Most people I’ve spoken to say that MANs are best not touched with a bargepole but I’d be interested in any more opinions, as ever, especially from people who have actually operated them. I’m thinking 07/57 reg sort of thing. What are their known vices?
Harry, i have got an 06/06 plate XLX and an 07/57 plate XXL
the XXL is the 440 Euro4 motor, had it since the beginning of Jan, the only problem i have had with it was a red engine management warning light come up on the dash, along with a fault code, after a quick phone call to the dealer, he told me what the fault code was for and the rectification required, basically change the fuel filter
with the 06 plate, 430 euro3 motor, i have had that since the beginning of October 2010, in that time, the only non service items that have needed looking at is the drivers door window regulator, an air valve on the auto box started leaking and a cab air bag had a hole worn in it and was losing air, this though was not a fault on teht ruck, it was where someone previously had removed the lower grille and when refitting it, didn’t place the headlamp wash feed pipe in the correct place and it wore a hole in the cab air bag
i can highly recommend them, i have had far less hassle with the MAN’s than i have had with the DAFs
I bought an 06 plate TGA 430 last November as my first motor and so far have had no bother with it at all! Its done 615000k’s and it still drives really nice and is also comfortable. One thing I was told when looking at the MAN is that the 480 engines are more prone to water and head problems than the 430’s and 440’s. Why this is i’m not too sure but thats the advice I was given by an operator who runs 8 MAN’s. The cab on my xlx is ample enough for living away in all week and while the auto box is a little slow on the uptake its something you will eventually get used to! Good luck!
One more thing I would say is that mine ain’t very good on fuel although this is probably due to the fact I use alot of country roads going uphill and down dale and also run at 44T about 75% of my time. Cheers.
Can’t speak as an owner but we have 2 on our fleet. A 54 plate and a 56. Both sound motors only problem being on both of them the turbo went one at about 500000 ks the other around 600000. The 54 plates just turned over 950000 and still going strong.
I am here: tapatalk.com/map.php?ypbmyg
CVME seem to have loads of them, and they do come with 12 months MOT and a major service including new clutch and brakes if tolerances are under a certain level, same with tyres etc.
I’ve never even driven one (apart from a yard shunter with a column gear change 
) so I know nothing about them.
This, a 2007 euro 4 is £19,500
Compared to this Daf, a 2008 euro 5 at £36,000.
So it does seem like a big price difference, although obviously the Daf is euro 5.
I’d appreciate any further input, good bad or ugly.
Also, what is the meaning of the cab codes? It looks to me as though XLX models have a narrower cab than XXL?
The d20 engine has gained a poor reputation for blowing up at around 500k but it seems to stem from not using the correct oil which ain’t the cheapest.
My previous employer ran about 20 the earlier ones no problem the new management decided to use cheap oil and to my knowledge have had 4 engines go.
LXL = narrow cab, high roof
XL = full width cab, low roof
XLX = full width cab, semi high roof
XXL = full width cab full height roof (as the one you have pictured with the glass panel above the door)
hope this helps
I had a 460 XXL TGA on an 02 plate, nothing serious went wrong, couple of valves on air suspension then the air dryer (which had caused the valves to go) & the usual service items. Use good but not necessarily MAN oil & filters for changes if poss.
I now drive a 55 plate 430 XXL for J R Adams which has had to have a set of injectors (which a few of the others on the fleet have had to) and an air dryer and a couple of the others have had fuel pumps. 1 had a oil pump go but driver saved any serious damage by quick reactions.
For the price, you get an awful lot of lorry compared to what else is available 
Nice motor for a driver, nice ride, quiet & comfortable with plenty of room & a big bed
Probably because Jr Adams 55 plates are ex carters/wincanski motors and were double shifted and abused in their early life
Some of the pre 07 D20’s have had a recall due to the oil pump although I am not sure what the problem was. MAN seemed to cover the parts but not labour.
Also the turbos seem to be prone to going at relitively low mileage. The air pick up for the compressor is near to the turbo inlet and after the turbo fails if bits break of the inlet rotor the compressor ■■■■■ them up and you get bits of metal in the compressor valves and air system.
Our place is returning 21 TGA on 07 plate to Hill hire/Ryder starting this week,theyre putting brand new diesel tanks (side’s damaged by our moffit’s),new steps on both side’s and most have got a full set of new tyres on them…will be a good buy for somebody
We bought a new TGS and I rate them well, it’s the 440 and with an auto box, I like it a lot, nice to drive, plenty of power in my opinion and as for reliability, well I will let you know when we have a few miles on the clock.
I know Gerry Jones fairly well, he lives not far and we have done a lot of work in his yard, he swears by them!
One of our few 440’s has had head gasket at about 160k, one of the others at similar mileage uses a lot of water, so could be heading the same way, spend a fair bit of time at the dealers with various defects, considering the low mileage the interiors are flimsy, these are not in the same league as previous generation MAN’s, which were tough simple and durable.
I drove a manual wide cab a few times and it wasn’t a bad truck, the switch controlled clutch operation being a nice touch, auto’s are absolutely fine on the motorway and the open road, but once they have to do some hard work like tight close manoeuvers or some serious hill climbing with traffic then they can’t IMO cope and require manual override to manage anything hard, and then balancing throttle with clutch engagement whilst all 6 trailer wheels are trying to push you back is seriously unpleasant…if i’m doing a long motorway run then i’m happy enough with one, but some of our jobs require serious controllable torque to get the truck turned round (no 360’s allowed at one site) and the engine does not suit the box for such work, no low speed lugging ability.
As good as the other makes in the yard on fuel, but nothing to write home about.
ive just bought a magnum 08 with volvo gear
only paid 26k for it done 360000 km 6x2
very impressed with it so far driver says pulls better than scania before good on fuel
and cheap truck compared to scania prices now
But saying that got the lAsT SCANIA cheap at the time 3 years later only lost 12k on it
Had a man on hire couple years ago didnt like gearbox but for a 440 wasnit to bad on spain and fuel on par with 480 scania
did break down once towed into man got to workshop and fault cleared itself
hire company had £800 bill for priveledge
We have 21, 10 tga xlx 10tgx xlx 1 tgaxxl. Cab’s are ok. Engines are terrible. No good on juice. Always having problems with them. Last year 3 08plate tgx’s had the heads crack, tappets go on them around 470k. Price for parts are more then our scainas(which are far more reliable)
Cheap truck yes. Good truck no…
It seems to be the usual story, for everyone who thinks they are a good truck, there’s someone else who thinks it’s a bad truck…
I have just been and had a look at one on a Rent to Buy plan, an '07 reg 440 XLX, I’m just looking at the figures now as I hadn’t considered Rent to Buy before. essentially it’s £395 a week with tax, tyre wear and full R&M over two years with A £3,000 option to buy at the end.
It’s a bit of a basic truck from a driver’s point of view but I could possibly live with it, anyone got any advice on Rent to Buy?
Seems an expensive way to buy what will be an 8 year old truck when it’s yours.
kr79:
Seems an expensive way to buy what will be an 8 year old truck when it’s yours.
I’m just looking at the figures now, it does initially look expensive but the full R&M takes a lot of the risk away. Won’t know until I’ve had a chance to work it through though.
I know what your saying but you could probally get a new or newish motor on contract hire. What’s the crack if you don’t want it after a few months do you just give it back?