Buying Advice 4105 plastic

   / 4105 plastic #11  
Sorry to chime in so late, but at least this is a 2010 thread. I am a retired chemist and was looking at CNH (DX45/Farmall 45) vs. Kubota (L46xx). I didn't like the plastic on the CNH. It seemed hard and somewhat brittle based on the number of used tractors for sale with cracks and chips. I assumed it was a polyester like we see in various fiberglass products (e.g, shower stalls). A friend suggested I look at JD.

The JD salesman said the plastic was polypropylene, but he was not a chemist. :D It was definitely more flexible. Polypropylene (like some large water tanks) is less brittle than fiberglass and harder to break, but has poor structural strength. It sags. An earlier post in this thread called it Xenoy, a polycarbonate/PBT blend. I don't particularly care what the chemistry of the plastic is. It just felt a little more forgiving than the CNH plastic did.

My questions:

1) Is it true that the JD plastic doesn't crack or break as easily as the CNH plastic?
2) Do the JD fenders or hood ever sag or distort with heat?

I am very strongly considering the JD 4120 with 400CX loader.

Thanks.

John
 
   / 4105 plastic #12  
I have the Deere 4300 (since 1999) and see no sag whatsoever. Don't have a comparable experience with CNH.
The hood on mine took a sever blow from a 6" diam tree limb, and doesn't show any crack or sag. I can tell where the scratch is, but it is not very prominent. A similar limb drop on my old '58 Deere 420 left a dent in the steel.
 
   / 4105 plastic #13  
Thank you both. Your comments comfirm my first impressions.

@K7LN: I looked up Xenoy after my post. It sounds like a pretty good plastic for this purpose.

@Beenthere: Are you the same as the Beenthere on AAC?

Wow, how close I came to buying a DX45. This is my first real tractor (I have a Case 444 from the 1960's). I am glad I widened my search a little.

Regards,

John
 
   / 4105 plastic #16  
My questions:

1) Is it true that the JD plastic doesn't crack or break as easily as the CNH plastic?
2) Do the JD fenders or hood ever sag or distort with heat?

I am very strongly considering the JD 4120 with 400CX loader.

Thanks.

John

Knock on wood, I haven't had to test the impact resistance on my 2001 JD 4200's plastic parts. The rear fenders are a good 3/8" (10mm) thick.

I have no experience with CNH, so I can't comment on their plastics.

I haven't noticed any heat distortion.
 
   / 4105 plastic #17  
John,
Welcome to TBN!

While not familiar with other brands plastics I can say the Deere plastic has held up well. I wondered about this when buying a few years ago but would say this has been a nonissue.
 
   / 4105 plastic #18  
Coming from a metal tractor to a new-fangled "plastic" machine - I had real doubts. However, after a number of tree limb strikes and roots and dirt clod "bombs" on the fenders and hood of my JD 110 TLB with no discernable damage -- I'm a convert!

I'll take the plastic body parts over the steel any day!

'Course we don't have any "really hot days" up here - so, I can't give you any first hand experience with the plastic sagging or distorting.

AKfish
 
 
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