Farms and Computers

[BANDITFARMER]

Here is a question that needs an answer, What happens when the software in your tractor or combine gets old and obsolete and can not be updated? What do you do with it when it will no longer start up? If it is in good shape but just has a bad computer what do you do with it? Bandit

 

[Fordfarmer]

Who has equipment that new??!!

 

[jogl]

I think that some day there will be good business in de-computerizing modern ag equipment.

JP.

 

[MN Scott]

Its called planned obsolescence. Your supposed to buy new I guess and scrap the old. Today's tractors and machinery are actually built very well mechanically but the electronics are not built to last more than 10 years.

 

[Erik Ks farmer]

Agreed Fordfarmer, the newest equip I have is my 78 Jd 7000.

 

[BANDITFARMER]

The reason that I asked this question is simple. Over the last 2 years I have come across many times computer problems it tractors and combines and none of them were cheep fixes. My cousin has a 9610 JD combine in a heated clean shop and was cleaned after corn was done and put up. Wheat was getting ready to cut and time to get her out and ready to go. He called me to come take a look at her, wont do anything when you turn the key on. Got my meter out and had power to the switch but no were else? After 7 hr I told him the call JD to send someone out. Serviceman got there the next morning and in 10 min told us and showed us the problem. A MOUSE had chewed on the wires and fried the computer system! $17000 later the combine was running! He had a FIT! But the wheat got cut and straw got bailed and not much profit! I think we are over computerised in our farm equipment and think we will all pay the price in the future. Bandit

 

[55 50 Ron]

That's very true, not only in farm equipment, but in every walk of life. There will be a time when we will pay dearly for all this computer stuff. Computers consist of hardware, firmware and software. Testing all this before placing it into a product is a mind boggling struggle. It's nearly impossible to try every scenario with complicated software so even if the hardware is functioning properly, software can still bring a machine completely down. And of course software gets more and more complicated and involved as more and more is demanded of it.
Seems there should be a way to allow bypass of the computer function in the case of catastrophic failure.

Even if every farmer and farm laborer were experts in computers, they would need a huge investment in test equipment to troubleshoot asnd repair all the computer and electronics related stuff.

 

[jogl]

Ron et al:

I am putting myself to the fullest possible use controlling this combine, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do.

HAL.

 

[1968 403]

I plan on keeping my 2590, 2594, 5488, 1460, and 403 as long as I can find parts used or new. They are pretty simple mechanical machines that I can work on myself, without a computer and a computer technician to tell me what is wrong. There's a market out there for new non-computerized tractors and combines.

 

[paul]

The problem is it's a specialized chip, can't buy generic any where. So they got you - can charge you $17000 and what can you do? Pay or trash it.

Folks are finding that with cars about 10-15 years old. Dead computer chip, gonna be more than the car is worth. Get to sell a new car that way....

I agree with you.

--->Paul

 

[MN Scott]

The 5488 has a computer, granted its very primitive but the Sentry system controls the transmission to a degree.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

(quoted from post at 19:44:00 05/02/10)Folks are finding that with cars about 10-15 years old. Dead computer chip, gonna be more than the car is worth. Get to sell a new car that way...

I have a few 1980's vehicles with computers and no issues. And if I needed a PCM you can pick up used parts for cheap.

That's the one saving grace with cars/trucks is that there are thousands around and in junk yards to pull parts from. Tractors/combines there aren't near as plentiful.

 

[paul]

Friend of a friend had computer issues with an older car.

New was more than the car was worth.

Used was $400 with no garentee, first one was a dud.

Do you feel lucky, want to spend that 2nd $400 in the old car?????

Gets to be a headache for an item that takes $5 to mass produce, but just isn't available at production costs....

A gear or a bracket you know at some point you can have built at the welding shop for so much an hour.

You can't restore a tractor or car if the brain is not available.

--->Paul

 

[1968 403]

Yes the 5488 does have a primitive computer. Case has a kit you can install to bypass the computer.

 

[cadet trooper]

All due respect fellers but most of us older folks can still operate and take care of the older heavy machines and do the adjustments and take care of them but the problem we have now is most of the younger generation wants a joystick and be able to connect to the internet and GPS and blah, blah. It"s the old addage if you want to play you"re gonna pay. Also the mfgrs of early heavy tractors didn"t trust the operators so safeguards were put in to control misuse due to recalls and updates all due to not having a feel for the steel. Things like heavy saddle tanks with liquid fertilizer @ 11 lbs. to the gallon and pulling half the farm behind something like a turned up IH1086 and no feel for compaction it has all come back to haunt todays farmer in the pocketbook. All of todays tractors being worked on by trained techs or satellite connection to tell you what is wrong. In summary we are our own worst enemy.

 

[Anonymous-0]

My dad bought a new round baler and i took me two years to get him to tie off a bale. he kept complaining the the damn thing had a computer in it. lol 7000 bales on it he might have made 200. good thing i came home to help him

 

[NEKS]

I hear on the newer tractors the draft control is run by computers (my newest is a 1962). Dad hired a neighbor to plow afalfa ground with his L Case. When he pulled the rope and dropped the plow the front of that old L come off the ground about 4 to 6 inches and stayed there till the other end of the field. Now tell me what is wrong with the way that draft control worked.

 

[BANDITFARMER]

I guess I am getting old, I didn't know that I needed a computer to tell me that it was getting to damp to keep cutting soybeans. I mean if you know your machine you know every sound and vibration it makes! If the head shakes its to wet, if the back of the seat is vibrating you check the chopper, If you feel the cab floor rumbling its time to stop and check the feeder house and cylinder. You always knew when you got into real good beans cause the old girl started to moan and you could really hear the beans coming into the grain tank. But I guess you have to have the computer to do it all so you can sit back and listen to there MP3 player or talk on the cell phone instead of running the combine. I just don't need a computer to tell me what to do when I can do it myself and if I gets to that point, well...I guess it will be time for me to hang it up. Bandit

 

[cadet trooper]

I hear ya Bandit! Nothing finer than listening to a NHTR85's Kitty cat running beans well into the night before she starts barking or looking into the mirror with an N-6 watching to see bean straw stringing and the boost pressure gauge climbing and an 8820 drive line singing louder as things get tougher and who can forget the sound of silence when the Case/Ih1660 w/22' header cutterbar sent a bunch up in all at once and all you could hear was the radio and the smell of hot belts knowing it's time to head to the barn and an hour or two of cleaning wads out.LOL Those were the days Gawd, I miss that!