Should MTH use mileage and time used for Warranty?

Well... Some people would use up the warranty REAL quick then.

How would MTH know if the mileage was accumulated slowly or if it was acquired by continuous running under a heavy load or under conditions that would quickly burn our a motor? What about those of us who don't run anything but conventional? No way for MTH to check our logs so we're out of luck even if our engine only has 1 hour of run time on it after 2 or 3 years.. Then there's the scenario of someone who buys an engine that's been sitting in a warehouse for 5 years or that they bought it and never ran it other than a test run and then they put it on the layout after 5 years of sitting in their attic? Why should they get a warranty on an item that's been out of production for several years? And it also isn't fair to someone who buys an operating car and there is no way for MTH to tell usage or "mileage" on that item even if it has less run time than the engine. I think a one year warranty is fair enough, why does everyone have to find a way to game the system?

 

Jerry

 

If I remember correctly the odometer is not guaranteed to be accurate and has had reports of it being dramatically off

 

BINGO!  I had a new subway engine back in the early days that decided it had 29,000 miles on it one day.  (while I forget which others specifically, I think I have at least one or 2 more that have had similar errors occur).

 

At the time I had that subway engine, I had 29,000 miles, but something like 6 hours on it (which were close to reality).  Back then MTH was still doing repairs on-site during the York meet, so I asked them to reset it from this state.

 

-Dave

Sure, if you want to put them out of business. Don

I have a 2005 pickup with less than 28,000 miles on it, should it still be under warranty? What about an engine stored in a damp basement, should it be covered years later just because it's rarely run? Running is not the only thing that causes wear. I don't intend to buy engines that I don't run, so I'd be out of warranty at the regular time anyway. 

After reading comments others made regarding MTH scale odometer/ chronometer readings being erratic and resettable I'm revising my prior opininon in favor keeping the status quo for warranties. If MTH started using mileage or runtime for their warranties I'm some unsrupulous person would likely start a cottage industry selling either a device to reset engine readings to zero or offering for a cost to do it for you or a likeminded unscupulous train dealer for a show, Ebay, Craig's list, etc.?  

My only suggestion is the warranty starts the day you take posession of the item.  For example if I buy an item from an authorized dealer and it was made in 2011 the warranty should start the day I take it home.  The warranty shouldnt expire on an item sitting on the dealers shelf.

While all these are interesting ideas, I seriously doubt that MTH or Lionel is going to change their warranty policy based on such a thread.

But what about the stuff from 2008 or 09 that is still sitting on my LHS's shelf? They had to draw the line somewhere or deal with people buying out of date NOS items and expecting Lionel or MTH  to have parts waiting for them

I think it's completely reasonable for a consumer to expect warranty service on a new product, whether it's fresh from the factory or NOS.  Mainly because not everyone has encyclopedic knowledge of when an item was made; some just know it's new on the shelf.  The question as you said, is where the line is drawn.  Is 3 years from date of manufacture adequate?  Personally, I think 5 years is more appropriate.

 

I also personally think Lionel and the rest should include the date of manufacture on the box label before it's shipped, with a notice to refer to the warranty conditions inside.  That in itself may help with any initial confusion on the warranty life of the product.

Sooner or later there will be a thread asking 'Has my locomotive been clocked?' 

Somebody should still be responsible for the warranty.  If a dealer sells an item as "new", it should come with a new warranty.  Alternatively, he should make it CRYSTAL CLEAR that there is no warranty!