The Car-ification of tractors

SkyPup · Jan 25, 2006

Any tractor salemen will be happy to sell you whatever you want to pay for, no questions asked.

What all metal non electric tractor are you thinking about purchasing?

5103Owner · Jan 25, 2006

I read the post on replacing the grille screen, very expensive. but honesty, I don't think theres a tractor out there that your going to find brand new replacment hoods and screens in 20 years, you'll have to look in junkyards, just like people do now for the old farmall's and such.

3RRL · Jan 25, 2006

SkyPup,
First post was pretty funny but( What all metal non electric tractor are you thinking about purchasing?) just has me ROTF...LMAO /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

BobG_in_VA · Jan 25, 2006

I feel compelled to respond. A very logical and straight forward question was asked. I read it as "who's building tractors like they used to make, you know, with a lot of steel and stuff???...." You are obviously free to respond any way you like, however, since I also am free, I note that your bio says you have 880 acres a bunch of tractors (none with more than 40 HP that I can see), and no 2, 3, or 4 bottom plow to play with on your lot. Personnally, I need the steel/weight to pull some plows as I still use a 50-few year old Farmall to plow the gardens and pumpkin patch. It's the best seat time of the year. By the way, the 50-few year old FastHitch plow ain't got no plastic on it either. As far as future parts, I think I'll keep/run my Mahindra 6000 for 50 years, and then part it out (its all steel too). By then, my Farmall's will only be about 110. Post listed with tongue firmly pressed against cheek. BobG in VA

SkyPup · Jan 25, 2006

No problem Bob in VA, I'll be using all my relatively new (ie <20 years old) fangled tractors for another 50 years too, and then give them to my son-in-law to give to my grandson who will then pass them on to his kids during the next century, if there is still diesel fuel available then . /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

My only concern is the ink used in printing the operation manuals for my tractors. Inks degrade with time and there is a possibility that my great-great-grandchildren may not be able to reach the maintenance section of these old tractormanuals in order to keep them in tip top shape.

Do you know of any paper and ink preservation treatments like they used have have a long time ago to make sure that the manuals last at least as long as the tractors do?

I heard the Egyptians had some great printing techniques that lasted allot longer than the current inferior ink and paper models that we currently use. Is there anyone making any of these long lasting tractor instruction manuals for sale anymore, or are all the tractor companies using PDF files now....? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

JoeR · Jan 25, 2006

Good point Andrewj. It's called planned obsolescence. Most companies don't want the product to last 20 years since it would hurt repeat sales. Instead, they make it cheaper so you can buy more of them. Sometimes they don't make them cost less either... Look at our appliances, cars, toilets flushers (I seem to replace them once a year), etc... I remember when we had a tube TV and would go down to the hardware store to test the tubes to figure out which one was bad. That TV lasted 20 years! Then I remember in the 80's Goldstar (Now LG) was selling Black and White TV's for 50 dollars! If they died, it was cheaper to throw it away than fix it. Anyway, just my opinion and 2 cents...

Joe

frank_f15 · Jan 25, 2006

I don't think that there is any tractor built today for sale in the U.S.A that you can buy with out plastic or electronics . certainly nothing in the line of the old fords, jd's and such. Probably the #1 reason is they are less expensive to build, and the SAFETY feature is big reason why there is so much electronics on any tractor, just all the safety switches make it so.. I know this does not really annswer your question but just MHO /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

HGM · Jan 25, 2006

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gifThom,

You could have them scanned and burnt onto a CD. I think that would be the best idea, but that wouldnt make them like they used to be /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif..... Heck, they might last forever buy using new technology /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif.... Forget it that wouldnt work, it can never be as good as it used to be..... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Guys, as far as how long something will last....... Its all relative to the quality of parts that went into it... I'm sure there are 50yr old tractors that you would recomend staying away from and some that you would recomend buying.... Same goes today... If you mantain your ________(whatever) it should last you just as long as something else did in the past. If you need weight, cant you add it? I like the fact that my little Yanmar can go places that a heavier one cant, so I'm torn as to whether I want to fill the tires. If it were too heavy, I'd have to live with it. Plastics, flex/ Steel dents.. Electronics work faster and more accuratly with less current draw than switches and relays. I'm a fan of newer technology, maybe my opinion doesnt count since I only have one 23hp Yanmar tractor and a couple of acres, but I dont really see the issue. If something has a tendancy to break, dont buy it just because its your favorite color.. You cant just blame it on technology..

andrewj · Jan 25, 2006

( No problem Bob in VA, I'll be using all my relatively new (ie <20 years old) fangled tractors for another 50 years too, and then give them to my son-in-law to give to my grandson who will then pass them on to his kids during the next century, if there is still diesel fuel available then . /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

My only concern is the ink used in printing the operation manuals for my tractors. Inks degrade with time and there is a possibility that my great-great-grandchildren may not be able to reach the maintenance section of these old tractormanuals in order to keep them in tip top shape.

Do you know of any paper and ink preservation treatments like they used have have a long time ago to make sure that the manuals last at least as long as the tractors do?

I heard the Egyptians had some great printing techniques that lasted allot longer than the current inferior ink and paper models that we currently use. Is there anyone making any of these long lasting tractor instruction manuals for sale anymore, or are all the tractor companies using PDF files now....? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif )

Skypup - I took your post in good spirits...but I guess my question was for the benefit of those of us who only can afford one tractor (not one for every day of the week...almost!) and something less than your 800 acres! For a lot of folks, buying old time quality that will last is high on the checklist since we can't buy as many tractors as you have. I mean that very respectfully.

Stamping out stuff in plastic but charging the same amount of money just don't sit well with me. And everybody and their brother sees $$ and is getting into the tractor market since we consumers are thinking wrong headed about this - we treat it as a car purchase. I guess part of my gripe is we consume, consume, consume and treat everything as disposable. Durable goods seem to be extinct nowadays.

So this topic is a waste of valuable internet space for someone like you that can afford to replace a tractor. I'm not surprised you make sort of a joke about it, and I'm glad you are in the position you are in, I'd just like to see you spend money on green ones next time /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

But please take this question in the context I intend it, and I don't intend it to have any meaning or relevance to those who are perfectly OK with just buying a new tractor every time their 1 year old one gets a scratch. (not saying you do, I have no idea why you have so many) /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

tom30519 · Jan 25, 2006

( You could have them scanned and burnt onto a CD.)

Writable CD's are definitely NOT for archiving. Recent studies indicate that they may not even be reliable after only 5 or 10 years. Time will tell, but data storage professionals will tell you to save anything you really want to keep on tape, not CD.

Unfortunately, consumer tape drives are almost non-existent now...

Tom.