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| While there are laws about setting back car and truck odometers, they don't apply to farm machinery hour meters. Only fraud statutes apply there and aren't often applied.
Hour meters can be set back, can run past 10K, and do break, either cable or gauge. So you have to look at the "horse's teeth" to learn age. Wear on seat, steering wheel, pedals, control levers and buttons, floor mat, belts, pulleys, chains, sprockets, tires, and paint where its rubbed by hoses and operators. Sometimes a seller will neglect to replace a filter with an hour scratched on it. An engine oil analysis might hint at wear rates. Chains, bearings, belts, pulleys and sprockets are particularly hour sensitive in combines and hour meters most suspect. It would be difficult in some cases and a bother in all, but plastigauging the engine rod bearings would be a good indicator of operating hours.
Gerald J. | |
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Hours Correct?
