Buying Advice Are "Long" Tractors Any Good?

[genusCastor]

I'm in the market for a smallish (<50hp?) farm tractor and came across this Long tractor. I have not heard of this brand before, any opinions, recommendations, etc.?

Thanks in advance.

- djb

 

[wmonroe]

We had one at a camp I worked at in high schoola and college, somewhere around 30 hp. It seemed like a fine tractor never had any trouble with it. Not sure i've ever seen a Long dealer before though so I don't know how hard it would be to get parts. If i remember right they are made in Romania.

 

[k0ua]

Yeah, had one for several years. newer than that one, that looks like an old 460 maybe? or something like that, I had a 2360, good tractor for what it was, 2WD etc.. they are kinda crudely built by modern tractor standards, Made in Romania, imported by Long in Tarboro NC I think. I am not sure I would pay 4900 for it, unless it was in good condition. Why would someone try to sell something that "needs work". I guess it depends on what you want to do with it, but I think you would be a lot happier with a CUT with 4wd. I know I was.
James K0UA

 

[flusher]

I'm in the market for a smallish (<50hp?) farm tractor and came across this Long tractor. I have not heard of this brand before, any opinions, recommendations, etc.?

Thanks in advance.

- djb

It's an off-brand tractor imported from Romania. Don't even think about buying something like this until you're sure you can get replacement parts and also service (if you're not handy with a wrench).

 

[genusCastor]

I'm OK working with minor mechanical stuff. If all it really needed was hoses & fittings, I could handle that.

What's a 'CUT?' Is that Compact Utility Tractor?

Actually, I'm using my Dad's low profile (compact) John Deere 4010, and I don't care for it at all. It's too small and cramped for me. The end loader is the only thing I like on it... Looks like this one:

- djb

 

[flusher]

I'm OK working with minor mechanical stuff. If all it really needed was hoses & fittings, I could handle that.

What's a 'CUT?' Is that Compact Utility Tractor?

Actually, I'm using my Dad's low profile (compact) John Deere 4010, and I don't care for it at all. It's too small and cramped for me. The end loader is the only thing I like on it... Looks like this one:

- djb

Yep-compact utility tractor--say 25-45 hp (engine). Smaller tractors are called SCUTs = subcompact utility tractor. Larger tractors up to 80-90 hp are utility tractors. After that you get into large agriculture (ag) tractors.

 

[k0ua]

Yes, CUT= Compact Utility Tractor, (25 to 40 horse) SCUT= Sub Compact Utility Tractor (maybe 12 to 24 horse) but frame size figures in too not just horsepower.
these are unofficial terms but they are used around here. The little JD you pictured, looks kinda like a SCUT to me. Look the old Long over real good, and if it is what you want, go for it, but you need to be good scrounging parts and wrenching, I think they were good enough tractors for their day, they are just not modern.. of course no modern price either But there may be a lot of "workhorse" left in the old machine. I have heard the are the same as some Fiat's and I have seen some references to parts on the web. Good luck
James K0UA

 

[two_bit_score]

I'm in the market for a smallish (<50hp?) farm tractor and came across this Long tractor. I have not heard of this brand before, any opinions, recommendations, etc.?

Thanks in advance.

- djb

My dad had one and my brother had one. I've got one of them sitting in a shed right now, not running for the past 10 years.

I bought a JD.

 

[pete-mi]

The Long tractors made in the 70's and 80's were mainly made in Romania by UTB which had a lot of Fiat components. Later sometime in the 90's to early 2000's the ownership changed to FarmTrac. Reading the FarmTrac posting you see the rest of the story. Some of the Long components should be the same as the Oliver 1365 or the Allis Chalmers 5040 as these were UTB type tractors.

 

[Woodbeef]

White also used bade-engineered Fiats.

 

[Kubota 2350]

I think you would be a lot happier with a CUT with 4wd. I know I was.
James K0UA

Kind of my thinking too, keep looking.
Good luck with whatever you decide to buy.

 

[jlsmith]

The long is a good tractor,(a work horse) i actully still use two today, a 510 and a 560. Not the prettiest thing to look at but never had any problems with mine. If you decide to get it let me know and i can hook you up with a parts suppler.:thumbsup:

 

[knightrider955]

I just bought a Long 560, I really like it so far. Really easy starting and pulls like a mule. Parts are readily available. Longparts.com has everything you could possibly need. The hydraulics arent the greatest but work ok

 

[hudson]

Good information. Thanks to all for posting. I am dealing right now on a Long model 2054. I think it is the same as a model 610. It is a (1997?) 4 WD and suposedly 63 HP. Serial No. 64013110. I have a Mahindra 2516 HST with only 43 hours on it and It is a great little tractor. But too little. I could barely lift a motor and trans and set it in the back of a pickup. Back to the Long, the price on it is $12,900. The hour meter says 1789.9 hours but in 20 minutes of running it never moved. None of the other guages or dummy lights work, but it started easily and ran smoothly. I liked the bigger loader and tires. Any idea what it is worth??

 

[bigbull338]

ok im gonna say ths,longs are hard to keep going an get parts for when they go down.so they dont have much resale value in my eyes.but if you really want it id prolly them $9500 or $10,000 an hope nothing is wrong with it.

 

[Chewwy]

The less familiar long tractors are made specifically with small farm needs in mind. In fact, they are stable, have solid under-body suspension units and robust engines; these are required for rough tasks on irregular ground surfaces. This is, however, they are not as maneuverable and finding aftermarket parts or service may be quite expensive. Long can be the right tractor for your business if you need a dependable machine that is also multi-functional or is capable of performing the heavy duties.

Unlikely the OP still needs this info since this thread is over 10 years old.

 

[Williy]

Long, the Long Manufacturing Co. of Tarboro, North Carolina, began building its first tractor in 1948, attempting to claim its place in the booming agricultural tech marketplace.

You may need some information from one of these sites if you get it:

long tractor problems - Google Search

willy

 

[kneedeep]

I had one 35 years ago,
I think it had a Perkins engine, not sure but I baled square hay with it.

 

[LightningCamaroGuy]

Nice thread bump!

I hated Long tractors when I was a kid. I worked for a couple people who had them. Honestly they worked, and I never saw an issue with them, but they just didn't look, feel, or sound like the American tractors I was used to. (Fords, Allis Chalmers, JD, Farmall, etc) The controls and pedals seemed different to me. I used to think the skinny mufflers they used looked goofy. IDK I just wasn't a fan. They had what today I'd refer to as a "global tractor" look to them. They would rake hay, or do some bush hogging just fine.