Plastic vs. Metal Hoods, Fenders, etc.

beenthere · Jun 13, 2005

I think there are quite a few plastic 'roofs' or canopy's made and sold for the ROPS. I think three were mentioned yesterday in a thread here.

As far as comparison, I had a Deere 420 (2cyl) that received a limb across the steel 'hood' that made a very ugly dent and really upset me when I 'let' it happen. I should not have been in the woods when that limb fell, but was fortunate it missed me.
On the other hand, I had a bigger limb drop on the plastic hood of my dear Deere 4300 and I can usually not find the scratch. Also took one on the fender that made a horrific noise, but no mark. The color runs through the plastic, and is not just on the surface.
I had a 'rear ender' on my Trail Blazer last month that caused several thousand $$ damage to a Volvo (grill, lights, hood buckled, frame bent) but I could barely detect anything but a surface blemish on my rear plastic 'bumper' cover. But the insurance adjuster said there was a slight wrinkle that meant it had to be replaced so received a $737 check. I bought some touch-up paint with that check.
I like the looks of both, but expect the longevity of plastic still has about 30 years to prove itself. But in the meantime........ /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

thcri · Jun 13, 2005

If the plastic does fade which I am sure in the Texas sun you can paint it. My first New Holland a TC21D had some hail damage were it had some pretty good chips in it. Me dealer took the hood to a local paint shop and they filled the holes and then repainted the whole hood. And it was done with the proper New Holland blue. And I am not sure but some of the plastics if cracked can be repaired. Pesonallly I like the plastic.

murph

ejtaylor822 · Jun 13, 2005

I can give recent experience(s) with plastic/fiberglass. As a reference I am a total newbie/greenhorn here (trying to learn all I can from the folks on this web site - totally addicted to this website and "seat time").

Brought my Jinma home and was unloading the rotary cutter which required me to lift it off the trailer. I had to take a chain and connect to hooks on the FEL and to the cutter. I then lifted straight up, started backing off the trailer and thought I had cleared the trailer when the edge of the cutter caught the trailer and came off the chain. The cutter swung to one side, hit the ground on a corner, came loose off of the other hook and fell forward on to the hood of my new tractor!! I was devastated - and learned a valuable lesson about being in a hurry.

Surprisingly, the only damage was a "nick" in the fiberglass hood about 2" long and about 1/4" wide at it's worst. I expected a huge hole, or the front to be crushed in from the 650+ pounds of the rotary cutter. The nick can be easily fixed with a little bondo and touch up. No one has even noticed though unless I tell them.

Like I said, I am a total newbie and got the tractor to work around our place. Mainly clearing out our woods. I was clearing out a spot and did not see a large grapevine that was tightening up against the fender as I was backing up. I heard a pop and looked down at the back fender and it was contorted and twisted wierd around the grape vine. I went forward, hopped off the tractor to check the damage. I busted the tail light lens but the fender was perfect. Once again totally surprised especially after seeing that fender twisted down and around away from the tractor.

Plastic/fiberglass has been very forgiving for me. I hate to think what my new tractor would lool like if it were steel/metal.

ByronBob · Jun 14, 2005

I work in Injection Molding so plastics are something I know well. First off to someone like me when you say plastic, it really means what type of plastic are you talking about. Some plastic has a lot of elastomer properties. This means they flex well and have more of a rubber property to them.
Other plastics are tough because they have fiber fill in them. The more glass or fiber in them makes them stronger like a metal but less flexible to be bent.
The fading you talk about will happen to some materials more than others. For instance the gas tanks we all buy have colored dye added to the material. The base resin Polyethylene is very elastic but has a tendancy in sunlight to fade and eventually gets brittle vs when it was new. Now an ABS like they build cars out of is built to handle sunlight and fading but if you crack it, it's brittle and breaks. It's elastic properties are less than polyethylene.
So it comes down to WHAT type of resin is the hood made of. All this being said I'd still not worry too much about it. The resins in use today are great. Metal or plastic, I'd worry about more important issues.

fish_wisperer · Jun 14, 2005

like ive posted before my dad runs a construction company so i pay attention to what he has to say about tractors,, he said dont get a tractor with a plastic dash or fenders because of vibratation cracking.

Bird · Jun 14, 2005

So some think metal is better and others think "plastic" is better. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I have this slight personal preference for metal, but that sure wouldn't be a deciding factor in what I bought. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Too many other features, or lack thereof, that I consider more important. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

rockyridgefarm · Jun 14, 2005

I am with hudr. Tires hoses and the seat are your big concern. Get real UV protection for them. Shade if possible.

A light color seat is far better to reflect the heat, is cooler to sit on. There is some evidence of folks brains being cooked sitting on a black seat /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif (just kidding with my northern california amigo...)

hobbyfarm · Jun 14, 2005

( May have to report you to P. E. T. A. (Prevent and End Tractor Abuse) )

txdon,
That's funny /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif, everyone knows P. E. T. A. stands for People Eating Tasty Animals /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

( My tractor will be parked outside in the Texas sun )

grwoolf, just make sure you give a long leash so it can get to the shade, and plenty of water. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

hobbyfarm · Jun 14, 2005

( Too many other features, or lack thereof, that I consider more important. )

grwoolf,
Ditto, what Bird said. Go with a dealer that's most comfortable to deal with.

grwoolf · Jun 14, 2005

I have put off buying this tractor for a year because I don't have a place to cover it on my property. I hate the fact it will be outside, but have decided to go ahead anyway after spending several thousand in rentals over the last year. Unfortunately, their are deed restrictions that prevent me from putting up any structure (including carport) prior to my house going up. With our current plans, it will be at least 5-8 years before we build. I am thinking I can do something with tarps, but want to be careful not to trap moisture. I am getting a canopy, so at least I should not fade and crack in the sun, even if the tractor does. Any advice on how to provide shade without building a structure?