...an integrated control computer and rpm-compensating meter is what, "FULLER FEATURED"??
Let's get real for a moment. We're talking about tractors, made by a tractor company. Tractors are generally used to perform a function and, generally speaking, to make money.
It is very cute that this site represents a conglomeration of folks that HAPPEN to own tractors, take an interest in them, and spend a few minutes a day sharing stories and concerns. BUT, I would politely offer that we DO NOT (generally speaking) represent the audience for which the tractors were originally designed. I would consider us a 'selected cross-section' that can't necessarilly speak for the greater audience.
There are many, many, many farmers (herders, operators, co-ops, whatevers...) that operate many, many machines on many, many fields for many, many hours that have a sincere interest in tying the operational hours of a machine to the actual RPM the engine is turning. That one feature could be the difference between servicing the machine 4 times a year or 10 times a year to the cost of $3,000 or $10,000. Crucial, I would think, to the appropriate audience.
Based only on my oberservations on this site and by using my own machine, most BX operators don't get 100 hours a year on their machine (as shown on their chincy time-based hour meter). If this were one of the more expensive integrated control computer and rpm-compensating meter, not only would this add $300 per tractor, but it would entice folks to only service their tractors every 3 years (or whenever 100 hours finally rolls over on their expensive hour-meter).
I wouldn't consider this cheap. I would consider this intelligent design, appropriate to the focused audience of the BX line of tractors.
As these discussions always should, this goes back to the OP in that the "10 hour increment" would be 10 hours of use. 2 days, for example, of building a garden for your wife. 6 weeks of turning the compost. 3 weeks of scooping horse poop. I have no idea what relation that has to the reading on the hour-meter, but I would suspect that the individual user would (should) have a pretty good feel for the machine.
Yes, I am oversensitive. I paid a lot of money for my tractor and don't like my purchase to be marginalized.
