Buying Advice Buying used, how many hours are too many?

[popsx3]

Looking to buy a used Kubota or whatever comes up in my price range. I see a bunch with up to 900 hours on them. Considering I'll use it clip around 10 acres once a month, maybe disc a garden, and scrape the road . I have a 1974 Ford 3000 that I'm tired of patching, no idea how many hours it has, but past it's prime, looking for something to just climb on and go. What is your cut off?
Thanks,
Pops

 

[Peter 315]

I have over 700 hundred hours on my L3800 still runs like new.......It depends on how hard the hours were put on it could be junk in a couple hundred hours...I start mine and let it warm up and cool down before shut down always change the oil and air filters......900 hundred hours is not much if taken care of.....

 

[dodge man]

Like a lot of things, there is no black and white answer. I kind of think of 1000 hours on small tractors being like 100,000 miles on a car. It’s not exact though, for a large ag tractor or construction equipment 1000 hours is very low. With tractors and equipment it’s more about maintenance and care. 900 hours on a small tractor could mean it’s used up or it could be in great shape.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Look around. If it was me, under 500 hours for sure, under 250 even better. Lot's of guys out there like me, tractor time is mostly play time. My MX is 7 1/2 years old and I just hit 180 hours.

 

[Storm56]

Hours are certainly a consideration, but by no means the only criteria. Compact diesels are more than capable of 10,000 hours if maintenance is good and not abused. Sadly most never come close to that. It is not hard to tell if a machine has been abused. Look for a clean unit that demonstates it's owner had pride of ownership.

I look for something that has been kept in a garage and has had regular maintenance. It is pretty easy to look at the unit and make a judgement if the owner used it a lot out of it's design parameters.

I equate 1000 hours to about 40,000 miles on a diesel pickup, really just getting broken in. Would much rather buy a clean well cared for unit with 1500-2000 hours than an abused unit with 300. Two years ago I bought a nice John Deere 790 with 670 hours. Works as new. There were a few things that required attention but after addressing them it has performed flawlessly.

Good luck in your search.

 

[fried1765]

Hours are certainly a consideration, but by no means the only criteria. Compact diesels are more than capable of 10,000 hours if maintenance is good and not abused. Sadly most never come close to that. It is not hard to tell if a machine has been abused. Look for a clean unit that demonstates it's owner had pride of ownership.

I look for something that has been kept in a garage and has had regular maintenance. It is pretty easy to look at the unit and make a judgement if the owner used it a lot out of it's design parameters.

I equate 1000 hours to about 40,000 miles on a diesel pickup, really just getting broken in. Would much rather buy a clean well cared for unit with 1500-2000 hours than an abused unit with 300. Two years ago I bought a nice John Deere 790 with 670 hours. Works as new. There were a few things that required attention but after addressing them it has performed flawlessly.

Good luck in your search.

^^^^^ I agree with the 40,000 mile comparison.

 

[4570Man]

^^^^^ I agree with the 40,000 mile comparison.

My gas burner 6.0 suburban had at the point the dash cluster died 292,000 miles and over 9,000 hours. My bucket truck with a DT466 is also over 9,000 hours.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

My 2011 BX has 1500+ HRs. Runs and operates same as when new. Body panels show the hours but that is all replaceable easily for around $500. If and when I want to sell (probably a couple years), buy the fix up items and increase price a couple thousand. Never been garaged but new sheet metal and plastic parts will make it look like new.

Ron

 

[redman135]

I would be more concerned with the maintenance than the hours.
Does it have records? (some people are meticulous).
Was it shed stored?
Was the owner a careful operator, or indifferent or a wrecker?
These 3 questions have more relevance to me than the hours.

 

[Hay Dude]

I would be more concerned with the maintenance than the hours.
Does it have records? (some people are meticulous).
Was it shed stored?
Was the owner a careful operator, or indifferent or a wrecker?
These 3 questions have more relevance to me than the hours.

Me, too. Would rather buy clean, maintained, shedded 2000 hr tractor than 1000 hr left outside with little maintenance
It would sell for less too.