Tractor hours - why so low?

[ToadHill]

I must be over working mine, I average a bit over 200 hours per year. I have a 2005 DK35 and it now has 840 hours on it.

 

[flusher]

I've been looking at a LOT of used tractors. When I finally plunk down my sweat rewards I'll probably be putting in the equivalent of a quarter years of work value to get that tractor.

I see all these tractors with less than 100 hours of use a year. That's only about 1 day a month

Example "purchased new in Feb, 2004. It has been garage kept and in excellent condition w/ less than 80 hours."
example 2 "I have a 4wd L3400HST, FEL, loaded r4's and Woods 60" rotary. I've had it a little less than 2 yrs (about 75 hrs on her), and have recently"

Is it that easy to turn back an hour meter? Do a lot of people buy new hour meters? Or are there that many guys that need the power but don't use it?

I'll probably put that many hours on in the first 6 months just digging holes and filling them back up.

Understanding the meaning of the hours indicated by those dashboard indicators can be tricky.

The hour meter on my 1964 MF-135 diesel is part of the mechanically-driven tachometer. It registers accumulated engine hours at an average 1875 engine rpm. I rarely run the engine as high as this. In fact, 540 rpm on the pto corresponds to 1700 rpm on the engine. So the actual engine running time (the wall clock time) can be considerably more that what's indicated on the hour meter.

The digital hour counter on my 2008 Mahindra 5525 operates electronically by pulses coming from the alternator. I would be surprised if that counter is smart enough to factor in engine rpm so that the indicator shows the actual wall clock time that the engine has accumulated.

 

[newbury]

Understanding the meaning of the hours indicated by those dashboard indicators can be tricky.

The hour meter on my 1964 MF-135 diesel is part of the mechanically-driven tachometer. It registers accumulated engine hours at an average 1875 engine rpm. I rarely run the engine as high as this. In fact, 540 rpm on the pto corresponds to 1700 rpm on the engine. So the actual engine running time (the wall clock time) can be considerably more that what's indicated on the hour meter.

The digital hour counter on my 2008 Mahindra 5525 operates electronically by pulses coming from the alternator. I would be surprised if that counter is smart enough to factor in engine rpm so that the indicator shows the actual wall clock time that the engine has accumulated.

and

Most of the work, other than mowing, I do at slower RPMs (so the meter doesn't run up so quickly), and it rarely takes very long.

I did not realize that "tractor time" could be like "women time" (as in "I'll be ready in a minute Honey")

 

[Thumper & Buttercup]

We'll for us on our IH1066,

We purchased this in 1994 with a new Farm King 9600 snowblower, it had 150 hours on a major overhaul. We've mostly used this for snow removal, we have disked up the entire farm and reclaimed land, we have ditch bank mowed with it during the summer.

Last summer we cultivated the farm a bit and we cleaned out 100 years of junk and reclaimed a lot of land. But looking at my spreadsheet on the tractor we have only put 600 hours on this tractor.

Now take our NH T2220, I just got this one in December and have already put 21+ hours on it helping out with snow removal, the wife says I'm having too much fun with this one.

Now the 1066 was a one owner Farmer used tractor that was built in 1975, it was ninteen years old when it came to me with only 7305 hours on it. This tractor was used in the work of row crops only. So the farmers use on this tractor was only about 384 hours a year.

 

[yooperdave]

On the other hand here in farming country, it is not too unusual to see tractors for sale with 8,000 to 10,000 hours on them, and the owner still wants to get rich quick.

I bought a 3-4 year old used Farm Trac with less than 30 hours on it a few years ago.
I probably average 20-50 hours per year on it. Not used often, but real glad when I need it.

Yooper Dave

 

[Soundguy]

Age does not equal use.

just because you own a tractor doesn't mean you fire it up at 7am every morning and then shut it down at 5pm, 6 days a week.

I've bought antique tractors with OEM proofmeters .. these are 50 yr old tractors that litterally had 500+/- hours on them.. as evidenced by engine internals, and lack of wear / repair.

Other people use their tractors more and rack up the hours. Some of us put lots of hours on certain tractors.. and few on others.. IE.. people that mow like farmwithjunk, load up his mowers with lotsa hours as they are working tractors.

During the growing season, my mowers get weekly use.. while the rest of my 'toys' are lucky to see an hour a week... some less.

that's not to say a machine can't be scammed to look newer than it is... or just have replacement parts due to damage.. etc... My 1975 ford 5000 has obviously had a dash cluster replacement sometime inthe last 34 years.. not recent.. but not roo far back either.. use on her shows more than the 10 hours the meter does!

soundguy

I've been looking at a LOT of used tractors. When I finally plunk down my sweat rewards I'll probably be putting in the equivalent of a quarter years of work value to get that tractor.

I see all these tractors with less than 100 hours of use a year. That's only about 1 day a month

Example "purchased new in Feb, 2004. It has been garage kept and in excellent condition w/ less than 80 hours."
example 2 "I have a 4wd L3400HST, FEL, loaded r4's and Woods 60" rotary. I've had it a little less than 2 yrs (about 75 hrs on her), and have recently"

Is it that easy to turn back an hour meter? Do a lot of people buy new hour meters? Or are there that many guys that need the power but don't use it?

I'll probably put that many hours on in the first 6 months just digging holes and filling them back up.

 

[chh]

and


I did not realize that "tractor time" could be like "women time" (as in "I'll be ready in a minute Honey")

Almost all(maybe all) newer tractors have electric tachs. The tach itself works only when the engine is running, but many will record hours anytime the key is on(running straight "clock" time). My newest MF runs the tach off of the alternator and my older 4243 runs off of a sensor on the hydraulic pump.

 

[LBrown59]

I've been looking at a LOT of used tractors. When I finally plunk down my sweat rewards I'll probably be putting in the equivalent of a quarter years of work value to get that tractor.

I see all these tractors with less than 100 hours of use a year. That's only about 1 day a month

Example "purchased new in Feb, 2004. It has been garage kept and in excellent condition w/ less than 80 hours."
example 2 "I have a 4wd L3400HST, FEL, loaded r4's and Woods 60" rotary. I've had it a little less than 2 yrs (about 75 hrs on her), and have recently"

*Is it that easy to turn back an hour meter? Do a lot of people buy new hour meters? Or are there that many guys that need the power but don't use it?

I'll probably put that many hours on the tractor in the first 6 months just digging holes and filling them back up.

My hours are split between 3 tractors.
So naturally this results in lower than normal hours on each tractor.
I also have 3 pick ups and here again this has resulted in way lower than average milage on each truck.
*What would be the point in turning back the meter when the hours on the tractors are all ready so low?

 

[garydc]

It is very possible to find a tractor with low hours on it I know people with tractors similar to mine that don't put 50 hr's a year on, mine on the other hand I bought near the end of July with 180 hr's but had 350 hr's on it at the beginning of Dec., Haven't put many on over the winter just blowing my own driveway but with spring approaching hopefully the hr's start to rack up again as that equal's $'s. Took the blower off last week put the hoe on this week for one day's work had a bit of frost though and one day is enough till it thaws a little more. Gary

 

[newbury]

This forum is great, so many helpful responses.
Well I am relieved to know that the community here thinks these hours tend not to be scams.

Now I have to hope I'll find some homeowner that bought a TLB as a toy and now the significant other wants the cash back. I only need a small one (20-30hp) as a self learning tool, and anticipate moving up to a larger one in a year or two. But still I expect I (or one of my progeny) will put on at least 40 hours time in the first couple of months.
IF a tractor is kept for 10 years and costs $15K over it's final sale price then it costs $1,500 per year if it's used or not.

That's about like hiring someone with a tractor for 15 hours of work at $100/hour. Or buying 10 to 20 acres more land. But I need a TLB for the 400 I've got

You know you've got it bad when you evaluate everything in terms of one thing you want - I look at a weeks grocery bill as a quarter acre of land! Pretty soon I'll probably think of it as half a box-blade