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HOW MANY TRACTOR HOURS IS TOO MANY HOURS

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RON M
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2002-01-24          34886

I AM LOOKING AT USED TRACTORS. THERE ARE MANY AVAILABLE AT LOCAL DEALERS AND IN LOCAL WANT ADS. MY QUESTION IS "HOW MANY HOURS IS TOO MANY HOURS?" WHAT IS THE HIGH END OF HOURS THAT ONE SHOULD CONSIDER WHEN PURCHASING A USED TRACTOR AND WHAT IS THE HIGH END OF HOURS THAT ONE SHOULD SAY FORGET IT?. IS THERE A STANDARD? 100-200 PER YEAR? I REALIZE THAT THE PREVIOUS USER AND USE OF THE TRACTOR HAS ALOT TO DO WITH IT. IF SOMEONE USED IT FOR HOME USE OR FARM USE VERSUS A CONTRACTOR USING IT FOR CONSTRUCTION WORK (WHERE IT IS DRIVEN BY MANY DIFFERENT OPERATORS) MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. I NEED HELP WITH THIS. I HAVE LOOKED AT TRACTORS (IH, JD, FORD) THAT ARE IN GREAT SHAPE BUT HAVE ANYWHERE FROM 1500 TO 3500 TO 5000 HOURS ON THEM(DIESELS). SHOULD THESE TRACTOR BE CONSIDERED? OR AM I LOOKING AT SHELLING OUT ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR REPAIRS THAT WOULD COME WITH TIME AND USE? SOME OF THESE TRACTORS ARE NOT MORE THAN 10-12 YEARS OLD. 3500/10 YEARS EQUALS 350 HOURS AVERAGE PER YEAR. I HAVE LOOKED AT NEW COMPACTS AT A PRICE OF 14,000-18,000. MY USE WOULD PROBABLY BE 35-45 HOURS PER YEAR. (FIELD MOWING, LIGHT LOADER WORK, ROTO-TILLING) IS IT WORTH THE SHELL OUT OF MONEY IF I BUY SOMETHING WITH 3500 HOURS ON IT, THAT IS EQUIVELENT TO 100 OR SO YEARS OF MY USE. A LOCAL FARMER TOLD ME NEVER TO BUY USED BECAUSE YOU ARE BUYING SOMEONE ELSES PROBLEMS AND CAN END UP PUTTING WHAT YOU ORIGINALLY SAVED BACK INTO REPAIRS. HE DOESN'T WANT TO HELP ME PAY FOR A NEW ONE THOUGH. AM I ANALYZING TOO MUCH? HELP PLEASE. ALL OPINIONS WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

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HOW MANY TRACTOR HOURS IS TOO MANY HOURS

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Bird Senter
Join Date: Jun 1999
Posts: 962
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2002-01-24          34887

Ron, it just depends on how it was used, how (or whether) it was properly serviced, etc. Your best bet might be to just get a competent mechanic to check over anything you find that you like. I have one neighbor who bought a 25 year old tractor about 5 years ago when it had over 5,000 hours on it, and it's still going strong. Another neighbor bought a much later model tractor with 15,000 hours on it, but with a fresh engine overhaul. Of course, these were 85-100hp tractors, but have both been good reliable tractors. In other words, there are lots of things more important than the hours on the meter. ....

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Gary in Indiana
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2002-01-24          34906

Ron, I'm going to pass on what my local Kubota dealer (who is a friend from high school) told me when I asked essentially the same questions. I had just started looking for a tractor anticipating about the same use as you. He told me if I bought a good, solid runner now the hours on it really wouldn't matter because I wouldn't put enough hours on it before I died to wear it out. While at one level that was a bit depressing to hear, he'd made his point. You and I aren't going to wear anything out with a little mowing and some loader work. If it's a good one when you get it, odds are it'll be a good one when your estate sells it. ;o) ....

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TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2002-01-25          34908

No, not analyzing too much. If you're new to tractors, that's how you learn about them. Fortunately, actually buying one is simpler. Used compacts aren't exactly common in most areas, and when you run across the right one for you, you just know it. In the mean time, it's good to keep learning and read everything available.

I got my mid-80's Ford from a dealer, which can be comforting to a novice. Presumably a dealer has an interest in keeping customers and would go through a tractor before putting it on the lot and might fix problems that weren’t discovered during inspection. You can't count on anything but 'let the buyer beware' in private sales.

Even with dealer support, it's still good to find out the background of a tractor before purchasing one. Except for an estate sale, a used tractor was sold for some reason, and it's good to know the reason. A dealer usually knows a tractor's story, and many dealers don't mind putting buyers in touch with former owners. Even so, keeping a maintenance budget in reserve is a good idea. Roger's DPO (dread previous owner) factor is real. It's a good idea to figure on 1-2 thousand for curing ‘somebody else's problem.’

I think of 5,000 hours on many tractors as getting into an area where some engine work could be needed. Hydraulic pumps and clutches/HST's maybe a bit sooner and injectors around 2,500 hours. However, as noted, expected repairs do depend on use. These are just impressions and maybe there are more specific opinions.
....

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BillBass
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 190 North Texas
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2002-01-25          34910

Gary (or his friend) has a good point. I bought a JD 950 last spring with 2000 hours. It is on 24 acres about 30 miles from my house and I generally only make it up there on the weekends. But with mowing about 4 of the acres every 2 or 3 weeks, mowing the bar ditch (which is quite wide along the front property line, about another acre worth), hauling water for newly planted trees, some box blade work, dragging and hauling downed trees/limbs, etc., I will put on about 60 hours after the first year use. At that rate, I will be about 70 by the time it hits 3000 hours. I suspect it will outlast me. ....

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Todd Wilson
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2002-07-17          40474

I bought my JD950 from a dealer. He has a good reputation and was honest with me. My 950 came from a camp ground. Had 8200 hours on it and was running fine. Someone dropped the nose off the edge into a pond. Hot engine+cold water=bad.

They had the engine rebuilt and blew a head gasket after some use and decided to trade it in to him. He rebuilt the engine again and found the head was warped and they redid all that. He said he would stand by the rebuild and 2 years later with 250 hours on it it is running just fine.

I was told 8000 hours on a diesel is getting to be a lot of hours but I have since read a lot of inforation of tractors with proper maintainance getting 15000 hours with no trouble at all.

I have changed the oil in my 950's rebuilt diesel about 5 times now since I have owned it. I plan to really take care of things and should get a lot of years out of it.

Todd
....

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2002-07-18          40484

Like all things they have a time that they are built to live. Tractors of the highest quality with good maintence and care are built for 10000 hours. I've seen people destroy them in that time and seen them go back and work for another 30000 hours with little work done to them. I know of several in our area like that. I also know that some are built for 7000 hours and some for 5000 hours chassis life. The factors to consider. The manufacturer, the previous owners and back-up service for when you need it. I am refering to the life of farm tractors as on our normal farms we are basically a 250 to 500 hour per year area. I have several Kubota's out that are in the 10,000 hours plus area and other than normal maintence that means no engine jobs, they are doing fine. ....

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Frank R Taylor
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2002-07-19          40515

I'd agree with everything Art said. I bought my B2400 new because there wasn't anything on the used market at that time and with reasonable care I would expect to get 10,000 hours out of it at least. I put about 150/200 hours a year on it. You do the math. At the farm both our tractors are old, late 60's and early 70's. They are used for pasture mowing, feeding during the winter and spraying occasionally. Things do go wrong with them occasionally but a lot of those failures are associated with them sitting around and not being used enough. When I take them to get fixed and complain to the mechanic, who sold them to us originally, about the need to have them replaced, he tells me that they outlasted my father, they'll outlast me and, "How old is my son now anyway?" He says the new ones are a bit more refined but that if I think a cup holder and CD/radio are worth tens of thousands of dollars, he'll sell me a new tractor. In other words, if a machine with 3500 hours on it has been well maintained and looked after, I wouldn't be afraid of buying it but as has been said earlier I would put away some money in my piggy bank "just in case". I know alot of the bigger farmers and ranchers around here have about a 3 year replacement policy on their tractors simply because they don't want to bother or be hindered by the occasional mechanical breakdown. Those machines come on the market with appoximately 3000 hours on them and are usually well used but well maintained. I don't think I would be too worried about buying one of those either. I can stand a little downtime. I would get the history of the machine, any dealer should be able to help you there, and as you said stay away from the contractor/rental stuff. ....

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