Buying Advice Light Green vs Dark Green

[lacamo]

Thinking about replacing my old JD 820 with a new, MFWD tractor to pull a manure spreader, round baler, etc. Choices are: Deutz-Fahr Agrolux 70 and JD 5065E. They seem pretty similar with regards to specs, capabilities, price (and they're both made in India). The big issue has to do with potential resale value: I'm no spring chicken and plan on farming for another 10-12 years, then sell my (well maintained) equipment: my version of a 401k. I know that used JDs are priced high, but those are the older American or German built units, not the newer "economy" models. My loader tractor is a Kubota M5040DT -- love it, but works real hard to pull the baler uphill. Any ideas about which shade of green I should choose?

Thanks.

 

[jenkinsph]

Just a thought but have you considered a 4720 cab with loaded rear tires? If you haven't tried one of these newer tractors you should demo one. I moved up from an 820 to the 4520 cab and really like it. With 3 110#rear wheel wts. ea side and 6 70# front weights my tractor is about 5500lbs.
A 4720 cab (66hp) would be a real upgrade from an OS 820.

 

[lacamo]

Know someone who owns a 4720, uses it for everything, and loves it. Looking at the specs, it's clearly a "real" JD with a real JD price tag; too much for me to spend on a "second" tractor. Didn't mention it, but I plan on paying off the 7% loan on the Kubby, then buying new at 0% for 60 months. DF and JD are offering similar financing and the result will be a new tractor with much lower payments.

 

[MFRED]

If you don't spend as much in the begining, you won't need to get as much out of it in the end.

Any idea on operating costs of the two? I just wonder if 1 is more expensive to keep up than the other.

 

[lacamo]

Chatted with the JD dealer today -- bought most of my haying equipment from him & have been very satisfied with service, which is a big plus. Base price is a couple of thousand more than the DF, but he will research the resale history of ag tractors in this size range. What I can get when I sell is more important than what I spend now. With reduced off-farm work and useless health insurance I'm less vulnerable with my (limited) assets in equipment than cash, gold or the idiot stock market. When I'm a rickety heap of sore muscles & bones, I will be living off what I can sell this stuff for. That's why eventual selling price is important.

 

[Rugerckr]

i thought the deutz was made in germany

 

[jenkinsph]

Chatted with the JD dealer today -- bought most of my haying equipment from him & have been very satisfied with service, which is a big plus. Base price is a couple of thousand more than the DF, but he will research the resale history of ag tractors in this size range. What I can get when I sell is more important than what I spend now. With reduced off-farm work and useless health insurance I'm less vulnerable with my (limited) assets in equipment than cash, gold or the idiot stock market. When I'm a rickety heap of sore muscles & bones, I will be living off what I can sell this stuff for. That's why eventual selling price is important.

If I were looking for long term return on an investment I would look more towards real estate than machinery of any kind. Still if you wan't to look at tractors then consider what most people would like to find in a used tractor, I suspect a modern 4x4, fel and hydrostat tractor will be in more demand than a bare bones model.

Interesting to me is that a Deere 820 in good condition should be worth more than it sold for new, likely due to inflation but after 35 years of use that is not too bad. I bought this one used in 1997 in need of cosmetics and after 13 years can still sell it for what I have in it.

 

[lacamo]

i thought the deutz was made in germany

They were; in fact the dealer is promoting it as the "Mercedes of tractors". However, Deutz was taken over by SAME (Italian) and they've been targeting the market for mid-sized utility tractors in India. So, that's why they built a manufacturing plant there.

 

[lacamo]

If I were looking for long term return on an investment I would look more towards real estate than machinery of any kind. Still if you wan't to look at tractors then consider what most people would like to find in a used tractor, I suspect a modern 4x4, fel and hydrostat tractor will be in more demand than a bare bones model.

Interesting to me is that a Deere 820 in good condition should be worth more than it sold for new, likely due to inflation but after 35 years of use that is not too bad. I bought this one used in 1997 in need of cosmetics and after 13 years can still sell it for what I have in it.

The ROI is the total of: greater work efficiency + lower maintenance cost + equipment depreciation on current tax returns (when I sell, my income will be lower & so will the tax rate) + asset protection (if I'm hospitalized, can't work & go belly up they can't seize equipment if it's used in a business, but they can empty my bank account) + the fun/life-is-short factor: like everyone else in this forum, I LOVE tractors.