Refurbished tractors questions

[Diamondpilot]

Name your price. She is a good old tractor. It has the factory rear wheel weights and has led a easy life. She was sold to a company in Chicago to push snow and tow airplanes in and out of a hanger back in the 70's. Someone has painted it Ford Blue and did not do the best job but looks good from 10'. It has a 12 volt conversion and I had to put all new rims and tires on it 5 years ago due to the calcium rotting them out. It probably only has 10 hours on these new tires. Like I said I will probably just keep it for ever. She is a good Bush Hogging Tractor but like I said that is the only task I feel she does better than the Jinma. If I were to ever get a PTO Genny she would do a better job with it also I guess.


Chris

 

[Soundguy]

It all boils down to what you need. We all have opinions and most of them stink, including mine. I have a Ford 861 Powermaster and 28HP Jinma. I used the Jinma 150 hours last year and used the Ford 2 hours. Its a good old tractor but only does one thing better than the Jinma out of 100 task I do at my place so that leaves the Jinma to do the other 99 task. I would not miss the 861 if it left tomorrow after getting the Jinma but I hate to let it go.

It boils down to preference. I am not saying my Jinma is any better than my neighbors JD790 or my buddies Case DX29 or my dads neighbors NH TC33 but its the right match for me. This argument is just like the Ford Truck / GM Truck fight. I would rather have my third member cut off than drive another GM product, especially a truck. Others swear by GM. Another example is the R1 and R4 fight. I personally would not own a tractor with R4's unless I was just doing something like landscape work and was constantly on asphalt. To me a tractor is just not a tractor without R1's.

The OP needs to see what his daily task are then make a decision on what is best for him.

If you were closer to florida, I'd help you out by taking that 861 off your hands.

i have an 850.. nice machine.. but I wish it had the live pto like my 660 does.

If you ever need about 45 pto hp.. the jinma will be about 20hp shy of that powermaster. IE.. that powermaster will pull a 22kw pto generator.. compaired to the 12.5kw that the jinma will pull.. etc... Small tractor.. big hp...considering it is about the same size as a 8n or to20 fergy.. but at roughly 2x the hp.... "concentrated'.. i figure..

Glad the chi-com unit works for you right now.


soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

Name your price.

Chris

If you ever drive to florida with a trailer in tow, email me!


soundguy

 

[studor]

I thought a little while about my experiences before responding to this thread again as it seemed to become a bit of a blood sport for a while -- but I would simply put it this way....
I read a lot before I bought an older tractor on forums like this and other places and I talked to a number of people with experience far greater than mine when it came to tractors and their use ....
I observed that many of my neighbours still had older tractors which they put to occasional or even everday use and that the prices of many of these tractors were within my envisioned price range....
Then with the encouragement of a few and a sense of confidence from the above activities I peed on the fence and bought an older tractor,,,,, I can laugh about it now after several years!!!
Then, since the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome,
I read a bunch more about newer tractors on this and other forums (in between buying and reading repair manuals)
I observed and talked to my neighbours about their newer tractors that they used to conduct their business everyday,,,,
Then I made friends with a fence tester!!!!
And I went and bought a new (albeit cheap!)tractor with him -- so far with excellent results.
So Mattman I would simply say what I have said previously here -- find someone with experience (and not the person selling something) to help you (the fence tester) -- and remember that people who tell you that in their vast experience the best way to test a fence is to pee on it (because they don't believe in those newfangled fence testers) are always right on a dark night when the fence is solar powered and has no battery -- not sure I like the odds.
Merry Christmas Everyone
Regards
Steve

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I thought a little while about my experiences before responding to this thread again as it seemed to become a bit of a blood sport for a while -- but I would simply put it this way....
I read a lot before I bought an older tractor on forums like this and other places and I talked to a number of people with experience far greater than mine when it came to tractors and their use ....
I observed that many of my neighbours still had older tractors which they put to occasional or even everday use and that the prices of many of these tractors were within my envisioned price range....
Then with the encouragement of a few and a sense of confidence from the above activities I peed on the fence and bought an older tractor,,,,, I can laugh about it now after several years!!!
Then, since the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome,
I read a bunch more about newer tractors on this and other forums (in between buying and reading repair manuals)
I observed and talked to my neighbours about their newer tractors that they used to conduct their business everyday,,,,
Then I made friends with a fence tester!!!!
And I went and bought a new (albeit cheap!)tractor with him -- so far with excellent results.
So Mattman I would simply say what I have said previously here -- find someone with experience (and not the person selling something) to help you (the fence tester) -- and remember that people who tell you that in their vast experience the best way to test a fence is to pee on it (because they don't believe in those newfangled fence testers) are always right on a dark night when the fence is solar powered and has no battery -- not sure I like the odds.
Merry Christmas Everyone
Regards
Steve

I'm thinking you might have let my point sail right over your head. I DIDN'T say there's anything wrong with new (or "newfangled" as you put it) I OWN new. My point is, your assertion that "old" spells trouble, downtime, and lack of reliability is far from accurate. New, if someone can justify the expense is a great thing. But quite a few people just can't (or won't) justify the cost. And in many cases, they stretch the finances based strictly upon the premise of "old = unreliable". And to top it off, you built your case around ONE instance of an old Massey 100 series, then passed them off as generally too old and too "antique", when I'm very much aware of the fact that ISN'T the case.

I'm also very much aware of the fact that newer tractors, with their more complicated components, are subject to expensive breakdowns that are far beyond the repair capabilities of the average shadetree mechanic. Warranties don't last forever. In MOST cases, the troubles don't seem to start about the time the warranty expires. And the concept that a new tractor is any less (or more for that matter) proned to breakdowns is absurd. BTDT, got a 2 year old $67,000 tractor in the shop right now with hydraulic troubles.

The longer I own tractors, the more I work them, the more I LIKE name brands and the less I have to say about 2nd tier manufacturers.

If you want to pass off experience as not really all that valuable, go right ahead. Just remember, it's not what you KNOW that'll jump up and bite you, it's what you DON'T KNOW. Experience usually lessens the amount you don't know.

 

[Soundguy]

I think i see the point... You bought a junker with alot of problems, and thus had alot of problems.. and now are turned off by oldies.

Ell things being equal.. had you bought a good serviceable machine.. you may have had less problems, and bette experiences.

When I bought my ford 5000.. I had the choice of a sturdy but cosmetically damaged model with a few minor problems.. but no major glaring abuse issues. for premim money.. IE 6k$
or the choice of 3 units in the 3000-3500$ price range.

All 3 had suffered from no upkeep and shoddy repairs, some were ran damaged with no repairs. all were cosmetically beat up.. thus it came down tot he mechanicals.

it's way easier to make apple pie when you start with good apples, vs rotten ones.

anyone can put int he time and rebuild a junker to 100% condition at huge expense, and lots of work.. lots of restorers like the challange.. of course. these are not the machines you bargain shop for to get a good deal... most guys that do this sort of thing know that you almost always end up with as much or more money into the repair/rebuild/refurbishment as you paid for the machine. Those of us that do most of our own wrench turning and painting and body work offset part of that cost with sweat equity.. leaving the bulk of the cost as parts and materials.. and shop charges for things like machine shop work.. etc...

soundguy

I thought a little while about my experiences before responding to this thread again as it seemed to become a bit of a blood sport for a while -- but I would simply put it this way....
I read a lot before I bought an older tractor on forums like this and other places and I talked to a number of people with experience far greater than mine when it came to tractors and their use ....
I observed that many of my neighbours still had older tractors which they put to occasional or even everday use and that the prices of many of these tractors were within my envisioned price range....
Then with the encouragement of a few and a sense of confidence from the above activities I peed on the fence and bought an older tractor,,,,, I can laugh about it now after several years!!!
Then, since the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome,
I read a bunch more about newer tractors on this and other forums (in between buying and reading repair manuals)
I observed and talked to my neighbours about their newer tractors that they used to conduct their business everyday,,,,
Then I made friends with a fence tester!!!!
And I went and bought a new (albeit cheap!)tractor with him -- so far with excellent results.
So Mattman I would simply say what I have said previously here -- find someone with experience (and not the person selling something) to help you (the fence tester) -- and remember that people who tell you that in their vast experience the best way to test a fence is to pee on it (because they don't believe in those newfangled fence testers) are always right on a dark night when the fence is solar powered and has no battery -- not sure I like the odds.
Merry Christmas Everyone
Regards
Steve