just a general observation about new tractors

[DAY]

My comments about tractors in general was to express a concern for parts availability in the future. I wonder if the needed parts will be there for a 2011 model in 2031? If you can get parts then we shouldn't have a problem. When I think about how fast everything is obsoleted in todays' world it makes me doubtful. This may be a big problem with parts no matter what brand you choose today.

It's not just tractor tractor parts that will become unobtainable. Repair is becoming a concept from the past. Toss it out, and buy a newer, better model. The old equipment, like the Model T, did one thing well, and ran and ran. But would you buy a new one today? I remember John Deere tractors that you had to crank- like the Model T.

In 2031 I venture to predict that todays "do everything" CUT will be as quaint as the Victrola.

 

[bakerg]

I have always been a GM man, but bought a Chrysler in 2001 because I got a discount price from a relative who works there. My other car is a 2005 Chevy and only got it because my son smashed my 94 Olds up. I'm one of those who drive their cars till the wheels fall off. If you maintian them properly they last a long time.
With my Massey, I took a long time checking out all the models around my area for the best price. I grew up a JD man but I could not find any major difference in the models I looked at. Chose the Massey because of the deal I got. No complaints so far other than the wife. Was hard to spend the money on something you only use a couple times a week and less in winter. My wife is happy that we had it this year to more all the snow.:thumbsup:

 

[TripleR]

Another point I want to make.

I read all the posts about how great the old tractors were and I laugh. Most of the people posting that have never spent twelve to sixteen hours a day for a week driving a 641 Ford across plowed ground pulling a disk WITHOUT POWER STEERING. I still have trouble with my wrists from having the steering wheel jerked out of my hands. And that was more than forty years ago.

The older tractors were meant for one thing, pulling a farm implement in a straight line. They required constant maintenance to keep them running. And every house you passed in the country had a Ford, Deere, or Farmall in the field or parked beside it. There were many thousands of those tractors built. Only a small fraction survive.

I remember the day our new 55 Ford 600 arrived and our two older tractors, 2N or 9N were taken away. We farmed 160 acres with that tractor and since our dad was an OTR trucker, my brothers and I spent many long days on it in addition to others owned by neighbors. We still own that tractor and my father is long since gone. One of my brothers still uses it and my other brother uses an old Ford NAA.

Due to age and disability, I had to give them up a few years ago, but they are still good old tractors. Agreed, they aren't as versatile as our newer units, but work great for many applications.

Just be sure to keep your thumbs on the outside of the steering wheel.

 

[ultrarunner]

It's not just tractor tractor parts that will become unobtainable. Repair is becoming a concept from the past. Toss it out, and buy a newer, better model. The old equipment, like the Model T, did one thing well, and ran and ran. But would you buy a new one today? I remember John Deere tractors that you had to crank- like the Model T.

In 2031 I venture to predict that todays "do everything" CUT will be as quaint as the Victrola.

Hey, I own a couple of Model T's and cars that are no longer made... 1905 Oldsmobile, 1938 American Bantam are two that I use a lot.

Don't overlook the hand the regulatory aspect has in forcing obsolescence... especially in States like California.

I live in the SF Bay Area of California and there is a very strong movement to force mandatory retirement of older Diesel equipment... doesn't matter if it is a 25 year old CAT 65 hp Dozer, Wood Chipper and even a 15 year old Turbo Cummins Generator.

Same goes for vehicles... the standards continue to be tightened on older vehicles...

It wasn't that long ago machinery could in theory be maintained and repaired to keep it running indefinitely... now major manufacturers drop parts and repairs for anything that is non-CARB compliant... (California Air Resources Board)

Don't look to seen many restored vehicle from the mid 70's on... who wants to spend the money on something that will require smog testing just to operated it?

Too bad, because it is a part of American History that is being forced to go away.

I know of no other time where owners of perfectly usable equipment been forced to no longer use them under penalty of law.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

I bought a used 11 year old VW (standard) as my first car, $600 Drove it for a year and a half, 20,000 miles, only replaced the coil, sold it for $600. Cheap, well built, reliable.

I bought a Ford Escort, pony model, new (standard). $9000. Drove it for 6 years, 100,000+ miles. Only repairs were for a tail light I backed into a tree with. Cheap, well built, reliable.

I bought a Ford F150 new. $18,000. Drove for 2 years. 20,000 miles before trading it for a new Ford Escort. Cheap for a new pickup, well built, reliable, but the gas mileage was, well, gee, it's a truck for gosh sakes.

New Ford Escort GT (standard). $13,000 Still pretty cheap. Not as well built as the first one I had. Cooling system problems, and then tranny problems.

New Ford Aerostar XLT van. I forget the price, but was on the low end. That thing ran and ran. 120,000+ miles. A/C died and with the changeover in coolant, wasn't cost effective to replace. Front end problems usually required rebuilds every 60K. Was still a reliable workhorse.

2 new Dodge caravans and I should have driven them off a bridge into the river as soon as I got them. Nothing but leaks, electrical problems, steering and brake problems from the get go. And definitely not cheap sticker prices.

New 2005 Nissan Sentra (standard). $11,000 Still driving it, 93,000+ miles. Had to replace the timing belt twice. Cheap, well built, reliable.

Point is, for my experience, buying an expensive vehicle is a waste of good money. You can buy fairly cheap, and get a good, reliable vehicle. Now people buy tractors for reliability. They don't need an expensive tractor, with all kinds of doodads to break. And when a car breaks, you can pull right up to it to haul it to the garage. When a tractor breaks, you either fix it in the field, or it don't get fixed for a while because it's an operation to haul it in. Cheap tractors are break and replace. Can't do that if they cost too much.

 

[TripleR]

I bought a used 11 year old VW (standard) as my first car, $600 Drove it for a year and a half, 20,000 miles, only replaced the coil, sold it for $600. Cheap, well built, reliable.

I bought a Ford Escort, pony model, new (standard). $9000. Drove it for 6 years, 100,000+ miles. Only repairs were for a tail light I backed into a tree with. Cheap, well built, reliable.

I bought a Ford F150 new. $18,000. Drove for 2 years. 20,000 miles before trading it for a new Ford Escort. Cheap for a new pickup, well built, reliable, but the gas mileage was, well, gee, it's a truck for gosh sakes.

New Ford Escort GT (standard). $13,000 Still pretty cheap. Not as well built as the first one I had. Cooling system problems, and then tranny problems.

New Ford Aerostar XLT van. I forget the price, but was on the low end. That thing ran and ran. 120,000+ miles. A/C died and with the changeover in coolant, wasn't cost effective to replace. Front end problems usually required rebuilds every 60K. Was still a reliable workhorse.

2 new Dodge caravans and I should have driven them off a bridge into the river as soon as I got them. Nothing but leaks, electrical problems, steering and brake problems from the get go. And definitely not cheap sticker prices.

New 2005 Nissan Sentra (standard). $11,000 Still driving it, 93,000+ miles. Had to replace the timing belt twice. Cheap, well built, reliable.

Point is, for my experience, buying an expensive vehicle is a waste of good money. You can buy fairly cheap, and get a good, reliable vehicle. Now people buy tractors for reliability. They don't need an expensive tractor, with all kinds of doodads to break. And when a car breaks, you can pull right up to it to haul it to the garage. When a tractor breaks, you either fix it in the field, or it don't get fixed for a while because it's an operation to haul it in. Cheap tractors are break and replace. Can't do that if they cost too much.

I did the same thing for most of my life, but now in my "golden years", I like the "bells and whistles" on my vehicles and tractors, so for me at least it's not money wasted. I can accomplish more in one of my cab tractors than one of the open station.

As to the doodads on tractors, I know of no full time, working farmer without a cab and all the comforts.

As always YMMV and my.:2cents:

 

[rjkobbeman]

I did the same thing for most of my life, but now in my "golden years", I like the "bells and whistles" on my vehicles and tractors, so for me at least it's not money wasted. I can accomplish more in one of my cab tractors than one of the open station.

As to the doodads on tractors, I know of no full time, working farmer without a cab and all the comforts.

As always YMMV and my.:2cents:

I agree. For me the doodads are cool and neat to have.

For people earning a living with their tractor(s), the doodads tend to add to productivity by being able to do more things faster... and add to productivity by not fatiguing the operator.

 

[Soundguy]

Another point I want to make.

I read all the posts about how great the old tractors were and I laugh. Most of the people posting that have never spent twelve to sixteen hours a day for a week driving a 641 Ford across plowed ground pulling a disk WITHOUT POWER STEERING. I still have trouble with my wrists from having the steering wheel jerked out of my hands. And that was more than forty years ago.

The older tractors were meant for one thing, pulling a farm implement in a straight line. They required constant maintanance to keep them running. And every house you passed in the country had a Ford, Deere, or Farmall in the field or parked beside it. There were many thousands of those tractors built. Only a small fraction survive.

if it was without power steering it was because it was not ordered with it. PS become optionally available with the 00 series in late 54. thus it was the owners choice not to have power steering... hard to complain about something with a straight face when the choice was easilly available at the time.... wasn't the machines fault... twas the owner / operator's CHOICE.

as for only a fraction surviving.. I believe you are lowballing terribly. a huge fraction survives.. that's why you can walk into a parts store and pick up a part for a 60 year old ford off the shelf. so darn many were made, and so darn many are still going.. and needing parts.

I remember making a similar comment to the counter guy at the local CNH dealer about being able to walk in and pick up a part for one of my old fords, and being amazed they had them on the shelf.

He says.. they have to be stocked. we sell em all the time.. too darn many tractors out there still running to not stock parts for them.



soundguy

 

[DAY]

if it was without power steering it was because it was not ordered with it. PS become optionally available with the 00 series in late 54. thus it was the owners choice not to have power steering... hard to complain about something with a straight face when the choice was easilly available at the time.... wasn't the machines fault... twas the owner / operator's CHOICE.

as for only a fraction surviving.. I believe you are lowballing terribly. a huge fraction survives.. that's why you can walk into a parts store and pick up a part for a 60 year old ford off the shelf. so darn many were made, and so darn many are still going.. and needing parts.

I remember making a similar comment to the counter guy at the local CNH dealer about being able to walk in and pick up a part for one of my old fords, and being amazed they had them on the shelf.

He says.. they have to be stocked. we sell em all the time.. too darn many tractors out there still running to not stock parts for them.



soundguy

-Like my Ford 4500 TLB!:thumbsup: It's older than half the posters here- and works harder:laughing:

Too many folks here confuse tools with toys. Tractors -and pick up trucks!- used to be tools you used to earn a living. Now they are playthings for the Ponderosa. Nothing wrong with that, just don't confuse the two.

 

[jonyyuma]

Easiest things in the US to find parts for Ford 2N , and Ford 8N. Easiest Auto engines, Ford 300 6 cylinder and Chevy Small-block V-8. Yeap my tractor is for a pass time, instead of a wanted Hot-Rod.It does provide some good fresh food with a little effort.