MTH Repair Service - A Misnomer?

GNMT76 Oct 19, 2017

  1. GNMT76

    GNMT76 TrainBoard Member

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    I sent my three and one-half year old MTH HO Alco FA-1 loco to an MTH-authorized repairman in February of this year. After running it quite minimally - for track-testing purposes only while building my layout - the front headlight and the motor went kaplooey at the same time. Very disappointing, especially for an expensieve loco so little used.

    Soon after inspecting the loco, the repairman reported that a circuit board had burned out, causing both light and engine failure. He then ordered a new one - or so he thought, as it turned out. In the meantime, he somehow got the engine running again, though the light is still out.

    Fast forward to April and I learn that MTH has ignored his multiple calls concerning a new circuit board and only much later told him that it had no part number for it. He even sent MTH a photo of it, after which MTH replied that it was searching for a new one in its China-based factory. That was in June. Since then, nothing at all from MTH. I plan to call the repairman this week for an update.

    By stark contrast, I recently sent a Walthers switcher, still under warranty, to its repair facility and had it back in hand and running like a newbie within two weeks.

    My questions, then, to the modeling community:

    1. What's been your experience with the reliability and durability of MTH's HO locomotives and the turnaround time for its repair service?

    2. Is this now-excessive, ten-month-long waiting period typical of MTH (or even the industry), especially for something as basic - and critical - as a circuit board?

    3. Is MTH technology or engineering changing so quickly that three-year old locos are soon out of date and non-repairable?

    BTW, my layout is DC - not DCC - so I can get along fine without a DCC-ready loco. I'm ready to return both my locos to Mike and never buy another MTH product.
     
  2. caxu

    caxu TrainBoard Member

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    From what I've read - taking into account I have never owned a MTH product - yes, these long delays exist. Both on the HO and O scale side.

    On the other hand I've also heard of instances from other manufacturers that can no longer repair trains because the parts/tooling no longer exist.
     
  3. GNMT76

    GNMT76 TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks for your feedback. In my case, it wasn't a delay in getting a part; MTH simply ignored the repairman's communications for most of the past eight months, even after he thought he had ordered a new circuit board.

    I've received over 30 replies to my posting on different forums, and not a single respondee had anything positive to say about MTH HO locos. Many did praise, however, its HO rolling stock for quality and quantity of detail. Detail, though, does not make a loco run; quality materials and workmanship do.

     
  4. littlefatbuddy

    littlefatbuddy TrainBoard Member

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    well here is my expeince with just mth's parts department very rough i have a sd70m-2 with there proto sound an it took a nasty death dive to my floor by accident an i was only wanting parts to repair it an after about 3 weeks of bakc and forth with mth they could nto get me half the parts i needed to repair it i have since wound up buying detials west parts to start repairing this locomotive myself
     

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