Comparing hours to miles on a car

[Adirondaquer]

While trying to figure out my options of buying new or used, I am trying to gauge how the amount of hours on a used tractor could compare to the amount of miles on a used car.

For instance, if I was to buy a 2004 tractor with 900 hours on it, how would it compare to buying a used 2004 pickup truck? How many miles might you consider it to be?

That tractor is around 5 years old so 900/5= 180 hours per year.

120/52 weeks = 3.5 hours per week.

Similar to my truck I figure. So I am thinking maybe 60,000 miles.

Does this sound about right to you or am I over or under estimating this?


Bigger question here becomes, if I buy a used tractor at 900 hours am I at the sweet spot for repairs becoming necessary. Are all the fun hours used up?

 

[Gizmo2]

I would ask, what size trator?

 

[Gary Fowler]

Unless you are talking about a garden tractor, 900 hours is not much more than a break in period in a quality built tractor. It seems to me that the larger the tractor, the more hours you can put on them without repairs, but that may be just my perception. Many of the 8n Fords are still going strong with minimal repairs, but I would not be afraid of 900 hours

 

[GIJOE]

I think everyones hours /mileage ratio in a vehicle would be different based on the type of commute and driving habits. Here is the info I got off of my 2000 Silverado: My odometer shows 133,011 miles and 4,309 hours so that would equate to 30.868 miles per hour. If you used that MPH on a tractor with 900 hours, you would have a tractor with only 27,781.2 miles, or a fairly new tractor.

Joe

 

[Duffster]

While trying to figure out my options of buying new or used, I am trying to gauge how the amount of hours on a used tractor could compare to the amount of miles on a used car.

For instance, if I was to buy a 2004 tractor with 900 hours on it, how would it compare to buying a used 2004 pickup truck? How many miles might you consider it to be?

That tractor is around 5 years old so 900/5= 180 hours per year.

120/52 weeks = 3.5 hours per week.

Similar to my truck I figure. So I am thinking maybe 60,000 miles.

Does this sound about right to you or am I over or under estimating this?


Bigger question here becomes, if I buy a used tractor at 900 hours am I at the sweet spot for repairs becoming necessary. Are all the fun hours used up?

You can figure ~30-40 miles/per hour, so your 900 hr tractor would have between 27k & 36k miles on it

Unless you are talking about a garden tractor, 900 hours is not much more than a break in period in a quality built tractor. It seems to me that the larger the tractor, the more hours you can put on them without repairs, but that may be just my perception. Many of the 8n Fords are still going strong with minimal repairs, but I would not be afraid of 900 hours

It is not just your perception

 

[Bird]

Too many variables to come up with a truly reliable number, but yes, I think you're over estimating it at 60,000 miles. I'd say to think of it as about 50 mph maximum, so 900 hours would be equivalent to 45,000 miles. And I really think even 45,000 is still too big a number. Maybe using 30 mph or 27,000 miles would be even closer. But I'm not taking any bets.

And I see Duffster posted while I was thinking about it.

 

[newbury]

Also - consider how the tractor measures hours, apparently some don't measure it just as elapsed time the tractor is turned on, but depends on if it is under full power.
I've seen a couple of threads here talking about that.

 

[Bird]

Also - consider how the tractor measures hours, apparently some don't measure it just as elapsed time the tractor is turned on, but depends on if it is under full power.
I've seen a couple of threads here talking about that.

Yep, that's one of those variables I was talking about. Another is whether you know how the tractor was used; pulling heavy loads or plows, mowing, or other uses, and another is how it was maintained; what kind of oil, how often was it changed. Was the tractor parked outside in the weather or indoors?

 

[CurlyDave]

I have always thought about it as 50 mph, just like Bird.

Diesels are stronger and more reliable than gas engines, even in smaller sizes. I wouldn't have any questions about a 900 hour tractor.

If I could find one, I would be interested in a larger size construction backhoe with 2000-3000 hours on it. Still plenty of life in it for my use.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Is that 900 hours on a 25hp compact used for light mowing or a 500hp 4wd used for pulling a chisel plow? Likewise, 60,000 miles on a V8 sedan logging mostly hwy miles or a 4cylinder used as a courier vehicle in a major inner city?

How do you compare?

Under NORMAL (whatever that is) use, 900 hours on a GOOD tractor is barely more than broke in. I've seen cars trashed in 50,000. Establishing exactly what "average use" is would be VERY subjective. But.... I'll take a shot at it.

IMHO, on average, roughly 5000 hours on a tractor is probably equivilent to 100,000 on a car. That's a mid-sized tractor and a mid-sized car, both used in a normal manner, by an average user.

As most have said, waaaaay too many variables to establish a set number without far more specifics.