So Far, So Good
Model Year: 1986
Purchased used. The previous owner of 10 years did not know a lot about tractors. He mostly used the bush hog to mow grass. It has turf tires. He did use the bush to clear some land. I have gone through the tractor in pretty good detail. It was neglected for a number of years. He did not perform any lubrication while he owned it, so the detail which follows may seem like a lot of problems, but many are minor. I am using it to clear land and it does more than I expected. The tires do skip on occasion. I will be changing to ag tires. The tractor is strong and built very well. It has a few electrical reliability problems due to design. There are some sensors on it which are broken/disconnected. They are the battery level, and air filter flow. Due to the expense, I do not plan on replacing them. The rear light wiring has been hacked up pretty well. The wires are not protected. Also, there are some cheesy flexible clamps located around different parts of the tractor, some are broken off. There were some other electrical issues I consider to be routine maintenance of an outdoor piece of heavy equipment. The key switch diesel fuel cutoff solenoid was fried, as was the timer relay. The starter fusible link/connector had corrosion, causing starting problems. The battery was 8 years old and Auto Zone's checker said it was dead. The PTO clutch needs some work, the 3PH hydraulic cylinder speed knob is frozen, the driver's seat support pins are worn making the seat wiggle a bit. These are the only mechanical issues I have found. For a tractor which is over 25 years old, it is strong and has no engine, transmission, or hydraulic system leaks. Pretty good having been neglected. I bought it for $4,500, it came with a dual axle trailer, 4 ft. bush hog and 4 ft. box blade. I am pleased so far.
Pros: Strong mechanically.
Cons: Some electric reliability issues due to design.