The Car-ification of tractors

[Volfandt]

Gotta agree that modern cars and trucks are much better made these days. They're more efficient, require less service and are much more reliable than their 40's 50's 60's & 70's predecessers. Unfortunately foreign competition had to force our domestic manufacturers to make a better product /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
I could go on about how I think our institutions of higher learning coupled w/mismanaged unions combined to almost shutdown our ability to produce top quality products but that's another thread /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I worked an old 48 TE20 for many years. It was my prmary workhorse. It did everything from plowing and maintaining my garden to keeping the field mowed as well as any other utility chores I needed it for and after I learned all the little tricks of keeping it going, it was a joy to work. It had a few shortcomings like everthing else. It didnt like to start when it was cold outside and the hydraulics took forever to work in the cold also. Rough fields would beat you to death. There were many times my back would ache after a long day in the saddle. Thank goodness for Sure-seals because without them the brakes were useless. But it work work all day long once warmed up and thats what I expected out of it.

Fast forward to the now and it's gone now working for someone else and I've replaced it with a smaller new modern machine. Power steering, padded seat, hydraulic drive and a more quiet engine has now redefined what I thought pure joy in operating a machine is all about.

I'll take todays machine, no contest!

I do get the need to operate something with raw power and less refined every now and then and when this need hits I run out and run my old 1966 vintage L&G tractor for awhile. It'll work all day too and it'll let you know that you've operated a machine when you've dismounted. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The jury's out on how long these new machines will last. I have a feeling that they'll be around a long while too, that is until we find some new powerplant to run 'em.

Volfandt

 

[JoeR]

Good point skypup. Are we equating plastic with inferior quality? Plastics have come a long way in the past 20 years. I prefer PVC NEMA outdoor utility boxes to metal. Metal rusts and requires painting and sanding to keep it maintained. I understand it may be easier for you to repair metal, but metal has its drawbacks too. Maybe this is more about modernization and the use of new materials in tractors?

 

[tposts]

<font color="blue"> But the current cars have more modern plastics and electronics, that must mean that they have declined in quality and cannot possibly last long.... </font>

Say what ??? /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[SkyPup]

Just think about how much more advanced the electronics and plastics of the medical and dental sciences are now to help keep the "Nut" behind the wheel operating longer too!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[daTeacha]

The way I see it, we are slowly dividing into two segments. On one hand, there those who have the ability, tools and time to work on their tractors if something breaks, and don't mind doing so so long as the parts are around and not incredibly expensive. On the other hand, there are those who want the tractor to run without fail every time they need it. They will tolerate little if any downtime when they want to get some work done with the machine. When the machine does need work, it will probably need shop time with expensive diagnostic tools that the average guy can't justify having sitting around.

In other words, you either don't mind if it breaks minorly now and then and sort of enjoy keeping it running yourself, or you want it to run without fail at least 99.999% of the time you start it and are willing to pay (in dollars and time) for having someone else fix it.

I see this as a reflection of society as a whole, and those who want it to work all the time and can't fix it seem to be in the majority. That's why we're tending toward a throw-away lifestyle. I remember watching my dad patiently pull tubes out of our TV, take them to the corner store, stick them in the tester, buy a couple replacements, and come home and fix the TV. My TV is about 12 years old, hasn't broken, but there is no way I can fix it when it does. Which way is better? Your call, but society seems to think the latter is better than the former, so that's the way the market for everything is going. About the only ones it doesn't impact are the Amish.

 

[SkyPup]

I hope the Amish don't watch TV or use the Internet, it could well mean of the doom of us all..... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[flwiii]

And what of the "planned obsolecence" strategy. Maybe this marketing strategy has infiltrated the world of tractors more than one would think.

 

[3RRL]

Hi FMJ,
You make good points in your last post and I can't disagree with them. But I wanted to remind all of us that inflation has something to do with today's repair costs.</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Todays crop of technological wonder-dogs is impressive. So are the repair bills when they have problems. And then there's the long wait for some of those repairs to be carried out.)</font>
Remember in the early 1950's the average annual income was around $2,000 and now it is way up there around $50,000 or so (don't know exactly but trying to make a point). It's not uncommon for many of us to make over $100,000 a year.
I'm sure a major repair on an old 50's tractor would've been less in the 50's but today that same major repair will be quite costly for the same reason....
Just a thought to keep things in perspective.

Not to get off the subject, but plastics have done wonders for today's living convenience stretching into every avenue of our lives. I am in (was) the plastics industy (tooling end) and this is what I've seen happen over the years....

Many metal parts have been replaced with plastic parts. In many instances this has turned into a wonderful upgrade for the component itself and contributing to an overall upgrade for whatever it is used in. Plastics (and metals)... all different kinds...each have certain engineering properties that determine there appropriate design usage.
However, here is the problem...I've seen engineers that try to replace ALL metal components with plastic, many of them having service requirements that exceed the engineering properties of the plastic they replace it with. (Same goes for metals) This is not the plastic's fault...it is the fault of the engineer.

And as far as electronics, I'm not EVEN going there...
Many things we do today just wouldn't happen without modern electronics.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Average repair on a typical 2006 model tractor vs. a typical 1966 model tractor would still see a vast difference. Simple equates to easy to work on. Easy to work on equates to faster to repair. Shops generally charge according to hourly rate.

Simple = cheap.

BTDT, got old and new(er)

 

[cowboydoc]

<font color="green">Average repair on a typical 2006 model tractor vs. a typical 1966 model tractor would still see a vast difference. Simple equates to easy to work on. Easy to work on equates to faster to repair. Shops generally charge according to hourly rate.
</font>

Working on high dollar equipment everyday I can tell you this is not all true. When you consider a like for like tractor I don't think there would be much difference. Parts for my 4020 are just as expensive as the parts for my 6415.
Yes because of the higher cost of parts, etc. things may cost a little more but as far as diagnosis and repair the new electronics on the tractors, combines, and balers are a blessing. With one touch of the button I can tell exactly which switch or sensor is bad. With the old you had to go around and test each one, test the wires, literally wasting sometimes days. You would also replace a switch because you knew it was bad, but it wasn't.


That same technology also lets me be able to combine 2000 acres of corn by myself with one combine compared to only being able to maybe do 200 acres 30 years ago by yourself. When that combine breaks down I have a diagnostic to run that will tell me in less than a minute which sensor is bad, where the plug is, what part needs replaced, etc. savings hours of valuable downtime. Or bale hay or mow 10 times the ground I could even 20 years ago that would have never happened before.

And as far as reliability, electronics, etc. for the small guy I'll take my 4600 over any older tractor of the same hp and range if I have serious work to do. That thing has over 3000 hours on it and not a problem. Go spend a day on an 8N or a WD45 which I love and see how you feel at the end of the day. The 4600 is easy to operate, good ergonomics, good ride, and easy to operate. It's a chore to operate the other two tractors. Yes the old stuff is nice and yes I'd sure like to go back to a simpler time when a guy could feed a family of four on 300 acres and make himself a nice living but those days are gone.