Advice on a Fordson Dexta with Perkins P3

   / Advice on a Fordson Dexta with Perkins P3 #1  

twtrout

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Feb 20, 2009
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I have come across a '59 Fordson Dexta with the Perkins P3 diesel for sale for $850. The man bought it to restore and due to illness has to sell it. It is not running presently. What would be a reasonable price for a non-running Dexta and what should I look for to help me decide? The owner has many new parts that he will sell for additional cost.

Thanks
 
   / Advice on a Fordson Dexta with Perkins P3 #2  
Do you have more info on this tractor? Were you able to get any pics?

I am not wise in the ways of buying old tractors, but the term non-running is pretty general and could mean something as simple as bad wiring, or something as involved as busted up internals of an engine.

Depending on the overall condition of the tractor and the issues that it currently has, the price could vary quite a bit.

HTH (and if nothing else is a free bump!)
 
   / Advice on a Fordson Dexta with Perkins P3 #3  
I have come across a '59 Fordson Dexta with the Perkins P3 diesel for sale for $850. The man bought it to restore and due to illness has to sell it. It is not running presently. What would be a reasonable price for a non-running Dexta and what should I look for to help me decide? The owner has many new parts that he will sell for additional cost.

Thanks

The average used trade-in value (what a dealer would give as trade-in) is about $900 for a 59 Dexta that's running. $850 is high for that non-runner. I'd offer $600 and settle on $700.

Of course, the question you have to ask yourself is how much sweat equity do you want to invest in getting it running. If the engine needs major work, you'll need to split the tractor to pull the engine. That's a good way to learn tractor repair, if you're interested in acquiring that skill. Personally, I wouldn't buy a non-running tractor that old unless I were willing to go the whole 10 yards and completely disassemble it, if necessary.

I have a 1964 MF-135 with a 3-cylinder Perkins engine that I may have to split to do a clutch job later this year. That definitely will be a learning experience. Right now I'm disassembling a 1951 Minneapolis Moline BF gasser for a complete restoration. Lotsa fun if you have the time to invest in the work.
 
   / Advice on a Fordson Dexta with Perkins P3
  • Thread Starter
#4  
I was able to spend some time with this tractor and owner Thursday evening and determined that at $850 + everything that it needed was more than I wanted to spend. After pricing the parts that it needed to make it operable I realized that there are a lot of tractors available in that price range. The info and advice available here at TBN and at YT has been very helpful in my decision.

Thanks, I'm still looking.
 
 
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