Quote:
Originally Posted by T-Mo
I have two 1996 Cub Cadet 2135s in good condition. I read over on mtf that one guy has has his 1994 Cub Cadet 2135 and it has around 1500 hours on it and still runs good. It's about maintenance - and taking care of your equipment. Sure the older equipment were over built and made to last and it's true that a lot of newer equipment has a lot of plastic on it. But JDs have been built with plastic hoods, or fiberglass hoods since their inception in 1963. The manufacturer's make equipment today with price points in mind and if you buy a lawn tractor for under $1500 it will have some areas where the things were compromise to make that price point.
Personally I like the older equipment, but if they were maintained poorly when new, then those are no longer with us just like the newer equipment today. Just my 2 cents worth.
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well the paint simply fell off the machine, literally fell off. i have seen nothing like it. it came off in large flakes after the machine was 4 or 5 years old. the metal wasnt a very heavy gauge either. it rotted right through on the fender pan.
i agree that john deere hoods have been fiberglass for a long time and they do kinda suck. try to find a jd garden tractor from the 70's that doesnt have a hood that is shot. most of them are beat, missing pieces, and have cracks in various places. however this is not really a major structural peice. the pedistal is made of steel, and the frame is nice and strong. all of the attachment hook up areas are really quite beefy. the front of the frame is just about plate steel in thickness. the front spindle and axle is also of very good material. the wheel bearing, automotive style. in many ways these are very good tractors.
i guess the good question is, will these really high end machines made today be around in 40 years. i kind of doubt it.