under the shed?

[rollbar]

This may sound like a silly question and the answer may be obvious, but I was just wondering what the affect of leaving a tractor outside really is.
I see some tractors that have been left outside for a long period of time and the paint has faded and rust spots show up on different areas. but are they designed to stay outside and hold up under rain and inclement weather?

obviously the appearance of any equipment makes a difference in the resale value , and if you have a place to park equipment inside seems it has to be better for paint, tires, metal and steel parts but some of the compact tractors sit outside more than a year before they are sold even. What's some of you guys opinions? does it really hurt to be outside? thanks

 

[cast_and_blast]

Will they hold up? Yes, but it's my opinion that things will deteriorate faster. You already mentioned paint, seat. I think climate has much to do with it too. Look at RV's in Arizona or California - they cover the tires so they aren't exposed to the sun. What about rodents and potential damage from them? In MN rust is an issue - especially on my snowblower and components. What about theft?

All-in-all, I'll keep mine inside.

Scott

 

[BamaRob]

My tractor and all my implements sit outside. And will until I get the money saved up for my shop/barn. My wife says I got the cart before the horse and should have built the barn before getting the tractor and implements. But, without the tractor, I didn't need a barn, so there was no incentive to build one. Now that I have the tractor and implements, I have the incentive to save for that barn. Makes sense to me.

And, back to your point... I don't think leaving them outside necessarily "hurts" them (unless you're talking resale value, as you mentioned). But, it certainly doesn't "help" them either. The sun, rain, heat, cold, etc. is all hard on paint, vinyl seats, tires, etc. and will have an effect over time (cosmetically more quickly than mechanically).

Later,

BR

 

[Nuru]

This may sound like a silly question and the answer may be obvious, but I was just wondering what the affect of leaving a tractor outside really is.
I see some tractors that have been left outside for a long period of time and the paint has faded and rust spots show up on different areas. but are they designed to stay outside and hold up under rain and inclement weather?

obviously the appearance of any equipment makes a difference in the resale value , and if you have a place to park equipment inside seems it has to be better for paint, tires, metal and steel parts but some of the compact tractors sit outside more than a year before they are sold even. What's some of you guys opinions? does it really hurt to be outside? thanks

Apparently my 4310 sat outside for a while, so I ma slowly going through and removing rust and rejuvenating the black plastic with armor-all and replacement.

If you leave it outside, uncovered, you will definitely see the effects of the weather

 

[jdbower]

I got a tent-like garage for my car while a new house is in the process of being built. Now the Deere is in there and the car has a cover I think it ran me about $500 for the portable garage and it looks awful, but it gets the job done. Implements aren't so lucky, they're on the ground under tarps (for now). On a related note, I was ridiculed by my "real" farmer family for hosing off my 2520 after playing in the mud - something about a badge of honor

 

[Cidertom]

My 2 cents:
From a comfort level, having a nice dry seat helps, as does the lack of frost, ice buildup on the running board area.

With all the electrical switces and such, I think keeping dry will help prevent problems. I don't like the amount of water that drains out of some places, on the tractor, and I worry that the expansion of freezing water will damage something.

If it were like an old tractor where the wires were minimal and not so many 'bells and whistles" it wouldn't be as big a worry.

I also like having a area to do the daily lube where the water isn't running down my neck so much.

 

[755inNY]

rollbar,

There is no doubt that that inside storage is better but my real life experience shows that outside storage is not the end of the world. My JD755 lived every day of the 16 years I owned it outside with no cover. I cleaned it real good once a year and waxed what I could. I always kept it lubricated and well serviced. The paint was faded more than what it would have been if kept inside but it was still decent and the rust was not excessive. Of course the seat wore quicker and I had to replace it twice due to the cracked and split covering. I had to replace the FEL bucket after about 13 years due to rust through. The bucket sat directly on dirt and I kept it fully curled to protect the hydraulic cylinder rods. I never had any hydraulic seal problems. Attached is a photo of the 755 next to it's replacement. Get your barn built as soon as you can but don't sweat a few years of outside storage.

Jeff

 

[755inNY]

With outside storage the mower deck was affected the most. The deck was always stored inside the garage during the winter but water would collect on the deck during the summer and grass clippings would retain the moisture. Attached are before and after pictures. I had the deck sandblasted and repainted.

Jeff

 

[755inNY]

And here is a picture of the garage I added to the existing 2 car garage so that the 4310 would have a better life. It is also better for the dump trailer and horse trailer as they are kept inside too. Finally, there is enough room for everthing to be kept dry and it is easier to work on stuff too. It only took me 20 years.

Jeff