Plastic verses metal

[Hawgee]

What are the pro's and con's on the fenders and hoods now adays. I know myself that I never had trouble with the old Massey 35 and hitting things. I assume if a guy is not use to washing off, he also does not worry about rust.

Most of you on the east coast will be in here bfore I'm home from work. What say you.

Can't be that much wieght loss.

"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered."
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

 

[Thomas]

I would perferthe metal to plastic.
If one should a ding or a good size dent in the metal it can be removed,and high % of the time the owner can fix the problem.
If one puts a ding or a hole in plastic there a good chance it well crack, that could lead to $$$ for repairs or replacement.

Kubota had models with plastic hoods etc...and left out in the sun the orange paint would fade on the plastic.
Rust from the road salt or the weather,well if one doesn't have some sort of little rust I would say they don't use there tractor to much.
Heck I seen new tractors with rust already on them as they setin the dealership yard.

Where are you located in the U.S. ?

Take Care.

 

[_RaT_]

The plastic I saw on a TCD33 NH was very thick, re-enforced and looked very tough, considerably tougher then todays steel fenders, hoods etc. I don't think this will have a negative impact on the tractor. What dents the hood on my International would crush the hood on a new Kubota, Deere or metal NH. How UV resistant, does it distort over time or whether it's repairable will need to be learned. I would think that if Kubota or Deere had the plastic like the new Boomers, it would not be a drawback. But old attitudes are hard to change and I know some are going to have reasons why its bad to use synthetics/plastics. In the end, it probably isn't that big of a deal, if you have put a lot of dents in your tractor your doing something wrong. (or perhaps your wife is using it to much) After all, I have to laugh at the truck commercials put out by Ford, Dodge and GM, they obviously weren't refering to the body, especially the bed. I mean built like a ROCK, decomposed granite perhaps, or built RAM TOUGH, hmmm, sheep, or whats Fords, is it, BUILT FORD TOUGH? If thats Fords, then it explains a few things that have broken on my truck. That being said, I like the new trucks, just have to modify the bed with real steel in order to cinch down a good load. Look for plastic beds/bodies on future trucks, I'll have to see about that! Rat...
Hawgee, did Emerson have Yellow Star Thistle?

 

[MChalkley]

Rat - I'll bet he'd never heard of 'Yellow Star Thistle', but it probably wouldn't have mattered. He wasn't a farmer, either...

Mark

 

[Bird]

The word "plastic" is almost like using the word "metal". They both cover such a wide range of material. I was shocked over 25 years ago to learn that the pistons in the disc brake calipers on a Plymouth were "plastic" but I never heard of there being a problem with them. Plastic vs. steel wasn't an issue I even considered when I was shopping for a tractor. One dents, the other breaks; either can be fixed. And I only heard of my first plastic "welder" within the last couple of years, but apparently they work well.

Bird

 

[gordon]

Bird I learned how to plastic weld over 15 years ago just like stick welding just don't get the plastic to hot and your up town.
You know those tanks on your old r/v s thats how alot of them used to be put together before roto casting came into play. The A.b.s. tanks can be welded as well but sometimes a tank is not repairable and must be replaced.
The main thing is using the correct plastic rod for what type of plastic your welding and trial and error of learning how to do it.
Might be a good market down the road welding plastic tractor fenders you never know. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
I remember when chain saws started going plastic and thought these would never hold up and at first they had problems with cracking but the plastic allowed a weight difference of a couple pounds which at the end of the day ment alot. Now with the space age polymers alot of them are as strong as the steel its amazing at the new technology.
Gordon

 

[_RaT_]

Mark, it doesn't surprise me, with a name like Ralph, what else are you going to do with your time? Rat...

 

[Bird]

Gordon, I have no idea how long that kind of equipment has been around. Like I said, it was something new to me, but my brother sold a new rig to a paint and body shop recently, and told me the guy who bought it really knows his business when it comes to using it.

Bird

 

[PBMAX]

I would say its more of a personal taste..I myself am lookimg for my 1st tractor and though I would preffer metal body parts I doubt I would hold plastic against em', as long as it appears durrable ...It is for use off road after all...Besides look at 4wheelers and dirtbikes they went plasstic years ago...and the main draw back is it tends to scratch easy./w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif If you are worried about the color of the platic fading you can by a uv protectant silicone wax for it at most motorcycle shops.That is if you really plan to wash it.../w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Beside I get the feeling that in the near future we will be with out a choice it will be plastic on the new ones or by used to get metal....Since I would imagine plastic is a good deal cheaper for the manufacture's. someone mentioned trucks comming with plastic.Well it appears to be true I saw a commercial mentioning the new more durable beds on chevy trucks.I think it said comming sometime the end of this year. I would geuss they will do it the way Ford did it on my Little Splash...New material on the out side and metal on the inside walls and bed... AHHH!!!WELL WHO KNOWS!!!!!

Lil' Paul

 

[al f]

Not to sound like a big ol' "plastics geek" (that's what my wife calls me) but as Bird said, the term"plastic" covers a unbelievably large range of materials. I am a chemical engineer in the plastics industry, and the composite materials that are used for the hoods and fenders in tractors as well as the Chevy truck beds are not what most people understand as "plastic" Think Kevlar (bullet proof vests, etc,) not milk jugs These are highly engineered materials that on a per pound basis totally exceed the properties of any known metal. As for the paint durability, the surface of these fenders and hoods are painted exactly as any metal part would be, so there is no difference in the quality/scratch resistance/fade resistance of the paint. But for the tractor manufacturers, the real reason that they use these materials is that it is much less expensive to mold these parts out of "plastic" than it is to stamp them out of steel. In most cases, numerous stamped steel parts can be consolidated into one molded plastic part, making assembly much easier and less expensive. So, either they use these materials to provide us a more affordable yet durable tractor (doubtful), or to provide themselves with more earnings (probable) .Actually I was at a conference last May where the manufacturers of the NH TC series bodies and the Chevy truck beds had their parts displayed. I own a TC 25, and I have no concerns about the new fenders and hoods, and no one else should either. I have bounced a few logs and rocks off the hood with the loader and have only dented the metal grille, not the hood. If you ever wonder about these parts, just remember that bullet proof "glass" is after all, plastic.

Sorry if this is long and preachy.

Al

 

[Hawgee]

Not long and windy at all. I do appreciate the magic of this new world. I have been around the plex'ies, lexan and buturates with the neon sign work Stops a Smith & Wesson auto 40 and larger.

The main thing I was hopeing not to see was reports of stress related cracks and breaks. Like early on in the aluminum horse trailer market. Bad design or thin material that would not hold. By the lack of this kind of reply, I have an answer.

When I put my fingers around the raised hood of the new TC45D, I was pleasently suprised. I do know that the local man-lift company "Geni-Lift" outsources the hoods and panels and have trusted thier en-gun-ears to design and make the pieces.

Do you know if NH does the work or has farmed it out? Not that it is important but this may also include some answers for the people wanting cab tractors and who made it. I don't think the weight of a metal cab would be nice on some smaller tractors. I'm a believer in wheel weights and the choice of removal.

"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered."
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

 

[al f]

Hawgee,

I'm glad I didn't bore you with that. To answer your question, NH does not make these parts themselves. They have the work contracted out to other companies. In my opinion, this is much better than NH making them.. By contracting the work out, NH, an equipment manufacturer who knows zip about the manufacture of plastic parts, can have their OEM's (original equipment manufacturers) who are experts in plastics, and that is their only business, do the work I guess NH (or Deere,or Kubota for that matter) could make their own components, but the manufacturing equipment and technical people they would have to get would put the costs of the parts through the roof. I know of no equipment or even car maker that makes their own plastic parts. They all use outside suppliers.


Al

 

[stvman]

This may sound strange but one of the things I love about the NH tractors is the composite fenders. I like AL F work around the (plastics) industry. I believe Pontiac was one of the first to use it on bumper skins back in the 60's and there is no end in sight to the potential uses. The only reason STURM RUGER is not making guns out of composites is that they would be able to pass through metal detectors at airports. My father has two hips that have "plastic"joints in them ( along with some stainless steel). But like anything else if you don't take care of it of it,over time metal rots plastic gets brittle. Every year though guys like AL make it a little better. Thanks Al

 

[stvman]

One of the videos Chevy has to demo its new bed is to teather a 15# pound bowling ball from about 15' in the air slamming it into the side of the truck. Try that on the hood of a Kubota./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[JimBinMI]

stvman,

Can I, please! Where do I sign up! /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

 

[Bird]

Right after you try it on the hood of little <font color=blue>blue</font color=blue>. One bends, the other breaks./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

 

[JimBinMI]

Bird,

Just couldn't do it to either one of them! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Good tractors are hard to come by!

JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

 

[Bird]

Me neither./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Bird

 

[al f]

I do what I can........... (wiping sweat from my brow) Although I do envy the guys who use their tractors for a living. I only get to use mine on the weekends.

 

[stvman]

Al; I have an idea! You could design some nice tractor impliments out of composites and do all the field R&D, I will even help./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif