Kind of boils down to this. If you think an entry level tractor whether it's a JD or some other brand will get you what you want go for it. Design life is around 500 hours of operation on all entry level units. Average home owner use is around 50 hours a year. My personal experience with entry level tractors lasting the 500 hours you might as well flip a coin. You got about a 50/50 chance. As with anything doing the proper maintenance will give you a better chance of anything lasting. Good luck slkpk
OK, Cliff here. LOL
I just love taking guys like you to task over such statements. You can start by telling me and everyone else on this board where you get this "500 hours of operation on all entry level units" figure.
As for the opine concerning an entry level tractor "lasting" 500 hours, kindly expand what "lasting" actually means. Do you mean to tell us that these machines are all built like the wonderfull "one hoss shay" that Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote about in his poem? That shay was built to have a 100 year lifespan to the day.
Here's two brief excerpts.
For the wheels were just as strong as the thills
And the floor was just as strong as the sills,
And the panels just as strong as the floor,
And the whippletree neither less or more,
And the back-crossbar as strong as the fore,
And the spring and axle and hub encore.
And yet, as a whole, it is past a doubt
In another hour it will be worn out!
What do you think the parson found,
When he got up and stared around?
The poor old chaise in a heap or mound,
As if it had been to the mill and ground!
You see, of course, if you're not a dunce,
How it went to pieces all at once, --
All at once, and nothing first, --
Just as bubbles do when they burst.
End of the wonderful one-hoss shay.
Logic is logic. That's all I say.
--Oliver Wendell Holmes
So, by your logic, the LA-145 will end up in a heap or mound as if it had been to the mill and ground. I don't think so.
C'mon. Give us a break. I don't care what you buy, it is going to need to be maintained and part of that maintenance involves replacing worn parts. So what if the front wheels have nylon bushings. They're really easy and cheap to replace. Millions upon millions of tractors have been made with those bushings and have given stellar service in spite of it. Engine manufacturers make different lines to suit the product.
I agree with your 50 hour average per year statement and I have remarked twice about maintenance being an important issue. At 50 hours average, the tractor (according to you) is a ten year unit. Cost of ownership in capital cost writedown is $200.00 per year if the tractor has zero value at the ten year mark.
The engine will likely be at its half-life point, if cared for properly because there is no reason why you cannot get a 1000 hours of use out of one.
To me, this is financial decision. If you have money to burn, then go buy a Kubota for $14,000.00. Why screw around with these lowly gas engined wannabee's when you can own a real tractor?
The OP has told you what he is going to do with what he buys. A two acre property is nothing for a 48" deck nor is pulling a cart around beyond the capability of even an LA-100.
If you guys are going to come on here and give advice then back it up with facts instead of perpetuating all the myths and ******** that always seem to permeate forums like this one.
If the Deere LA line was half as bad as you nay-sayers think it is, then Deere would have either dropped it totally or redesigned it. The funny part here is that I have heard reports from people who have decided to sell their L or LA tractor and had people clamoring for it. There is no doubt in my mind that green and yellow paint sells, both in new form and in used. Just look at the size of this forum compared to the others.
