I was having a discussion with a guy about the life of equipment. It stemmed from the auction prices of some newer units. He said construction equipment had a life of 20 years just like cars had a life of 10 years. I said it had more to do with how it was run and the hours on it. It seems that most equipment is being retired at around 10 years. What do you think?
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Equipment life
- Thread starter them1677
- Start date
special tool
Senior Member
Most equipment is retired at 10 years?
Are you kidding?
Here is a link to a video with a 30 year old excavator and a 20 year old dozer.
YouTube - Cat 245B & Cat D11N
Are you kidding?
Here is a link to a video with a 30 year old excavator and a 20 year old dozer.
YouTube - Cat 245B & Cat D11N
special tool
Senior Member
Oh - forgot to mention, I was setting 14 x 6 trench boxes a couple hours ago today with a 32 year old Cat excavator.
She's a creampuff. Not one dent or scratch on her, pins tighter than a Tiger Woods endorsement.
She's a creampuff. Not one dent or scratch on her, pins tighter than a Tiger Woods endorsement.
bill onthehill
Senior Member
If that was true my 1988 580K with 4800 hrs. would be considered worn out. I can assure you it has a lot of life left in it and will work the same as a new one. It is not as pretty and does not have a/c but it will dig just fine and load dirt all day long.
DPete
Senior Member
The newest piece I own will be 10 next year, There's probably 10 year old machines out there that are junk either from extreme conditions or poor maintaince or both but not in my yard.
tripper_174
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Seems like accountants make the decision on life expectancy of equipment. Has nothing to do with the real world. I'd hate to guess for example, how many 8H's are still earning a pretty good living for their owners.
grandpa
Senior Member
Im hanging on to my older equipment. If im doing a job and have equipment problems my mechanic can usually rig and older piece of equipment to go long enough to finish the job. The newer stuff when its down its down. Now you tell me which piece of equipment you want on the line when downtime comes out of your pocket?
special tool
Senior Member
That's right its down!
Till you get the NASA scientist out there with 14 computers and one screwdriver:lmao
willie59
Administrator
and...when the lab coat techs find the problem, the needed replacement part will not be in stock. "We can have it for you in the morning!" :Banghead
rexdibble
Member
I see a lot of equipment in my job. I see more abuse retiring machines than anything. Yes accountants can depreciate a machine out but someone else will buy it therefore extending it's life to the next guy.
watglen
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If you're like me, by the time the machine needs replacing, the job that needs doing has changed enough that simply replacing the unit with a new one won't do. You need something completely different, always some other thing you need to buy so you can do this or that a little better or easier. So you hang onto the old piece a while longer and go get the next 'big thing' Eventually the old unit is worthless, and thats when it finally starts to make you money! 
RobVG
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- 17 excavators and a stewpot of other stuff
Sell at 10,000 hrs while there still is good resale value and before you start doing major repairs like swing drives, final drives, engines, pumps and undercarriages.
That was the philosophy of my previous bosses and they are now GaZillionaires
That was the philosophy of my previous bosses and they are now GaZillionaires
Speedpup
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I have 4 Lulls 85 86 87 90 They have their issues small most of the time but they have no payments in many years I have had them. They were bought new or with less than a few hundred hours. They blow a hose and I'm dowm an hour once in a while. They get a few repairs but have been taken care of fairly well. New one with a problem I would not have a clue how to fix with a computer. Telehandler should last 10,000 hrs easy with some normal care with out major repairs.
Local mason who has had as many as 450 bricklayers and laborers will no longer buy a new machine with computers. Guy is worth multi millions of dollars. He buys older machines and goes through them and uses them. He has his own mechanics and has about 20-35 Lulls. Buying a new machine and getting a one year warranty sucks.
My flatbed GMC 7000 is an 84 gasser. One paint job, radiator, fuel tank, brakes, brake hoses, tires, and that's it runs like new. Now I had it since new and there is no emissions testings after 25 years
Local mason who has had as many as 450 bricklayers and laborers will no longer buy a new machine with computers. Guy is worth multi millions of dollars. He buys older machines and goes through them and uses them. He has his own mechanics and has about 20-35 Lulls. Buying a new machine and getting a one year warranty sucks.
My flatbed GMC 7000 is an 84 gasser. One paint job, radiator, fuel tank, brakes, brake hoses, tires, and that's it runs like new. Now I had it since new and there is no emissions testings after 25 years
Dominion 410
Well-Known Member
Have a 1983 Cat 966D with over 24,000 hrs.on it.One exchange long block assembly about 1995,overhauled it a couple years agverhauled the transmission once.Cylinders have been re-sealed a few times,rods re-chromed alsne rebuilt front diff.Original centre pins,still tight also.Plus tires,brakes/drums,bucket teeth,associated welding on bucket,the odd hose,main hydraulic pump.Would I part with it? Not a chance.Tough,reliable and paid for many times over.With a decent maintenance schedule most machines should get well over 20,000 hours of productive life.There is a D8K at a pulp mill not far from here that is said to have over 100,000 hrs. on it.
Dominion:canada
verhauled the transmission once.Cylinders have been re-sealed a few times,rods re-chromed alsne rebuilt front diff.Original centre pins,still tight also.Plus tires,brakes/drums,bucket teeth,associated welding on bucket,the odd hose,main hydraulic pump.Would I part with it? Not a chance.Tough,reliable and paid for many times over.With a decent maintenance schedule most machines should get well over 20,000 hours of productive life.There is a D8K at a pulp mill not far from here that is said to have over 100,000 hrs. on it.Dominion:canada
It's all about Maintenance them1677. Heavy equipment will go long past 20 years if well operated & taken care of as long as you can get parts for it.Take a look at aircraft,there are allot of helecopters & planes flying that are well past 20 years old.It's beacause of good maintenance.I posted a thread in the agricultural equipment section called "Helecopter in my barn lot".They were trimming power lines with a 1978 Bell-Hughs chopper.20 year old bulldozer is just getting "broke in".
John C.
Senior Member
It used to be equipment ran until the owner didn't have the money to keep it running.
Once the suits and college degrees got involved the iron became subject to cost benefit analysis and lots of mathematical formulas.
The green movement appears to be the coming determiner of equipment life with the threat of killing use by emissions regulations.
From my point of view, anything built before 1996 is subject to regulatory extinction.
Once the suits and college degrees got involved the iron became subject to cost benefit analysis and lots of mathematical formulas.
The green movement appears to be the coming determiner of equipment life with the threat of killing use by emissions regulations.
From my point of view, anything built before 1996 is subject to regulatory extinction.
special tool
Senior Member
Well, yeah of course - you're up in the cosmopolitan center of the globe.....EDMONTON, CANADA!!
I am surprised you can find someone to run a machine without the original oil!
OFF
Senior Member
I run into that a lot too. If it's not brand new the operators start making up "problems" with it until the machine goes away.
Managment knows what's going on (I've been very vocal about it) but it must not be cutting into their bottom line too much because they haven't put a stop to it. :beatsme
Having said that, we just recently retired an 1976 825 Bobcat with 18,000 hours on it, and a 93 Ford CF7000 with 27,000+ hours on a Cummins 5.9 - all that engine ever had was a head gasket, injection pump & injectors, and a couple water pumps. Scheduled maintanence works.
Wow! Did I hit the jack pot. I forgot to mention that we were also disussing the new tier 4 regs, multiple computers as well as the new crop of operators. The so called "nintendo" generation. That had alot to do with the idea of moving equipment earlier to keep the gameboys productive as well as dump the unit before any exspensive repairs due to computer codes. A friend of mine was telling me that some excavators were being turned in for new units when the 3 or 5 year warrant was up. The new car mentality.