Do I Want a Tractor with a Turbocharger?

Got a viewer letter from Hugh, who is considering a 40-50 hp tractor and is trying to decide if he wants one with a turbocharger or not. He lives in the south and is concerned about the heat that a turbo builds and wonders if it'll affect the longevity and maintenance cost for the engine.

I'm sure not an expert on engine technology, but my perception is that today's turbochargers don't add any to the maintenance issues of a tractor. Especially on small tractors, turbo's make the engine more efficient and add extra horsepower, and seem to be really reliable. If you're buying a tractor and need the extra horsepower for running a bush hog, get the turbo. Sometimes, though, there's no difference in the lift capacity of a 40 horsepower non-turbo tractor and, say a 50 hp turbo tractor. If you're looking mainly at lift capacity and don't need the horsepower, definitely, buy the cheaper tractor and save the money. If you live in high elevations, turbos are a must. Normally aspirated engines don't do well in the mountains.

Older turbochargers required a lot more maintenance. They required oil, pumped from the engine, for lubrication. If you hauled a tractor with a front-facing exhaust down the highway, the turbo could be spinning from the wind coming down the pipe. Without lubrication, it could burn up. That's why you see truckers tape over tractor exhaust pipes when hauling tractors.

Today's turbo's usually have sealed bearings. They can spin without the tractor running and not damage anything. My perception is that they're very well made and usually last as long as the tractor without extra maintenance. I wouldn't be a bit concerned about owning a tractor with one.

Turbochargers work by using exhaust gasses to pressurize intake gasses, which increases horsepower and fuel economy. Because there's exhaust going through them and rapidly moving parts, they do build heat. That may be more of a concern in areas where it gets hotter than it does where I live. If you've had experiences with turbocharged tractors, and live in the south, please put it in the comments below. Unless there's a radical difference in turbo longevity in hotter areas, I have no problem with a turbocharged tractor.

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