My wife mentioned the other day that I have over 5000 tractor hours behind me now. I hadn't realized it at the time I was doing the 600hr PM on my B2650. I figure that is a lot of hours for a guy that has no need for a tractor and a "day gig" to boot.
I bought a New Holland 1720 in 1996 and put just over 4400 hours on it before going to the Kubota. I now have over 600hrs on the Kubota.
4400+ hours on the NH and never broke a thing (hoses included). Unfortunately, I can't say that about the new Kubota, but all in all the Kubota has been a good machine. I am pretty sure I have broken in some way, every single attachment I have at one point or another.
When I bought the NH I was a kid still living at home in a nice neighborhood and really had no use for a tractor, I just wanted one. My father thought I was crazy. I put a little AD in the local paper and started jobbing with it. I am still impressed at how reliable that tractor was considering it was my "learner" and I am the first guy with his hands up when asked "who wants to go fast?"
Now I see hours listed on used machines and really wonder.
That NH in 4400 hours of WORK never broke once and I know it is still being used a town over today. With less than 20 hours on my Kubota, the top curl piston mount had bent out on the loader frame to the point of needing repair. The OEM 3rd function on the Kubota has had two faulty joystick handles (after the second, I changed brands on the joystick). A cut radiator hose (cut by the machine, not some outside force). This was with less than 200 hours on it.
Honestly, if I had a choice between my old NH with 4400 hours on it and another NH with 2200 hours on it by someone I didn't know, I would take the one with 4400hrs.
A tractor that sits and does nothing for months on end can be a real gamble as well.
Sometimes it is really hard to tell the difference between work and abuse. One thing I can tell over the years of looking is "impact" tends to be noticeable. Look at my bucket and the machine looks worn out. Look at the hood and you will see yourself looking back. Even at 4400 hours the hood on my old tractor still shined and I had actually rebuilt the bucket at that point. (BTW - for any newbies out there - YOUR HOOD IS NOT A WEAR ITEM - LOL.)
I guess what I am trying to say is you can go years (actually decades) working a machine without wearing it out. You can also take delivery on a brand new machine and proceed to ram a stump with it for 20 hours and ruin the machine just-like-that. Think about that when you see the hours.
Me on my NH circa 1999
GOOD TIMES! I had the roof, lights and the truckers mirror even then.
I bought a New Holland 1720 in 1996 and put just over 4400 hours on it before going to the Kubota. I now have over 600hrs on the Kubota.
4400+ hours on the NH and never broke a thing (hoses included). Unfortunately, I can't say that about the new Kubota, but all in all the Kubota has been a good machine. I am pretty sure I have broken in some way, every single attachment I have at one point or another.
When I bought the NH I was a kid still living at home in a nice neighborhood and really had no use for a tractor, I just wanted one. My father thought I was crazy. I put a little AD in the local paper and started jobbing with it. I am still impressed at how reliable that tractor was considering it was my "learner" and I am the first guy with his hands up when asked "who wants to go fast?"
Now I see hours listed on used machines and really wonder.
That NH in 4400 hours of WORK never broke once and I know it is still being used a town over today. With less than 20 hours on my Kubota, the top curl piston mount had bent out on the loader frame to the point of needing repair. The OEM 3rd function on the Kubota has had two faulty joystick handles (after the second, I changed brands on the joystick). A cut radiator hose (cut by the machine, not some outside force). This was with less than 200 hours on it.
Honestly, if I had a choice between my old NH with 4400 hours on it and another NH with 2200 hours on it by someone I didn't know, I would take the one with 4400hrs.
A tractor that sits and does nothing for months on end can be a real gamble as well.
Sometimes it is really hard to tell the difference between work and abuse. One thing I can tell over the years of looking is "impact" tends to be noticeable. Look at my bucket and the machine looks worn out. Look at the hood and you will see yourself looking back. Even at 4400 hours the hood on my old tractor still shined and I had actually rebuilt the bucket at that point. (BTW - for any newbies out there - YOUR HOOD IS NOT A WEAR ITEM - LOL.)
I guess what I am trying to say is you can go years (actually decades) working a machine without wearing it out. You can also take delivery on a brand new machine and proceed to ram a stump with it for 20 hours and ruin the machine just-like-that. Think about that when you see the hours.
Me on my NH circa 1999
GOOD TIMES! I had the roof, lights and the truckers mirror even then.
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