Good Aftermarket Hour meter for 318

   / Good Aftermarket Hour meter for 318 #1  

monster318

Silver Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
132
Location
PA
Tractor
John Deere 318
Last winter my original Deere hour meter literally fell apart while blowing snow, I looked up an actual Deere replacement and it was $87...I wasn't really all about spending that much on it...so I went around to my local small engine parts places and inquired about one. I have seen this style hour meter on several different brands and types of equipment so I didn't think it would be a hard item to find locally. No one had one in stock, some places claim they have never seen one like this.

So I turned to the internet, found many different websites having them in stock, I didn't go for the cheapest ones that were made in china. I bought one they claimed was made in USA and shipped from USA. Cost $25 dollars, which for what it is, I thought was a reasonable price. I got it, well if it wasn't made in china, it sure felt like it was...I installed it, had two little plastic retaining clips to hold it into the hole. Mowed the grass once with it, checked to make sure it was keeping time, opened the hood and it was loose and only being held in its location by the wires!

I am not about to be fighting with this thing for the rest of the life of the tractor, has anyone else put a replacement AFTERMARKET hour meter in and had good luck with it?

I hate to shell out $90 to just replace the hour meter but if that's what it comes down to...that's just what might have to happen I guess..:(
 
   / Good Aftermarket Hour meter for 318 #2  
I use a "Tiny Tach". It's not made to fit in the slot that your original hour meter is in, so if that's what your after, this won't work. Otherwise, works great and doubles as a tach.
 
   / Good Aftermarket Hour meter for 318 #3  
I bought one on Ebay, sounds like the same mounting clips. It is either loose or very hard to compress the clip to the next click. If the plastic feet didn't break you have to really compress those rubbers on the feet.
I have had no problems with this one. The lens is not glass but it has been working fine since April.


image-1359640049.jpg



image-4066895902.jpg
 
   / Good Aftermarket Hour meter for 318 #4  
Do a search for 'Hobbs meter'.
 
   / Good Aftermarket Hour meter for 318
  • Thread Starter
#5  
I bought one on Ebay, sounds like the same mounting clips. It is either loose or very hard to compress the clip to the next click. If the plastic feet didn't break you have to really compress those rubbers on the feet.
I have had no problems with this one. The lens is not glass but it has been working fine since April.

Yeah thats the same one I got
 
   / Good Aftermarket Hour meter for 318
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Do a search for 'Hobbs meter'.

Wow thanks!..I can tell just by looking at them that they are better quality then the one I got here...
 
   / Good Aftermarket Hour meter for 318 #7  
Last winter my original Deere hour meter literally fell apart while blowing snow, I looked up an actual Deere replacement and it was $87...I wasn't really all about spending that much on it...so I went around to my local small engine parts places and inquired about one. I have seen this style hour meter on several different brands and types of equipment so I didn't think it would be a hard item to find locally. No one had one in stock, some places claim they have never seen one like this.

So I turned to the internet, found many different websites having them in stock, I didn't go for the cheapest ones that were made in china. I bought one they claimed was made in USA and shipped from USA. Cost $25 dollars, which for what it is, I thought was a reasonable price. I got it, well if it wasn't made in china, it sure felt like it was...I installed it, had two little plastic retaining clips to hold it into the hole. Mowed the grass once with it, checked to make sure it was keeping time, opened the hood and it was loose and only being held in its location by the wires!

I am not about to be fighting with this thing for the rest of the life of the tractor, has anyone else put a replacement AFTERMARKET hour meter in and had good luck with it?

I hate to shell out $90 to just replace the hour meter but if that's what it comes down to...that's just what might have to happen I guess..:(


I just did install a Tiny Tac and it works great. I'm kinda a crude sort and I just stuck on the front of the dash of my 240 garden tractor with some sheet rock screws. I think I paid $45 from Amazon. bjr
 
 
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