Plastic versus Metal

[Hillbilly]

I personally like the plastic fenders and plastic hood etc over metal fenders and hoods.
1. The plastic will not rust or bend.
2. A lot of the plastic made is as strong or stronger than metals.

What do you think?

 

[butzkeg]

They seem to be easy to clean, and keep looking sharp. Being new to my tractor, I wonder if I might break the fender get on an off if I put too much pressure on the handle. Not totally comfortable with it, especially when the weather gets colder. After a few more months of use, I'll probably be sold.

 

[BKColeman]

I don't have a tractor yet, I've been torn between JD and NH. But everytime I go to the JD lot, the first thing my wife says is that the handles on the fenders give too much and it makes the tractor feel flimsy. They do give more than the other brands. I'm hoping the new 4x10s will be a little sturdier feeling in that respect.

But I like the idea of the plastic not rusting. I've seen a few used models with some deep gashes in the plastic though, I guess from tree limbs.

-Brad

 

[Hillbilly]

I think those fenders have a high tensile strength, they will bend along ways before they break.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I think that hi-tech plastic/fiberglass composite/no rust/no dent/stays nice looking for a long long time/light weight/durable strong stuff is some of the greatest stuff since sliced bread...

Now that John Deere and New Holland agrees... it won't be long till Kubota joins in... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Oooopps...

I left off...space age material!.../w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Hillbilly]

That is the one thing about the Agco compacts I did not like,all metal fenders and hoods. They even advertise the metal fenders and hoods as a plus over the competitors plastic parts.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>...even advertise the metal fenders and hoods as a plus over the competitors ...</font color=blue>

Kubota does the same...

but to keep future costs down... I'll bet you'll see them using plastic/composite for that reason and all the others I've already mentioned...

it's only a matter of time.../w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[JATO_RaT]

Perhaps the new loaders will be plastic, the buckets and box scrapers even, heck even the pistons and rings, after all, this space age material sounds like a miracle. Kubotas gotta get with it and put some plastic in their machines.

 

[therrien]

Back in about 79-80 when going to auto school(mechanical) I saw literature about an internal combustion engine made of plastic.
If I remember:
4 cylinder
steel for crankshaft, alternater, carburator,and piston rings. pistons were plastic I believe.
That was a long time ago.

Doug T B1700 TLB