Question for new tractor buyers--a little long...

Posted by Wayne on July 07, 2004 at 20:59:35 from (205.188.116.201):

Hey guys, as an independent mechanic on the repair side of things, I've got a question for all of ya'll that are on the "buying side" of things. It may sound crazy but why do so many people buy new equipment? I see a good bit of new equipment being bought, and I usually see a happy customer...til the warranty period runs out and the problems start. Then they always start complaining wondering "why didn't this machine last as long as my last one", why is it so expensive to fix a "simple problem" like a busted hydraulic hose, etc etc. It's left to me then to try to make them understand that the machine sitting in front of them is nothing like their old one. Just because they had say a 30 year old 555 backhoe, the new 555 is nowhere even close. The old equipment had JIC fittings on the hydraulics which were cheap and available at most any NAPA, even in the middle of BFE...the new one has ORFS fittings which are about 4 times the cost of the JIC ones plus a 80 mile round trip to the nearest place that has them in stock....The cylinder on the old one had standard size packings and wear bands you could get anywhere... the new one has been updated meaning different metric parts than it origionally had so you've also got to buy a new packing gland for $100 and if the wear bands are worn a new piston for another $80 instead of a $10 wear band. The old one had mechanical linkages...the new one has a bunch of electronic components to take their place....The old one had metal hood, and fenders, and a little longer wheelbase so it was a little heavier and more stable...the new one has alot of plastic and is shorter and more "futuristic looking" and is shaped to be pleasing to the eye.... Don't get me wrong, I'm not a "technophobe" I think there is a place for technology in everything, and there have been vast inprovements in alot of areas over the years. Still look at all the machines out there that are 30+++ years old that will still be going in 30 years with a little TLC and compare it to how many of the new ones will be able boast to the same life span and you can see where I'm coming from. Like I said technology is a good thing, but I think it's about time to stop all the major "improvments" and concentrate on simply perfecting the stuff they have already designed as improvements over last years-last weeks- yesterdays design. That may not be the best way to put it but I think you can understand what I'm saying here. We're talking about equipment of all kinds here. As an end user all that matters is performance. It may be pretty and save you $500 a year in fuel with the new electronic controls, and not leak any fluid right now because of those expensive new ORFS fittings, but wait til you've had it a couple of years. Then you have an electric/electronic problem that is gonna cost you $5000 for the new module/harness, or whatever. Then all the labor for the initial troubleshooting and then the actual work to remove and replace everything....Eventually all those O-rings are gonna harden and start leaking meaning alot of time/labor involved to go around chasing leaks......(look at the old CAT equipment with the O-ring flange fittings and you can see this problem already exists...did the engineers think they had finally designed something foolproof or can they just not learn from an existing example?) I got a little long winded there, but I wanted you to be able to see where I am coming from with the question. When 99.99% of what the end user cares about is a machine that is easy and as inexpensive as possible to repair why do so many people still insist on buying brand new equipment???? Like I said it may be a stupid question, but from my side of things I just can't justify it.....

Follow Ups:

• Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little lon Bill(Wis) 12:18:14 07/09/04 (0)
• Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little lon Adam B. 20:34:47 07/08/04 (2)
  • Re: Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little Joe Evans 07:21:38 07/09/04 (0)
  • Re: Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little Bob Semrau 21:51:39 07/08/04 (0)
• Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little lon Wayne 20:33:50 07/08/04 (0)
• Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little lon Dale 20:01:25 07/08/04 (0)
• Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little lon Robert in W. Mi. 12:25:50 07/08/04 (0)
• Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little lon Joe Evans 12:15:44 07/08/04 (0)
• Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little lon Ray 09:53:58 07/08/04 (0)
• Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little lon leland 09:06:55 07/08/04 (0)
• Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little lon Rick M. 08:46:53 07/08/04 (0)
• Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little lon kyhayman 08:06:48 07/08/04 (0)
• Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little lon Mike M 07:36:11 07/08/04 (0)
• Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little lon Indydirtfarmer 06:08:32 07/08/04 (0)
• Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little lon Mark - IN. 05:53:21 07/08/04 (1)
  • Re: Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little Cherie Allen 10:09:29 10/19/05 (0)
• Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little lon Ron 04:51:54 07/08/04 (0)
• Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little lon JDknut 03:50:19 07/08/04 (0)
• Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little lon Robert 01:42:54 07/08/04 (0)
• Re: Question for new tractor buyers--a little lon Jonathan 22:34:58 07/07/04 (0)

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