Cracked HR tow ball tongue update.

I guess he wants someone to acknowledge that an important part such as that should have some standards. Safety before a dollar!!! Michael

Aye Krakka.

Do you like going to funerals??? Maybe even your own or a family member, friends, people you love admire & respect... As for myself I feel some of the pain when I see people confronted with the fact that a loved one has been taken by an act of stupidity or negligence. Take the money & run!!!! I think not old son. How morally shallow would one be if one did that... Try to think about it in a broader context... You might find a little enlightenment.

Cheers 2TGs.

G/day H&F.

Mate thanks for your & all the others who are supporting me. Yes you're pretty well on the money!!! If that had been the response I had received non of this would be happening, but sadly it wasn't!!!!
It astounds me in that if one chooses to take a stance against dodgy products/service there are people who come out of the wood work & try to vilify you for doing so, do they not realise it that if nobody took a stance we would be up to our necks in crap service/products from companies who have the moral compass akin to someone like Pol Pot. In that regard I refuse vehemently to take a backward step & I will add a general warning to all who try to degenerate my actions, with no apologies to to Paul Keating, "I will do you. & I will do you slowly"

Cheers 2TGs

"A bumble bee is inherently faster than a John Deer tractor" :-) :-)

"A bumble bee is inherently faster than a John Deer tractor" :-) :-)

And so are bloody paper wasps.

Hiding on the fence. :((

Hi Roachie,
Your dead right, all of what you say is true and that's the way they like it.
Make it has hard as possible for you to complain about things.Make it such an impossible process that you will think 'It's not worth it'
Well you know what, it's worth it.
It's an art form to them.
Telling people to get stuff in such a nice way that the customer will actually feel they enjoyed it.

G/day Roachie.

Good to see you're still pounding the keyboard. Yes I have that niggling concern about Consumer Affairs, "a cry in the wilderness" so to speak, but I had to go somewhere, I thought about the Current Affair thingo but some times that can backfire & one ends up looking like a right pratt on national telly... Probably a last resort tactic in this regard, but it's early days yet so we'll give the wheels of bureaucracy a chance to actually start turning!!!?? As for the hard earned, yesterday when I went to Repco I asked for a refund... No can do, we'll give you an "in store credit" to the original value of $90.00... Nothing in writing, just a gentleman's agreement/hand shake. I'm going down today before their memory fades, I don't know what I want!!?? But I'll get me 2 bobs worth. Also yesterday I went toTJM & purchased another tow ball tongue... $90.00 thank you!!! And guess what brand it is??? OK here's your banana, yeah another HR, albeit one without the hex indentations... Talk about blind faith! I just wasn't prepared to traipse all over town looking for that elusive locally mfg one plus I need the hitch for the w/e so I bit the bullet.
It's all been a pain in the proverbial but I like a challenge so we'll soldier on.

Cheers mate. 2TGs.

I've used my Torak tractor for all manner of things and one of them is pushing over stainer posts before I pull them out.
Just back her up, put her in low and give her what for.
Never cracked my tongue.
;-))

Morning Signman.

Mate the failure to the tow ball tongue wasn't caused during it's intended use, as I've stated on a couple of occasions. A mate reversed into it in his ute at a speed slower than walking pace, the damage to his vehicle is negible, a couple of very small dings a bit of chipped paint & a busted reversing light lens, & yes you're right in saying that these items are not designed to be run into!!!... But... There is always a but in these equations... Should that scenario happen the item should bend!!! NOT CRACK!!!!!! If it had just bent I could accept that... Straighten the bloody thing out & get on with it, I speak with some qualification here as I've bent a couple of tongues in my time & I reiterate BENT!!! not CRACKED!!! And I'll say to all the doubting Thomasa's out there, pop down to your local wreckers yard, find a car with a tow bar & tongue that has been whacked up the bum & check to see if the tongue is bent or cracked... I'll bet London to a brick it will be bent!!

Cheers 2TGs

That's all very good Jon- but I don't think a Consumer tribunal would be swayed (or impressed) with that evidence.

By the sounds of things, the Company has offered to replace the item or offer a full credit..
And the failure of the item was not during it's intended use !!

Like a lot of cases on this Forum- there's always two sides to the story !!!!! and a lot of times we only get lopsided information.

Ok,
You have your trailer, camper, what ever it is your towing at the time.
Happily driving down the road, there is road works or what ever, you stop, BANG, you get whacked from behind. Not a big hit. And your tow tongue gets cracked not bent. Or you reversed into a stump or tree, a concrete wall at a shopping center, You only purchased it the week before. I think the point to 2TGs post is HR doesn't want anything to do with it. They are the manufacturer/importer of this product. It's in their best interest to investigate all complaints.
And as for the MTAA and DFT of NSW is concerned they are a gutless toothless paper tigers, IMO.
We all use things as they weren't indented.

Consumer affairs will be laughing about this one every friday night at the pub for years.

G/day Brew69.

Mate could you expand on your comment?? I know C/A can be a bit of a toothless tiger on occasions but I have to start some where, If you have any suggestions I'm all ears.

Cheers 2TGs

G/day Ted.

Yes I mulled it over a bit as to where to go with this issue, a lot of advice rolling in, in the end I thought, well I'm just a consumer so I'll go to C/A. Keep it nice & simple from my end, It's not my job to try to get the corporate sector to toe the line, even if I did how far do you think I'd get??? Mmmmm yeah that's what I reckoned to. I can only do so much!! I can't save the world
And as you pretty well sum it up, to get a positive outcome a truck load of variables have to be dealt with...
I remain optimistic.

Cheers 2TGs

Hey 2TGs

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Please post back if, and when you get a result.

All the best with it mate.

Hi Jon.

Mate my motto precisely... Love it.

I've a feeling it could be long drawn out affair with C/A that's why I've considered Chrisse's advice of running it before my car insurance co to maybe expedite proceedings a bit.
I'll keep the forum informed of progress as the info comes in.

Best regards 2TGs.

Hi Chris

Mate you're a crafty little bugger!!! Would never have thought of that one, In light of what Ted said I'll give your suggestion some very serious consideration, it shouldn't require a great deal effort & could get a good result... It's a pity the likes of Patrol22 couldn't come up with ideas like this instead of trying to vilify me for my course of actions... But they're only a bunch of gutless cowards anyway, they prefer to just sit & snipe at you from the ridges, when they cop a bit of return fire they run away.
Thanks for the tip.

Cheers 2TGs.

Yeah i don't go for the testicles, not if the throats available!!!

Can't fight if you can't breath!!!!


Wanna play??? I play hard, so should we as the consumer!!!!

Sic em Rex, well in this case!!!

Nail' em with ya 2TommyGuns!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sorry couldn't help myself!

Thread # 61051

Hi AT.

Mate we could debate the merits of Chinese metallurgy & said processes all night, but my knowledge in that regard is pretty limited so you would win hands down. But this is what I do know, the shock loads that are exerted on the tongue via the tow ball would by far exceed (in my estimation) those that were exerted on it from the collision with the mates ute, the hex indentations on both sides of the tongue have reduced the thickness of the plate, that in it's self would compromise the strength of the steel.
The crack runs along the back line of the hex parallele to the bar on the underside so if there is going to be a failure line from being pushed that's where it would be. If it were from being pulled the failure would be on the topside, anyway I think these arguments are secondary to the main game & that is, the tongue cracked. If one is prepared to accept that, & some seem to there's bugger all I can do about that, I guess my standards are a little higher I would expect this item to withstand the rigors of its towing capacity over a lifetime. On occasion I have exceeded the rating of a hitch with caravans & trailers & have bent the tongue, but never cracked it.
To run another scenario, had I been backing the trailer up & had hit some thing the same result would have occurred, had I not noticed it & was going down the road & drove over a trench that had been dug across the road, you know the ones that the filling subsides, bang, shock load going the other way with the likely hood of snapping the tip off the tongue!!! I'll leave the rest to everyone's imagination.
Bottom line is I think it's a dodgy item & needs to be investigated!!!

Cheers 2TGs.

I agree with ya, 2TGs.............

The job that these things are intended to do, they should be able to stand being run over by a bl@@dy D9!

The fact that the tongue cracked, no matter what the circumstances, is IMO cause for major concern, and I take my hat off to ya for making a noise about it.. Thanhs for bringing it to our attention:)

Best of luck, and keep us informed of any outcome...

Regards, Ed C

Not saying your wrong at all simply throwing in some other points to keep in mind. Your the only one that knows the type of impact and type of crack formed. Just keep in mind what I've posted (and others) and structure your argument to the bodies considering these facts. Keep emotion and assumptions out of the argument and you'll have a good reasoned document to send them. Don't take it the wrong way am trying to strengthen your position when you go down this path. The minute you add emotion, assumptions or incorrect facts people will focus in on those points and disregard the issue.

If you put it in writing don't put in absolutes unless you know them. Eg don't say the metal is poor quality, say it might or maybe......
Don't say the metal is obviously hardened due to incorrect process but say maybe the metal..........

See what I mean it's all in the wording. State your facts that you can validate so type of vehicle, speed of impact, etc, etc. You can add your thoughts but they should be suggestions. Believe me it will make a difference to those looking at it analytically. We're all human and sub-consciously act pretty similar so stick to the facts and have a reasoned argument and you'll have a good chance of someone actually spending the time and effort to check it out.

Hope the suggestions help.

Hi AT.

Mate points taken & well received, you're 100% correct!!
I've had the odd barny with bureaucracy & the corporate world over the yrs & if one thing stands out from it all it's the telling of the truth, the simplicity of it is you can't change it if you stick to it.

B/S as opposed to truth will eventually fail when it comes under extreme scrutiny... No point going there, learnt my lesson very early in life, copped a couple of good floggings from the old man when I tried it on with him, even after rehearsing my B/S story for hrs, he could see through me like a pane of glass, in the end I just gave it up, wasn't worth the pain & besides I copped extra for trying to B/S him in the first place, better to fess up & get it over with.

The only time I get emotive is when people try to imply that I'm making it all up... I can't for the life of me understand what they're on about or where they're coming from, all a bit Freudian I'm afraid, suffice to say I'll defend my territory to the last bullet as I abhor people suggesting that I'm B/S#@ting. Now if I had a camera that could take Macro photos & knew how to put em up on the forum... Maybe that would keep a few of the pedants/naysayers off my back... Maybe!!!!!

All the best. 2TGs