Leaving tractor outside in the elements?

[smfcpacfp]

Been buying cars since 1964, over 140. I like em but don't love em. Anyone that would say they used to be better is truly confused. If they were better, where are they now? Same with tractors.

You are a car dealer's delight. :laughing: I wish I had customer's like you when I owned a dealership. This means that you bought a new car every 4 months on average!!:thumbsup:

 

[1950T]

Yeah right. I remember as a kid Dad tuning up the car, fixing stuff, checking
this and that for a 5 hour ride to the coast. Heck people jump in their cars and
drive across country these days and never even bat an eye. I for one sure am
glad they "don't make'em like they used too". I've got a '91 Ford Explorer with
something like 234K miles on it and still kicking, it also doesn't sit out.

ive got 15 tractors on the farm and twice as many implements. my old junk isant weekend warrior type stuf. its worked 12+hrs a day 7 days a week 365 days a year. i dont know many farmers that actualy farm on a large scale that keep all their equipment under roof. that being said my 210 superstocker lives in the shop 24/7. ive got more money in it than what both my olivers cost new :laughing: average age of my tractors is 40-45 years old. newest one is the 80s TW20. its given us more problmes than any of the old olivers or internationals have. i still dont think they build BIG farm tractors like they used to.

what motor does your explorer have in it? the 3.0v6? first car i owned was a 1991 bmw. still got it. its got 337k on it and its been kept outside. heres a pic of her under 3ft opf snow this winter.

got the steelies and snow tires on it in the pic still lol

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Been buying cars since 1964, over 140. I like em but don't love em. Anyone that would say they used to be better is truly confused. If they were better, where are they now? Same with tractors.

You are a car dealer's delight. :laughing: I wish I had customer's like you when I owned a dealership. This means that you bought a new car every 4 months on average!!:thumbsup:

Wow! I'd never done the math on the average purchases before. Guess that is why my car sales people (like to use the same one at each dealer) like to see me come and don't get to mad when I don't make the deal with them. They know I'll be back to give them another shot soon. Haven't always bought new cars. Didn't buy my first new car until 1980 Toyota Celica. Went the rounds about 3 weeks ago and ended up with a 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 Crewcab instead of the Tundra, Titan, GMC, F150 and Ridgeline. It was a hard day and also a salesman from 80 miles away was calling all day to see if I had bought yet and giving me prices.
I did have 7 cars at one time a couple of years ago, guess I had lost my mind (1990 Allante White another 1990 Allante Red and a 1990 MB SL Silver) along with my regular driving vehicles. I've only owned 2 Corvettes, 1967 and 1977, can't get out of them since they started making the wide door seal.
My WRX now satisfies my need for speed (0 to 60 4.7 sec), Traverse meets need for hauling kids while traveling and the Ram my need for the rare tow and hauling "stuff" for home and business. I may also be done, for awhile, on car purchases as I am done on tractor purchases.

 

[Grateful11]

ive got 15 tractors on the farm and twice as many implements. my old junk isant weekend warrior type stuf. its worked 12+hrs a day 7 days a week 365 days a year. i dont know many farmers that actualy farm on a large scale that keep all their equipment under roof. that being said my 210 superstocker lives in the shop 24/7. ive got more money in it than what both my olivers cost new :laughing: average age of my tractors is 40-45 years old. newest one is the 80s TW20. its given us more problmes than any of the old olivers or internationals have. i still dont think they build BIG farm tractors like they used to.

what motor does your explorer have in it? the 3.0v6? first car i owned was a 1991 bmw. still got it. its got 337k on it and its been kept outside. heres a pic of her under 3ft opf snow this winter.

got the steelies and snow tires on it in the pic still lol

12 hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 day a year? How hours are on these tractors?
Sounds like you need to cut down on quantity and get something bigger.
I know guys farming 3000 acres that don't put in that kind seat time. Ours
sees a fair amount of use as we bounce around at 45-55 head cattle and
still do tillage, no no-till here.

My Explorer has the 4.0L, 3.0 was never available in the Explorer. Mine's a
first year model, a '91. It only gets about a 500-1000 miles a year on it now,
it has a nice place in the dry for semi-retirement. Our '02 Z71 Tahoe and our
'10 Prius sees all the main miles these days.

 

[Grateful11]

I have seen some of those folks along the side of the road...

The only folks I usually see on the side of the road these days are mostly
neglected vehicles. For some reason around here I see more Volvo's on the
side of the than any other make and considering how few you actually see
on the road I think it's a bit alarming.

 

[1950T]

combined 750a owned and another 500 leased i the next county over. we run 341 head of jersey and holstein. in the near future im cutting that in half and making to transition to a organic milk cheese and beef operation. no idea on the hours on the equipment. only one that has a working hour meter is the 9000 and cant go by that beause its got a new motor in it. mix cart and 1755 run 3hrs in the morning and 3hrs in the evening for feeding before milking. 1066 is on the big feed cart that is ran back and forth between the 3 farms feeding the dry cows. this year im gonna cut that down by putting in a pit silo at the other farm and silage bags at the leased property. alot of hours on the trators are gonna be cut out since went to trucks over silage wagons this year and a self propelled chopper.

i dont know what i was thinking about 3.0 other than my stratus r/t that we traded our expidetion in for is a 3.0. the 4.0 seemes to be a decent motor.

 

[OzarksHermit]

Here's what I did.

After paying a King's Ransom for this great little rig, I wanted to keep it out of the weather. Paid $595.00 - delivered and installed. It's a custom size, only 8 feet wide so it would fit between the large carport and small shed.

Ken

 

[repete]

I try to keep everything under cover. Things just last longer that way here. I envy you folks who live in the drier regions.

In the Pacific Northwest if you leave it out it will be a rust pile in short order. A three point spreader with fertilizer mixed with constant moisture is a sure fire way to corrode through paint and steel.

I have a 2700 SF tractor shed and a 6000 SF barn so there is usually room to put it away. When I consider the cost of machinery, especially the baler, building a home for it is imperative.

 

[DiezNutz]

Ozarks-

Is it somehow anchored to the large carport and small shed, or are there never wind gusts where you live?

 

[rScotty]

I might need to leave a new kubota L4750 outside for a year or two. What damage could this cause? I would coat that sucker down with fluid film and over the winter would toss a cover over it but summer wise it would be outside and in the shade of a tree. Is there any advice that you could give about how to protect a tractor that is a yard tractor instead of a barn tractor? Thanks!

I cherish all my machinery and yes, I leave it outside in a tough environment. Tractors are easy because they are made to take the weather. Sure I'd rather put everything inside if I had an infinite amount of inside space, but as is, I prefer to use inside space for my own workshop projects and more weather-sensitive tools than a tractor or truck. Putting a car in the barn or garage would mean moving projects and tools outside and my wife would be sure I'd gone crazy. Cars stay outside too. They aren't made to do so as well as tractors, but it's a compromise....my compromise.

Still, no sense in being foolish. You need to protect against rain and snow and sun while still allowing room for the tractor to breath.

Start by picking a spot with good drainage where things don't grow. Rock or sand or concrete is the ticket. Parking on dirt is a mistake. And on grass is even worse. Parking on wood creates fungus and spores. So pick and prepare your parking area.

For a covering I've tried them all. My favorite is a good old greenish colored canvas tarp - the kind that feels vaguely waxy. Pay real money and get a heavy soft one that covers about half way down the tires. Label it with the side out and a corner so it goes on the same way each time. After awhile that heavy cotton duck will take the shape of the tractor and you won't even have to tie it down. They last about five years if kept out of the dirt.

Now cut a couple of pieces of light plywood to shade the tires on the sunward side. The weight of the tarp will keep them in place.

That's it. good luck.
rScotty