Why do CUT owners/buyers have low expectations?

[Dargo]

My opinion is that you have all these 'here today, gone tomorrow' tractor "brands" that are not brands at all, just companies who buy cheapo parts and cobble them together and stick a brand name on them. I won't mention any because it would certainly hurt some feelings. They were/are a product of the economy of when I always bought a new JD, Kubota or NH tractor every 3 years and sold my old one for a true profit. Prices of new ones out paced resale and drove resale of well kept, like new, units to bring prices higher than they sold for new. I call that the Harley Davidson syndrome. Remember when you could buy a new Harley every year and sell you old one for a profit? Boy oh boy, did a bunch of fellers take it in the shorts on them lately!

Anyway, when a good used JD tractor was bringing more than a "new" brand XXX, these investors made up a tractor company name and started selling new brand XXX tractors and all of their salesmen said the same thing; they're just as good as the name brand tractors but yer just not paying for the name. Buyers not knowing any better swallowed that line completely!

My newest tractor now has right at 500 hours on it and I'd be livid if it needed any work. Another has about 1500 hours, another has 2200, another has 2500 and one has about 4000 hours. Oops, I forgot my track loader that has about 600 hours on it. Clearly, I wouldn't expect any issues from a 600 hour Takeuchi. Now, I did just have to do a brake job on my '75 dump truck. It only has 44k miles on it, but the dang adjusters all were frozen and I'm not going to use a dump truck that won't stop.

Anyway, I always expected those off brand tractors to make it to 1500 - 2500 hours and be kaput. I viewed them as disposable. People seemed to think they got their money's worth because they paid less than they would have for a name brand. However, in my thinking, I think they got robbed. Even when I built my lake and had a couple hundred thousand dollars of heavy equipment around for a few years, I made money on every single piece of equipment I owned. They were all well kept name brand pieces and I kept up with the maintenance but still pushed them hard. I may have more of my money tied up in my equipment, but in the last 30 years or so, I've always had it pay me back.

 

[hunting404]

In MHO. Now a days the younger people are all about "ME". If you look and listen you will see the majority of people have fallen into the same catagory, me, me, me. When they speak or write it is all about Me, My, or I. Someone wrote how the snow fell on "MY" property. It didn't fall on anyone elses property?
There are comments about old iron and how well it was built and how well it worked years ago. People were happy to have what they did. Farmers used to take care of equipment years ago knowing it had to last them a long time.
When you listen to people speak and read what they write notice how many times Me, My and I are used.
Ther is no "I" in Team, Us, or We

 

[Dargo]

OTOH, you can't find a whole bunch of 8N's with A/C cabs and 16 speeds still running either.

Funny note, my buddy has been using a Ford 2000 gas for years and he just restored a 2615(I think) Ford and he told me "Its awesome, It actually has a pedal you step on to lock the differential. You don't have to work the brakes to control slippage in the mud."

I inherited an old 8N when my wife's mother passed last year. I sold it at auction with most of the rest of the old stuff. With 5 kids and all sorts of other things to take care of, I have zero desire to fiddle with getting something to run when I need it, jack with the hydraulics because they keep dropping, constantly be cranking on the steering wheel because it wonders so much and not have enough power to pull the size mower I need to pull. To me, it was going to be worth far more to someone who wanted it because it's what they had as a kid or something. Their days of being the main source of productive work has long since passed.

 

[bigbull338]

oh wow a tractors with 2500hrs an less on them are new.my new tractor has 40hrs on it.an my 33yr old ford 7700 w/fel has over 20,000hrs on it.thats why i bought a new tractor in 2010 in case the 7700 went down.an its got over 16000hrs on the 2nd motor.1st motor was bad an cracked at 3400hrs.an thats the only major thing done to it.

 

[bp fick]

With the high prices we pay for new CUT,s today, we should expect them to last as long as the 53 Massey Harris, because back then, the few hundred dollars that it cost was a very high price as well. Lots of farmers were still using a team of horses or mules at that time. Ken Sweet

Dad paid $1600 for that Massey in early '53. Later that year, he bought a '54 Ford wagon and paid just about the same.

Let's do a little math, FWIW. The New Ford Taurus is a "full sized" Ford now and with basic equipment will cost you $32K without blinking an eye. So, the Ford has multiplied by 20 X.
(The Ford Flex would be even more a direct comparison).

My Kubota, with the FEL, was less than $15K or a multiplier of only 9 X. (again, my B2320 is an relatively fair and honest comparison to that little Massey in size and function).

In 57 years, the Ford has gone up TWICE as fast as the tractor. I honestly don't know what this means, other than perhaps my Kubota perhaps SHOULD be twice as expensive and be twice as well built? I dunno. Just some perspective.

 

[sweettractors]

Dad paid $1600 for that Massey in early '53. Later that year, he bought a '54 Ford wagon and paid just about the same.

Let's do a little math, FWIW. The New Ford Taurus is a "full sized" Ford now and with basic equipment will cost you $32K without blinking an eye. So, the Ford has multiplied by 20 X.
(The Ford Flex would be even more a direct comparison).

My Kubota, with the FEL, was less than $15K or a multiplier of only 9 X. (again, my B2320 is an relatively fair and honest comparison to that little Massey in size and function).

In 57 years, the Ford has gone up TWICE as fast as the tractor. I honestly don't know what this means, other than perhaps my Kubota perhaps SHOULD be twice as expensive and be twice as well built? I dunno. Just some perspective.

Today, I bet the little Massey is worth at least double what you Dad gave for it. I doubt that in 60 or 70 years the Taurus will double in value, and would be extremely lucky to even be running after 15 years of normal use. Ken Sweet

 

[Verticaltrx]

While I do own a Kubota B3200, I don't think that I am the stereotypical CUT owner, my expectations are very high of the equipment I own. Making a living with my equipment, both through farming and construction, I expect it to work day in and out, with nothing more than routine maintenance. After LOTS of research I decided the B3200 would be a dependable option at a good price (Deere and Kubota are the only tractors I would still buy.) I put 200-300hrs a year on it and fully expect to get 20yrs+ service out of it.

Also, while you often hear of older farm tractors with 20,000-30,000hrs on them, I doubt very few of them have run that long without major overhaul on at least some of the power train. My uncle has an old Series IV D-17 and 170 Allis-Chalmers (both gas) that both have 20,000+hrs on them. Each of them has had the motor overhauled 4-5 times, transmission gone through at least once, numerous clutches, etc. They were well taken care of and well maintained, but stuff just wears out with that much daily use for 40+ years.

 

[bp fick]

Today, I bet the little Massey is worth at least double what you Dad gave for it. I doubt that in 60 or 70 years the Taurus will double in value, and would be extremely lucky to even be running after 15 years of normal use. Ken Sweet

True enough.

 

[jb62901]

I have a pair of 23hp tractors and know what to expect from both. Iv had the 1948 IH H now for 25 years and still bing used today. The BX2360 to date has 400hrs in two years (trouble free) who knows how may hrs are on the H? I plan on keeping both for many years:thumbsup:

1948 IH H
http://oi53.tinypic.com/213jebp.jpg

2009 BX2360
http://oi46.tinypic.com/2150s34.jpg

 

[CBW1999]

Today, I bet the little Massey is worth at least double what you Dad gave for it. I doubt that in 60 or 70 years the Taurus will double in value, and would be extremely lucky to even be running after 15 years of normal use. Ken Sweet

Hey Ken,
I doubt that in 15 years the Taurus (or most cars for that matter) will be anything more than a rust stain in the driveway!