Should I buy a Massey 230 with a "small" oil leak for $3750?

[stamello]

Hello,
I'm a tractor newbie. I don't know much at all about them, but I need something to bush hog with and fix my gravel driveway.
There's a Massey 230 for sale with 6' bush hog for $3750. The guy selling has only owned it for a few months and hasn't done much - he replaced the radiator, added a mount for a trailer hitch, and topped off the fluids. He bushhogged with it and nothing else.
The tractor starts fine, I ran it around for 30 minutes or so and it felt good. Bush hog cut nicely. Back tires are new and filled with liquid. Front tires are filled with foam. Shows 21xx hours, but it doesn't look like guage is working.
The bush hog is cracked around the edges. How bad is this?
One fender is bent and broken. Seat is rusty and worn. The headlights/taillights of the tractor don't work - they don't seem to be hooked up. All guages except for RPMs don't work. But the thing that worries me is an oil leak. I asked him if there were any leaks and he immediately pointed it out. He said it didn't leak much and pulled out the dipstick which still showed full.
I don't know enough to know what's a "normal" leak, or a "bad" leak.
What do you think?
Thanks

 

[murphy1244]

pass.

 

[stamello]

pass.

Pass because of the leak or because of the general condition?

 

[murphy1244]

You could do alot better for 3750.00

 

[stamello]

You could do alot better for 3750.00

I'm not finding much - I'm looking for something that can run 5' or 6' bush hog, that has power steering, live pto, decent tires. Trying to get tractor, bush hog, scrape blade for around 4K.
Maybe I'm getting desperate... I'm sick of paying other people to fix my driveway and knock my field grass down...

 

[Lohman446]

How mechanically inclined are you? If you know what you are doing and have equipment splitting a tractor (which normally happens for many oil leaks) is not that big a deal. If you do not than it is a major task.

 

[stamello]

How mechanically inclined are you? If you know what you are doing and have equipment splitting a tractor (which normally happens for many oil leaks) is not that big a deal. If you do not than it is a major task.

I don't know what I'm doing and don't have the equipment. I have done many other mechanical things, but I generally don't enjoy engine work.

 

[Lohman446]

Not to be flippant but can you live with an oil leak? These old tractors are likely to all leak to some degree or another. If it is a minor leak and you can live with it you might be ok as long as you keep on top of it. My old Ford leaks PS fluid that I have not got around to fixing, I just top it off every so often.

If you watch someone who has done it before and has the stuff to do it split a tractor you will be amazed at how easy it looks. Otherwise it is as hard as it sounds.

 

[stamello]

Not to be flippant but can you live with an oil leak? These old tractors are likely to all leak to some degree or another. If it is a minor leak and you can live with it you might be ok as long as you keep on top of it. My old Ford leaks PS fluid that I have not got around to fixing, I just top it off every so often.

If you watch someone who has done it before and has the stuff to do it split a tractor you will be amazed at how easy it looks. Otherwise it is as hard as it sounds.

Yes, I can live with it as is. I just want to understand the risks (how much it could eventually cost me)

 

[rtimgray]

It'll probably cost about $4 or $5 a quart, less if you can find some cheaper/recycled oil.

In all seriousness, I wouldn't let a small leak be a deal breaker - a gusher, yes; a little, leak, no. Of course, the amount of the leak may be subjective as well. The lights are probably a relatively easy fix. If you don't have to have OEM, you can probably just mount a new generic switch and run some new wiring - never know, the lights themselves might have to the replaced. The tach is probably a broken drive cable, althought I'm not familiar with this model of tractor at all.

If you're happy with everything else, including the price, I would not let a drip or two of oil stop me.

Good luck with whatever you choose. Take care.