Simple Reality - Tractors com with maintenance costs

[bp fick]

Have read 100s of similar posts here over the years. A guy plunks down 20-30 grand for a tractor. But as soon as the first maintenance issue arises, he's asking about whether the $13 per 5 gallon pail of UTF fluid would be fine with his machine, 'cause that's all he wants to spend. Or, he wants cross reference number to other filters because he doesn't want to spend the $9 that his dealer quoted for one.

I understand not getting ripped off for things. Bargain hunting is a human right. I completely understand that if a guy can get a quality filter, such as FleetGuard or Hastings/Baldwin for half the price of the dealer filter, he should go for it. If a guy can get a quality CNH-Deere-Kubota fluid on sale somewhere, he should go for it. That's all fine and well and completely understandable. Thus, I am not knocking bargain hunting at its face.

My one and only real exasperation is with an apparent mindset that can joyfully spend $20-30K for a tractor and then, seemingly, be-grudge spending virtually anything above the very lowest priced, budget, no-name products he can possibly find to use in maintenance.

Scratching my head a little. Shouldn't maintenance costs be factored in when considering tractor ownership? I don't know.
If you can't afford to pay, can you afford to play?

 

[Zebrafive]

You see it all the time. Not just on tractors, everything.

 

[MoKelly]

I can use myself as an example. I think for the most part, these posts come from new folks into the tractor scene.

I needed a tractor for my property, so, I bought one (Bobcat CT235). I knew it would need maintenance but didn't necessarily cost it all out at time of purchase.

So, the 50 hour comes up and I get the filters from the dealer ... high but OK.

Then I go to get the fluids. To replace all fluids it was $350.00 from the dealer.

Well, for those of us used to oil changes in cars/trucks, this was a shocker. Then you see the price of fluids at other stores and wonder whether the dealer fluids are really that much better to cost so much more.

Where can you go to try to figure this out ... TBN.

I ended up going with the dealer fluids because of TBN data.

My conclusion ... sometimes when we have been at this for so long newbie questions seem sort of basic. But, we all were uniformed at some point and had to learn.

MoKelly

 

[brain55]

I'm afraid to get started on a post like this. My favorite type questions are: My battery is dead, what do I do? or, I have a flat tire, what do I do? I understand there being people here new to tractors, but if your skills are this remedial, you might want to look at whether a tractor is the right purchase, or consider picking up the phone and and calling the dealer. You are right, there are costs associated with tractor ownership, as ones mechanical skills go up those costs go down and vise versa.

Brian

 

[rd_macgregor]

My mechanical skills don't go much beyond the grease fittings, so I have to bear the cost of my incompetence. Past experience has shown that there is an even greater expense associated with me trying to fix anything, so I just bite the bullet and call the dealer for 'most anything.
BOB

 

[brin]

When I did my 300 hr. service on my NH - TC - 29 I had to buy Hydro fluid ..NH wanted almost $300.00 for the fluid ( was back when gas prices were $4.00 a gal ) and TSC had a comparable Hydro fluid for $48.00 ---Just guess which one I bought..and all is and has been fine..I now have 86 more hours on it and it has been a couple of yrs....no probems..

 

[Gizmo2]

Big Stihl fan here. I have had Stihl chains saws and weed wackers forever (well 40 years or so) and have always use Stihl 2-cycle oil it them. For years just about everybody that came by the house always asked me why do I buy the Stihl oil, it痴 too expensive. I always said that is what Stihl recommends and the equipment starts every time and runs great why change. Then most ask if I run anything like Stabil in the gas and I always said no and ask why, stating the equipment performs flawless. Then most will say it痴 only a matter of time and I will have issues with the equipment especially after a long winter. I tell them I never have had any issues and don稚 expect any. Anyway, after years of this I discovered that Stihl incorporates a gas stabilizer in their 2 cycle oil. Go figure!

 

[Dr_Zinj]

...
Well, for those of us used to oil changes in cars/trucks, this was a shocker. Then you see the price of fluids at other stores and wonder whether the dealer fluids are really that much better to cost so much more.

Where can you go to try to figure this out ... TBN.

I ended up going with the dealer fluids because of TBN data.

...

MoKelly

Speaking from a 20+ year vehicle and equipment maintenance background in the USAF, I can tell you that you can substitute dealer recommended fluids with commercial/generic equivalents. You have to know what type of fluid is required, but as with regular autos, a good 10W30, or a 90 weight, can be made by several manufacturers.

There are a few things that will kill crankcase oil: Gasoline from incomplete burns slipping past rings or from poorly seated rings, condensation/water from cooling system leaks, metal chips from ground gears (oops!), carbon from gases slipping past rings, extremely hot running temperatures (1230 ｰF to 1400 ｰF (665 ｰC to 760 ｰC) is the temperature range used for catalytic cracking of oils - but most gasoline engines operate at around 227 ｰF, diesels at a higher temp, but nowhere near 1230 ｰF), and of course dirt and junk dropped in during filling.

Point is, if you can keep those contaminates out of the oil, either by stopping them in the first place, or by aggressive filtration, the oil can last practically forever.

 

[ihuntbear]

the peoblem I have with these type of questions are from the 10 or 12 yr old children that are asking questions about their fathers tractor.They see a problem that their father is having with the tractor ,.Rather then asking him they ask us.I had somebody pm me asking about a cold starting issue.( The battery was dead because the key was left on ).Going back and forth for a while he said he was asking because he didn't want to tell his father he left it on and now it wouldn't start.The person was 10 yrs old.I told the kid to let his father know so he could put battery charger on or boost it to start

 

[Dr_Zinj]

ROTFLAMO!

Ain't it weird that kids will trust a total stranger for advice, but not their parents; even when they tell them the exact same thing?

When I was a teenager I was the greatest genius in the universe.
Now I'm a parent of a teenager and don't know jack!