R thru 830 longevity

[Olddantucker]

I was wondering how many hours one of these work horses would
run does anyone have a tractor they know ran a huge amount of
hours.really I would like to hearabout any two cylinder Regardless of
model Thanks

 

[NY 986]

There was an 80 many years ago that was the primary tractor on a 300 acre row crop farm not too far away. No more troublesome than any other tractor I was told. The closest JD dealer back in those days sold a few R's, a couple of 80's, and at least one 820 from what I was told in an area that saw few standard or wheatland tractors sold. Go up into the Genesee River Valley south of Rochester and there were a fair number of those tractors around back in the day along with corresponding competing makes. A few 5020's sold up there, too.

 

[rustred]

well if they are taken care off and oil changed on time and air cleaner serviced and so on, i am sure they should make the 10,000 hr. mark. what i cant figure out is when people say they have an engine overhauled at 3-4 thousand hrs. tells me that thing was not looked after. there is so few original 2 cyl's around now with original owners its hard to say. as for average hrs. i would say 7000 should be not hard reach.

 

[GreenEnvy]

Tractors of yesteryear didn't have the quality of oil and filters we have today. Pre 1960s tractors reaching 7,000 hrs without any kind of work in my opinion was very doubtful to point I would call BS no matter what the owner said. Especially if said tractor was used for hard.

 

[fixerupper]

I have an R with 6700 hours on an hour meter that has stopped but I dont know when it stopped. The engine has never been worked on that I know of. Under hard load it will use a couple quarts of oil a day. It was the big tractor on nine quarters of land in North Dakota. Those hours were put on over an estimated 12 year period. It is a very late 54 model and as far as I know the owner rented out the land in 1966. He basically fired it up once a year for ten years or so then it sat in a shed for 12-14 years till I bought it. It fired right up with no prep.

 

[Olddantucker]

If my math is correct that would be 1440 acres that’s probably
running around the clock I know of some other old farmers out west
that had some hired men said they would work those old tractors
24hours a day only shut them off to change the oil

 

[fixerupper]

(quoted from post at 04:47:27 12/08/20) If my math is correct that would be 1440 acres that s probably
running around the clock I know of some other old farmers out west
that had some hired men said they would work those old tractors
24hours a day only shut them off to change the oil

They summer fallowed so that spread the hours out throughout the summer. I know one quarter was part pasture where the James river was. The hours were put on by my step mother's dad and his brother and maybe hired help, I don't know much about what their operation was back then. When we had the farm sale for him the neighbors said they could set their watch on 6:00 in the morning when they heard that R starting up. This was east of Fessenden ND. This R is 250 from the last made and has export decals. As I understand the last 250 R's had export decals. A 39 D was traded off for this R. I wish I had that D.

 

[730DM4WD]

I started using a 730D in the late 80s when it was already 30 years old, and used it alongside tractors powered by Ford and Perkins engines. The 730 is now over 60 years old, and is still going, all the others have died. I have documented records of G's working in Africa, and doing over 20,000 hours without even having the rocker cover taken off. It seems to me that two-cylinder JDs last longer than most others.

 

[NoDakInMN]

In ND during 70's and early to mid 80's, it was very common to see JD two cylinder diesels pulling packers on road construction projects. Having been replaced on farms by much larger tractors, road construction companies were quick to take advantage of these tractor's exceptional fuel economy and they put in many more years of service in that respect.

 

[rustred]

Really? What is your expectation? I have a 1963 560 Ihc and the engine has not been touched with 5700 hrs. Have another 560 with 2600 hrs. Engine not touched. Boy I sure would not buy a tractor if it was only good for 3000 hrs. Neighbour has a 4250 and he figures 20,000 hrs. Engine not touched. If you can’t get at least 7000 hrs. The tractor is no dam good. Plus u didn’t read what I said,... if looked after.

 

[fdt860]

(quoted from post at 21:32:23 12/07/20) Tractors of yesteryear didn't have the quality of oil and filters we have today. Pre 1960s tractors reaching 7,000 hrs without any kind of work in my opinion was very doubtful to point I would call BS no matter what the owner said. Especially if said tractor was used for hard.

My father and I always have changed filters and oils at the 100 hours mark, sometimes 120 if tractor ran a lot and never had problems with Tractors until 18000 hours.
Sometimes it meant oil change every week. Oil savings are very little compared to fuel usage and having Tractors you can count on.

 

[Olddantucker]

What brand and weight of oil do you use

 

[fdt860]

John deere, BP (British petroleum), Agip.

All 15w40 diesel engine oil.