Hi guys
Im just about to start working for myself and looking for a bit of advice.
I need to start small with a modest budget and im looking at buying a MAN TGX 2012 model. This truck will mees to get me through 18 months or so.
Are these a relatively safe bet or are there any horror stories i should know about before I commit.
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Stay away from EGR Engines(non-adblue)…
patrokloscy:
Stay away from EGR Engines(non-adblue)…
Thanks matey.
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patrokloscy:
Stay away from EGR Engines(non-adblue)…
Agree with this 100%. The reason there are so many reasonably priced Tgx 440’s around is because they’re crap. If you want MAN go 480 with adblue.
Matt.
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MAN most expensive pile of garbage on the road.
We had an ex MAN fitter come work with us and he reckoned all they did was non stop engine repairs, this was about 5/6 yrs ago.
Trickydick:
We had an ex MAN fitter come work with us and he reckoned all they did was non stop engine repairs, this was about 5/6 yrs ago.
Hmm. Maybe MAN is not the truck for me.
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Not all 440’s crap themselves repeatedly, but if you get a bad one it will be a nightmare.
Having said that, apart from several visits for the usual waterworks, and the thrust bearing disintegrating at 500k (each of ours have done the same in similar timeframe, had they investigated clutch judder when i reported it, clutch could have been changed when convenient), mine has been a more reliable motor than the vast majority the premium makes we run.
620k, Arsetronic trouble free (yes its crap to drive but its bloody reliable), 1 set of steer pads, 2 sets of drive axle pads, no disc replacements, hardly ever blows a bulb, 3 litres of oil usage a month hasn’t changed from new (can’t say that about Scanias which bloody drink it at this mileage) and as good on fuel as anything else we run, varied fleet max weight.
If you got a deal with full R&M, and your dealer is one of the better ones, it might be worth considering, wouldn’t entertain one without full cover.
480 supposed to be far better.
One thing, make sure you have good grippy drive axle tyres, one the most skittish tractors i’ve ever had, wheelspins in 11th 
when tyres getting down.
I’m sure I read on here that someone had to pay £8,000 for a new exhaust for one.
we run a 13 plate 440 TGX, it has adblue and the fitter (dealer ) has told us we have the better model, its a good motor, fuel sits about 9.3 MPG on container work, not the best insides but a good starter truck, its done 530K km and still going, had to replace a leaf spring and we are currently having problems with the adblue filters blocking up but that’s all, she does about 2500km a week.
would I buy one from new?? NO I would go for a better truck like a Volvo, Daf or Scania.
but we did get the right first truck as Volvo 14 plate FH4 would of cost us another £200 pw !
If only we had a JD Power style annual survey of trucks, life would be simpler…
I’ve never driven a MAN, never owned one…but I’ve spoken to a few drivers, operators and a couple of fitters at my local MAN dealer…
Everyone seems to say the engines and exhaust systems are frequent issues. The fitters actually warned me to steer clear…
Now, I’m sure all manufacturers produce the odd Friday afternoon dog, but I’ve not heard such consistent negativity about other makes…
Harry Monk:
I’m sure I read on here that someone had to pay £8,000 for a new exhaust for one.
Rumour I heard was around £13k for a DAF system on the new XF…
el_presidente:
Harry Monk:
I’m sure I read on here that someone had to pay £8,000 for a new exhaust for one.Rumour I heard was around £13k for a DAF system on the new XF…
Not long after the euro6 volvo fh4’s came out, one of the subbies had the exhaust system hit by a car. £10K for the exhaust system alone was quoted…
MAN made most of the engines for WWII U boats. Not relevant I know but interesting trivia maybe?
One bonus to so many being scrapped with the 440 Egr engine is there is an abundance of spare parts at very reasonable prices
There was an interview in (I think) Commercial Motor a few months back with the new UK big wig at MAN (might have even been the top boss himself)…Basically the thrust was he believed the brand should be pushing its way up the UK market share to something silly like 25% - and he ‘understood’ the brand isn’t seen in the same light as Scania, Volvo etc… but he believed it should be.
Anyhow, basically, they know they’ve challenges ahead, but want to push the brand hard.
It will be interesting to see how this develops over the next few years.
They’ve only got to turn the clock back 20 years and make MAN’s like they were then and before, pretty well unbreakable, nothing fashionable about them nor much driver kudos appeal like a Swedish motor festooned in accessories, but always well screwed together and could take the hammering, always cost a fortune for bits mind.
They were one of the last of the driver’s motors, dunno what happened, VW?
Juddian:
They’ve only got to turn the clock back 20 years and MAN’s like they were then and before, pretty well unbreakable, nothing fashionable about them nor much driver appeal like a Swedish motor festooned in accessories, but always well screwed together and could take the hammering, always cost a fortune for bits mind.
Quite so. Two or three decades ago they had a good reputation for reliability, and maybe not as desirable as a Swedish truck, they were still well respected. Didn`t some of them have a walk through cab with an overdrive box on a column change?
Franglais:
Juddian:
They’ve only got to turn the clock back 20 years and MAN’s like they were then and before, pretty well unbreakable, nothing fashionable about them nor much driver appeal like a Swedish motor festooned in accessories, but always well screwed together and could take the hammering, always cost a fortune for bits mind.Quite so. Two or three decades ago they had a good reputation for reliability, and maybe not as desirable as a Swedish truck, they were still well respected. Didn`t some of them have a walk through cab with an overdrive box on a column change?
I drove a 232 back in the olden days that had a column change, made getting across easier, and some of their wag n drags i believe had the engine slung underneath coach style.
Everyone takes the ■■■■ out of mine but in all honesty its been as reliable as anything on the fleet and better than most, but the modern ones aint unburstable and in an ideal world you’d issue one to someone who would drive it proper and look after it, but the real world isn’t like that and no bugger cares a jot.
My engine went bang in November but i like the truck and it does me for what i need it to do so i went for a complete engine rebuild by MAN which cost me nearly 10k, but i have to say it pulls fantastic now