Lifespan of a newer Deere tractor - how long do you expect your tractor to last?

[Parkanzky]

Anyway, I know it wasn't a John Deere, but the older tractors generally, were built to last - whereas the newer ones probably won't last as long as the old MF65 I sold.

I don't think that's true. It's probably a lot like cars. When I was a kid, a car with 100k miles was ready for the scrap heap. Now, 200k without any major work is common, and some go way farther. I suspect that we will see similar benefits from improved materials, better engineering, and tighter production controls in modern tractors.

 

[sd455dan]

Seems the subject of this thread is about Deere tractors. Why are all the non-Deere posts showing up? wannabe's maybe?

I think the Deere line holding high resale value is answer enough for the subject in question.


Possibly because when many readers log on- they go to new posts- which is brand blind.

 

[sixdogs]

I don't think that's true. It's probably a lot like cars. When I was a kid, a car with 100k miles was ready for the scrap heap. Now, 200k without any major work is common, and some go way farther. I suspect that we will see similar benefits from improved materials, better engineering, and tighter production controls in modern tractors.

Cars, yes. Tractors no. The the big name tractors were built especially well. As noted earlier, it is fairly common to see 1960's Deere tractors with 10,000 to 12,000 hours and not unusual to see 15,000 to 17,000 hours without ever being taken apart.

 

[Tx Jim]

As far as I know, John Deere makes their own tractors. Some in Moline, some in Augusta and some in JD factories overseas. Of course many parts are from overseas.

To my knowledge JD headquarters is in Moline but no tractors are built there. JD did have some factories in Mexico

 

[Parkanzky]

Cars, yes. Tractors no. The the big name tractors were built especially well. As noted earlier, it is fairly common to see 1960's Deere tractors with 10,000 to 12,000 hours and not unusual to see 15,000 to 17,000 hours without ever being taken apart.

The engines for these tractors are built in dedicated plants very much like the plants that build automotive engines. The same improvements in metallurgy, manufacturing tolerances, and quality monitoring are going to yield similar improvements in either facility. On top of that, we're benefiting from more and more experience manufacturing internal combustion engines.

Living in Michigan, I have several friends that are engineers in the auto industry. It's not uncommon for a powertrain engineer to leave an automotive company to go work for an industrial engine manufacturer, or vice-versa.

 

[tcreeley]

I live in a salt the road zone. I have always replaced mufflers on my pickups and cars, along with brakes, brakelines, etc.. My 2003 pickup has the same muffler that it came with- stainless steel. I've done the brakes over, including lines because of rust. I an starting to get rust in the back fenders and bumper now. Chevy was tired of their rust bucket label and started galvanizing and improved the muffler. Planned obsolescence is engineered in. I also wonder about the new stuff, I've got some rust on my tractor rims from snow removal in the drive where the salt is thrown up from the highway, and from travelling between my 2 driveways along the main road. Still, the tractor is solid.
The garden/lawn tractor stuff is another story. My sears GT5000 - two years after I had it seized up. The easy plastic oil change spout dripped oil- poor design or "get them back into the store"? I bought another motor and swapped it in- (lousy at breaking them down). The rubber tires on it are junk- leak. I put tubes in them and replaced the front. Tough tractor, started anytime- but shortcuts are there.
TBN members sometimes get into the "new car syndrome", replace every three years! and do that with their tractors - "bigger is better"! It keeps the dealers going and the infrastructure. That's good- otherwise it would all fade away, like the farms are going.
I never was brand specific. As a kid we had a willys jeep for the NH bailer, two fords - crimper/NH rake, couple of crawlers for the 6 bottom plow and harrow. We had a couple of power units from our sawmill days, a new GMC dump truck, chevy and ford flat bed trucks. The body on one was chained to the truck ladder frame. Push button starters, running boards, and one had a crank start as well. And we had an international with its narrow front end and an fel with a drop bucket...along with other machinery. Brand specific meant you had money to choose. The equipment we had was due to a good deal on used. Every region has their tractors. As a kid I saw red, blue, and green. Coming to Maine - case and allis chalmers entered the picture. Up the road our neighbor has a moline he uses and a david bradley he used to use in a shed. Farmalls and Internationals, Deere are around and a few fords. The favorite farm ag tractor I see in the fields is NH. Two people in the area have kubotas - trees/haying. I think it depends on the dealers that set up shop over the years and the financing they offer in the area, more than the quality of the tractor.
All good tractors from what I see.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I'm still trying to figure out how you can use a tractor hard and get 10,000 hours out of a set of tires ???

We consistently used our tractors pretty hard pulling heavy breaking disc when my Dad and I farmed. We traded tractors about every 5-7 years (mostly just to get more HP) and 10,000-15,000 hours on them was about standard. I don't ever remember having to buy tires for them and they were all still in pretty good shape with those hours. They ran WOT almost all the time with exception of pulling cultivators when they would be about half throttle so I think they would be classified as used hard.
None were 4 WD like most tractors of today which causes the front tires to wear lots faster. I can see wear on my P7010C front tires now with only about 120 hours on it, but not enough to see on the rear and it hasn't been on asphalt more than 2 miles total.

They all carried full iron front end and rear tire weights plus water in both front and rear tires to limit slip. I don't know if todays tires are made from the same rubber compound but I would assume that the tire companies may have learned a few tricks in 50 years to make them better, but that isn't a given considering our throw away World we live in today.

 

[StuartDK45SE]

Just curious what rpms some of your JDs turn to achieve 540 rpms at the pto. I know a lot of utility tractors have to turn 2500 engine rpms to run the pto at 540. That was something I didn't consider when buying our most recent tractor and it concerns me. Makes sense that tractors that turn less would have more longevity.

Thanks

 

[Turbys_1700]

Just a couple of thoughts...
Our church purchased a 5020 Allis Chalmers in 1980...
That tractor now has over 2500? some odd hours...
Just replaced the water pump...
That is all we have done to it except for tires and maintenance...
A friend of ours just rebuilt his Allis Chalmers several years ago...
He purchased it from my dad in the 1970's...
The gas engine had over 4500 hours...
The brakes were rebuilt also...
We have two D-17's that have been sitting in the barn for over 10 years...
A series 3 and a series 4...
They need to be rebuilt but have over 5000 hours on them...
Nothing else replaced to my knowledge...
Our 8050 had a water pump replaced at 4000 plus hours...
Tractors of yesteryear and today have long lifespans...
My current 1720 has 750 hours and it should be good for over 4000 before a rebuild...
I would estimate a given of 5000 hours as a reasonable benchmark for today's engines before rebuilds...
As far as other components I have no idea...
In my experience our old farm tractors were almost bullet proof...

 

[Parkanzky]

Just curious what rpms some of your JDs turn to achieve 540 rpms at the pto. I know a lot of utility tractors have to turn 2500 engine rpms to run the pto at 540. That was something I didn't consider when buying our most recent tractor and it concerns me. Makes sense that tractors that turn less would have more longevity.

Thanks

My 2032R is right at 2500-2600 rpm to get rated PTO speed. It's right below WOT. It seems perfectly happy there. I spent 40 minutes running it like that this morning to clear the drive.