Can you tell the year by the Serial no.?

[NBmojo]

Hello there!

I'm about to buy a Landini tractor, and I have a nagging feeling that the tractor may not be the year the dealer says it is. (he says it's a 2008, I'm thinking it may be an 06). Anyways, I know some people can tell the year by the serial number, so if anyone could help me it would be very appreciated.

Here is the Serial number: LMFLZ03093

Moe

 

[DavesTractor]

Hello there!

I'm about to buy a Landini tractor, and I have a nagging feeling that the tractor may not be the year the dealer says it is. (he says it's a 2008, I'm thinking it may be an 06). Anyways, I know some people can tell the year by the serial number, so if anyone could help me it would be very appreciated.

Here is the Serial number: LMFLZ03093

Moe

It would help if you listed the model of Landini also. I dealer might just look it up for you. Check the engine data plate, it should show a year of compliance for EPA. That won't define the year for sure, but you will know the tractor won't be any older than the engine. If it says 2006, then the tractor could still be a 2007, but probably not a 2008, etc.

 

[Eagleview]

Machinery sold in Australia is rarely fresh stock . They sit in the factory yard for a while , then sit at the docks for a while and then at the dealers yard for a while . They then use the sale date for the year model , a 2008 tractor could very easily be a 2006 . The obvious problem with this is that they have been sitting out in the weather all this time , hoses , tyres , interior trim etc all can be affected by the sun . The other problem is that you miss out on any updates from the factory that the "fresh" tractors have had . Sometimes the safety glass etchings have a dot over one letter in a word i.e if there is a dot over the letter "L" in safety glass , being the eighth letter , the year will be close to 2008 , but glass stocks could throw that out a little .

 

[NBmojo]

Thanks for the responses, much appreciated.

It's a Landini Powerfarm 85. The emissions sticker says 2006, and so do most of the other indications on the tractor, hence my apprehension. One sticker on a battery cable says 2008, but that could have been conveniently replaced...

I understand that tractors can sit for a long time, but I'm thinking if I want to sell it in a few years there will a considerable price difference between an 06 and an 08.

I've emailed Landini directly, but no answer yet.

Moe

 

[santacruzer]

NM,

This smacks of the old "buyer beware".

Paul

 

[Eagleview]

I understand that tractors can sit for a long time, but I'm thinking if I want to sell it in a few years there will a considerable price difference between an 06 and an 08.

I had this argument with a dealer , i wanted a fresh machine and he said it is brand new . He said what would it matter ? I said if i came back here in a couple of years with a 2005 built machine that i bought new off you in 2007 , what would it do to it's trade value ? No answer.......

Is the emissions sticker date stamped 2006 , or does it just mean it complies to EPA regs 2006 ?

I think it's old stock myself , look around for a fresher one or grind him down on the old stock machine .

Just another thing to consider , the battery in that tractor is now over 3years old .

 

[archerm3]

I would say that if you have a nagging feeling about anything before you purchase, perhaps you might want to reconsider purchasing that item. Usually that feeling is never wrong.

 

[DavesTractor]

I had this argument with a dealer , i wanted a fresh machine and he said it is brand new . He said what would it matter ? I said if i came back here in a couple of years with a 2005 built machine that i bought new off you in 2007 , what would it do to it's trade value ? No answer.......

Is the emissions sticker date stamped 2006 , or does it just mean it complies to EPA regs 2006 ?

I think it's old stock myself , look around for a fresher one or grind him down on the old stock machine .

Just another thing to consider , the battery in that tractor is now over 3years old .

The year on a tractor does not influence the value nearly as much as it would a car or truck. Being a current model is important. If the Landini you are looking at has already been replaced by another model, that is important. EPA regs changed a bunch for 2008 and that can be important to a farm user that might be regulated. Odds are this tractor was built in 2006 or 2007. Some discount would normally apply for an "aged new tractor". The dealer will surely not want to order you a new one, he's probably paying interest on his floorplan and will be motivated to get it sold. He can tell you what year it was built.

Battery life, fading due to sun exposure, seat weathering, dash, knobs, etc all get some age on them just setting. All good reasons to get some discount, but I wouldn't get real hung up on it not being fresh as long as it is the tractor you want and at a good price.

 

[NBmojo]

Thanks again for the responses.

I finally found out directly from Landini that this tractor was built in 2006 as a 2007 model. (the letter before the numbers in the serial number, Z, apparently means the year 2007).

I won`t be buying this tractor,even if I could try and negotiate a lower price I feel the dealer misrepresented the situation therefore I have lost trust in him.

Back to shopping I guess!

Mo