John Deere 5085Mand 6110M

[wbvs58]

How much life would be left in these tractors? The 5085 is a 2016 model with 11,000hrs and the 6110 is a 2017 with 9500hrs. I am after a 4wd, cab tractor of med HP, no loader for spraying, slashing (bushhogging) and fertilizer and lime spreading. These are in an auction next weekend, there is also a 2004 Case 70hp with 4700hrs that I am mostly interested in.
The work I want it for is obviously not heavy, just want something that will do it with a bit of comfort and protection from the spray and dust.

Ken

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

10k hours is up there, alots depends on previous use and maintenance. They will keep on going but things di wear out and typically repairs and downtime goes up considerably at those kind of hours.

If your a wrench turner and don't need the tractor to be running high hour equipment isn't soo bad.

 

[SmokinM]

A pretty good amount of hours but like was said not to many if well cared for. I love my Deere tractors but what are the emissions rules there down under? Both of those Deeres would be full Tier IV here and that and the computers on them would make me leery. An electronics glitch on a Deere will often require a Deere mechanic and a lap top. Truthfully that is as likely to shut you down more so than mechanical issues.

The creature comforts on the Case will be well behind the Deere tractors but that is pretty much a mechanical tractor with no emissions. Much simpler and likely a better fit for what you want. Also I have been around a few of those Case tractors of that vintage and they are tough as nails.

 

[wbvs58]

A pretty good amount of hours but like was said not to many if well cared for. I love my Deere tractors but what are the emissions rules there down under? Both of those Deeres would be full Tier IV here and that and the computers on them would make me leery. An electronics glitch on a Deere will often require a Deere mechanic and a lap top. Truthfully that is as likely to shut you down more so than mechanical issues.

The creature comforts on the Case will be well behind the Deere tractors but that is pretty much a mechanical tractor with no emissions. Much simpler and likely a better fit for what you want. Also I have been around a few of those Case tractors of that vintage and they are tough as nails.

Yes, they would be tier IV, that's a good point. The case is the main one I'm looking at.

Ken

 

[wbvs58]

10k hours is up there, alots depends on previous use and maintenance. They will keep on going but things di wear out and typically repairs and downtime goes up considerably at those kind of hours.

If your a wrench turner and don't need the tractor to be running high hour equipment isn't soo bad.

Yes I do my own maintenance but the electronics does scare me.

Ken

 

[simme]

Modern tractors have CAN bus communications. (Controller Area Network). Concept and protocol developed by Bosch almost 40 years ago. Think of it as a computer network sort of like ethernet. Control modules and I/O modules communicating with each other over a wired network. In the old days, you have lights on a tractor. A hot connection off the battery is fed through a fuse to a light switch on the dash. Mechanical contacts in the switch turn power off and on to the various lights. A wire for each light function goes from the switch to the lights. Lights not working - get out your volt/ohm meter and see where the problem is.

That light switch on a newer tractor might communicate through a network to a control module ("computer") that communicates over canbus. The lights might be wired to a canbus module. Multiple modules from the front to the rear of the machine. The communication bus/cable between these modules might be some small wires buried in a dreaded "wiring harness" with pretty light duty automotive type connectors. Lights not working? Lots more tools and skills required to sort that out.

Maybe you just work without lights. But the canbus may control the engine, transmission and some essential stuff. What to do then? Stare at all them wires, connectors, terminators, modules and scratch your head? Call the man with the laptop and software? And watch him scratch his head? $$$$$$$$. Harder to find the person that can correctly diagnose and repair the technology.

JD tractors from the 60's, 70's, 80's were made of steel and used mostly mechanical systems that were and still are simple and reliable. Modern tractors are made of plastic and electronics. The old ones were made to last your lifetime with the proper and required maintenance. The new ones have far more capability and features, but are not made to last your lifetime, will fail you at the worst time and may drain your bank account. Next feature that will be needed is a canbus communication link for direct digital transfer of money from your checking account. When you see someone connect the laptop to your machine and have someone hundreds of miles away start and "work on" your tractor, you will get a feeling of the old vs the new. When you get the bill, you will understand the impact of the technology. Lots of possibilities - both positive and negative. And not taking about terminals on a battery.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

The "new stuff" with Canbus isn't that big and scary. Yes it can be harder to chase problems but with the right diag equipment it isn't that terrible. Pull the codes, study the diagrams, get the volt meter out and do some testing. But it's fairly trouble free is reality.

What would scare me much more than canbus at 10k hours is previous use/abuse and service and maintenance. 10k hours is near the end of the designed service life for things. PTO/powershift/reverser clutch packs wear out even with the best oil and service intervals, pivot points/bushings wear out even with the best grease, brakes wear out from normal use, etc.

 

[simme]

Some areas must be blessed with better technicians than others. Reality here is that tractors with codes are taken to the local Ag-Pro JD dealers for repair. The fixes are sometimes temporary and back in for service multiple times per year. They talk about possible wiring harness issues, but never get to the permanent solution. Spending thousands of dollars per year chasing problems that are never solved is frustrating and expensive. I think the issue is the training, experience and competency of the tech's and the dealership. They don't know how to use and interpret the tools here, or so it seems. People here give up after a while and start looking for the hard to find older equipment with low hours.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

We don't have an dealers or dealer Techs "local" to here. There's a few independent equipment mechanics that travel and cover the area. We are all friends and pass work back and forth depending on what it is, if one can't figure out the problem we aren't too proud to "phone a friend". A basic understanding of canbus and an ability to study and understand a wiring diagram and ohm meter is a must.

Having said that there is very little/almost no green ag equipment around for a multitude of reasons. I service mainly blue and red equipment and have very little/almost no canbus wiring issues that aren't easily solved.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Some areas must be blessed with better technicians than others. Reality here is that tractors with codes are taken to the local Ag-Pro JD dealers for repair. The fixes are sometimes temporary and back in for service multiple times per year. They talk about possible wiring harness issues, but never get to the permanent solution. Spending thousands of dollars per year chasing problems that are never solved is frustrating and expensive. I think the issue is the training, experience and competency of the tech's and the dealership. They don't know how to use and interpret the tools here, or so it seems. People here give up after a while and start looking for the hard to find older equipment with low hours.

Work has a 6150R it's a wiring nightmare. Had a tech out for four hours chasing a problem. He finally just cut the wire and said don't worry you don't need it anyway.

 

[jltrent]

My 2 cents from what I have spent so far this year on a few parts those high hour tractor will cost you more than they are worth really quick. Find the best tier 2 tractor you can or before and even overpay if you have too.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Work has a 6150R it's a wiring nightmare. Had a tech out for four hours chasing a problem. He finally just cut the wire and said don't worry you don't need it anyway.

Sensing a trend here. Sounds like all the more reason to stay away from green equipment. Haha.

One thing I will say I've run into it multiple times where customers don't want to pay for the required diag time. They see the tech seemingly "doing nothing" looking at wires and reading diagrams. They think we are just running up the bill. They don't like a bill for 10 hours labor and $20 in parts hunting down a wire short or bad canbus terminator.

Show the customer a roached clutch drum and galled up friction disc's or grenaded planatary and it's much easier for the average operator to understand why the bill is what it is. Then they have no problem with 10 hours labor and $10k in parts.

 

[wbvs58]

I'm thinking rodents could really make a mess of things.

Ken

 

[wbvs58]

The "new stuff" with Canbus isn't that big and scary. Yes it can be harder to chase problems but with the right diag equipment it isn't that terrible. Pull the codes, study the diagrams, get the volt meter out and do some testing. But it's fairly trouble free is reality.

What would scare me much more than canbus at 10k hours is previous use/abuse and service and maintenance. 10k hours is near the end of the designed service life for things. PTO/powershift/reverser clutch packs wear out even with the best oil and service intervals, pivot points/bushings wear out even with the best grease, brakes wear out from normal use, etc.

I believe the 5085M was used mainly hooked up to a boom spray. It has turf tires on it so that would suggest very little heavy pulling but a lot of PTO useage.

Ken

 

[wbvs58]

Well, I bought the Case JX70 yesterday, I paid $21,000 for it which I felt was OK. I think it will do the job I have for it pretty well. The JD tractor went for $10,000 so other people thought that the hours might be just a bit too much as well.

Ken

 

[SmokinM]

Looks like it is in pretty good shape. Those tractors are tough as woodpecker lips. Should do what you have planned very well.