Kubota burned

[jb_dallas]

My father has a 2007 Kubota small 4WD tractor with 40 hours on it. Im not sure of the model number, but I believe it is the 30 horsepower model with the front bucket and mower on the back. They had a fire and it burned the building and the tractor inside. The tires are melted completely off. I dont know how hot the fire got, but it was hot enough to warp and bend the metal building (just a pole barn with sheet metal screwed on). I have seen the tractor close up after the fire, but I didnt really have time to take anything apart or see if it would turn over...and I didnt know if the insurance company would take it. They dont want it. My questions are

1) What is the tractor worth? Im sure this is an arbitrary question.
2) Should I try to part it out or sell it as a whole unit...maybe on Craigslist?
3) What would you all do if it was yours?

Thanks

 

[Evil the Weasel]

Maybe this discussion can help you:

Yesterday's Tractors - Discussion Forum

 

[Thomas]

Were there payments being made...bank,Kubota etc. if so I believe one must carry some kind of insurance.

Did the building have insurance,for some policies cover loss items equipment.

 

[KeithInSpace]

I just had a conversation about something like this with my carrier. They provide my homeowners as well as my auto insurance. My specific question had to do with coverage of the tractor while on my trailer, but I got other good information.

If the tractor is inside/around my home and I have a catastrophe, the tractor is then a "content" of my home and the value of the tractor is held against the contents coverage.

If my tractor is damaged through use on my property, it is not covered. For example: If it is in my garage, a tree falls through my garage and damages the tractor, the tractor is covered. If I'm using the tractor in my woods 100 feet away and a tree falls on my tractor, it is not covered. If I STORED my tractor in the woods and a tree fell on it, I'm not sure what the deal would be.

If my tractor is secured to my trailer and I am in a wreck that is my fault, the tractor is not covered...nor is the trailer, unless I get comprehensive/collision coverage on the trailer for some $100 a year. If I damage someone else's property with the trailer while it is on my truck, I'm covered, but only to fix their property...not my trailer...and certainly not the contents.

You can get an "posession" policy on a tractor, at least through State Farm, that covers most anything. It is the same type of coverage that you'd get on an expensive wedding ring. If I blow a hydraulic hose, it's not covered. But in the afore mentioned example of a tree falling on the tractor while in use...that'd be covered under this type of policy. It costs something like $250 a year.

So: As long as the structure was covered under a/the homeowners policy, the tractor was not in use, and there is a "contents" clause in the homeowners policy, the tractor should be eligible as a "content" to the loss.

 

[rdsaustintx]

Insurance questions are scary because they vary by state. OP appears to be in BubbaLand (Texas). The basic policies here are promulgated (from the state), but outbuildings and equipment are dependent upon riders, so it varies.

My insurance (USAA) says my tractor is covered by contents coverage as long as it is on my property. But it gets wierd fast, as the tractor is considered an ag instrument. My gas-powered lawnmowers are NOT. Once I go past the property line, it is not covered by the homeowner policy. I have a trailer rider, so tractor is covered in a wreck.

If your carrier says it is not a covered loss, you might want to talk to an attorney specializing in coverage questions (PM me if you need a name in central Texas). Call a public adjuster if you think it's covered and want to fight it out. Then plan to change carriers.

Financing was an interesting point. Most tractors have to be insured if purchased with a loan.

As for re-habbing the tractor, depends on how much got damaged. There are a zillion rubber seals in these things and those tend to go first. If the tires melted, what happened to the fuel tank??

Post photos and you will get lots of opinions!

Russell in BubbaLand

 

[Evil the Weasel]

It sounds like the insurance company is paying for the loss. He's asking what can be done with the tractor if the insurance company doesn't take possession of it.

 

[jb_dallas]

There is an important detail I left out of my original question...it is insured. The tractor cost around $16.5K last year (It may be an 08) and they are giving him around $14K because of depreciation, but the insurance company doesnt want the tractor. I thought maybe I could sell it for parts and help my old man make up the difference...or part of the difference. I dont have alot of experience with tractors, but I am fairly mechanical. I need to get it out of the barn and up on jacks to inspect. I think I can sell the bucket and mower...I wonder about the transfer case and engine...those might be worth some money if they didnt get too hot.

 

[Thomas]

Okay..got it,

Try selling it all,selling apart here and there could be months if not years stumbling around it...ebay??

 

[jb_dallas]

I am thinking Ebay or Craigslist. I wouldnt know where to start on price. I asked my old man to email me the pictures so I can post them.

Thanks
JB

 

[mgamber]

Unlikely it got too hot to do much damage to the purely mechanical parts of the tractor. Is the paint still in tact on the metal parts? Likely they entire electrical system is shot as the insulation may have melted off the wires. If it were me, I would try to block it up, clean it all off, strip the thing down to the chassis/engine/tranny and make myself a diesel generator.



You are gonna need to drain all the fluids at the minumum.