Old Iron, Lots of Hours?

cam.man67 · Jul 10, 2015

We all say, "they don't build 'Em like they used to!" And I believe that! Hence this thread...how many hours do the most heavily-used tractors among us have? I'll start...this is my 13800 hour IH 674. Dad bought it slightly used around '78-'79, and used it hard ever since. 3 clutches, a broken front axle, and countless leaks later, the old beast is still chugging along as our hay moving tractor. Motor has never been rebuilt to this point!

GreenEnvy · Jul 10, 2015

I can show you tractors around here on Hutterite colonies that are less then 20 years old that have more hrs than your tractor.

JayinNY · Jul 10, 2015

This Ford 4600 had 9000 hrs on it when I last
worked with in 2008, and I don't think the clock hour
meter worked. I think it was on its second engine
but they had 20 some odd employes over 25 years
abusing it. My 4610 had 4100 hours on it. Not a lot
but enought. Lol

JayinNY · Jul 10, 2015

Ya I said they wernt real high hours, just thought I'd contribute.

Billy NY · Jul 10, 2015

This one was around 4700 hrs with a working hour meter, say back in '11 or so. Been a long time since I've run it now. Same thing, all help over the years, before we were involved with this place, seems they always look the same. Don't mind the stack on it, the oem one had a tear in it, only thing that fit off the shelf, looks ridiculous but keeps the exhaust out of your face, the old was hard to deal with, but I stored it in the tool room, as it could be repaired I am sure.

This one in the photo was still much better than a municipal 3000 I looked at for $700, zillion hours on it seemed, they wore into the trans housing with chains they moved it so much. Was on a broom for Saratoga county or something, they had like a dozen of them, I found one being re-sold, still worth fixing up, but it was a project for sure. They hold up pretty good considering how some treat them.

hd6gtom · Jul 10, 2015

no pictures but dads D17 had well over 20000 hours on it before he sold it.

Brokengun · Jul 10, 2015

At 13800 hrs I would say the ole gal has paid for herself.

By the way what do you use to wrap your hay? Is that silage wrap put on by a wrapper or a sleeve.

Just curious

Brown Swiss · Jul 10, 2015

I have an 1850 that i have no idea how many hours it has, the meter didn't work when I got it, says 4483.6. I put an
average of 2 hours on it per day in a year, for the last 12 years. Only new bearings in the motor new input shaft and a
couple clutches, each time it was down it wasn't down for over 2 days.

JayinNY · Jul 10, 2015

Ya they do, the 4600 in the top pic I used in 1993 it was only used to pull a dump wagon to clean a 20 and 40 stall barn, then drive to the manure pile to dump. Sometimes it was used on feeder wagon, and I don't think it was ever used to mow pastures. It also got chaines for the winter. There were 3 shifts at the farm, we had in excess of 380 horses, and about 27 employed I counted at one time, so there were many different people using the tractors. I remember they would leave 3 tractors ideling all night as they dident have block heaters!

notjustair · Jul 10, 2015

I'd have to look, but I think the 4020 has 24,000
hours (I think it is another tractor that shows 78XX
and those are true miles for it - it's brand new!). It
was dualed up and did the planting and then the
duals came off and had a mounted cultivator on it.
Now it is the seed wagon tractor, raking and square
baling tractor, and loader tractor for feeding. The
hydraulic pump just almost doesn't work in it
anymore. It is so noisy you can't hardly hear the
engine. Only one engine rebuild if I remember right.
It only starts to use oil when it is time to change it. I
put new rear tires on it about two months ago.
Hated to spend the money but I guess it is here to
stay.

JD Seller · Jul 10, 2015

The highest houred tractor that I can PROVE the hours on is my JD 6400. I bought it new in DEC of 1993. It just turned 17250 hours this last week. The motor did have ahead gasket that started to leak coolant at 16,000 hours. I just machine the head flat and did the valves. It has had the input shaft to the transmission replaced once. Then just the usually batteries and alternators. It has been the " best" buy I have ever bought.

cam.man67 · Jul 11, 2015

(quoted from post at 15:55:31 07/10/15) At 13800 hrs I would say the ole gal has paid for herself.

By the way what do you use to wrap your hay? Is that silage wrap put on by a wrapper or a sleeve.

Just curious

I'd say so too!

the hydraulics are still in excellent shape...the loader, not so much. It's basically worn out, which makes sense after 20+ years moving wet bales, sometimes two at a time!

The bales in the pic are from our old tubeline wrapper, purchased around 1996. I forget the brand, but I remember it being built in Canada somewhere. We wrap about 200 bales a year, then try to make the rest as dry hay, usually in the ballpark of 800 total. That's what our dairy herd gets from November til April if we're lucky and don't have to feed before then!

T in NE · Jul 11, 2015

The 966 my grandfather bought new in 72 had over
11,000 on it when my dad and uncle traded it off
around 95-96. The last rebuild was in the late 80s.
It's one of its current owners 2 primary tractors.

MARK ROBKE · Jul 11, 2015

My IH 300 utility has 7515 hrs,1 family owned since 1 yr old.I have noticed that the hrs don't roll over as quick at rated rpm as does my Case IH 485 does at rated rpm.Mark

Old Iron, Lots of Hours?

cam.man67

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GreenEnvy

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JayinNY

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JayinNY

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Billy NY

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hd6gtom

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Brokengun

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Brown Swiss

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JayinNY

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notjustair

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JD Seller

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cam.man67

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T in NE

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MARK ROBKE

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