Buying Advice ford 1220 buying advice

[VTsteader]

Hi,

I am going to look at a hydro,4wd diesel 1220 w/FEL and Backhoe, 3pt and pto with 2500 hours, they are asking $8000.

Anyone have experience with this model and know if their are specific things I should look for? Any issues in general? Is 2500 hours a lot for this tractor?

I am a first time tractor buyer and this seems to fit my needs and a little more than my budget but I'm thinking of offering $6500 - 7000 and hopefully end up somewhere in the middle.

Any and all input and opinions would be much appreciated,
Thanks,
Rob

 

[sld]

That is quite a few hours but if maintained properly it's probably not an issue.

I would pay real close attention to the bh and fel mounts. Any signs of abuse should show up here. Mismatched bolts (stripped retapped, larger bolt) or casting cracks would scare me off. Overall appearance and how it everything works can tell a lot about how it was cared for.

 

[dqdave1]

Can't remember for sure but 1220 engine parts may be hard to come by. $8000.00 seems high

 

[VTsteader]

Thanks dqdave1 and sld. Didn't end up buying it, too beat for the $$. I just got home from buying a Kubota b1750hst with 950 hours and a FEL. It's being delivered on Weds. and I can hardly wait!

 

[dqdave1]

enjoy your new toy. Change all fluids regardless of what was told to you. Including filters. Then you have a TRUE starting point.

 

[dbrienza]

I own this exact model with FEL and Backhoe. Mine is 1994. I bought it about 10 years ago and have but 400-500 hours on it. it's super reliable and seems to take anything I throw at it.

$8000 is high though, I bought mine for about that with 300 hours on it 10 years ago.

 

[James 511]

Hi,

I am going to look at a hydro,4wd diesel 1220 w/FEL and Backhoe, 3pt and pto with 2500 hours, they are asking $8000.

Anyone have experience with this model and know if their are specific things I should look for? Any issues in general? Is 2500 hours a lot for this tractor?

I am a first time tractor buyer and this seems to fit my needs and a little more than my budget but I'm thinking of offering $6500 - 7000 and hopefully end up somewhere in the middle.

Any and all input and opinions would be much appreciated,
Thanks,
Rob

Rob,
I purchased a '91 1220 in 2000 with 300 hours FEL & belly mower. At 14 PTO horses, it was 1/3 of the MF 135 I was replacing and 1/2 the size I was initially looking for. I took a chance because of it's condition and price. 12 years later I am still impressed with what I can do with this little tractor but it all depends on what you plan to do with it. Yesterday I started a thread regarding replacing this 1220 with a 1620. If I do this I will need to part with the 1220 and would be thrilled to get $8500 for it and the half dozen implements that go with it.
Regarding your specific questions, it would help to know what year it was made since they produced the 1220 between 1987 and 1999. The hours seem high but I only put 60-70 hours a year on mine (it has 1467 presently). The back hoe is a pricey accessory and if you do not need it, perhaps the seller would sell that separately.
I looked at all the 1220's for sale that I could find on the net and $8k seems high.