I traded my 2006 Case 95 hp tractor with cab, loader, and 600 hrs straight across for a 1980 Deere 4440 with 8000 hrs. I feel like I got the better end of the deal and the older tractor while 35 years old seems to be more reliable to me. The case wasn't horrible but lots of things seemed flimsy on it and little piddly stuff was always going wrong. I had serious concerns about the long term reliability of it. Everything on the older tractor it is heavier built, things are accessible and easy to fix, etc.
Technology is a good thing and many things are better today than they once were but I also thing there is a trend to build things absolutely as cheap as possible which results in many components being barely adequate where on older machines they were way stronger than they really needed to be.
As said above the diesel emissions stuff is a nightmare. I think eventually they will get it figured out but right now we are the guinea pigs and most the problems people see on new diesel stuff is with emissions crap.
