How long should a tractor last?

[D2Cat]

Saw this on forum about John Deere closing down small dealerships. Thought is was interesting.


Bunker Christofferson
I bought a new 7710 in 1997, I still use it every day 365 a yr., for beef cattle feeding. It now has 28800 hours, it's been a Great tractor, original motor.

 

[D2Cat]

Since this is a Kubota forum. See paragraph #3.


Steven E. Crane
It takes a lot to move a family away from a company after 70 years of being a customer, but John Deere has worked diligently at getting rid of their customers. My grandad traded in a Model B in 1955 for a model 40S - which, by the way, we still have and which still runs. Let me list the steps John Deere took to destroy a customer relationship.
1. We bought grandma a new gator to get around the farm. At 450 hours on the machine it required $13,000 in repairs. At 90 years old she had to be the easiest driver of equipment you could imagine. I wrote a letter to JD about this and they never even bothered to answer.
2. Replacing the front seat on another gator, JD wanted $470 for a new seat. I checked around using the product number and found where JD was buying them. That company charged me $170 for the exact same seat. 276% profit margin.
3. My son in law worked for Deere at corporate office for 23 years, until JD laid off a bunch of older expensive employees. He went to work for Kubota in Aubrey TX. Unfortunately my son in law died of a coronary 3 years later. Kubota stepped up big time to help my daughter. They came by her house several times over the next couple weeks getting all the paperwork done. They took on the local coroner who thought a death certificate delivered in 2 months was OK. Kubota got him to deliver it in less than a week. It took JD 2 years to finally pay off on the pension and 401k. Three years later Kubota HR still checks in with my daughter.
4. Parts prices are absolutely nuts. Small 2” hinge for a machine - $270 plus the cost of the hinge pin. Seat switch $700. Together there wasn’t $25 worth of plastic and steel in both.
5. Dealership in town closed down. Closest dealership in the next town closes at 5 on Friday and stays closed all weekend. In the middle of harvest if your equipment breaks down Friday late afternoon, you’re screwed until Monday.
So when we needed to buy a new skid steer this summer, it wasn’t a JD, it’s a Kubota. There will never be another green machine on our farm.

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

I have no idea how long they will last, but I suspect if parts are available (that’s a big if) they probably last longer than I will. I think that feat is likely easier from vintage without black boxes.

My Ford 8N is older than I am and it starts a lot faster than I do in the morning.

 

[jimh406]

It depends on how it is used. Mine is just getting about 50-60 hours a year.

I've seen a lot about cars/trucks electronics failing recently. So, the more bells and whistles I think the more chance for failure. That probably means that newer ones with lots of electronics will fail way before the older simpler models if the same principle applies to tractors.

 

[McMXi]

It depends on how it is used. Mine is just getting about 50-60 hours a year.

I've seen a lot about cars/trucks electronics failing recently. So, the more bells and whistles I think the more chance for failure. That probably means that newer ones with lots of electronics will fail way before the older simpler models if the same principle applies to tractors.

I have a '98 Jeep TJ that I've owned for 25 years, and an '02 F-250 that I bought from the original owner in 2018, and both are still going strong. I haven't had to replace any electronics on the Jeep in 25 years, but recently replaced the F-250's ICM (injector control module), glow plug control module and glow plug relay along with all eight glow plugs. It wasn't an expensive repair at all and might have been caused by bad batteries (ICM at least). Two glow plugs were showing as failed but that's not bad for a 24 year old truck with 180,000 miles on it.

Will my '24 F-450 fair as well? I have no idea, but it sure is one heck of a truck and a way more capable truck than the F-250. I hope it lasts the rest of my lifetime with minimal need for repairs.

As for my tractors, I expect zero issues over the next 10+ years but you never know. As long as everything I have is supported by the OEM or aftermarket I'm good.

 

[John T]

I have a '98 Jeep TJ that I've owned for 25 years, and an '02 F-250 that I bought from the original owner

funny... I've got a 95 F350 I bought new..... Never gave me a lick of problem.

Also own a 98 Jeep XJ ... bought new also. Jeep has 320k miles on it....
Took it last weekend on a 1200 mile round trip to pick up a 74 year old motorcycle....

So how long?
I'd say forever.... provided you take care of them.
tractors included.

 

[Botamon]

So how long?
I'd say forever.... provided you take care of them.
tractors included.

^This!

I love my Kubota. But I suspect that my 60 year old totally mechanical John Deere 2020 diesel will in the long run be more dependable than my Kubota which won't run without an ECM and other electronic controls. 50 years from now, will those electronic controls be available when the original ones go out?

But all of them need maintenance to keep going.

 

[armylifer]

I don't care how long it last as long as it lasts one day longer than I am on this earth. After that, it is someone else's joy or sorrow. I have about 2000 hours on it now and I honestly think that it should last at least 10,000 hours before anything major goes wrong with it.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Since mine is “garage kept” I suspect it will outlast me. ( e.g….it sees no "salt spray”)

My truck might too…..If I can keep the rust at bay.

20 years and counting for the truck……...

 

[Motion]

Covered, maintained, issues addressed quickly and not abused, it's good for your life. Plus, after OEM parts are no longer available the aftermarket tractor parts will be available. I still run a 1943 Allis Chalmers and can get any part I need.

 

[mikester]

Some operators can run equipment for a lifetime. Others manage to break everything they touch.

Common sense is an oxymoron

 

[D2Cat]

I've got a '52 that starts and works when I need it. The one with a loader is a '66 and I'm the second owner. Use it a couple of times a week in the winter feeding hay.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

As soon as computers needed to be "dealer-only" calibrated for replacement fuel injectors the cost of maintaining an older machine became exponentially more expensive. Basically your tractor will become scrap at the point when you're prevented from doing affordable maintenance.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

As soon as computers needed to be "dealer-only" calibrated for replacement fuel injectors the cost of maintaining an older machine became exponentially more expensive. Basically your tractor will become scrap at the point when you're prevented from doing affordable maintenance.

View attachment 168610

I tend to agree with you, however; I sometimes “time” will allow for aftermarket things to appear.

For instance, I remember when the OBD 2 for cars was introduced…..That was supossedly the “final nail in the coffin” for guys to work on their own cars….

But 40 years later, you can buy a scanner that is “pretty good” for a few hundred bucks……and cheap scanners are everywhere for 30 bucks…..

But like I said, I tend to go “old school” most of the time…..

But it could be such a small market, theres no money to be made……I dunno…...

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

I tend to agree with you, however; I sometimes “time” will allow for aftermarket things to appear.

For instance, I remember when the OBD 2 for cars was introduced…..That was supossedly the “final nail in the coffin” for guys to work on their own cars….

But 40 years later, you can buy a scanner that is “pretty good” for a few hundred bucks……and cheap scanners are everywhere for 30 bucks…..

But like I said, I tend to go “old school” most of the time…..

But it could be such a small market, theres no money to be made……I dunno…...

Of all the stuff governments fund (like digital TV so they could pirate our TV stations and use it for military use instead), they should have developed a standardized USB cable interface and saved everyone (manufacturers included) a lot of money. Imagine if your Ford/Chevy/Dodge/other used the same diagnostic software as your Kubota tractor, CAT heavy equipment, Honda/Kawasaki/other motorcycle...

In my opinion CANBUS is a disaster. OEMs started putting music on it, security, sensors, then accounting leakers started thinking they were tweakers and shared the turn signal CANBUS with the security CANBUS and now we have people ripping out a directional to steal a car. Too much glop.

USB is high-speed, "way high speed, dude" compared to CANBUS, and cheap too! 100mbps Ethernet is also, and far more reliable. I'd think someone could come up with a standardized interface that is secure, fast, inexpensive, and standardized. (Just don't let "A.I." do it, that would be a mess.)

 

[John T]

For instance, I remember when the OBD 2 for cars was introduced…..That was supossedly the “final nail in the coffin” for guys to work on their own cars….

But 40 years later, you can buy a scanner that is “pretty good” for a few hundred bucks……and cheap scanners are everywhere for 30 bucks…..

My 95 F350 has an OBD2 port under drivers side lower dash but its not wired to anything.
I plug my scanner in and get nothing.

My 98 jeep I can plug in, check/clear codes etc.

so OBD2 must be between 95-98 ... I guess.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

In my opinion CANBUS is a disaster.

I'm sorry, but I do not agree.

In my humble opinion the (broadcast) message based CAN Bus system design was pretty ingenious and even over 30 years after its introduction still very capable in automotive communication. Set up properly it can still beat other communication systems (point to point messages) that have an order of magnitude higher bit speed.

The USB "design" I find absolute garbage, but then again this would be on par with the IBM PC and anything that ever came from microsoft.