Buying Advice Questions about potential purchase, not sure where to start

[fattylumpkins]

You're not clogging anything. Keep the questions coming!

We love to debate the various 'best choices', and especially love spending others' money vicariously.

Also - many of us arrived here same as you - 'I want to buy my first tractor, what should I buy?" For me it was inheriting the orchard in Y2K that grandpa and then Dad had used as a summer home - no tractor - with the real apple production contracted to a neighbor. (which I have continued). I found a 20 year old used tractor that was cheap because it needed numerous minor repairs to remedy severe neglect. I asked all the beginner questions here, and learned this Yanmar was premium quality, reputed to be indestructible with normal maintenance. I decided my auto maintenance experience was sufficient to take the gamble, and bought it and spent a month doing the repairs that members here suggested. Turns out it was a good choice. 20 year later it runs fine.

I don't mind sharing what I've learned since.

At this point, I feel like it's possible for me to handle this. I can learn, right? I have the internet, right? Too ambitious in reality, I don't have the time available to me to dedicate. I want the perfect, sensible solution that magically encapsulates my needs. That's, unfortunately, not how this works. But as a poster demonstrated to me recently, there's a ton of options available that go beyond what I initially thought. My church is more south of where I live, so I had no idea the extent of the availability.

To some degree, I need to be able to handle a lot of the maintenance, as well, and I can figure it out - I have to believe that.

Like this?

Front load is chained so it won't fall out.

Rear is a platform the size of a single bed (the source for its steel perimeter) mounted on a pallet, carried on 3-point pallet forks.

And note the rear wheel weights, they are sufficient for most loads in the front bucket.

View attachment 1510771

Yeah exactly this, maybe to a smaller degree. I try to use my evenings and weekends focused on clean up in the winter season to stay on top of it.

So, the back load is serving as a balance point to what you have on the front?

 

[California]

Good call, and it might be worth checking with your local Deere dealer, as I'd bet they still service Yanmars. They would probably even stock most engine components and filters, even if they don't stock all of the Yanmar chassis components for newer models.

Actually, no. Deere dealers sold YM-series Yanmars in 1970's and 80's, along with the Deere-badged Yanmars like yours. Back in the day. They still have some support for the Deeres that Yanmar built, but none for the Yanmars from back then.

My experience was the Deere service manager rudely ran me out of the place when I asked if they could service, or order parts, for my 1980 YM240 that they may have sold new. I think they got burned when Yanmar abandoned the US market 30(??) years ago.

Likewise the new Yanmar dealers established when Yanmar returned to selling in the US consider those elderly YM's as unfamiliar orphans. Maybe a few dealers could be helpful but on their own initiative, not required by Yanmar USA Corp. I don't know of any such.

Modern Yanmars are superb quality and premium cost, same as the the ancient ones were back then. Worth the premium cost for commercial use. Maybe too expensive for homeowner hobby use. And the modern dealers aren't support for the ancient ones.

 

[California]

Yeah exactly this, maybe to a smaller degree. I try to use my evenings and weekends focused on clean up in the winter season to stay on top of it.

So, the back load is serving as a balance point to what you have on the front?

The ballast weights bolted to the rear wheels are sufficient counter balance for that 200?? lb front load. I wouldn't need anything on the back.

I should note that the 65 lb Quick Hitch that is always on the back is some counterbalance for this small tractor. I hang a couple hundred lbs of weight on it, if I need both counterbalance and improved traction for digging into a dirt pile etc.

 

[EarPlug]

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[California]

And one Washington tractor seller to be a little cautious about. TractorCo.

I was about to drive up there and buy their little backhoe they listed to dig 6 ft deep. It was light enough for my smaller Yanmar. Finally I found the manufacturer's brochure. 4.5 ft.

 

[Oldstuff]

look for a used tractor with low hours. A senario I like is to buy from a widow whose husband has passed is a better situation that to buy from someone alive because they may be getting rid of it for a problem. Example- I bought 2009 kubota L3400 4Wd in early 2022 with 372 hours on it with a front end loader and is a HST. It had been stored inside and had no dents, I paid pretty much top dollar ($18,000)- fast forward 2 1/2 years and it is still a great machine. Try to buy a 2013 or a bit older to stay away from the EPA stuff. Good luck

 

[WinterDeere]

look for a used tractor with low hours. A senario I like is to buy from a widow whose husband has passed is a better situation that to buy from someone alive because they may be getting rid of it for a problem. Example- I bought 2009 kubota L3400 4Wd in early 2022 with 372 hours on it with a front end loader and is a HST. It had been stored inside and had no dents, I paid pretty much top dollar ($18,000)- fast forward 2 1/2 years and it is still a great machine. Try to buy a 2013 or a bit older to stay away from the EPA stuff. Good luck

I'm not going to say you're wrong, but I will point out that most folks fortunate to live long enough do eventually downsize to a smaller property or even a retirement home or assisted living facility. All of these people are selling their tractors, most that have nothing wrong with them, and they're far from dead.

By seeking out only widows selling their dead husbands old machines, you're really only looking at a super-narrow swath of the market. Heck, I'd bet 90% of such machines get passed on to a child or other family member, and never sold.

 

[WinterDeere]

At this point, I feel like it's possible for me to handle this. I can learn, right? I have the internet, right?

Yes. Why not? Just one of many life skills, and a heck of a lot easier than some.

To some degree, I need to be able to handle a lot of the maintenance, as well, and I can figure it out - I have to believe that.

Greasing some fittings, fluid changes, filter changes. If you can do those three things, it's probably going to be 99% of your maintenance on any reasonably new machine. Grease it 2x per year, change oil and filter every year, and other fluids and filters on prescribed schedule. Transmission fluid and filter might be something you choose to take to a dealer, but that's not as frequent. Likewise with radiator flush and fill, but that's only every 6th year with modern systems.

Greasing a newer machine is as easy as wiping the dirt off the fitting, jamming a grease gun onto it, and giving it a pump or two. Usually, finding the fittings is the biggest challenge, the first time you do a new machine. The owner's manual is your bible, there.

Oil change is super easy, plenty of threads and videos on that. Biggest challenge there is finding someone to take your used oil.

Filter changes, usually means change your oil filter yearly with the oil change, blow clean your outer air filter (pre-filter) every year and change it every few, and fuel filter every year. Tractors in the class your shopping just have one fuel filter most of the time, and it's usually a simple spin-on job.

If you need to have the dealer come retrieve it for other items, that's fine. But by learning how to do greasing, fluid, and filter changes, you won't be calling them every year.

So, the back load is serving as a balance point to what you have on the front?

Yes. Hanging weight behind the rear axle, on the 3-point, treats the very strong rear axle as a fulcrum. This serves to remove some of the total load in your loader bucket from the more delicate front axle.

 

[rumwrks]

I will point out that most folks fortunate to live long enough do eventually downsize to a smaller property or even a retirement home or assisted living facility.

Point.. The fella I bought my Kubota from had some serious health issues and was downsizing as you say. I do think the "story" about why they're selling the tractor can be important either way which is probably a reasonable distinction to make.

I also looked at a grand L4740 for my larger tractor but the sellers story was inconsistent and I got skeezed out by that and passed on it. Was it actually fine? IDK.. I couldn't find anything wrong other than what was disclosed.. but I didn't get a good vibe either..

Also if you're not familiar with looking at machinery it can be super helpful to have someone come with you to look at used machines. The short list is somewhat like: "does it sound right" (diesels rattle a bit but it shouldn't be excessive, knocks or uneven running is a red flag), "are there any leaks" (especially around seals, junctions, fittings), are the hoses in good shape (no cracks, weathering on the hydraulic hoses), "is it blowing smoke" (a little white on startup is fine.. continued smoke is generally a bad sign..), is it "tight" (if you can raise the front end on the loader wiggle the wheels and they shouldn't move top/bottom, do the pins on the loader or 3pt have a lot of slop, is the steering sloppy, etc..). I'm probably missing something

 

[California]

... I'm probably missing something

That's a great list but I think it requires a little intuition about mechanical things that she may or may not have.

Anybody who has the successful experience of evaluating a cheap beater car before buying it, could take that list and do fine. (BTDT. I had most recently driven a tractor 40 years prior, before getting the neglected Yanmar I described above, and putting it into good operating condition. I'm not poor, just cheap. )

But lets not assume she has those instincts. Rather, I would advise her to find a local tractor mechanic or small dealer who can recommend, and evaluate, whatever appears on Craigslist or marketplace. I expect she has much better instincts evaluating whether such a person is to be trusted, than she does about used tractors. Then after she screens for suitable, pay that mechanic to do the evaluation of what she selected. And use that same person or shop, for anything she can't do herself, after buying the tractor.

 

[MJZ]

You will love having a tractor. There is a learning process no matter the brand. I think simplicity and return is key. So, the HST transmission , bucket/fel (front end loader), rear brush mower and forks would be a great start. Consider a rear quick hitch. And look for other dealers with other brands in your area. The learning process is worth it. Also, used forks may be a good deal. Just confirm attachment.

 

[dj1701]

I have two tractors for my 13-acre property in NY. One is a John Deere 4320 which gets very little use, and one is a Kubota BX 2680. Had I purchased a loader with the Kubota the JD would get even less use. I think the BX would be a perfect size for you IMHO. What it can do over the little JD lawn tractor you have will amaze you.

You have to remember, bigger tractor, bigger implements for it. $$$

I went with the JD and Kubota for three reasons. One was both dealers were in my town, resale values are higher, and parts availability is greater.

If you're just starting out, smaller might be the safest route to go. Tractors can be intimidating the bigger they get. My girlfriend still won't drive the JD for that reason.

Dave

 

[WinterDeere]

I would advise her to find a local tractor mechanic or small dealer who can recommend, and evaluate, whatever appears on Craigslist or marketplace.

Agreed. Going solo on finding and buying a $10k machine is great for home shop mechanics and those who've already owned and repaired a tractor or two, but comes with risks that increase quickly with lack of experience. I would seek local help, whether that be from an independent mechanic, local dealer, etc.

Just remember the local dealer's incentive is to move product, no matter what's wrong with it, so make sure there's recourse to deal with any problems found later. A 90 day warranty would be a good start, on a used machine.

Hey guys, do any major brands transfer warranties on newer machines? I know that became a thing with used cars about 20 years ago, with fully-transferrable manufacturer warranties.

 

[fattylumpkins]

I went with the JD and Kubota for three reasons. One was both dealers were in my town, resale values are higher, and parts availability is greater.

If you're just starting out, smaller might be the safest route to go. Tractors can be intimidating the bigger they get. My girlfriend still won't drive the JD for that reason.

Thank you for the straightforward advice. It's been very interesting to navigate the highly technical insight regarding implements and specs, in combination with advice on how to approach a used purchase. Your logic makes sense to my smooth brain on the matter. As a note, I always buy new cars, drive them like an old lady, maintain constantly, and hang on to them for a long time. It's hard to fight that instinct of "just buy it new and you're confident that no one has broken it yet."

Previous replies are correct about aptitude of mechanical assessment. I've always been a little trusting on purchases of things directly from owners, so I would definitely need to have a companion for assessment - although the list of what to look for (leaks, cracked hoses, smoke color, weird sounding / inconsistent engine sounds) but does rust matter?

An hydrostatic transmission (HST?) essentially means this is automatic gear shifting, correct? Are there any insights of whether or not the technology is viable in 2024? I know from older models of cars, HST technology was a little rough - that gear shifts caused shuttering of the transmission (I had a Ford Focus 2012 as my first car and it had a lot of serious mechanical issues with the transmission). I understand manual driving of a car in theory but I'm not experienced with it - so I was wondering if there's a preference between those. I'm not familiar if the manual / automatic terminology extends to tractors, but I'm hoping you know what I'm asking. Is there a discernible difference between this dichotomy in terms of ease of use, reliability, and potential repair / maintenance?

 

[dodge man]

HST is just a form of a transmission and is the norm on subcompact and compact tractors. It’s by far the easiest to operate and is proven technology.

 

[MJZ]

@WinterDeere, Yanmar's warranty is transferrable.

 

[2manyrocks]

HST allows you to instantly vary your ground speed without shifting any gears. As long as you change the fluids and filter regularly, it may be more reliable than a traditional clutch as a practical matter. This is the transmission I'd recommend to you because you can so easily change your speed to suit conditions like slowing down due to bumpy ground or tree limbs.

 

[EarPlug]

Your car had a CVT transmission which uses belts and pulleys. A HST uses Hydraulic to change speeds.

 

[ning]

HST transmission - the engine drives the hydraulic pump, and the HST transmission uses the hydraulics to drive the wheels.

In a way it's kinda like a hybrid car, where the engine drives a generator, and the electricity powers motors for the wheels, except we're using hydraulic fluid as the middle part.

Advantages are no clutching (and no clutch to burn), very smooth power flow. Able to go forward and backward just by switching pedals. Disadvantage is a small loss of tractive power vs gear driven because of friction and pumping losses; you're not plowing and this won't be an issue.

btw your JD x350 has an HST too.

 

[airbiscuit]

You are going to love having a tractor for your property. It sounds like this is all very new to you. You are getting a lot of good information on this thread, but you need to really need to see, touch and try to get a better understanding.

There are three dealerships within 20 miles of you. Visit each of them. Tell them about your property, and your plans for using the tractor. Tell them you are a newbie, and ask them to educate you about compact and sub-compact tractors - their features and capabilities. Ask them to give you a demonstration, and ask them to let you operate one (the tractor and the loader). Get some literature.

Do that at each dealership. You will learn more with each visit. That is just step 1. Go back again, and see if any of them are "speaking" to you (ergonomics, price, features, zen.,..). If you make several visits, you will learn more each time.

You'll keep getting advice here, but you really need to get some first hand experience.