at 500k, and I've certainly never heard of anyone yanking them out prematurely.

They're built to take 750hp engines and 140T loads overseas.  They're not going to self-destruct just because they're used in the USA.

 

All that said, you realize that the Volvo I-Shift (and Mack-branded variants) is available in many versions with differing ratings. The units sold in Oz are not identical to the units sold in the states.

Volvo's US market I-Shift (mdrive) brochures don't list models, max torque ratings or gear ratios........no specs whatsoever. Apparently you're supposed to blindly trust them, and not question.

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Yeah - and Volvo isn't the only one to hide information either. But here you are - these are from 2009. I have my doubts about the advertised maximum GVW of 132,000lbs, as they've been used up here in Canada for years on Super-B's (Max GVW of 139,000lbs). Overdrive is a .78 ratio, btw.

http://productinfo.vtc.volvo.se/files/pdf/lo/ATO3112C_Eng_01_953845.pdf

http://productinfo.vtc.volvo.se/files/pdf/hi/ATO2512C_Eng_01_953831.pdf

http://productinfo.vtc.volvo.se/files/pdf/lo/AT2512C_Eng_01_953804.pdf

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"They're built to take 750hp engines and 140T loads overseas.  They're not going to self-destruct just because they're used in the USA"

And operating in consistently higher ambient temperatures than we experience here in Canada and the U.S.

 

As for people pulling M-Drives out and replacing with manuals......you're living in a fantasy world.

 

Resale? Well they are almost outselling manuals now, so I don't think resale will be a problem, LOL!

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Working at a Mack/Volvo dealer I can say we usually have 2-3 I-Shifts apart per month. Some are complete swaps others are components of the trans.  Not so many M-drives up here yet but they are starting to catch on. That and because Volvo out sells Mack here at least 3 to 1. 

The Transmission has a good Warranty with it and on the resale side I've seen it impact the value negatively for the first few years. The value of the trucks with auto's seem to be starting to climb up here. 

I would be a little cautious about buying a used one with over 650K miles on it without cracking it open. It's more then $15K to replace one complete. Tack another $5-10K on. 

Allisons are much more common on Granites these days and are doing well on the construction side. Only Sucky part is the up charge on the option. 

 Having said that, we've pulled a few Mack T300 series out in the last few years but no Fullers. 

Hmmmmmm   

 

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On 6/6/2016 at 6:05 AM, Tuffguy707 said:

Thats very true. I was thinning about asking a local company around here who runs all Macks and they have CHU tractors some with M-drives and others with 18 speeds if I could drive them or at least get their opinion on the setups they have. 

When you spoke with the truck sales people at Watts Mack (owner of this site), and/or Jim Toussaint at Worldwide Equipment's Knoxville location, what did they have to say?

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11 hours ago, bbigrig said:

Working at a Mack/Volvo dealer I can say we usually have 2-3 I-Shifts apart per month. Some are complete swaps others are components of the trans.  Not so many M-drives up here yet but they are starting to catch on. That and because Volvo out sells Mack here at least 3 to 1. 

So, not knowing how many trucks you see per month, it's hard to gauge what 2-3 means. Would you rate their reliability as good?

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2-3 trucks with I-shifts removed for rebuild per month. 

It's as simple as that. Don't read to far into it.  

They are fairly reliable while under warranty. I wouldn't buy one with more the 650K miles unless you had some money stashed away to replace or rebuild it. 

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