# When is it worn out???



## Tflynn (May 16, 2018)

Hey guys, I'm looking at a t4030, 75 HP, 4wd with cab for my new dirt mover. The one I found is about ten hours away and has 6000 hours on it. My question is, do you think that's a lot of hours for a tractor that size? My background is more with big tractors where 10,000 hours is no big deal...But I feel like those big tractors are probably designed to endure that many hours and I just don't know if the smaller tractors are designed to have that long of a lifespan. What do you think? Worth the drive to check it out? It looks clean in the photos but obviously they are trying to make it look good. I'll probably only put 50 hrs. a year on it so it's hard to justify dropping the money for a newer one, but I don't want to buy a headache either. Thanks for your thoughts!


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## Guest (May 23, 2018)

How valuable is your time? 10 hours each way is a 2 day trip? How will you transport it? What kind of maintenance did it get, good repairs or jury-rigged? How long has it sat disused? Who's selling it, owner or dealer? Warranty? Can you run and work it before buying? That's a lot of tractor for 50 hours of work a year. You really should be able to find one that is comparable a lot closer.


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## Guest (May 23, 2018)

You might consider reading this article. https://www.tractorforum.com/articles/advice-to-newbie-owners-on-living-with-an-older-tractor.11/


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

That's a BIG tractor. A Fiat disguised under the New Holland label. Do you need so much tractor? With 50 hours work per year, you are going to have to exercise any tractor you choose periodically or you are going to have problems from sitting idle. Especially with seals.


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## Tflynn (May 16, 2018)

Ok maybe my 50 hrs. Per year was not a well thought out estimate. I have a 40 acre field that needs to be disced usually 3 to 4 times a year, chiseled once or twice, and floated/leveled. Right now I use a TN95 (95 engine HP) to do all that and it can handle my implements ok. I'm hoping that although the 75 HP tractor I'm considering is less powerful, the added weight (its about 1000 lbs. Heavier) will make up the difference as my problem with the tn95 is usually traction related. So is it enough tractor? Yes it's enough based on my previous experience. But that's really not what I'm asking, I just want to know if 6000 hrs. is considered a lot for this tractor.And I know condition is everything on something like this so let's say we'll assume it was reasonably well taken care of. Sorry for the misunderstanding I guess I should have explained this better.


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## Guest (May 23, 2018)

IMHO the question can not be answered on the spot. Gonna depend on how it was treated while accumulating 6000 hours of use. How many hours on your TN95 and how has your maintenance been? Doing business with a dealer, you're gonna drop a few thousand in his vacation account with this sale. Seems both are 4 wheel drive so couldn't you add weights to your TN95 to improve the traction situation? It's your money, but the cost of 1000 lb weights would come in about $1000 plus freight. At the end you know the tractor you got.


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

Put duals on your TN95


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## Guest (May 23, 2018)

Are the tires of your TN95 loaded?


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## Tflynn (May 16, 2018)

Thanks for the input guys. I've got as much weight on the TN as I can get. Nose weights, wheel weights, and watered tires. The main draw for the new tractor in addition to what I hope would be better pulling power, is it has a cab while the TN does not. I had considered duals for the TN but that probably is out of the question due to this being a shared tractor so I'd be constantly putting them on, taking them off etc. Yet another motivation to buy my own


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## RC Wells (Dec 26, 2008)

A Fiat in that horsepower range is something I would pass on no matter the hours! A well maintained Deere, Massey, Challenger, or Kubota in that horsepower range and model year spread is typically a 7,500 hour tractor before major engine overhaul. The 70 horse range old 3010 and 3020 Deeres were 15,000 hour tractors, as were the heavy Masseys up until the 80's. The Cummins B diesel powered Case/IH with the mechanical Bosch injection were 15,000 hour tractors when maintained.


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## Guest (May 23, 2018)

Ok didn't realize you were not the owner of the TN95. My recommendation is to consider reliability, parts availability and service availability. Which means buy local if at all possible. I would seriously try to go JD. You're not talking chicken feed here so I would think that warranty and dealer good will would also be important factors. You might even consider new rather than used.


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## Guest (May 23, 2018)

Maybe a JD 5083E?


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## RC Wells (Dec 26, 2008)

Getting back to your original question, I went through my compact tractor inventory and took a look at the retirement/trade in schedule and maintenance costs. None are kept beyond three years, which is an average of 1,200 hours. Looking at maintenance records they all start having major problems at that point in their lives. The qualification here is they are also the units the new guys get to learn on, and do the light scut work where maneuverability is key. So they get beat. 

Life cycles and costs for us are about the same, and brands are switched frequently based on buyer discounts, etc.

The utility tractors 50-90 horse are more durable and run to about 7,500 hours reliably. But some are unsuitable for haying, cultivating, and loader work because of limitations on maneuverability, and unreliable electronics. An electronic three point does no good when the dealer's service tech has to come out and reset it (and bill me) every few weeks.

Spend some seat time at several dealers before you decide on a course of action. Most dealers have rental return sales programs from the manufacturers, and those tractors are generally low hour and reasonably priced, and come with warranties.


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