I notice that there is an Indian (Asian) company selling gauges for tractors on eBay at unbelievably low prices. The reviews are mixed - some say they're crap, but most people are happy. I decided to roll the dice with a speed-hour meter (only $25 shipped from NY vs. $150 at Deere or about $125 with postage from aftermarket suppliers). Those who are REALLY cheap can get them for $21 but shipping from India takes a long time 
Anyhow it arrived eventually, looking exactly like the JD version (including "JOHN DEERE" on the face). I noticed that the mounting bracket was not vertical as in the OEM unit. With the dial centered it's halfway between vertical and horizontal! The snout where the cable threads on is somewhat longer too, both the outer and rotating inner part. But it showed 0.2 hours on the dial so hopefully someone tested it... I stuck a screwdriver in the snout and twirled it and the needle moved. So far so good. It also has a lamp with a quick-connect terminal but I didn't bother hooking that up. The crooked bracket wasn't a problem. It even came with a rubber ring, presumably to reduce vibration from the dash although it makes the bezel protrude a fraction.
So, I connected the cable, cranked up the pony and with fuel off and compression lever pulled, motored the Diesel for a while. Nothing on the tach! After a while I discovered that the "flag" on the cable was quite worn down and wasn't making a good connection to the slots in the drive gear shaft. I removed the cable and built the flag up with 1/16" weld and some grinding work. Now the tach end is turning. Stuck it in the meter, it registers... start the diesel, showing the same 700 and 1200+ rpm idle speeds that the old one did.
BUT - every time I tightened down the cable nut (on the tach end) it would bind up. I did a lot of measuring and a little trimming on the cable ends, but could not make it stop binding with the nut fully tight. In fact it eventually broke off the drive gear end of the cable down inside the shaft of the gear. So I had to take out the bearing quill and promptly learned that there isn't enough room for it to come completely out of the governor housing without removing the pony exhaust pipe. And THAT wouldn't come out until I unbolted the intake manifold/heat exchanger! Fortunately that was only 3 bolts, that were not stuck. I think the pony exhaust pipe was supposed to slide far enough into the heat exchanger that the pony end would come out first, but although I tried for a while and with lubricant, the pipe would just not slide forward enough.
Anyway now I need to buy a tach cable (just the flexible shaft, the steel jacket is fine). I still can't decide whether to return the Indian copy and buy a real one, or just use it and not tighten the cable nut all the way! Let this be another confirmation of "you get what you pay for" (if you're lucky!)
Anyhow it arrived eventually, looking exactly like the JD version (including "JOHN DEERE" on the face). I noticed that the mounting bracket was not vertical as in the OEM unit. With the dial centered it's halfway between vertical and horizontal! The snout where the cable threads on is somewhat longer too, both the outer and rotating inner part. But it showed 0.2 hours on the dial so hopefully someone tested it... I stuck a screwdriver in the snout and twirled it and the needle moved. So far so good. It also has a lamp with a quick-connect terminal but I didn't bother hooking that up. The crooked bracket wasn't a problem. It even came with a rubber ring, presumably to reduce vibration from the dash although it makes the bezel protrude a fraction.
So, I connected the cable, cranked up the pony and with fuel off and compression lever pulled, motored the Diesel for a while. Nothing on the tach! After a while I discovered that the "flag" on the cable was quite worn down and wasn't making a good connection to the slots in the drive gear shaft. I removed the cable and built the flag up with 1/16" weld and some grinding work. Now the tach end is turning. Stuck it in the meter, it registers... start the diesel, showing the same 700 and 1200+ rpm idle speeds that the old one did.
BUT - every time I tightened down the cable nut (on the tach end) it would bind up. I did a lot of measuring and a little trimming on the cable ends, but could not make it stop binding with the nut fully tight. In fact it eventually broke off the drive gear end of the cable
down inside the shaft of the gear. So I had to take out the bearing quill and promptly learned that there isn't enough room for it to come completely out of the governor housing without removing the pony exhaust pipe. And THAT wouldn't come out until I unbolted the intake manifold/heat exchanger! Fortunately that was only 3 bolts, that were not stuck. I think the pony exhaust pipe was supposed to slide far enough into the heat exchanger that the pony end would come out first, but although I tried for a while and with lubricant, the pipe would just not slide forward enough.Anyway now I need to buy a tach cable (just the flexible shaft, the steel jacket is fine). I still can't decide whether to return the Indian copy and buy a real one, or just use it and not tighten the cable nut all the way! Let this be another confirmation of "you get what you pay for" (if you're lucky!)
