# How much is to many hours on a tractor



## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

When buying a used tractor what you consider to many hours the tractor?


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

I bought a MX Maxxum with just under 6000 hrs on it.

It really just depends on it's history and price. I don't think I would buy a current utility with 3-4K, maybe 1000 or so. A bonafide AG tractor 4-6k is comfortable. 12,000 I'm not sure I would touch one unless it was a twelfth the price of new.


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## KYhaymaker (Jun 7, 2018)

Hours are important, but proper use and maintenance are more important. You can trash a tractor in no time. There is just no way to answer your question, as every tractor's individual history is different.

I do trust older generation tractors more than newer ones. As the complexity and convenience increased I believe durability was sacrified relative to the older stuff in order to keep cost down. I have a JD4440 with over 8000 hours on it, works great, I put new brakes on it. We have my great grandfathers two cylinder 1958 430 that has God knows how many hours and has never been split. On the other hand our farm saw a New Holland that was split twice in just the first couple thousand hours.

Look at the little things. Guys who do good maintenance are usually particular about the little things as well.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

KYhaymaker said:


> Hours are important, but proper use and maintenance are more important. You can trash a tractor in no time. There is just no way to answer your question, as every tractor's individual history is different.
> .....
> Look at the little things. Guys who do good maintenance are usually particular about the little things as well.


Pretty much says it all. I know guys who can trash a piece of equipment in 100 hours; others who have equipment with 10,000 hours that look and run like new.

Ralph


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

I've always read that 7,000 hrs is about equivalent to 100,000 miles on a car.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Older tractors have mechanical hr meters that usually read hrs at rated PTO speed.Newer tractors now have electronic meters that just tell how many hrs the key switch is on.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

I'd throw in what work conditions tractor was exposed to, could also be an important factor.

I'd like to think there would be a difference in the lower hour tractor that was used by the DNR (or other government/non-profit unit), for years, being used (abused?) by youngsters learning how to use a clutch/transmission and a higher hour one that had a more 'normal' usage, by someone that actually owned/operated one.

Larry


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Ok, I'll throw you a another curve ball.....rather than worry about the maximum amount of hours a tractor has, which is really a tough call for the above mentioned reasons, all valid.....I would worry just aa much about too few hours. The good thing is, people are willing to pay a premium for low hour tractors but how low is too low? It is subjective as well, but if a tractor has had less than 50 hours a year, I may be just as apprehensive as one that has been used 500 hours a year.......
I like to buy between 5k-8k hours....
One that cost me the most in repairs was 3.5k hours.....Lowest hour tractor I have and one of the oldest


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## StxPecans (Mar 3, 2018)

I would say overall condition is just as important as hours. I dont buy highhour tractors, but i do keep my tractors to high hours as i like to have a tractor for each peice if equipment. I am not there yet but one day i hope to be. I have a 4440 that has to have over 20,000hrs and yea it cost more to keep it up but so far nothing major. Have 2 ford new holland 5610S with unknown hours atleast 10,000 hours with minimal repairs. And a 1086 that had 10,000 hrs on it in the early 90s we still use about 100 hrs a year.

But I wouldn't bet my crop on anything over 8000hrs.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I would get nervous about buying anything over 6K hours unless I knew the owner personally.
It's true that you can ruin a tractor in 100 hours, but if that were the case, then the aforementioned tractor would be ruined and the symptoms would be pretty obvious (strange smoke, noises, shifting, etc) when you test drive the tractor.
Also helps to know rebuild price for the tractors engine & transmission.
I'm guessing the powershift in my Mseries Kubota is a heck of a lot cheaper to rebuild than the Fendt CVT in my Massey. 
One place where I was wrong on my risk/hours was with my formerly owned JCB tractor and the 5.9L Cummin(g)s diesel. I assumed if the engine went, I could pull a 5.9L from a truck and replace it. I came to learn that the JCB version was quite different. It has a heavier bedplate and penough differences that a donor engine from a truck wouldn't fit and was told it would vibrate too much in a tractor application. 
At 8,000hrs, I decided it was too much risk for me and sold the tractor. 
I'd check the oils/fluids and start it up cold. Observe exhaust colors and road draft tube for slobbering. Get oil analysis if practical. 
Get an estimated rebuild cost on engine and trans, then compare to other tractors you're considering.


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

Depends a lot on what work was being done on those hours. Pulling tillage equipment is harder hours and conditions then running hay equipment. we have a 96 7400 deere with 5200 hours on it has only been used for hay work and no-till work so it has never worked in a dust bowl that tillage tractors see almost every time they are run. What is that worth? I am not a mechanic so I am a poor judge of used machinery so I tend to buy new for that reason, working off farm full time also helps to justify new for tax and dependability considerations. I would not buy anything with more then 2000 hours unless I know a lot about where it came from, even then for the price difference new would come with a 3 year warranty so what is peace of mind worth?


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Beav said:


> Depends a lot on what work was being done on those hours. Pulling tillage equipment is harder hours and conditions then running hay equipment.


Not nessisarily.Pulling a 15'disc mower conditioner is maxing out the 135 Kubota were as pulling a 12 row planter isn't.The engine and PTO anyway.Transmission would be more under load with tillage.


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## NewBerlinBaler (May 30, 2011)

I had a 2005 Chevy Tahoe (a leased, company vehicle) that had an hour meter in addition to the odometer. After I put my usual 80,000 to 90,000 miles on it - about 2 years worth, it was replaced. Before I turned that Tahoe in, I divided the miles by the hours and, not surprisingly, the average speed was just under 50 mph.

So 100,000 miles is roughly equivalent to 2,000 hours. Therefore a tractor with 6,000 hours on it is like having a vehicle with 300,000 miles on the odometer.

A sedan, SUV or pickup with that many miles is generally considered to be worn out. However, commercial trucks are typically driven until the odometer reads +/- 500,000 miles.

Tractor manufacturers likely have a design TBO (time before overhaul).. I wonder if that information is available to the public?


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

I agree tillage can be work and it tractor is not given proper maintenance then you have heavy wear. But think that is true of any real world tractor use. Not sure the hardest work for a tractor is tillage, steady rpms, steady work normally. Not sure stop and go work such as fel is easier on transmission and clutch or HST than tillage is.

To me the only reason to buy used is you can not afford or justify the amount new is. So of the three tractors I have two were bought...used. Funny, the one I bought new has been the one with two serious repairs to it. When I learned some tractors are built for ratings of hp and some or built for "work". For my size operation only way to justify hp and some equipment needs is to buy used. Just not enough farm to ever pay for a $75,000 tractor for 100, even 500 hours per year.

But those who can buy new please keep doing that and taking care of those machines so people like me can find reasonable priced used machines in great condition. One advantage has in buying used is often if there is an issue with a model it has begun to show before they are being traded in for people like me to buy.

Even here over and over it is told to buy good brand used rather than low quality new. At least with implements.


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

swmnhay said:


> Not nessisarily.Pulling a 15'disc mower conditioner is maxing out the 135 Kubota were as pulling a 12 row planter isn't.The engine and PTO anyway.Transmission would be more under load with tillage.


Any time you overtax your tractor it is bad you have too much mower for your tractor DAH you should have a 150 hp tractor or more on a 15' diskbine. 12 row planter is not tillage. There is why you need to know where it came from. Same as putting 30' field cultivator on 120 hp tractor it will pull but not very well and beat the crap out of the tractor.Paint and power washing can hide a multitude of sin when selling used equipment


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

That's one thing I shy away from, shiny new paint that's not original. A couple of exceptions aside from (touchups); I did buy a trailer with black rattle can paint that smelled fresh and a 256 that was sprayed with WD-40 to give it a better appearance. Funny story on the rake. I wryly asked the old man if spraying the paint with WD-40 make it work better, he sheepishly smiled at me.

I use nearly 3 times the power than necessary for the 488.... overkill? Nahhhh


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Our newest tractor is approaching 3000 hours, have two at the 5000 hour range and one approaching 8000 pto rpm hours with mechanical tach.

My opinion is don't buy a dairy or beef farmers chore tractor. That seems to be the hardest service as they can't have it out of service any length of time to do proper maintenance and repairs. We bought one with 4000 hours on it and the collection of half arsed repairs and damage made it a pain in the butt even today.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

I would be leary of buying some of the short term leased tractors. The ones where a guy uses them 1-2 years 500-600 hours and never did a lick of maintenance. Not changing oil after break in period or changing oil at all. No greasing. No nothing. I know some people who do that with not only tractors but also vehicles. They figure why do anything to it if iam just going to get a new one soon anyways. Salesmen never ask if proper maintenance was done. They just look at outward appearance and get trade in value from that.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

NewBerlinBaler said:


> I had a 2005 Chevy Tahoe (a leased, company vehicle) that had an hour meter in addition to the odometer. After I put my usual 80,000 to 90,000 miles on it - about 2 years worth, it was replaced. Before I turned that Tahoe in, I divided the miles by the hours and, not surprisingly, the average speed was just under 50 mph.
> 
> So 100,000 miles is roughly equivalent to 2,000 hours. Therefore a tractor with 6,000 hours on it is like having a vehicle with 300,000 miles on the odometer.


 I don't see how you came up with these numbers, but....There's a LOT of tractors running around and still working hard with 6,000 hr on them easily, but you don't see so many vehicles operating at 300,000 miles, so the comparison seems off.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

This past spring purchased a tractor with 8600 hrs. on it at a retirement sale. Once I checked it out, talked with owner, and looked over their other equipment I would not have given it a 2nd thought if it had 10,000 hrs. It's all where it came from and how it's taken care of.

My cousin also has the same model the that his dad purchased new and the last time I saw the tach it had 25,000 hrs on it and looks it. I don't know how they keep them running as I don't think they do much with it maintenance wise.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I sold 2 tractors over the winter and bought 2 replacements for them.
One is a 2005 Massey 7495 dynashift with 5700hrs
The other is a 2010 Kubota M-135X powershift with 2800 hours.

The Massey has double the hours, is 5 years older and is in better condition. 
Bottom line: The Massey was better cared for.

How the tractor was cared for is 75% or better of the deciding factor of what is the most important factor with hours.
So going one step further, knowledge of the previous owner, either personally, through an honest dealer or through service records, is probably the best "insurance" and "knowledge" (good or bad) you can have.


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## Bishop (Apr 6, 2015)

Around here you can sometimes find tractors with relatively low hours, but they've been used a lot for snow removal for a few winters in large mall parking lots and have been exposed to both salt, and being driven back and forth repeatedly, mostly by some pretty rough operators. So, yeah, it depends on the use.


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

Don't get too hung up on hours. The older the tractor, the less hours matter and the more condition matters. I think my brother only has one tractor under 5000 hrs. The two 7140s are 7-8000 hours, the Maxxums are in the 9000s, a 686 in the 7000s, and a 766 that was on the mixer wagon for 15 years that has 15,000 hours. My own tractors are all over 5000 hours.

Couple years ago I ran across 2 Deere 6XXX tractors on auctiontime, can't remember the series if it was 20 or 30, smaller model. One had about 32,000 hours and the other had about 36,000 hours. I think most farmers underestimate how long a tractor can run.


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