HARD DECISION

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   / HARD DECISION #1  

Travis_R

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2004
Messages
1,477
Location
South Louisiana
Tractor
'98 MASSEY FERGUSON 231
Here it goes:

I am fixing to buy a tractor within the next few weeks. Here are my choices. I need opinions/advice.

A) 2006 Mahindra 3525 with 130hrs and 2 year warranty left on it for $8000 plus tax.

B) Brand New 2007 Mahindra 3525 with 3 year warranty for $9400 cash price. Or I could go through Agricredit and get a low interest rate.

C) 1999 Massey Ferguson 231 with 450hrs and a 6' King Kutter brush hog, also in very good condition for $10,000. No warranty but was told the tractor is in very good shape- hardly used.

The Mahindra is a 35 engine hp tractor with 27 PTO hp.
The Massey Ferguson is a 38 engine hp tractor with 34 PTO hp.

WHAT TO DO????

Thanks,
Travis R
 
   / HARD DECISION #2  
Travis_R said:
Here it goes:

I am fixing to buy a tractor within the next few weeks. Here are my choices. I need opinions/advice.

A) 2006 Mahindra 3525 with 130hrs and 2 year warranty left on it for $8000 plus tax.

B) Brand New 2007 Mahindra 3525 with 3 year warranty for $9400 cash price. Or I could go through Agricredit and get a low interest rate.

C) 1999 Massey Ferguson 231 with 450hrs and a 6' King Kutter brush hog, also in very good condition for $10,000. No warranty but was told the tractor is in very good shape- hardly used.

The Mahindra is a 35 engine hp tractor with 27 PTO hp.
The Massey Ferguson is a 38 engine hp tractor with 34 PTO hp.

WHAT TO DO????

Thanks,
Travis R

Which brand has the closest dealer?
Which one do you like setting on the most?

When you answer those two questions, you'll know which one to buy.
 
   / HARD DECISION #3  
Easy decision for me anyway. I'll take the Massey Ferguson. I KNOW what I'd be getting there. I've had incredable luck with them over a long haul. The 231 is a great little tractor. It has a sterling reputation, being considered one of the best small tractors ever by many who've owned them. Those Perkins diesels are among the most fuel efficient and durable engines ever built by anyone. If you have an AGCO or Massey Ferguson dealer in your area, parts are easy and relatively inexpensive to get your hands on.

But the #1 feature as far as I'm concerned, those tractors are essentially the same basic technology as some Masseys from back in the late 1950's. It's time-tested, and a proven winner. Almost any decent tractor mechanic can work on every aspect of their drive train, hydraulics, steering, and electricals. They are simple, basic, and uncomplicated. A set of manuals, a box of basic tools, and a shred of mechanical aptitude and you're good to go.

Any tractor is capable and appears to be a good prospect when they're new or relatively new. But they ALL get old in time. Eventually they ALL need repairs and maintenance. At that point, having a tractor that is easy to work on, has good parts availability, and has a wide base of available skilled mechanics is worth its weight in gold. Not saying anything negative about the Mahindra's, but they can't hold a candle to the commonality of the Massey utilities. Those little Massey's are like ants at a picnic. Literally millions of them around. (and for good cause by my experience)
 
   / HARD DECISION #4  
The MF has a LOT more PTO HP than the Mahingas. A 6 ft cutter would work a lot better and bog down the tractor a lot less with 34 PTO HP than 27.

MF's are known for having strong PTOs and lots of 3pt lift capacity. Go back to the MF seller and explain to him you can get a newer tractor for less money, maybe he'll let the MF go a bit cheaper. The mower is probably worth 1,000-1,500 used. Also check and see what each tractor weighs to see how much iron your getting for your hard earned money.
 
   / HARD DECISION #5  
Travis_R said:
Here it goes:
I am fixing to buy a tractor within the next few weeks. Here are my choices. I need opinions/advice.
A) 2006 Mahindra 3525 with 130hrs and 2 year warranty left on it for $8000 plus tax.
B) Brand New 2007 Mahindra 3525 with 3 year warranty for $9400 cash price. Or I could go through Agricredit and get a low interest rate.
C) 1999 Massey Ferguson 231 with 450hrs and a 6' King Kutter brush hog, also in very good condition for $10,000. No warranty but was told the tractor is in very good shape- hardly used.
The Mahindra is a 35 engine hp tractor with 27 PTO hp.
The Massey Ferguson is a 38 engine hp tractor with 34 PTO hp.
WHAT TO DO????
Thanks,
Travis R
Hi Travis - I see you've already got a 5' rotary cutter. Is spending two grand extra to "upgrade" to a used 6' KK something that interests you enough to accept a 7-year older machine with three times the hours and no warranty? :confused:

Unlike my esteemed friends above (whose opinions I respect a lot), I was not very impressed by the M-F's I encountered when I was out shopping last year... current models or old in my HP range... so my decision here would be really easy! Then again, I am admittedly 100% prejudiced in favor of the newest Mahindra machines! :D

Dougster
 
   / HARD DECISION #6  
Builder and Farmwithjunk make their livings on tractors. They'd want to most reputable and robust tractor available...makes sense.
Most of us don't make our living with equipment, so we can live with a less robust machine.

So, Travis has to make his decision based upon his usage. I see in his profile he makes extra money doing brush cutting...so the MF may well be the best buy for long term durability.
 
   / HARD DECISION #7  
If that Massy has a Perkins diesel then it's just starting off a long life. Very dependable. 450 hours in 7 years is what, 65 hours a year? It wasn't used hardly at all! I would probably offer $9000 for it as a package.
 
   / HARD DECISION #8  
6' KK brush cutter is $780 in yesterday's Orscheln's ad. (regional alternative to TSC)
450 hours is nothing for a MF. 7 years old shouldn't be either.
On the other hand, Mahindra makes a fine machine from what I've seen done with a 4110, and while the PTO HP isn't as strong as the MF, 27 HP should be plenty for a 6' KK unless you're hogging through 4' deep brush - and you'd still have room in your $10k budget for a 6' box blade and/or that disk harrow you want. ;)

and then there's Roy's $.02 worth - which I have to agree with. See if you can put in a couple hours seat time on each of the used machines and find out which one feels best.

Either way you get a very nice red machine, right?
 
   / HARD DECISION #9  
Buy the MF and you will be quite happy. The off brand tractors only stick for a few years, then there gone. Years ago I bought 2 of the larger Satoh tractors, I still own them along with 2 Kubotas and 1 ford. Getting parts for the Satohs is a nightmare and very expensive if you can find them. A MF has been around for years parts are fairly cheap. I priced a seat for one of the satohs a few years ago , it ran around 5-6 hundred dollars plus shipping.
 
   / HARD DECISION #10  
Travis_R said:
Here it goes:

I am fixing to buy a tractor within the next few weeks. Here are my choices. I need opinions/advice.

A) 2006 Mahindra 3525 with 130hrs and 2 year warranty left on it for $8000 plus tax.

B) Brand New 2007 Mahindra 3525 with 3 year warranty for $9400 cash price. Or I could go through Agricredit and get a low interest rate.

C) 1999 Massey Ferguson 231 with 450hrs and a 6' King Kutter brush hog, also in very good condition for $10,000. No warranty but was told the tractor is in very good shape- hardly used.

The Mahindra is a 35 engine hp tractor with 27 PTO hp.
The Massey Ferguson is a 38 engine hp tractor with 34 PTO hp.

WHAT TO DO????

Thanks,
Travis R

The average retail price for that MF 231 (dealer's cost on a clean machine) is about $8400. Don't think a 6' KK hog is worth $1600. Don't know if you're MF is on a dealer's lot or if it's a private sale. I figure dealer prep is worth about $400, so in a private sale I'd figure about $8000 for the tractor and $600 for the hog, assuming both are in good condition.

I've been refurbishing a 1964 MF-135 diesel the past year. It's hasn't been run since last October. Yesterday I finally got all the rewiring done. Turned the start key. The engine spun one revolution and started like gangbusters. Those Perkins diesels are super engines.
 
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