company i work for has taken in 20+ mans this year as they kicked scania out and volvo couldnt supply enough the man has a good size cab but its too bland for me and the bed is thin a comfy truck on the motorway but a pig in traffic auto box does as it wants and poor build quality one of our drivers grabbed the rail to climb up it came of in his hand another opened the window and the grab rail above it flew out the window lower bumper parts fall off and most were delivered with parts missing with a note they would be fitted latter a shame as they look good and the 440 dosent need adblue
I have four fh12 vovlos, and two man units, one an 04 the other a 10plate really disapointed with the mans, wont buy another, cant wait to get shot of both of then,man are used to big corporate companies and dont want to know small hauliers, however volvo are very good at dealing with both, also truthfully the volvo is a way better product, i moved from volvo over an argument over 500 for a warranty job, i would have saved thousands if i had just payed up the 500 in hindsight, as soon as the hp is up in my man trucks, there going out the door pronto.,Truoble is the man salesman is good !, but i will not have another.
busy fool:
sounds a silly thing to say but they are all the same if you buy a good one your ok buy a bad one it will cost a fortune this applies to new trucks too there is bad ones out there
That’s pretty much bang on the money in my view. A company I know bought a cheap old CF DAF and in the first 12 months other than a few really trivial things nothing on it broke at all. In the next 12 months it had to be recovered and repaired at great expense three times for three completely unlrelated issues, the combined bill was probably more than they paid for it in the first place.
It’s just a case of luck I think as much as anything else…
Paul
repton:
busy fool:
sounds a silly thing to say but they are all the same if you buy a good one your ok buy a bad one it will cost a fortune this applies to new trucks too there is bad ones out thereThat’s pretty much bang on the money in my view. A company I know bought a cheap old CF DAF and in the first 12 months other than a few really trivial things nothing on it broke at all. In the next 12 months it had to be recovered and repaired at great expense three times for three completely unlrelated issues, the combined bill was probably more than they paid for it in the first place.
It’s just a case of luck I think as much as anything else…
Paul
yeah and to some point i can agree with that, thats why i got a second man, but with the benefit of hindsight my vovlos are luckier that the mans!.By the way by coincidence i had the used volvo salesman in today, best offer was a 2008 euro 4 fhxl, 250,000k for 57k ! told him he was way off an sent him packing, theres not that kind of dosh in general at the minute, i reckon london will be great next yr, lovely and quiet
richmond:
repton:
busy fool:
sounds a silly thing to say but they are all the same if you buy a good one your ok buy a bad one it will cost a fortune this applies to new trucks too there is bad ones out thereThat’s pretty much bang on the money in my view. A company I know bought a cheap old CF DAF and in the first 12 months other than a few really trivial things nothing on it broke at all. In the next 12 months it had to be recovered and repaired at great expense three times for three completely unlrelated issues, the combined bill was probably more than they paid for it in the first place.
It’s just a case of luck I think as much as anything else…
Paul
yeah and to some point i can agree with that, thats why i got a second man, but with the benefit of hindsight my vovlos are luckier that the mans!.By the way by coincidence i had the used volvo salesman in today, best offer was a 2008 euro 4 fhxl, 250,000k for 57k ! told him he was way off an sent him packing, theres not that kind of dosh in general at the minute, i reckon london will be great next yr, lovely and quiet
Sounds expensive Richmond…I saw a customer of our workshop,last week, selling off a 08 plate DAF 105.410 space cab 375,000kms for 23,000euros(19,000 sterling) at the moment.
Here you go boss, friday night, all trucks home, four fh12s parked in the yard, two mans at the dealers, one with electric display faults, the other with recall problem, just two more warning codes left on the 04 and we will have caught up with them all !Curoius, are you still keen to buy some mans, or have you decided on another make, i have to say at this point, that a good freind of mine has about 15 of them and swears by em, and he is getting rid of his volvo cos he dont rate it, so it does take all sorts. Me, im old skool, i want to go back to c and e series erfs, i polled the drivers about it, and i was in the minority though…
richmond:
Here you go boss, friday night, all trucks home, four fh12s parked in the yard, two mans at the dealers, one with electric display faults, the other with recall problem, just two more warning codes left on the 04 and we will have caught up with them all !Curoius, are you still keen to buy some mans, or have you decided on another make, i have to say at this point, that a good freind of mine has about 15 of them and swears by em, and he is getting rid of his volvo cos he dont rate it, so it does take all sorts. Me, im old skool, i want to go back to c and e series erfs, i polled the drivers about it, and i was in the minority though…
why not get some brookie ogden specials dairy crest tgx 480xlxs on the road monday better than the rental xf dafs we have at the moment
I normallly buy brookes cast offs!Actually i have earmarked his last two erf ec olympics, they are coming my way soon.old skool rules !
richmond:
I normallly buy brookes cast offs!Actually i have earmarked his last two erf ec olympics, they are coming my way soon.old skool rules !
had the old ec olympic wreg with spots when on for brook remember the three ecxs 2 blue 1 white
altough the white ones been off the road for along time now
nice motors karl when youget them big cam420s i think
The D20’s are only 10.5 litre engine’s, the D26’s are 13 litre, something to bear in mind if you’re running at max weight as the D20’s will be stressed more.
The manual’s with the comfort shift are very sweet but are rare as the auto is standard which is ok-ish but I wouldn’t buy another one as there’s more that can and does go wrong with auto box’s.
A D26 480 with a 16 speed manual would be my pick but the D26’s are quiet rare as most go for the D20 and the manual box is rarer still.
Silver_Surfer:
The D20’s are only 10.5 litre engine’s, the D26’s are 13 litre, something to bear in mind if you’re running at max weight as the D20’s will be stressed more.
Conversely if you’re at max weight work that is paid by the tonne, the D20s are (from memory) 150kg lighter so you will (all else being equal) earn more money with a D20.
Paul
I agree on the comfortshift box,it is a great drive. If i could have that box in an 1851…perfect truck.
I’ve had two Merc Actros, 05 & 56 plates, both 460 with the semi-auto telligent box…it’s definitely a certain type of driver’s gearbox/truck…needs a very relaxed driving style to get the best out of it, I agree. If you drive like this you’ll like it and bonus is the Megaspace has silly room and is bullet proof…in my experience they both felt very well built. I averaged 8.2-8.4mpg in both Mercs, which for my work was good. Dealer service not the best.
After that ran an Iveco Stalis 500, 08 plate, also very good but built to a price, no doubt. No major issues but dealer service excellent when needed. Stralis averaged 8.2mpg, couldn’t get it up any higher which dissapointed a little although a comfy big truck.
Curently running a 60 plate Renault Premium which, despite the flak it takes is proving to be a peach! Cab smaller - no doubt about it - than the Mercs and Iveco but well laid out inside with a faultless drivetrain brakes, retarder/exhauster and steering, better to drive than both the Iveco and Mercs in many respects.
Early days with only 35K up now on the Renault but now returning 8.7-9.0mpg on exactly the same work I’ve used all the other trucks on so up already. Couple of very minor issues so far and dealer fixed promptly…so far so good. Not sure if I’d like 5 nights out in the cab though given the size. Price for the truck is great though and economy thus far the best I have tried/ran. 
Have driven a few MANs with Comfortshift box, great box and driving position. Haven’t driven enough to offer any advice on them though.
they do require turbo’s quite often,but they are not a major operation.we do them at the roadside.
ellies dad:
I agree on the comfortshift box,it is a great drive. If i could have that box in an 1851…perfect truck.
It is another great box to use. I enjoyed driving one, especially as the other DHL motors were Actros
When i bought my two man trucks, i thought i had just got two cheaply priced mercedes benz trucks, two years later, it has come to pass that i just bought two expensive ivecos…
richmond:
When i bought my two man trucks, i thought i had just got two cheaply priced mercedes benz trucks, two years later, it has come to pass that i just bought two expensive ivecos…
thats a brilliant post richmond! funny as f…k PMSL
i,ve got to agree, i,m onto my second TGA and it comes nowhere near my old actros megaspace