Buying JD 855

   / Buying JD 855 #1  

black46

New member
Joined
Dec 31, 2007
Messages
3
Location
SW Ohio
Tractor
John Deere 855
My wife and I bought a 12.5 acre mini farm last summer. About 1/2 is hay that someone else will be taking care of. The rest is horse paddocks, pond, stream, barn, house, etc. We thought (OK, I thought but the wife's going along with it) we'd get a tractor for general maintenence and a little mowing. After just buying the property we really didn't want to take the financial hit of a new tractor, so I've been keeping my eye out for something that would suit us. With the help of TBN, I had a list of older tractors with good reputations to look for. Others must have had the same list because the prices weren't much different that new! Anyway to get to the point, I visited my local JD dealer again and they had taken a 855 in on trade. It's a bare tractor wit 1100 hours. The dealer already has a Woods loader for it, but not installed. At first I was a little concerned with the number of hours, but from what I've read I don't think it's a problem with the 855. It appears to have been stored inside, clean, no apparent leaks, and generally well taken care of. Even the grill looks good! Dealer is going to mount the FEL and do a complete service, including changing fluids and filters. He quoted me a $1800 Frontier FRM, but I think I'll pass and keep my eye out for a used MMM. I'm feeling pretty lucky right now...the 855 was at the top of my list, the dealer is my favorite of all I visited, they're the closest dealer, and the price is about the most reasonable I've come across!

My real question is, is there anything in particular that I chould ask that be checked out or changed while it's being serviced??

Paul
 
   / Buying JD 855 #2  
Those tractors were nearly totally built by Yanmar who is number two in the world of small tractors. They do have a good repair recoprd and you won't find much here to fault them. You might want to check the drag link that goes between the wheels. It is lower then the front axle and often takes some abuse.
 
 
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