Will "these" tractor outlast our parent's/grandparent's tractors?

[Gizmo2]

Dargo,
Did you grow up in my shoes along with me? Your post reads as if I wrote it.
Life is short!

 

[pitt_md]

Dargo,
Did you grow up in my shoes along with me? Your post reads as if I wrote it.
Life is short!

You can add me to this group. I guess I was born and lived most of my life in a very good a prosperous era.

 

[vsteel]

I think one thing to consider on if you like farming with new vs old is how old is old. FWJ talks about his tractors of the 70s, I think others are talking about machines that were built in the 40s and 50s.

How important is a standard 3 point hitch, electric starter, always live PTO, maybe cab?

My personal line in the sand is anything built after about 1960 is in the modern era of tractors. For the most part they are standardized and have a lot of the modern amenities. I wouldn't go and try and farm again with an old Hart Parr but I wouldn't have near the issues hopping on a 1971 (fill in your favorite make here) tractor.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

That it is similar to most people here? As I said, and you opted to ignore, I do have a respect for the nice classic iron. However, I'd always choose the new tractor with all it's reliability and amenities over wrenching on the old stuff when it comes to doing hard work. Sorry, but you can pull your 'been there know all that' with some people here but I've also been there experienced that. I respect your opinion, but since I don't bow down and pray at your feet because I too have lived and experienced most of the stuff you speak of, you dislike me. Worse yet, it seems to bother you more that that fact also doesn't bother me. Yup, I like to use a tractor that functions without having to work on it before I use it, that has all the latest updates, has all the latest abilities, that keeps me from getting hot, bug bitten, dirty, cold and it doesn't bother me that you want to disagree with me and try to assert your 'superior' knowledge and experience. I don't know your life story and it's unimportant to me in my preferences. I was raised in an extremely poor family and had to scrap for every single thing I've had since I was about five years old. I know you couldn't care less, but I've worked on everything from cars to heavy equipment to trains and learned OTJ how to operate all that equipment and what it takes to keep it running. Sorry, but your ancillary stories of how you know everything about farming really don't mean much to me.

I'll save you the 'oh so sad' story of how I made it in life and am past my prime. If a piece of modern equipment saves me some wear and tear on my body and allows me to spend more time with my family I'm going to use it. As far as your poorly attempted "entitlement" comment; sure, I've earned enough money to pay cash for everything I own and still have enough saved to live on and to take care of my family and still give to charity. With that being the case, yup, you bet your bib overalls that I feel that I am entitled to spend my cash on nice modern machinery that makes life easier on me. Your mileage differs, but that's your life and your choice. So, again, I'll say 'don't know and don't care' if my machinery will outlast that of my grandparents. Much of it is better made with more precision used in manufacturing with far, far less things that require daily greasings. I feel it will last just as long. However, perhaps more importantly, if it doesn't, I'll just buy another that makes life easier on me if it breaks and I cannot fix it.

MY.....! Aren't we the touchy one. Almost as if I struck a raw nerve.......

This coming Christmas, why don't you ask a family member or two to see if they can't gift you a sense of humor. It would look good on you.

 

[Soundguy]

Don't know, don't care. I have and have had several old tractors. I highly prefer the newer stronger tractors that are far safer and have no "tricks" to operating them. .

One thing though.. old does not = weaker.

For instance.. my old ford 5000 is virtually the same tractor as my new nh 7610s. and for jobs that require up to 70hp.. they function interchangably. Smae trans.. same spartan dash cluster.. some spartan op platform. in fact.. almost all the **10s series tractors are very spartan with similar operating controls as the older x000 series tractors.

I think it would be better to compair tractors that have disimilar features and then say that one was better than the other.. IE.. don't bring in an 8n with a jungle gym pipe frame loader and trip bucket to do the work of a TC 30 and full hyd loader. On the other hand.. a ford 5610s and ford 5000, for say.. a mowing job.. I don't see much functional difference.. etc.


Soundguy

 

[Farmwithjunk]

One thing though.. old does not = weaker.

For instance.. my old ford 5000 is virtually the same tractor as my new nh 7610s. and for jobs that require up to 70hp.. they function interchangably. Smae trans.. same spartan dash cluster.. some spartan op platform. in fact.. almost all the **10s series tractors are very spartan with similar operating controls as the older x000 series tractors.

I think it would be better to compair tractors that have disimilar features and then say that one was better than the other.. IE.. don't bring in an 8n with a jungle gym pipe frame loader and trip bucket to do the work of a TC 30 and full hyd loader. On the other hand.. a ford 5610s and ford 5000, for say.. a mowing job.. I don't see much functional difference.. etc.


Soundguy

EXACTLY my point. "Old" ISN'T synonymous with worn out, with junk, nor with incapable. In many cases, the older tractors are built to be less vulnerable to damage in harsh conditions, and in that sense, BETTER than the newer ones. I own new and I own old. Both have their merits, both have their share of liabilities. In the end, it's a wash as far as which one has the greatest capabilities when you look at age alone. And the old ones have proven their durability. The new stuff? Anyones guess at this point.

In spite of my screen name, I won't own "junk". There's a huge difference between old and junk.

 

[Soundguy]

In spite of my screen name, I won't own "junk". There's a huge difference between old and junk.

But farmwithold just doesn't roll off the tounge the same!


It may have been said already ( can't remember).. but maintenance is an important issue. A 10-20-30-etc year old tractor that has been maintained and repaired to function correctly is better than a 5 yr old tractor that is used like it is a rental, not maintained, and has broken or inoperable parts..

soundguy

 

[Dargo]

MY.....! Aren't we the touchy one.

Hey, you hung it out there to be stepped on. I was just the first to step on it. If you don't like people noticing your inadequacies, don't flash them out for everyone to see. If you haven't worked hard enough and been smart and frugal enough to be entitled to treating yourself to something nice, don't try to blame me; your life, your decisions and you alone live with them. Myself, I'm a pretty happy fellow with a large family that means the world to me. Compared to my family and friends, I couldn't give a rat's rear about a tractor. It's simply a tool to do a job for me. My life is my family and my friends. We all have to place our priorities where we feel they are best suited. You've made it extremely clear lately that your priorities are completely different than mine. I've expressed over and over 'good for you', and it bothers me not one iota. You just gotta let go of feeling that everyone on earth has to agree with you and that your opinion is always the one and only right opinion. G'day.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Hey, you hung it out there to be stepped on. I was just the first to step on it. If you don't like people noticing your inadequacies, don't flash them out for everyone to see. If you haven't worked hard enough and been smart and frugal enough to be entitled to treating yourself to something nice, don't try to blame me; your life, your decisions and you alone live with them. Myself, I'm a pretty happy fellow with a large family that means the world to me. Compared to my family and friends, I couldn't give a rat's rear about a tractor. It's simply a tool to do a job for me. My life is my family and my friends. We all have to place our priorities where we feel they are best suited. You've made it extremely clear lately that your priorities are completely different than mine. I've expressed over and over 'good for you', and it bothers me not one iota. You just gotta let go of feeling that everyone on earth has to agree with you and that your opinion is always the one and only right opinion. G'day.

Uhhh. Maybe you need to CAREFULLY re-read a few post's. It wasn't me that got in a snit and felt the need to prove to everyone that I'm over my deprived childhood. That was your gig.

I'm not going to get into comparing net worth, but I've done quite well for myself. I've worked hard enough, smart enough, long enough and made quite a few very lucrative investments. I can have what I want. But "what I want" doesn't involve trying to impress everyone else. The re-occuring theme in so many of your post's is generally about how much more you have than everyone else and just how far you've come. I'm thrilled for you that you've overcome your poor upbringing to achieve your lofty status. Just because I don't spend most of my time telling everyone why I'm able to throw my money around because I'm so fabulously wealthy doesn't mean I haven't had my share of success. That's something usually reserved for those who want to create an impression that may or may not be fact.

This as got way too far off topic and way too far into the personal attack realm. If you're bound and determined to continue, it needs to be back channeled through PM's or email and not to further degrade this thread.

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

...and the verdict is......


newer (generally) can do more things (swiss army knife)
newer isn't built as heavy
most of it depends on how things are treated/maintained
parts availability is a huge factor
"old" is a relative term......i agree, 1960 or so is probably the cut off