Disclosure of year of tractors

[timswi]

There was a thread where this came up in a different context. It was said by a few dealers that there is no "model year" of a tractor...You could buy a "new" 2006 in 2008 if there are no material hours on it, and no one else took ownership...Build year is the model year.

Unless there is a change in features or design, you wouldn't really know.

I don't like this approach either as the machine could sit around for a couple of years and be sold as new...Doesn't work in the car business.

 

[beenthere]

Looking at the company history, I'd suspect the build year would/could be 2000.

Where are you located?

 

[brandoro]

I bought my first tractor used, private sale. The person I was buying from didn't know what year it was so I took the serial number to the local dealer and asked them. They looked it up and told me that it was a 1984 model that had been sold new in 1987. Don't know where it was in the meantime but that told me what I wanted to know.
The other thing was that this dealer had never seen me before but still treated me well and helped me out. It worked out, since then I have bought two new tractors from them and quite a few attachments.

 

[jda1961]

i think tractors are not like vehicles, the original purchase date that it was sold new as in the 1st owner will be the model year. i know the guy that sells kioti tractors has the same tractors sitting on his lot now that he had back in 2009, but he sells them as 2010 models. and he has 2 totally diffrent tractors, one has a horn, diffrent tail lights, the other does not. but he sells both as 2010 models even though technically one is a 2009 model and the other is a 2010. but you see the warrantee starts at day of sale. so it don't matter when it came out of the factory, only when its sold.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Warranty wise, it makes no difference when it was made, however, with newer models sometimes having vast improvement over older models, the year could be significant. Take for instance the Kioti FEL issues with the frame breaking which was later corrected. If a person bought one of those older models that was held over and the dealer claimed it was a 2010, the buyer could be in for a surprise. Same goes for lots of other stuff that you see recalls on certain models, if you think you have a 2010 and actually have a 2000 model, it could be really bad business. Also think of later resale value when someone looks up the serial number and says "Oh a 10 year old tractor with 100 hours on it,hmmm something fishy here and passes on the sale.
The whole thing stinks to high heaven. I would pass on it also.
BY the way didnt LG just this year start selling tractors in the USA under their brand name?

 

[RickB]

A contract with no VIN or serial number would be enough to send me out the door.

 

[dave1949]

Another thought, depending on how the serial# is diplayed and where, if a major portion of a tractor was replaced such as the engine or transmission, that would complicate things. Not saying that is the case here, but if it were, the dealer should be upfront about it.

There is something going on here that would make me go elsewhere. Even if it's just a general lack of cooperation.

In that general vein, I remember being young once Have you ever run into somebody in a business situation that just seems to hate young folk? Before you even say anything, you get this negative vibe. Or they ask jerk questions like 'How are you planning on paying for this?' before you even agreed to buy anything. Just remembering. Either I used to look like a jerk and don't now or older people are often treated differently than young.
Dave.

 

[oldballs]

On newer Kubotas, can one decode the actual DOM from the serial number? It would be nice to know how long the tractor sat on the lot e.g. in the blazing sun or thru lots of cold and snow. Mine had salt spray all over the underside and through out the engine and under the hood.

 

[Hematite]

A contract with no VIN or serial number would be enough to send me out the door.

Most definitely! I can't believe a dealer would do something like that!

Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on whether you are buying or selling tractors, they are not treated the same way as cars and trucks. Tractors seem to be treated more like a push mower than an expensive piece of equipment by some dealers. The better quality dealers, though, don't do things the way the OP described. It was definitely time to walk on that deal!

 

[wampum]

Warranty wise, it makes no difference when it was made, however, with newer models sometimes having vast improvement over older models, the year could be significant. Take for instance the Kioti FEL issues with the frame breaking which was later corrected. If a person bought one of those older models that was held over and the dealer claimed it was a 2010, the buyer could be in for a surprise. Same goes for lots of other stuff that you see recalls on certain models, if you think you have a 2010 and actually have a 2000 model, it could be really bad business. Also think of later resale value when someone looks up the serial number and says "Oh a 10 year old tractor with 100 hours on it,hmmm something fishy here and passes on the sale.
The whole thing stinks to high heaven. I would pass on it also.
BY the way didnt LG just this year start selling tractors in the USA under their brand name?

Good point Gary on the LG. Is it possible they sat in Korea for 5 years in Farmtrac blue paint,and now have LS blue paint with a few small changes like the hood and lights,exc. Ma-be that is why they are blue,because blue covers blue fairly easily. Instead of being 2005 models they are now 2010.