Plastic hoods and fenders instead of steel ones

[dfkrug]

My 13 year old JD4700 has most of the plastic cracking. It gets brittle with age.
Not the rear fender plastic but the hood, side panels, cowl, & grill.

Yeah, the green resin used on the front hood and side panels is only about 1/8" thick and does fade
and get more brittle with age. The rear fenders are quite a bit thicker and are green painted black
plastic. Nice stuff, the rear fenders.

I understand why some folks want the rust resistance of plastic, but not me. The deere hoods and
panels are just too easy to break, esp as they get older. They are very expensive to replace, but many
are still made and sold to replace broken ones. That will end as models get older.

JD went to this resin in the late 90s. Before that, steel fenders and sometimes fiberglass hoods were
their choice of materials.

 

[creekbend]

Before we bought our new Kubota L4400 in 2011, I was used to my Father's 1969 MF. It was all metal and I don't recall any plastic used. One only has to look at the bumpers are present day vehicle. Our 2001 Silverado -58,000 miles- came with Metal chrome bumpers, both front and rear.

 

[Katahdin]

Yanmar is alive and well in the U.S. and now sells its new tractors under its own name here. FYI, my LX4500 (45hp with HST) is a 2012 U.S. model that was produced after the split with Cub Cadet and only has Yanmar labels and part numbers.

I would not be surprised if a U.S. model shows up in France, I've seen the U.S. LX450 being offered on Australian Yanmar websites. Edit: I suspect the reason the larger US shuttle shift tractors would go overseas is too many of them were made for the US market and there was no U.S. HST model available until last year. So as US buyers are buying the new HST models, Yanmar is moving out the surplus of 40hp+ shuttle shifts tractors to other markets. Those are my thoughts anyway.

I got out my caliper and went out to survey my LX's plastic body parts. The hood body is actually made of two parts (not including the grill, lights, etc). The top of the hood, the black piece, is a solid 8mm thick. The yellow piece that wraps around the engine measures a little over 4mm on the edges. The fenders and station body is one entire piece that measures 6mm on the edges. I wouldn't be surprised if the fenders are thicker in places where I can't measure them with the caliper. There are also plenty of ridges incorporated into the shape of the hood and fenders to add strength. The cowl that covers the instrument panel is the thinnest plastic piece and measures a little over 3mm thick.

 

[brown40]

I have only had the JD plastic, but I have moved a loaded commercial dumpster sideways about 3 inches sideways in a snowstorm with the left rear fender rubbing up against the prong they use to pin/dump.

No crack; it deflected in to the tire & luckily noticed the handle was moving with my hand on it, or probably would have damaged me! Fender sprang back as I pulled away and damage: scraped out about a 1/4 x 1" line down to the black plastic. Was about 25 degrees F.

Metal would have pinned the tire until I could get a bar, and would not have sprung back; until that day I had been on the fence about use of plastic, but experience (mine anyway) made me thankful I didn't have to work out a repair in a snowstorm!

 

[roush9799]

Even our John Deere 8430 has plastic hood and fenders. Only thing metal about it is the grille, steps and frame. Our New Holland T8020 is the same way.

 

[MH8675309]

PLASTIC IS GUARANTEED!




not to rust

 

[DeereMann]

Yeah, the green resin used on the front hood and side panels is only about 1/8" thick and does fade
and get more brittle with age. The rear fenders are quite a bit thicker and are green painted black
plastic. Nice stuff, the rear fenders.

I understand why some folks want the rust resistance of plastic, but not me. The deere hoods and
panels are just too easy to break, esp as they get older. They are very expensive to replace, but many
are still made and sold to replace broken ones. That will end as models get older.

JD went to this resin in the late 90s. Before that, steel fenders and sometimes fiberglass hoods were
their choice of materials.

I concur with dfkrug. I had JD 445 for 11 years, a JD 318 prior. The plastic hood does eventually become brittle over many years & will break if you brush up against bushes, etc. (my JD 445 hood did). It also seems more prone to being easily scratched. There is no doubt it is cheaper to manufacture (I am in heavy machinery manufacturing so know that), so it is a bit disappointing coming from a premium company like Deere. Most automotive companies do not supply plastic engine hoods for the same reasoning.

I sold the JD 445 & now have a JD 1026R - same thing. Already have brush scratching on the hood @ 2 mos. old. Oh, well.

P.S. - my tractors are stored inside a polebarn without exposure to sunlight on the plastic, so my experience is as good as it can get. Tractors stored outdoors exposed to the sun constantly will deteriorate plastic parts much quicker.

 

[EuroYanmar]

Yanmar is alive and well in the U.S. and now sells its new tractors under its own name here. FYI, my LX4500 (45hp with HST) is a 2012 U.S. model that was produced after the split with Cub Cadet and only has Yanmar labels and part numbers.

I would not be surprised if a U.S. model shows up in France, I've seen the U.S. LX450 being offered on Australian Yanmar websites. Edit: I suspect the reason the larger US shuttle shift tractors would go overseas is too many of them were made for the US market and there was no U.S. HST model available until last year. So as US buyers are buying the new HST models, Yanmar is moving out the surplus of 40hp+ shuttle shifts tractors to other markets. Those are my thoughts anyway.

I got out my caliper and went out to survey my LX's plastic body parts. The hood body is actually made of two parts (not including the grill, lights, etc). The top of the hood, the black piece, is a solid 8mm thick. The yellow piece that wraps around the engine measures a little over 4mm on the edges. The fenders and station body is one entire piece that measures 6mm on the edges. I wouldn't be surprised if the fenders are thicker in places where I can't measure them with the caliper. There are also plenty of ridges incorporated into the shape of the hood and fenders to add strength. The cowl that covers the instrument panel is the thinnest plastic piece and measures a little over 3mm thick.

View attachment 327834

Thanks Katahdin for these thickness measurements and news from Yanmar US.
As my pseudo suggests I own a Japanese grey Yanmar AF 22 (22 HP) with shuttle shift and synchronised inverter.
My machine has now 1900 hours and I am planing to get a new tractor 35-40 HP as mine is not street legal in France..
I am exploring the market. I am thinking about buying a 3000 series Deere or the new 3000 series coming in August (?) or wait for the new Yanmar 40 HP coming at the begining of 2014.
The problem is : no info from Deere and Yanmar. Business commercial secrets.....
That is the reason why I asked you the situation of US Yanmar and I think your guess is quite logical.
There is another parameter to take into consideration : the compared curencies between Euro/$ and Euro/yen. I guess they will choose the best economic solution. FYI the Yanmars we have here in EC are all Japan made. These are the EF series and GK series. Here is the link www.Solvert.com - YANMAR - Tracteur EF 200
But... I believe you may be right. I consider as highly possible the coming of an US Yanmar in EC next year.

Phil

PS : Do you have two pedals for your HST like Deere or one like Kubota ?

 

[Mech]

new 3000 series coming in August
Phil

Is a new 3000 series coming in August confirmed?

 

[EuroYanmar]

Is a new 3000 series coming in August confirmed?

Hi Mech,

I see you have an eagle eye as you are on the market for a 3520 !
Here is what I know from my Deere dealer :
"The new Deere series will be introduce to EC dealers on August 7th in Manheim Germany."
I asked him many times if there will be a new 3000 series and he did not confirm (I am on the market for a 3000 series, so it may be a commercial strategy to sell me an "old" model !) but said "there will be offers on the new models and on the old models because they are not Tier IV compatible".
He added that "the 2000 series will be discontinued".
I found this last statement strange as the 2000 series is still here in US under the name "2 family" even if the tractors have not change really.

Be sure I will post here what I will learn when he will be back from Germany around August 15 th. (it is a one week meeting as I understood).

Phil