Metal or plastic body?

[fieldman12]

This is true. They just keep making them thinner and thinner. The old TO-20 you have under your name is built pretty heavy. I growed up running a TO20.

I was reading through thread and thinking the same as this TSO comment.

I've used old ferguson fender as a foot hold to reach out and over for something on a shelf or crawled over hood...wouldn't even think to do that with a new tractor as it would result in bent fender or hood.

 

[MossRoad]

So, now the question should be:

Sheet metal or plate steel?
Hahahahaa

 

[drizler]

So, now the question should be:

Sheet metal or plate steel?
Hahahahaa
View attachment 388195

I just this Summer got a 3617 Massey . Because my daughter has horses we got the 28% discount on it which made me opt for the "Premium" version. It's tin but just about half as thick as the fenders on my 1950 TO-20. On the other hand beyond mowing the yard the 20 is just about useless for my other work but it sure does excel in that.
I sure do like that nice heavy steel on the tinworks though. If you have a hole you just keep hitting it with the mig using .022 wire till it's filled up then grind to shape. You might get away with that on the new one but it's lots uglier because they use hardened steel. That thick skin on the 20 when exposed just forms a brown spot that literally takes years to begin to disintegrate. It reminds me of a browned gun barrel. I'm sure the modern tin will just rust away just like your car. About all you can do is take care of those nicks and scrapes with paint and keep em out of the weather as best you can.
The big thing with plastics is keeping the UV light off it. That's why I like the hard plastics which are painted not cast in a color. Once plastic gets dried out it just gets so brittle that eventually something will start the crack that finishes it off. Then even the best plastic weld doesn't do much good as the whole structure is already well on it's way out. Funny, with the plastics on the cars it never happens and they mostly sit out all the time.

 

[fieldman12]

Yep I like the thick metal. I will say the cars keep getting thinner and thinner and don't seem to rust like the old cars. Its all how the metal is prepared though is why they don't rust near as bad like in 70's and 80's. Perhaps they need to find out what plastic they are putting on cars and mold that to put on tractors. Still though when I think tractor I think Iron (Heavy Metal) lol.

 

[paulfun9]

On sat I took a ride with a friend to look at some used tractors. 2 NH and 1 JD all had aftermarket cabs installed The aftermarket cabs were all steel framed and the fenders and some other parts were plastic. The first thing I noticed was the sag in all the fenders and one could clearly see that the structure of the cabs didn't change.

Just an observation and an other reason I don't like plastic!

 

[paulfun9]

On sat I took a ride with a friend to look at some used tractors. 2 NH and 1 JD all had aftermarket cabs installed The aftermarket cabs were all steel framed and the fenders and some other parts were plastic. The first thing I noticed was the sag in all the fenders and one could clearly see that the structure of the cabs didn't change.

Just an observation and an other reason I don't like plastic!