Seems like more and more lately and more in the midwest that companies are getting away from the ried and true 627, 637, 631, and so on scraper and going to Challengers, John Deere, and Case. From what I have researched you could buy 6 new tractors with 2 pans a piece for what it cost for a pair of 627's. Then they come with a warranty for 3000 hours and we trade them in and they get pretty high resale value. Even Companies like McAninch are going to Ag tractors. Just wondering if it was companies around the midwest or is it getting that way everywhere?
Yup in canada too!
In todays market it seems like tractors and pans are to good of a deal to pass up. Emery Sapp bought 10 9630's with 2 ejector pans each about 4 years ago, ran them for a year in Kansas City, then about 2 years here in Columbia Mo, put about 4000 hours on each and then sold them and did not lose hardly any money on them at all.
the 9630's didn't come out til just recently. Sure they weren't 9520s?
All of our Cats are parked and running nothing but Deere Tractors and pans
How big of pan is that?
Cat 631 Pans, we normally pull 2-1812C. They bought these for us to use in the rock.
Rock constitutes a overload & voids warrenty per book in can mounted on John Deere pans. P.S. I prefer 621 CAT motor scrapers, will work in tighter spots than John Deere & pans. Mike, panman
It's all about the $$$$ I'd say as money has become tighter, the versatility of an Ag tractor as a "tractor" is being more widely used even into the realms of earthmoving. Although these combinations are a bit of a handful to operate compared to a purpose built scraper, selling off the "tractor" at specified hour/date makes sense to the "beancounters" who run business' these days. Common sense descisions have 'gone out the window' where we are being managed by a remote beauracracy who have little or no idea of what is going in the field :beatsme
Depends on yout John Deere dealer.
I agree. When you buy a scraper, you are buying a scraper. You had better have dirt to move and thats about it. Going after an ag tractor gives you hella more flexability as far as resell what with the many applications that are out there.
We ran challengers with pans @ Kansas City race track job. Cheaper then our existing 631's, 651's and better floatation in the real soft spots. But the pans I've heard almost seem throw a ways as compared to the convention scrapers.
Its simple economics. You can get the equipment cheaper, move as much dirt cheaper per yard, and in most cases you don't need a pusher. If you treat the tractor right, you will have less down time and the resale is good. You get much better flotation and the compaction is more even. If it gets a bit wet, you drop the #2 pan and pull one pan. If it gets too wet or too tight, you top load with an excavator. Unless you get into serious rock or need to load on a very short, deep cut; you should always run pull types.
I was just wondering does anyone know how good a john deere 9400 tractor is on a pan and how reliable they are, I'm currently running a case IH 9280 pulling a 14ft pan and am looking to upgrade to a low hour JD 9400 which is about all thats in my budget
Just pulling one 14 yard pan shouldn't be a problem. Also wouldn't hurt to look at some Challengers, say 85 series or maybe even a 95 series. Don't know whats in your budgett though.
9400 i've ran 9400 and 99520's on 14 foot horwoods and o'briens and never had a problem, just keep the grease up to you aticulation points, ran buckets on 95E's and the newer MT's as well, the have a bad habit for spitting tracks on a batter, but if i had a choice, i'd stick to the case models, a 450 HD with the upgraded front diff
thanks guys we really appreciate the help,we are off to have a look at 9400 today where are in Australia are you located marty we are southern NSW
central nsw, bout 50km north of west wyalong