Are You A Gambler?

[TimberFarm]

Iron Planet auction has about 20 brand new Kubotas being auctioned off. All listed as "sustained flood damage March 10". They are all still in their crates. No ideas of high the water got on them or what.
Would you take a chance?

 

[paulsharvey]

Iron Planet auction has about 20 brand new Kubotas being auctioned off. All listed as "sustained flood damage March 10". They are all still in their crates. No ideas of high the water got on them or what.
Would you take a chance?

Not without a very significant cost savings. I mean, near scrap value. A tractor can take a lot of water and be fine; but I wouldn't want to be chasing electric gremlins for a decade. I would also closely inspect everything. I wonder what kind of 'rehab' they did after the flood? Also, being in crates probably makes it worse, as they were lower than with wheel, and the crate trapped moisture/water. I would certainly want to build in enough cost savings to have an entire wire harness (that's a lot of money by itself), and maybe pull head to make sure the valves are salt water rust welded...

If we are talking $5k for a $35,000 machine; you probably could part it out and make money; but if we are at 50% original price, I would Run away

 

[stoyan79]

By the time you pay auction fees, shipping from Cali, get rest of parts and loader to put together ...

 

[Thomas]

Nope to iffy...long run could cost more than real good second tractor.

 

[TimberFarm]

I wouldn't either, at least not without being at the auction in person to go over with a fine tooth comb.
I wonder if anybody here who knows where the Kubota warehouse is or maybe the Kubota dealership that got flooded and would know just how high the water actually got since they live in the area.

 

[stevem5215]

Yeah, if you are there in person and can inspect the equipment as in touch it and take some things apart, then I'd look at all the wiring connectors and then the insides of the cylinders if they'd let me pull the glow plugs or the like. That would be enough to tell you to run away or not.

 

[oldnslo]

I suspect they will not let you open the crates and inspect them. Most likely buy as is, with luck you can possibly see water lines on outside of crates and then speculate on what got damaged.

That is how they handled flood damaged items here a few years back.

 

[TimberFarm]

I suspect they will not let you open the crates and inspect them. Most likely buy as is, with luck you can possibly see water lines on outside of crates and then speculate on what got damaged.

That is how they handled flood damaged items here a few years back.

That's what I was thinking. If there is a water line that is low enough, that may be a deal. Could be the dealer/distributor got wet and just because there was water in the building the insurance company totaled everything in it.
I'm guessing Iron Planet got them all from the insurance company???

 

[KennyG]

Unfortunately, because tractors are not titled, someone will buy these up, put a few hours on them, and resell them as low hour like new tractors.

 

[paulsharvey]

Unfortunately, because tractors are not titled, someone will buy these up, put a few hours on them, and resell them as low hour like new tractors.

It's that or if rough enough, they will be shipped to central America, where the labor rates to rebuild are very low.

 

[paulsharvey]

At the current bid, $5,500 for an M6060D 4x4; if you had the money, where that wasn't a devastating loss, and bids stayed under 10k; it might not be a bad deal. You would want to make sure you budget at least $5k, for contingency, but even at 20k, all in, that's pretty good. And yes, if you put the money into getting it to 85-95%, I wouldn't have a problem placing it for sale for $30-35k as a used machine. Pretty sure you have no legal obligation to disclose its past. Just if you say running, like new, then that needs to be accurate.

ECU is around $1250
Wheels and tires, probably $2500
I assume they ship in the 'dry' so, all fluids, probably fill run a couple hours, flush and refill, so, let's say $500
Dash electronics few hundred; call it $250
Wiring harness, looks like $550, but I doubt that's the 100% complete harness

Your probably at $5k in parts to make it right, assuming nothing got into the engine

Can't begin to throw an educated guess at emissions crap cost or problems

Edit: I'm assuming salt water flooding; but if anyone is serious, I would do some googling on flooding March 10th, 2023. Not that fresh water is OK, but its not as bad as salt water. Also, some of the units have wheels, tires, loaders, like the L3902, and the chrome on the rods looks good.

 

[TimberFarm]

At the current bid, $5,500 for an M6060D 4x4; if you had the money, where that wasn't a devastating loss, and bids stayed under 10k; it might not be a bad deal. You would want to make sure you budget at least $5k, for contingency, but even at 20k, all in, that's pretty good. And yes, if you put the money into getting it to 85-95%, I wouldn't have a problem placing it for sale for $30-35k as a used machine. Pretty sure you have no legal obligation to disclose its past. Just if you say running, like new, then that needs to be accurate.

ECU is around $1250
Wheels and tires, probably $2500
I assume they ship in the 'dry' so, all fluids, probably fill run a couple hours, flush and refill, so, let's say $500
Dash electronics few hundred; call it $250
Wiring harness, looks like $550, but I doubt that's the 100% complete harness

Your probably at $5k in parts to make it right, assuming nothing got into the engine

Can't begin to throw an educated guess at emissions crap cost or problems

Edit: I'm assuming salt water flooding; but if anyone is serious, I would do some googling on flooding March 10th, 2023. Not that fresh water is OK, but its not as bad as salt water. Also, some of the units have wheels, tires, loaders, like the L3902, and the chrome on the rods looks good.

The auction is CA so I was thinking this was all the snow melt floods combined with rainstorms they had. My guess would be no salt. That is just a guess. I was hoping to see if some CA members were going to chime in on this.
Hmmm, or maybe they know something and could be in the bids. Maybe holding their cards close. This is gambling after all.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

My son works in insurance and says absolutely, NO DO NOT BUY ANYTHING BEING SOLD AS "SUSTAINED FLOOD DAMAGE".
Sorry about the yelling there, but that is the way he gave me the advise many years ago.

 

[Omega Woods]

If you have the shop, time and expertise and the need for such a thing and can save 75% or more then sure. As long as you’re prepared to lose your initial investment. Gambling, as the post title indicates.

You could start a YouTube channel around the assembly and restoration of it.

 

[Robert walker]

Iron Planet auction has about 20 brand new Kubotas being auctioned off. All listed as "sustained flood damage March 10". They are all still in their crates. No ideas of high the water got on them or what.
Would you take a chance?

Post a link to the auction

2022 Kubota Mx5400HST Utility Tractor (Unused)

Hydrostatic Drive, Tier 4, 53 hp Engine, 2022 US EPA Label, 540 PTO, 3-Point Hitch

www.ironplanet.com

 

[jwmorris]

If I gamble it’s generally with very small denominations of money. If I make a substantial bet the odds are going to be in my favor by good margin.

With all of the electronics in things these days, I’d pass unless they are giving them away.

 

[iptman]

Do you get the wheels and tires and anything else needed to put them together?

 

[kneedeep]

Looks like they were under water.
Probably be a bunch of used like new tractors on the jockey lots in the future.
Maybe a goggle search would show this but doubtful.

 

[TimberFarm]

Do you get the wheels and tires and anything else needed to put them together?

Most likely not. The auction would usually say that was included.
Auctions: As is, where is.

 

[oosik]

NO - you are simply taking on somebody else's liabilities.