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Post by dookiller on Mar 16, 2021 20:54:51 GMT -6
The Old girl is 40 yrs old and time for it's second clutch. $1300 for complete rebuild kit. Took it to a local shop here as they are young and tough like I was 20 yrs ago. They will have that in easy in a day and will get them to change the seal on the front output shaft of the tranny, which has been leaking through last yr. I did it's first bearing roll last spring which jumped the oil pressure right back up. A whopping $180 worth of bearings. I am going to dump the diff oils and planetaries as well and check for wear and filings. Usually every 3 yrs or 500hrs usually I do this. Incredible how long these tractors give no grief if maintained. I did an injector lash and valve lash 15 yrs ago and replaced injector O-rings at the same time. It is likely time to do that again as well if I can refresh my memory on how I did it. Good old you tube maybe will walk me through how to do it. So many of these got ran with zero maintenance for yrs and yrs and got run into the ground and are treeline ornaments now. Neighbors had many versy's and no grease guns lol. I doubt the air filter or the tranny filter etc were ever off. If it was running it went to work. This tractor here makes 200 hrs a yr pulling a heavy harrow or this yr a 52' juice cultivator so how can I replace it with anything for what this thing does the work for. I'd rather pay someone a better wage to run this old girl which has a nice Gleaner seat and A/C that could freeze you out than be a miser skimping on someone's wages driving a $250,000 tractor that still requires the same maintenance. I only farm 2500 acres so I cover these acres easily. My 946 stays hooked to the 5710 permanently and these 2 tractors just do the work with ease. Anyone else run this old iron full time like I do?
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Post by kevlar on Mar 16, 2021 21:27:12 GMT -6
We do, just put our '81 895 into semi-retirement this year, it will spend the rest of it's days pulling harrows, unless of course one of our "newer" tractors pukes out, then it will then get called back into action. I would love to know haw many hours were on the poor old thing, which has literally cost us nothing aside of regular maintenance. Dad bought it late '80's-1990, somewhere in there, it had around 4600 hours (I think) on the meter, but it never worked when we got it, so who knows. Ran it for many years with no meter, just changed oil often, then added a meter maybe 15 years ago, and it's somewhere in the 3-3500 hour mark. For some of those years, it was our only tractor doing a NH3 pass then seeding with 40 foot implements on 1500 acres to 2000 some years, poor thing barely ever cooled off. We've upgraded somewhat now, a 95 9680 that we've had for close to 10 years now, and 96?? 9880 that we got this winter, we have it in the shop right now doing some work to it, took awhile to get parts for it and now that we have the parts, have been too busy doing other things to get on it! I have the same thinking as you with running older tractors, you can put a lot of money into one and still not even be close to one payment on a new one. I know people say that the old ones aren't as nice to run, but if you put a little time and money into them, they can be quieter in the cab and just as comfy. Auto steer makes them all the same. New seat,etc. make a difference. Sometimes I get a little discouraged or embarrassed comparing our stuff to some other guys, but then at the same time am pretty happy with what we have as we keep it in good shape and seldom have any breakdowns,oh, and having them paid for is a nice bonus, the new ones break down and the service call starts at a thousand bucks.
Oh, and by the way, welcome Dookiller! Glad to see you here!
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Post by SWMan on Mar 16, 2021 22:20:53 GMT -6
Those old tractors are a very viable option if you can get parts for them. I ran an 876 for probably ten years, it was a very good unit. I remember doing the clutch myself, lifting it in from the bottom.....then someone said there is a hole in the bottom of the cab you can use for a winch...lol.
Main difference to me is lights and hydraulics(which can be addressed), but the tricky one is not many of that vintage had a good reliable full powershift or PTO. There were some Steigers but almost impossible to find one of those, if someone made aftermarket PTO kits they probably could make a killing! Newer machines are built a bit heavier too, and in the 500HP range which gets the pulling power for 60' implements. But if you can get away with a 90's era tractor there is a lot of money to be saved and much simpler.
As a side note how are parts for those machines? Is there stuff that is unavailable?
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Post by Beerwiser on Mar 16, 2021 22:33:10 GMT -6
Sw, you really think the new machines are heavier? Just looking at the stuff in the 130hp range the old out weighs the new. Kind of curious now.
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Post by totaledmygn on Mar 16, 2021 22:41:28 GMT -6
Those old tractors are a very viable option if you can get parts for them. I ran an 876 for probably ten years, it was a very good unit. I remember doing the clutch myself, lifting it in from the bottom.....then someone said there is a hole in the bottom of the cab you can use for a winch...lol. Main difference to me is lights and hydraulics(which can be addressed), but the tricky one is not many of that vintage had a good reliable full powershift or PTO. There were some Steigers but almost impossible to find one of those, if someone made aftermarket PTO kits they probably could make a killing! Newer machines are built a bit heavier too, and in the 500HP range which gets the pulling power for 60' implements. But if you can get away with a 90's era tractor there is a lot of money to be saved and much simpler. As a side note how are parts for those machines? Is there stuff that is unavailable? So does that mean my 946 powershift with pto is going to be a collectors item in years to come? Does the pto have to be functioning?? lol |
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Post by SWMan on Mar 16, 2021 23:00:09 GMT -6
Sw, you really think the new machines are heavier? Just looking at the stuff in the 130hp range the old out weighs the new. Kind of curious now. On the 4WD I believe most are, certainly my Challenger is and I believe Steiger/NH are as well. Not sure about Deere. Yes the FWA may not be as heavy, you probably have a point there. totaledmygn the 946 will have the twin-disc PS if I am correct? Too bad it wasn't a Steiger.  |
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Post by Oatking on Mar 17, 2021 5:57:07 GMT -6
Dont be embarrassed Kevlar. When we all retire it will make no difference what tractor we drove. All that matters is family and health in retirement and sipping coffee in the morning and dangling your feet off the dock at your cottage ! he he.
My 946has 13 000 hours and with good maintenance she s not leaving the farm. I use her for a scraper tractor, harrowing, deep tilling, hook the pull type sprayer on her and the grain cart if the deere is busy. There is something to be said for simplicity in how a tractor is made. The case steiger is another gem of a tractor built not to far from Winnipeg.
I wondered if Versatile ever thought or drew up a two track tractor blue print? Now that would of been cool!
I wished Versatile bought back the bidirectional tractor from new holland and improved on the design. The old 9030s were good tractors.
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Post by dookiller on Mar 17, 2021 9:18:12 GMT -6
I have never ran into a problem getting parts but never had to buy much ever. Maybe I will find myself in trouble but haven't yet. Honestly if they made replica's of these tractors new with better hyd and the 12 speed that just keeps going only a fool wouldn't own one. My 946 is getting a custom rim swap on inside wheels for triples as the 1/2" plate broke from all the suitcase weights on rear + the weight of the tow between air tank. You don't need rear ballast with a tow between air cart. Fluid in tires takes care of any tractor being too light. My little 4610 Massey had a problem moving bales safely it was so light on the rear. Filled them with fluid and its a different tractor by far. I hate weights as the extra weight is on the drive line where fluid is on the ground. Rims don't have to carry the weight the same as the fluid is pushing on the tire itself. Ya I kinda felt embarassed by the Case 450 beside mine in for tires and the big Deere in for tires as well but at my age I like bought and paid for. I don't know peoples financial situation but trying to keep a full line of machinery up to date is way more than I care to tackle. I have a shop that will do maintenance for me at $90/hr. What some pay for an inspection I can fix my tractor lol. I put more faith in a 40 yr old versatile radiator than anything made today etc. I have never heard of a rad fail ever!! Even the neighbors pounding their tractors through washouts etc pulling their concord drill day after day never had grief. I used to custom spray those fields for them and I would split the the field to save my sprayer lol. Concord makes one tough old drill!!
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Post by dookiller on Mar 17, 2021 9:49:09 GMT -6
I look at it this way. I could have a newer tractor with all the bells and whistles. Pay a guy $28/ hr to run it or keep what I got which is plenty comfy for me and pay $32/hr. Who will find a worker willing to be come to work every day easier. His buddy across the road is texting him riding in a Deere is making $4/hr less doing the same job just not in a shiney tractor. Its not deafening by any means to operate. It has A/C and heat. It has new auto steer 1050 Trimble with wifi. If I was looking for work I would be looking for a guy like me lol. A paycheck pays the bills. I am not saying that guys with new equipment don't pay but when you pencil the cost/acre in my scenario I can afford more. I was a 2 man operation for 28 yrs with these acres. My dad and I did it all with no hired men. Now he is gone and my oldest son helps out and he spends his winters in Alberta logging and will help me out here this spring and fall. Thought of maybe getting an extra guy to ease the workload as I ain't as spry as I once was. You always need a rockpicker guy and gopher for seed and fert and help moving etc and water hauler. My sprayer is still being asked to do custom work for a 1500 acre operation which I have catered to for the last 10 yrs. Easy money with the old 854 gator that is like a Versatile for dependability.
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Post by kevlar on Mar 17, 2021 10:27:21 GMT -6
No problems getting parts either, but again nothing too major, had to do a rad in our 9680 and for some reason it was tough to find one. On our 895, I would say 75% of it, or maybe even more, is just parts off a shelf from any regular parts supplier. Have heard some transmissions are hard to get parts for, but most of these machines have been around long enough that somebody has has modified or switched out various parts and made a video how to do so. Don't see why a guy couldn't put in a different tranny if needed. We had the tranny out of our 895 one year to fix oil leaks, changed a couple seals and gaskets and o-rings, the only part we got from Versatile was the pre-made gasket but could have easily made our own. The older machines were made and designed by farmers with the idea of easy and cheap repairs with parts that spanned the entire line up in all models. I would say around 2000 manufacturers began getting more into brand and model specific parts, and even sometimes year specific. We have had combines of the same model but different years with completely different filters and some parts. You tell me what will be harder to get parts for, a machine that had only parts made for that specific model for a couple years and only sold a few thousand of, or something that shared all common parts for 20 years on tens of thousands of machines built? We had a New Holland CR 9070 that had a couple different bearings go, could only get them from New Holland and had to be brought in. Another worrisome thing with newer stuff is how all manufacturers are only letting their suppliers fix and diagnose different components. I was reading somewhere where a guy was having issues with his tractor, might have been a Versatile, Cummins said the issue was with the transmission, was a Cat powershift, and of course Cat said it was the engine causing the issue, so now you are trying to deal with 3 different companies to solve your problem, none of them wanting to take responsiblity but all 3 wanting to get paid. What will that be like in 20 years?
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Post by Albertabuck on Mar 17, 2021 10:49:05 GMT -6
I believe some driveline parts have been discontinued for the older series. Like for example, the clutch output shaft and some transmission components.
I knew when I bought my 875 series 3, it needed work, but didn't realize till it got delivered and I really went thru it, just how much it really did need. Had I known, I would have passed it by. I got it for the price of the rubber plus delivery, but holy smokes, turned out pretty much everything but the axles needed work. Wasn't the fault of design, but that they guys working on it, well everything they had touched was pretty much NFG in one way or another due to lack of knowledge I guess. What was the real kicker was how many parts were damaged as result. Once I realized it was going to require some real working over to get it rolling, it became apparent that the cheapest route was to find a parts unit, which I finally did, but more than a few years had passed in the meantime and all that tractor did was hold down grass. Of parts available, cost simply made it not financially feasible to buy everything new. I lucked out and found a 750 series 2 with really low hours but with engine and frame issues, got whole tractor basically for price of a used tranny from the wreckers. In the end, well guess I have the cheapest 300hp tractor in the district, but was a lot of work to make it happen in the end. And not done yet either, more cosmetic stuff than anything left now, biggest thing it needs is paint, its a candystripe but the paint and decals just make it look so forlorn and junky, it even bothers me lol.
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CTS2
Junior Member
Posts: 74
Likes: 27
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Post by CTS2 on Mar 17, 2021 14:05:14 GMT -6
A neighbour with a 9682 couldn't get some major transmission parts last year. He had to resort to second hand shafts and whatever else it was that he needed. The rest of his tractor was in good condition and around 5000 hours or so. I like the old Versatile design but stories like his are a bit off-putting, a 9682 is really not very old for parts to not be available, and a 5000 hour major component failure is pretty disappointing.
I don't know how hard his repair man tried to source parts. Are discontinued parts available from places like Big Tractor Parts?
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Post by dookiller on Mar 18, 2021 7:59:03 GMT -6
Machinists can make just about anything these days. I got a local guy here that has built some impressive stuff. A guy seems to overlook the obvious right in front of him when needing parts. Every thing is manufactured some how and who does it makes no difference if done to spec.
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Post by dookiller on Mar 18, 2021 8:25:41 GMT -6
Yes these old machines can be terrible if things weren't maintained. You can find yourself buying a headache if oils in diffs and planetaries never got changed. Articulating points never got greased etc. I see it all the time with the newer stuff now. Go to a sale and see the yokes and shafts shiney polished where it articulates. If I see this area free off grease I walk away. If you look at a piece of machinery that the motor has an antifreeze filter that is rusty walk away. Simple cheap maintenance that provides long term reliability just never happens on many farms these days. There is a huge operation North of me that buys new every 2-3 yrs. Nothing sees maintenance I have been told. When the auto greaser runs out that's the end of maintenance. Tractors, drills, combines etc all get replaced with new. The attitude is it's under warranty and were getting a new one soon anyway. They went from big Deere to Lexion but will move around after first trade in when salesman realize what they took on trade. Salesman aren't always aware of what to look on when taking and valuing a trade especially when you have 7-10 machines coming at once. He just see's $ in his eyes lol. The poor bugger that buys one has bearings and everything else that happens with no maintenance buying a lower hr machine. Maintenance means more than hrs ever will to me.
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Post by meskie on Mar 18, 2021 13:50:52 GMT -6
Simple cheap maintenance that provides long term reliability just never happens on many farms these days. There is a huge operation North of me that buys new every 2-3 yrs. Nothing sees maintenance I have been told. When the auto greaser runs out that's the end of maintenance. Tractors, drills, combines etc all get replaced with new. The attitude is it's under warranty and were getting a new one soon anyway. They went from big Deere to Lexion but will move around after first trade in when salesman realize what they took on trade. Salesman aren't always aware of what to look on when taking and valuing a trade especially when you have 7-10 machines coming at once. He just see's $ in his eyes lol. The poor bugger that buys one has bearings and everything else that happens with no maintenance buying a lower hr machine. Maintenance means more than hrs ever will to me. Pretty sure those combines didn’t get traded. They headed to saskatoon. |
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