I agree, unless they really cheapened the hoses, they should last a long time. I've owned my JD 2030 24 years and still has the hoses it came with. The previous tractor I owned needed a water pump, but the hoses were fine.
Yes, water and hydraulic hoses do last a long time. Unless they are physically damaged - for example by rubbing against something - then I expect all my hoses to last 20 years minimum without any danger. And that's for a tractor kept outside in the weather. A tractor that is kept under a shed is going to go longer. A hose or belt in need of replacement is easy to spot in plenty of time. They lose their elasticity and the surface covering begins to weather crack. When you see those symptoms it is time to replace the hose. BTW, most rural areas have a hydraulic shop where they will make new hoses for you for less than dealer price.
Back when radiators were copper or brass and engine blocks were cast iron we changed antifreeze every few years because the antifreeze of the time became visually contaminated with a thick soup of rusty corrosion products. That was thought to lead to water pump failures which were common back then.
"Permanent antifreeze" came out in the 1960s or 70s and although it cost more, it seemed to last about forever. I check it every year in our 2 cylinder JD, but the permanent antifreeze itself has got to be 25 years old....! It looks fine. I don't know chemically why it is "permanent", but for a brass radiator into a cast iron block it sure seems to last a very long time.
About the turn of the century I started to see radiators made of other materials. Radiators with plastic upper and lower tanks and aluminum fins for instance. Diesel Engine blocks were still mostly cast iron, but with lots of light metal fluid paths. So several new types of antifreeze came out with special chemicals to resist the specific bi-metallic corrosion of each manufacturer's new engine/radiator combinations. And along with that came means of testing if the antifreeze is still "good". Now it makes sense to either test the antifreeze or replace it. But from what I've seen, unless a machine is used 1000s of hours a year, I'd say to check or change the antifreeze every 5 years rather than every 2nd year.
I never thought I'd say this, but there does seem to be a tendency today to over-emphasize routine maintenance - and to under emphasize the importance of keeping machinery under cover.
rScotty
