Does Anyone Buy Used Tractors?

[jjeff]

Interesting if the Deere 3E's use aluminum. I'll check my 3R tonight, if our weather holds.

I'm definitely curious for future reference.

 

[sd455dan]

As I recall some JD smaller units have aluminum housings

3025 E... I think the R models are cast iron and additionally
iianm the D and R models have 8 lug rear axle hubs as well

 

[5030]

Aluminum is as strong as cast steel or iron so long as it's gusseted properly.

 

[WinterDeere]

Aluminum is as strong as cast steel or iron so long as it's gusseted properly.

How do you figure? If talking about axle castings, the primary failure mode would be tension, and many flavors of cast iron has an ultimate tensile strength up to 5x higher than cast aluminum. If talking about spun bearings in pump housings (Hay Dude), it seems cast iron also has much higher wear resistance than cast aluminum. Cast iron also usually has much higher compressive strength than cast aluminum, although I'd suspect that's less of a consideration in most tractoring applications.

 

[LightningCamaroGuy]

Aluminum is as strong as cast steel or iron so long as it's gusseted properly.

The only example of where aluminum is stronger than its cast iron counterparts that I can think of is Fords Teksid aluminum 4.6L blocks. (96-98 Mustang Cobra block, and some 99 Mustang Cobras got left over Teksids as well. Can't remember if any Lincolns used Teksids or not) They were straight up beasts for an aluminum block. Cast iron 4.6L Modular block are anything but weak, but the Teksid blocks were even stronger. They weighed about 5 lbs more than other aluminum 4.6L blocks like the WAP block, but they saved about 75 lbs over factory 4.6L iron blocks. Teksid is an Italian company who makes Ferrari's engine blocks, and they put a bunch of nickel into their aluminum which makes them extremely strong.

Still unless I'm looking to run diesel levels of boost give me a well designed aluminum block over a heavy iron block any day.

I'd be surprised if JD was full ****** enough to design a component that sees more abuse and stress than most any other on the tractor, and that requires more strength than most any other component on a tractor out of aluminum.

 

[WinterDeere]

The only example of where aluminum is stronger than its cast iron counterparts that I can think of is Fords Teksid aluminum 4.6L blocks. (96-98 Mustang Cobra block, and some 99 Mustang Cobras got left over Teksids as well.

I'll admit I know nothing about modern Ford aluminum blocks, but the old Ford SVO aluminum blocks ran cast iron piston sleeves, just like big truck motors. I've never seen an aluminum motor that actually had aluminum piston bores.

I'd be surprised if JD was full ****** enough to design a component that sees more abuse and stress than most any other on the tractor, and that requires more strength than most any other component on a tractor out of aluminum.

Well, my 3033R is their premium product in that size class, and the magnet failed to stick to the main axle housing in the rear end. These housings are absolutely friggin' enormous, and have iron castings bolted above and below, but it does appear the rear main axle housing might be aluminum.

The front axle is definitely cast iron, the magnet went to that like white on rice. My only guess is that they saw an advantage of staying with iron in the front end, where it's not as practical to just go large, but traded material tensile strength for size in the rear.

 

[LightningCamaroGuy]

I'll admit I know nothing about modern Ford aluminum blocks, but the old Ford SVO aluminum blocks ran cast iron piston sleeves, just like big truck motors. I've never seen an aluminum motor that actually had aluminum piston bores.



Well, my 3033R is their premium product in that size class, and the magnet failed to stick to the main axle housing in the rear end. These housings are absolutely friggin' enormous, and have iron castings bolted above and below, but it does appear the rear main axle housing might be aluminum.

The front axle is definitely cast iron, the magnet went to that like white on rice. My only guess is that they saw an advantage of staying with iron in the front end, where it's not as practical to just go large, but traded material tensile strength for size in the rear.

That seems kind of stupid for a tractor. The only benefits that the aluminum housing would have is to lower the weight for transportation reasons, or if they wanted to dissipate heat from the rearend more effectively.

Usually a lower tractor weight is not a desirable thing, especially if you're talking rear weight on a tractor with a FEL, and tractor gearboxes overheating isn't like the rearend on a track car or something.

WTF was Deere thinking? Aluminum generally costs more than cast iron. Maybe it's cheaper for them to machine on, but still cast iron machines easy enough so manufacturing isn't a big issue unless you're welding on it. IDK, that's weird.

And yes aluminum blocks are sleeved. Ford developed a technology that Nissan paid them to use on the R35 GTR, and then the 13/14 GT500, and 18+ GEN3 Coyotes got, and that's a plasma lining on the cylinders.

 

[Hay Dude]

Exactly….
Who wants a “lightweight” tractor?
Race car? Sure.
Tractor? Nope.

 

[WinterDeere]

That seems kind of stupid for a tractor.
WTF was Deere thinking?

Big companies like Deere don’t leave decisions like this up to any single rogue engineer. They are planned, reviewed, debated, and cost-analyzed for everything from manufacturing to fleet maintenance and repair. So, while
The reasons aren’t obvious at all, I’d be willing to bet there are some good reasons for it.

I suspect this is a total zero on concern for the original owner of any 3R tractor. Fifty years from now, the third and fourth owners of these machines will probably be griping on this forum about these aluminum housings, but the original owners of these machines will be either long gone or onto other things, by the time that ever becomes a common issue.