Recently tried to order a lower radiator hose for a Hitachi EX220-2 and was told it is no longer available. Has anyone else run into this that Deere/Hitachi is no longer stocking parts for the older machines? I've seen and can understand where some of the major components were no longer available but it seems a bit ridiculous for them to no longer offer a radiator hose for a 20 year old machine.
The two pronged problem with the Japanese equipment, first they plan obsolescence much more rigidly than we do, it's simply a calendar issue, so many years and done, no matter how many they're still selling typically. Second they make stuff too good. What might take five or eight years to fail on a CAT or Case takes fifteen or twenty on a Hitachi, etc. so by the time you actually need one, they've scrapped all the ones they had on the shelf because the never sold any. Had the same experience on my now thirty year old Honda Goldwing, by the time I needed some non-maintenance parts for it, they had been discontinued and scrapped. Someone wrecks or parts one now and then and the vultures circle.
And it's not just Japanese two wheelers. A couple weeks ago I did something stupid, okay not the first or last time I'm sure!, while working on my 1988 Sportster I pulled up on the wrench to loosen the rear axle nut. Well this cause it to tip away from me and fall over, fist time it has been dropped since i BOUGHT IT IN Nov. 1987! Only real damage was a couple signal light lens and brackets and the right mirror. I actually had everything except the front signal light bracket and mirror. Called local dealer and was not too surprised when they said they would have to order the signal light bracket. But I was a little shocked when they said the mirror was obsolete! Now I'm sure if I wanted to buy a pair of some fancy billet chrome things that were so small to be useless they would be glad to find a pair of them. But something as simple and probably commonly damaged item as a rear view mirror no just obsolete that! Hope the hose the original poster is looking for can be replaced with an off the shelf flex type hose. Or if need be for a complicated bend fabricate something out of exhaust elbows. I do know I would not want to try to replace one of the water lines on the JCB Robot 185 they had where I worked, all kinds of bend and as I recall it had a by-pass line molded into it and that had some tight bends too. Need to find one of the guys you make headers for Formula 1 race cars to make one up out of stainless tubing!