Comparison Plastic versus Paper, I mean Metal.

[sanmigmike]

It seems as if we are going to go for the M-F 1433 but have not "closed" the deal yet. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

When I started looking I wanted a metal tractor but after reading the note from the man that had a tree bounce off the ROPS and the fender on his 4130 leaving just a little scratch..... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I began to wonder some, how are the plastic fenders and all holding up and do they still look pretty good in the few years versus the metal ones denting and or rusting? Or should I not worry about it?

Still open to info on the greater Portland OR area dealers.

Thanks!

 

[markie61]

Plenty of stuff hitting mine, but nothing broken or cracked yet...

I've gotten a few fairly deep scratches (deep enough to expose metal IF it was metal), but since the color goes all the way through, they are hard to see.

Plastic hood and fenders are good for me - so far...

Mark

Oh, yeah. It's a 2001 NH TC40D with 400 hours.

 

[Soundguy]

Plastic vs metal is a trade off.

If you are planning on keeping the tractor.. get metal.. if you are planning on selling it.. get plastic. By far.. metal will 'last' longer, though it's looks will suffer more inthe short term.

Plastic will deforem without breaking and small scratches will buff out whereas metal will need a repaint and repair. That said.. well painted metal will last a looong time. All my antiques are sporting original sheet metal.. and that ranges back from 1946... that's 58 years.. 58 years on plastic is going to be a tad hard.

Metal is also easier to repair. Most any backyard mechanic with a torch /bassing kit or welder can do some passible metal repair that may be invisible once painted... plastic repair is much more limited.. especialy due to the variety of materials. ( yes.. some plastics can be bonded and heat repaired.. this is the exception.. not the rule... ) Fiberglass throws a new facet tot he plastic vs metal as well.. kevlar too.... As far as i know.. kevlar is non repairable.. where as fiberglass is fairly repairable.. and plastice is somewhat repairable..with metal being the most repairable.. etc.

Soundguy

 

[pekabu]

I have metal and so far so good. There was one guy with a JD and a plastic hood that shattered when a good side rock hit it.

On the new TC24da, the area from the gauges down is now metal instead of plactic on the TC24d. I prefer the plastic there.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

There is a small dent in the hood of the Kubota B2910, it will cost about $400 to repair. Consequently the repair has not be made. There are some scratches in the hood of the TC24. But it looks much better than the Kubota's hood. Also the Kubota's orange paint is pretty faded at 4 years of exposure. I think the thing that tips plastic as the slightly better material in my mind is the total lack of care that it requires. I hit a low branch with the rear fender of the TC24, it bent, it deformed, it popped back into place and it didn't even scratch.

Soundguy makes a point that an antique that is 50 years old will have better looking metal than it would if it was plastic, BUT it also strikes me, after working on a few pieces of old iron, that the 50 year old tractors are built like real tanks, the sheet metal is much thicker on those old tractors than it is on the new ones.

BUT 50 years FROM NOW, taking two tractors made this year, one with a metal hood and one with plastic, will the metal hood have rusted through? Will the plastic have shattered or decayed? I dunno.

 

[rockyridgefarm]

Funny, I was thinking about starting a thread on the very same subject...

I really don't care if someone wants a metal skinned tractor, but i keep seeing comments about the plastic skinned ones as if they were throw away junk.

A lot of work must have gone into the Deere and NH products, because they really do hold up well, and shrug off horrendous abuse. Sure, you will hear about a really good smack destroying one, but metal sure won't look good, then, either.

This weekend, a friend had a fall party with a hayride that was a few miles from us. we loaded the kidsa on a trailer and pulled them there with the 4310. It was a ball.

Everyone there kept commenting about our brand new tractor we had polished up for the event.

But its almost two years old, has worked hard and hadn't had a bath! It just looks like its going to a parade, with no care at all...

Mine has a scar that I am the only one that seems to notice. which is good, because I sure don't want to explain what I did to put it there!

 

[jmc]

Sometimes I need to crawl up into the raised fel bucket and the only way up there without a ladder is walking on the hood. That was one of the many reasons I bought a Kubota this time around. I don't know if a plastic hood would support the weight.

John

 

[SPIKER]

my import JINMA has a fiber glas hood and steel rear fenders, so far both are goot, the hood has a deep gouge from shipping it arrived that way, it had 2nd tractor setting on top of it and the frame bent and let the upper frame rub the hood bare. it has been walked on and used a a scafold several time with no problems, the fender often has my woman or kids riding along for a jaunt to the woods or creek, (safely though in low range) they are at least 16 ga steel and have some good deal of bracing under them... no rust yet after 3 yrs with at least 20% of time left outside.

MarkM

 

[SteveH_CT]

I'll be short and sweet...

Plastic is better... Metal may be better in 50 years, but I don't care at all about that. I've seen some of the metal bodied tractors look old after a few years... while plastic looks great. In 50 years I'll be 92 and I seriously doubt that I'll be worried about my plastic bodied Deere - I do think I'll be more worried about walking and breathing.

All kidding aside, others have already related how well the plastic takes abuse. No getting around it, plastic will stand up better to "normal" abuse. Metal is more repairable, but I don't have the time or desire to be repairing the thing everytime it gets a knock or ding, whereas plastic takes the hit and just comes back. My plastic hood took a hit that bent the brushguard on the front of my tractor. If you've seen the Deere brushguard you know it's thick strong metal... and it bent /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif. not the hood, bent, shook and went right back to where it belonged, with nothing more than a scratch.

OK - I wasn't short or sweet... And before someone thinks I disagree with Soundguy - I don't - I think he makes valid points, but he's talking about vintage iron... not the newer stuff. Bob also said his Bota doesn't look as good after a few years - that was my observation when I shopped for used machines. The used iron vs. plastic wasn't comparable - the plastic ones just plain looked better.

 

[Syncro]

Guess I gotta put in my 2 cents worth because this was a big issue for me when I was looking (still am looking, guess I'll always be looking /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif) OK, at first I was against the plastic parts, then after hearing all the good points I sorta thought they were better....until I passed a local rental yard and saw a few NH's with the blue worn off with gray blotches (color does not go all the way through) there is a base gray plastic that has a color top coat, like painted metal. I stopped and looked closer and some hoods were cracked and broken. Now that doesn't mean a metal hood would fair better, just not so convinced anymore about the virtues of plastic. The thickness & shaping of the metal counts too, notice the flex on a TC-30 fender, now look at a Kubota or MF, maybe its the shape, or rolled edges, but sure is a lot stiffer. I think its just a simple draw, more of what a person likes. For me, its metal, but I sure wouldn't pass up a 'plastic' tractor if the price was right. BTW, no offense meant on the virtues of the TC-30 fenders /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif, they are good tractors and I sure would not hessitate in buying one, again if the price was right. For that matter notice all the flex in the plastic fenders, if that bothers you then do the 'fender check' on different brands before buying /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif