What year did tractors get "complicated"?

[HawkinsHollow]

So now that I am back in the market for a tractor I am deciding between 2 camps, Used and New. And also in turn "simple" and
"complicated". I still like Bransons, they are heavier, stronger,(according to tractor data) and just as well built as most name brands. However, in my research I have run into these discussion about whether or not Branson will be here in 5-10 years. It's a bit scary to be considering dropping $18-20K on a tractor which could potentially have a dwindling support network. Regardless, that is not what I am wanting to ask. There are plenty of posts about that, I will be diving deeper into that on my own. These potential worries have led me to another question. WHEN DID TRACTORS GET COMPLICATED? I feel very comfortable working on my 94 F150 with the inline 6 cylinder 300, but I would be LOST trying to work on your 2016 F150 where you can barely see the engine. About what year did tractors make the switch from being like my old trusty 94 with inline 6 to the newer more complicated machines that are being put out today? I feel like these newer tractors have so much more to go wrong on them. One little thing and your $19K tractor is an expensive paperweight until you can get it to the dealer. I know new tractors are ultra dependable, but still... It can happen!

Sorry if this topic has been covered, my search of when did tractors get complicated did not produce any satisfactory results. That is the crux of this search feature, figuring out what to type in to find what you want.:confused2:

 

[ericm979]

A milestone in "complication" would be the switch from mechanical fuel injection to electronic fuel injection that most manufacturers made to meet >25hp Tier 4. But one could argue that electronics and software don't wear out like mechanical parts do. I'm comfortable with both mechanical and electronic systems. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. With electronic you do need to have diagnostic software. On cars and trucks the EPA mandated OBD2 port and commodity code readers or software generally works well. Not long ago one of the stick coils on my wife's VW failed. With the right software I could query the computer which told me which one I needed to replace. That's a lot handier than non electronic forms of diagnosis. But it requires a code reader and diagnostic port. While there are standards for cars and trucks there aren't for tractors. Some have OBD2 ports, some do not.

Bransons still use mechanical fuel injection. The only computer is a simple one that monitors the DOC+DPF, and it will run without it.

As far as Branson going away in X years, it looks like TYM is putting a lot of resources into Branson (see link below). It's hard to say where any corporation will be in the far future. You're taking a chance with all of them. However the CUT market is strong now and it doesn't look like that's changing any time soon.

Branson Tractors Aims to be Market Leader Within 5 Years | Rural Lifestyle Dealer

 

[HawkinsHollow]

WOW! Yeah, that article is interesting. Doesn't sounds like a company that the parent company is aiming to dissolve. Thank you for that link!!

And It sounds like there is a sliding scale when it comes to complexity in tractor brands then? And Bransons are at the lower end of that complexity scale?

 

[ericm979]

Bransons lack the electronic fuel injection that the other brands have. But that's just one small part of a tractor, and EFI is a well known commodity product now. There's a lot of mechanical and hydraulic parts in modern 4wd CUTs. To get the features they enable you'll have to have that complexity.

 

[EddieWalker]

2012 was the last year of Tier 3 smog, but their are a few brands and models out there that where able to keep building tractors a few years later before having to go to Tier 4. Before that, I'm not really sure of a solid line when they started adding a lot of meaningless electronics that cause so many issues that could be avoided if they didn't exist. My tractor is a 2003 and after a couple of years chasing electrical gremlins, I removed every wire and just installed the basics so it will start and run. I used a choke cable to turn the engine off. I really enjoy my tractor now that it starts every time I want to use it!!!!

I read that some new tractors have computers on their tractors that will not allow the owner of the tractor to do basic repairs without the proper codes. I'm worried that this might become more common with all brands and eventually the manufacturer will severely limit what we can do to our tractors, or fix them ourselves.

My next tractor will probably be a Kubota. They sell half of all compact tractors for a reason. But they will also be around when we are long gone. Parts will always be available. If it's not a Kubota, it will have to be a lot better tractor for a lot better price.

This is a local company that does auctions almost once a month with people showing up from all over the country.

http://www.jandksales.net/inventory...=2951752&etid=1&dlr=1&lo=3&sfc=0&ssc=0&snai=0

They have a pretty steady turn over and new tractors added to the website every month. There are some really interesting deals with tractors before 2012 with low hours that I would be looking at if I was ready to buy. I also think it's a good source to know what used tractors are selling for.

 

[Tractorable]

What year did tractors get "complicated"?

There’s a 2013 Kubota L4060HSTC for sale on TractorHouse that currently has 8891 hours on it. Asking price ~$20K. These modern “complicated” tractors are so reliable now they’ll probabaly out live most of us.

http://www.tractorhouse.com/ListingsDetail/Detail.aspx?lp=TH&OHID=24171047

 

[ruffdog]

There are plenty of restored vintage tractors out there that are "easy" to work on.

 

[ericm979]

You can still get parts for 8Ns made in the '40s and '50s even though it's been decades since Ford made tractors.

Modern conveniences like electric over hydraulic independent PTO are nice (and arguably safer). While there are more components than the simple PTO in a tractor like the 8N they're all ones that have been used for a long time and are well understood.

 

[dieselcrawler]

Buddy of mine has an '86 Kubota L2850, bought new. It has <2000 hours, and has had a rough life... ode hard and put away wet, as the phrase goes, and still runs like a top. Has a few electrical gremlins due to a fire 20 years ago, glow plug timer/relay is affected, but has been one tough tractor.

Complex? Not really, by today's standards, quite simple. But still enough electronic "fluff" to make perfect operation as factory installed make it not work right, as in glow plugs not working. I'd buy one of this vintage in a heartbeat.

 

[JasperFrank]

80's to early 90's. I don't even buy cars newer than '93. I'm stuck in time, as these are the last years of things fixable by a DIY mechanic.