Plastic vs Steel

markie61 · Jun 5, 2003

I've seen paint degrade (my Dad's '80 Camaro, for one) in less than 3-4 years in the sunshine to a point where it no longer protects the metal from rusting.

I guess nothing is forever......not even tractors..... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Mark

r0GuE · Jun 5, 2003

( ...60 year machines... 

/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif How long do you think today's unit churning @ 3200 rpm's will last... versus yesteryear's units that worked @ 1600 rpm all day long...? )

That depends on usage. If you are a professional farmer,... not 60 years. But I will say that a new Honda Civic (model example chosen for technology, not point of origin) running at perhaps 2500RPM Ave will last a heck of a lot longer than a 72 Plymouth V8 running at 1500.

Anonymous Poster · Jun 5, 2003

I am not saying all plastic's will not degrade in sunlight,etc..but there is plastics that is extremely strong,stronger than metals,sun will degrade some plastics,but metal will rust.
One of the worst cases of plastic degrading in the sunlight I have seen is "Dare fence insulators"
I will take plastic plumbing over copper plumbing anyday.

JohnMiller3 · Jun 5, 2003

OK Rogue… So which do you think will last longer… ?

a 2003 Massey Ferguson GC2300 with an Iseki diesel pumping 18.7 PTO hp @ 2600 RPM …

or a 2003 Kubota BX2200 with a Kubota diesel putting out 16.7 PTO hp @ 3200 RPM…?
/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

BillyP · Jun 5, 2003

Plastic or steel huh? If you were talking about 'days gone by' metal parts, I'd say steel. The metal you see on CUTs, it's a toss up.

TresCrows · Jun 6, 2003

OK Rogue… So which do you think will last longer… ?

a 2003 Massey Ferguson GC2300 with an Iseki diesel pumping 18.7 PTO hp @ 2600 RPM …

or a 2003 Kubota BX2200 with a Kubota diesel putting out 16.7 PTO hp @ 3200 RPM…?

I doubt there would be much difference under normal use and if there is it will not be the RPM difference as minor as it is but instead some other factor such as material choice and engineering that would be the real determining factor.
There have been similar threads, the plastic guys rationlize their plastic and the metal guys rationalize their metal. One thing Kubota, MF and JD all have though is they are powered by engines built in Asia. I figure the Iseki engine and the Kubota engine and the Yanamar engine will likely outlast the plastic they are attached too. The Yanamar JD even has a plastic floorboard-yuk. J

cowboydoc · Jun 6, 2003

Well just to break this up a little. I was moving trees for a fenceline last night. One of them stuck in the ground flipped up and landed smack on the hood. I saw it coming and thought man this hood is going to be shattered. It was a 12" tree. It landed with bang and I saw the plastic flex and that was it. It's scratched some but I can't believe it didn't break. Now if they would just build my dang fenders on my Gator out of the same material. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Anonymous Poster · Jun 6, 2003

I broke mine last winter....I had my bucket loaded with several bundle of shingles and raised them up to the roof and tilted the bucket back too far....glad my insurance covered it.

normde2001 · Jun 6, 2003

Mark, it sounds like your NH is probably made out of PVC, and from what I can see that stuff is bulletproof. I see PVC fences in my S. Fla. neighborhood that are 20 years old and still look brand new. I'll take that over steel sheet any day.

banjobj · Jun 6, 2003

My vote would be steel. I have learned alot from all the posts on this subject. I did have a problem when I took off some of the dealer decals on my NH hood. It left what looks like scratches. Since it sounds like the color is all the way thru the plasic ,I think I will try lightly polishing them out.