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How many hours is an engine good for

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Nlight
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 2 Front Royal, VA
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2009-05-27          163020

I am trying to replace an cheap Sears lawn tractor, found a nice looking Kubota B7100HST. It appears to be in good condition, has a 60" mower and the hydrostat transmission. The owner does not know how old it is, but it has 1400 hours on it. Its the 3 cylinder diesel model. Admittedly I know little about these, so any advice on what to look for that may go bad, and the number of hours of serviceable life these engines usually have. All responses appreciated. I have 5 rough, steep hilly acres to cut.

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auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2168 West of Toronto
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2009-05-28          163021

I also have a 60" mower driven by a 3-cyl. After 30 years and 3000 hrs, the engine, without repairs, still works like new. (Maintained by the book. Valves still at factory specs at 10 yrs, very slightly out at 15.)

I've heard a diesel is good for 5000 hrs, but don't know how authoritative that is. ....

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2009-05-28          163023

I'm not real familliar with Kubota engines, but most diesel engines are pretty much the same.
With good maintenece 1400 hrs. isn't a lot. I'd ask for maintence records. If it starts easily and doesn't have excessive smoke the engine is likely OK. Long steady hours are much easier on an engine than one that has been used for short runs where the engine doersn't fully warm up.
I haven't heard of a compact that has needed an engine overhaul from normal use. ....

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greg_g
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1816 Western Kentucky
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2009-05-28          163026

Can't find it now, but I recently read that 100 tractor hours approximates 6000 miles. Assuming it's true, you should be looking at that little tractor in the same light you'd look at a small work truck with 84,000 miles

//greg// ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2009-05-28          163028

As Frank mentioned, if the machine was well maintained, 1,400 hours is just nicely broken in to me.

Mind you we pretty routinely put that much on our (albeit bigger units) every year.

I have probably much that same 3 cylinder engine in a bunch of our mowers too, they all go 3k to 4k before we trade them in, and they're still working just fine then.

Best of luck. ....

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2009-05-28          163039

It's not unusual for a well maintained farm tractor engine to go 10k or more and I've heard of the little Yanmars going farther than that on construction generators, pumps or compressors. Nine times out of ten something other than normal wear takes them down prematurely like an air filter gone bad, serious overheating, oil cooler leak into the crankcase, etc. Frank. ....

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auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007
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2009-05-29          163049

Further to Frank's comment, I once talked with a retired lighthouse keeper from British Columbia. Where did power come from? A diesel engine. How long does it run? All the time except for mainenance. Is it all original? As far as he knows. How old is it? It was there when he took the job -- a quarter-century ago. ....

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AnnBrush
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 463 Troy OH
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2009-05-29          163058

Quote:
Originally Posted by auerbach | view 163049
How long does it run? All the time except for mainenance.
This is not that exceptional, this is the key



You could add a 5 x exaggeration factor due to the "A guy I talked to" factor, another 5 x factor due to the fact its posted on the Web.

After those discounts its still pretty good. ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2009-05-29          163062

Maintenance is key, no doubt about it.

Some of the units that I've sold out of the fleet and were bought by people I know are now at 12,000+ hours and still going strong.

I also know of machines that were dead after just 1,000 hours.

As for things like industrial diesels in ships and generators and such, that's a whole different creature. They are built very differently than what we are using in a small tractor.

A friend of my fathers is a retired Coast Guard man and spends his winters in the south, the other 8 months of the year he lives on a converted tug boat that was built in the 1940's for the war effort. The engine in his tug was well over 20,000 hours. It had however had some pretty major work done to it over the years, but it's still chugging along.

Best of luck. ....

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kjehas
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 7 Norway
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2009-06-03          163144

My BX 2200 has 8500 hours, the engine is running like new, no smoke, no leaks.
The machine has had an easy life at a shopping mall and are well maintenanced.

PS I have som problems with the HST... ....

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2009-06-03          163146

"serviceable life"

To me, we have to define "serviceable life".

Does that mean how long will a never-rebuilt unit last before service (and to what degree)? Or does it mean how many times can it be rebuilt before it's toast?

BTW, in automotive terms according to US law when a car maker says, "...for the lifetime of..." legally, the "life" is 7 years. This is tied into another Federal law that states a manufacturer (which may extend to certain other industries too) by law has to make available to the public replacement parts 7 years from the date of the last manufacture.

The "bell" rang for me recently when I tried to buy a part for my portable welder. "Sorry", they told me, "we only keep parts for 7 years and we stopped making your 8 years ago".

Hey Franky--nice job on your clear and concise posts--do you have someone typing for you or is night-school paying off? Gimme a hug, buddy! ....

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
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2009-06-03          163148

"Serviceable Life", We have in the past produced things that have a serviceable life of many times beyond the seven year span that EW speaks of. For example my father's 1948 Farmall "H". He bought it used in 1953 needing an engine overhaul. What took it down so soon, I don't know but he had it overhauled in 1954, then it was used almost daily till he retired in 1970 as a "Chore" tractor. I bought it on his farm auction and have owned it since. The "H" is still running on the 1954 overhaul, it does use some oil now and is beginning to start harder, likely due to poor compression. Those old tractors didn't have hour meters so I have no idea how many hours it has ran. Dad was a stickler on maintence and probably changed the oil twice as often as was really necessary. I used it almost daily also as a chore tactor till we retired in 2005.
I haven't checked lately but far as I know most internal parts are still available from Case-IH. A few years ago I got everything I needed to do an engine overhaul on my 1948 Farmall Cub fron a Case-IH dealer.
Yes, EW I'm trying to improve my image, since I've tried most everything else to make a living I was thinking of a political caree as my sunset career. Would you like to be on the top of the list as a financial supporter? ....

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2009-06-03          163155

Just don't call me your "athletic supporter".

Oh, and of course "late for dinner".

If you really want to "improve your image"---just be seen with ME!!! ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
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2009-06-03          163158

Quote:
Originally Posted by earthwrks | view 163155
If you really want to "improve your image"---just be seen with ME!!!


Jeffy, that almost seems to imply that anybody standing next to you would instantly look better by comparison. LOL

But I'm jis' sayin's all.

At least sayin' it afore' Kenny or Frank can........ ;)



Best of luck.

....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2009-06-03          163163

yes Murf, you did beat me to it. Think you understood what EW meant. But I must saying. ....

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
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2009-06-03          163165

Murfy--nice spin on dat. But that would be by association not by comparison. I'm jis' sayin'.

Kenny do you still have that t-shirt I sent you that says "I'm with stupid"? Sorry about the arrow pointing up though. LOL Okay gimme a hug too. ....

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kthompson
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2009-06-03          163173

Quote:
Originally Posted by earthwrks | view 163165
Murfy--nice spin on dat. But that would be by association not by comparison. I'm jis' sayin'.Kenny do you still have that t-shirt I sent you that says "I'm with stupid"? Sorry about the arrow pointing up though. LOL Okay gimme a hug too.



You talking about the shirt your Daddy gave you? :) ....

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
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2009-06-04          163194

No, that one just says "stupid". ....

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ronald65
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 107 Montana
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2009-06-06          163246

Hi, One thing my neighbor and I recently realized with our newer Kubota tractors I haven't seen mentioned is that the newer tractors have simple hour meters wheras the older tractors kept track of hours at rated or pto speed. BIGGG !!! difference. I am using my tractor almost every day but most of the time at only 1200-1500 RPM and I have about 1800 hours on a 2004 tractor.If I had been Plowing or working Ground or using PTO at 2700 RPM there would be a lot more wear on Tractor ?? Ron ....

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
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2009-06-07          163258

The keyword is modern diesels.

In my situation, I think the mfg. rates the engine to be used at a certain RPM, so that's a "given" when it comes to factoring in wear or use versus old-school machines.

In electrical terms think of the throttle being an on/off switch, rather than a dimmer switch.

I'd check your owner manual and see if you're in the proper RPM range. Otherwise, you might be doing more harm than good to your engine and drivetrain. The RPM's you're at are a fast-idle for my stuff.

I'm thinking, at aleast in my case, that my New Hollands' owner manuals say to NOT run low RPM, which is not good for them. Being hydrostats, the pumps and the engines are more efficient at higher speeds. Instead, they say to run them at "near- or at full-throttle" which for both machines is 2,600 - 2,800 RPM. Oddly, my newer skid steer doesn't even have a tach.

I sometimes get flack from older guys (old school diesel guys) on a job that tell me I'm running the engines way too fast. Once I explain it to them they understand. ....

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ronald65
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 107 Montana
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2009-06-08          163290

E W; If I am only Dragging trees or carrying logs on my forks, There is no good reason to have the engine running above 1500 RPM. Thats' why I have 24 Fwd gears.As long as I'm not lugging the engine.If I have a 3 Btm plow sunk in the ground then I run the engine at around 2500 Rpm to get the Horsepower.Again; my point was that the hours shown on the digital display do not take into consideration the RPMs.If I Run at 1500 or 2500.On the older tractors the hourmeter was gear driven off the Tachometer and accumilated faster at Higher RPM. Isn't this Correct? Ron ....

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
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2009-06-08          163297

Ron, when it comes to the RPM what does the owner manual say---to me that's the only thing I listen to. A lot of testing for durability has to happen before that machine is ready for the public. The mfg. knows exactly what RPM is best for any given job/ground speed.

Just like when and engine is to be broken in the mfg. says NOT to run it at a certain RPM--rather vary the RPM to the cyylider walls and rings have a varied exposure to break-in wear.

And it's not a matter necessarily of lugging the engine per se. The engine has to be in a certain range to operate efficiently, effectively and not create excessive amounts of unburned fuel. And engine wear all revolves around the aforementioned.

If you think about it, all things being equal there is more chance for blow-by to occur (i.e. less power developed) at a lower RPM than a high even if time were a factor for the simple fact there is less time for it to blow past the rings.

And I want to stress that today's engines are nothing like the old ones. Better machining practices, better materials, tighter tolerances have lead to higher-RPM engines. ....

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