Buying used tractors.....

[CentralNC]

I was considering the purchase of a new tractor to use on some land that I recently purchased, but I am leaning toward a used tractor instead.

I have ~15 acres that have almost 10 years of growth on it. 12 acres are grown up field with 3 acres of woods. I would like to bush hog the field (leaving most of the small trees that have grown) and get the land ready to build a house. A FEL would be very useful and I will have a long gravel driveway to maintain. Rotary mowing is the immediate need, but the FEL and a set of forks would be handy in moving dead trees. After the land is in good shape the main work will be maintenance.

Question:
Can anyone give some advice on what to look for when buying a used tractor? I know that low hours would be preferred and I need to get the right size tractor to do the job at hand, but there are probably some issues that I am overlooking.

I have found a Kubota L3130 (DT) at a dealership that is being traded for a larger tractor. It has 246 hours on the machine and has a FEL with quick attach bucket. Price with tax is ~$13,500 (includes a used rotary mower). I have also found a JD 4500 from an individual with the 12x12 transmission and FEL for $15,000 (may take less).

Any thoughts or comments on buying a used tractor in general? Any specific comments on these two tractors?

Thank you.

 

[BTDT]

Welcome to TBN. Will you be able to do your own minor repairs if something breaks on a used unit? You will save a bunch of money going used, if you can find something decent. Around here (north Texas), a used 8n with a brush cutter will go for around 2500.00. If you could find something like that to take care of your immediate needs, then you could keep searching and try to find a unit somewhere with a loader. Then when you decide you need to trade up, you will have something to sell/trade in to help with your purchase. You may find that you don't need to trade up at all. Lot's of folks maintain drives with just a tractor and blade. Good luck with your search.

 

[john_bud]

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In general.....

You need to look and inspect closely. Test some things out too. Here's a quick list off the top of my head. Probably left out some stuff or have too much in it! Hey, at least the price is right.


1) Inspect all the grease fittings on the entire tractor. Look up on the internet to see where they are. If the hard to get ones don't have the same signs of grease, the prior owner may have missed it or blown off doing them.

2) Inspect the peddles and tires as compared to the shown hours. Yes, people can and do slap in a new hour meter and wash off years of use. Tires are BIG MONEY. Inspect them for wear and weather checking. Also signs of corrosion if the wheels are filled with CaCl2 fluid.

3) Feel the exhaust manifold to ensure it is cold. Start the engine with out using or waiting for the glow plugs. Should start quickly in the summer. Then make sure the glow plugs do work, so it will fire up in the winter!

4) Run it in all gears. It should shift smoothly. No funny noises no grinding. Start off in high gear by releasing the clutch fast. The engine should buck and about die. That is good, it means the clutch is still tight.

5) If you can work it with a plow or disc that would be good. Should have good power and no billowing smoke. Some black smoke is ok, means extra fuel when the governor kicks it.

6) Use the FEL. Response should be quick and little play in the joints. Worn pins and bushings are pure money to replace.

7) After using it, look for oil leaks.

8) Check the fluid levels. Bring a WHITE rag to check the color of the fluids and the smell. You want clear to tan fluids with no burnt smell. Engine oil being black is expected in a diesel. It's BAD for hydraulic fluids, trans fluids, differentials. Grey or milky is a sign of water in the oil. Stuff will rust when there is water in the oil. Look for signs of regular oil changes. New filters etc.

9) Take the air cleaner off. Use the clean white rag to test the clean air side of the air tube. The part that goes to the engine AFTER it's filtered. It should be clean. A diesel with clean air and average oil maintenance will go 10,000 hours. A diesel with dirty air and new oil every hour can need rebuilding after a couple hundred hours. Seriously. It's like cutting wood with a chain saw. One quick stab into the dirt and the chain is toast. Same stuff is what gets past the filter and does the same dirty deed.


In specific - the Kubota is a smaller but more modern tractor - but DT has no bells or whistles. The JD with that trans is a good unit and IMHO a better deal. I would write a check for 13,500 for the JD if it is in decent shape and think that was a great deal. It's still a pretty dern good deal at 15k. Local prices do vary.

jb

 

[flusher]

I was considering the purchase of a new tractor to use on some land that I recently purchased, but I am leaning toward a used tractor instead.

I have ~15 acres that have almost 10 years of growth on it. 12 acres are grown up field with 3 acres of woods. I would like to bush hog the field (leaving most of the small trees that have grown) and get the land ready to build a house. A FEL would be very useful and I will have a long gravel driveway to maintain. Rotary mowing is the immediate need, but the FEL and a set of forks would be handy in moving dead trees. After the land is in good shape the main work will be maintenance.

Question:
Can anyone give some advice on what to look for when buying a used tractor? I know that low hours would be preferred and I need to get the right size tractor to do the job at hand, but there are probably some issues that I am overlooking.

I have found a Kubota L3130 (DT) at a dealership that is being traded for a larger tractor. It has 246 hours on the machine and has a FEL with quick attach bucket. Price with tax is ~$13,500 (includes a used rotary mower). I have also found a JD 4500 from an individual with the 12x12 transmission and FEL for $15,000 (may take less).

Any thoughts or comments on buying a used tractor in general? Any specific comments on these two tractors?

Thank you.

If your budget is in the $12-15K range, then you have lotsa options in used tractors.

And "low hours" can mean different things to different individuals. In my case I use 5000 hours as the breakpoint between low and high hours. Tractor diesels have to run for 1000 hours or more to be really broken in.

So if a tractor with 3000-4000 hours has been properly maintained, you can expect several thousand more hours of use before an engine rebuild.

If you're really want to get into used tractors, invest $16 in the latest edition of the Official Tractor Blue Book (available at Amazon.com) so you'll know the value of the used tractors in which you're interested.

Then watch the tractor auctions on eBay to find out what people are paying for used tractors. Local auctions are another good source of information, along with local classifed tractor ads.

Once you decide on one or several tractor models, visit local tractor dealers and tell them that you're interested in used tractors. Give them your phone # and email address as ask them to contact you if they learn of available tractors. I got my 1964 MF-135 diesel last July as the result of a lead from a dealer who had a customer who wanted to buy a new tractor and had a 135 to sell.

Spending a few months on this kind of research will help your get a good deal on a used tractor.

 

[CDsdad]

Good advice from all. I don't know if you live in an area with a lot of logging, but around here, aside from the oil leaks, does it run, etc.. the biggest thing to look at are the clutch and brake pedals. If they are really worn, it was probably used for logging and clutch has probably had a hard life with the rest of the tractor. Funny thing is, these tractors clean up really well because they generally live with a protective coat of mud on them most of their life. This may not be worth anything to you, but something to watch.

 

[sandman2234]

Is the Kubota 4x4? That would be a plus in your region of slippery clay. Does the JD 4500 have a mower with it?
Do you really think your going to leave all the trees on that property and mow around them? You will take a few out at start, then next time a few more, etc. Mowing around trees is a pain even for a zero turn mower, which a tractor is not!
Which tractor "fits" best to you? Either have something that the other doesn't have?
Hour meters should work. Double check that, and inspect all wear points if it isn't working and consider the worse. Leaks are a pain to fix but not the end of the world unless it is coming from somewhere serious, like the seal at the center of the tractor.
David from jax

 

[CentralNC]

You guys gave some fantastic advice and I appreciate all of the comments.

Sandman - You are probably correct in that I will eventually take out most of those trees. I want some of them to grow as a barrier to the neighbors, but 2/3 will probably bite the dust. Both tractors are 4x4.

We don't have much logging in the area, but I will pay close attention to that. I also just ordered one of those Used Tractor Blue books from Amazon. That is $16 well spent.

I guess that either 200 or 400 hours is relatively low hours, especially if the tractor is well maintained. We had some tractors on my Dad's farm that were 30+ years old with 2000 and 3000 hours that still worked. I grew up in the seat of a 1966 model MF....and it was running when we sold it.

john_bud - I wrote down everything you mentioned.

Thanks to all.

 

[GreenWannabe]

With all that tree work, you might want to consider adding a grapple to the loader, no matter what tractor you wind up with. Many users here have added them (IslandTractor comes to mind) and swear by them as to how much work they do.

 

[CentralNC]

I had a chance to go over and drive the JD 4500. It is a bigger tractor than I expected. The owner bought it new and left it on his property where he is building a house. He already had it cranked up and running when I arrived, so I didn't get a chance to crank it cold. Here are some general comments:

1- The clutch seemed OK. I put it in 4th gear (high range) and dropped the clutch. The tractor did buck and almost died.

2- I checked the fluids and did not find any presence of water. The fluids were a bit darker than I expected. It seems that the owner has been waiting to sell the tractor before servicing it. I am not sure if the service is typically at 400 or 450 hours, but it certainly time to change the fluids.

3- I was surprised a bit by the FEL. It seemed like it had some hesitation in response and was slow up and down. It also didn't seem as smooth (a bit jerky) as I expected. My neighbors L3130 FEL is much faster without hesitation. I did like the placement of the FEL control down by your leg vs. the higher/forward mount on the L3130.

4- The tractor has been left outside in the weather for the last 3 years. The seat cushion (yellow part) has separated from the metal part of the seat. It will need to be replaced. The panel below the seat (near the floor) was not in place. The owner says that he has the panel, but has left it off for the past several years.

5- The grease fittings looked like they have never been greased. I know that dirt and dust can cover these things quickly, but I worked with tractors growing-up and this tractor looked poorly maintained.

6- The bucket on the FEL was bent at the top. It seems that it got hung on a rock when back-dragging. The owner drives the absolute crap out of this unit. I know that it is a tractor and is made to work, but he was slamming it into Forward/Reverse very quickly and hitting piles of dirt wide open. It is probably OK to do these things.....but this tractor has had a hard life so far.

7 - The paint was in great shape and the tractor had no dents at all. I would have expected it to look worse after being outside for the past 3 years.

8 - This JD 4500 has plenty of power. That seems to be a very nice engine and transmission combination.

9- The rear tires have never been filled on the tractor. The owner always used a heavy bush hog as the rear ballast and never filled the tires. I bet the ride would be much smoother with filled tires.

I liked the JD 4500, but I know that Kubota is almost bulletproof and will do everything that I will need. Any thoughts or comments? Thank you.

 

[Jay4200]

He already had it cranked up and running when I arrived, so I didn't get a chance to crank it cold. Here are some general comments:

I liked the JD 4500, but I know that Kubota is almost bulletproof and will do everything that I will need. Any thoughts or comments? Thank you.

I wouldn't touch it. The owner likely never changed the fluids at all, and you probably have significant pin wear if nothing was greased. If it was bought new, then simply run w/o being maintained at all for 400 hours (and that's what it looks like from what you describe), it's already been killed - it won't last.

The Kubota at 250 hours sounds like a good deal. Nice machine too.

On a side note, I personally don't consider a tractor an appropriate tool to do new new construction site work. Many might disagree with me, but I consider a tractor more of a grounds maintanence machine, as opposed to a construction machine. If you want to clear and grade a site to build a house, you really need a bulldozer and/or an excavator, and tractors make lousy bulldozers. I still think you need a decent tractor, based on what you are planning to do, but when it comes to moving, digging, and grading large quanitites of dirt, do yourself a favor and hire a big machine to come in and knock it out in a day.

JayC