Compact tractoring on the cheap!?

[hillslider]

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You get what you pay for.

As far as older American tractors go I have always liked the Massey 135. A good heavy stable tractor that is easy to use.
I have seen good used ones out there for the 3k to 4k range.

Later

 

[rockyridgefarm]

Also, don't forget that most of the new ones offer great finance options. A used tractor can also end up costing to keep it going, sometimes not much, sometimes a whole lot. I know that blows your proposed budget, but be sure to count ALL costs!

 

[Egon]

For going as inexpensively as possible there is no set answer as it will probably involve used equipment. That means you have to search for and be there at just the right time for a reasonable deal on a machine in respectable condition.

As for the cheap compact there is no such thing. You pays now or you pays later but you will end up paying.

Egon

 

[rtimgray]

NH, Kubota, JD, etc. are fine, too... except the dealers are too proud of them ($$$$$).


You get what you pay for.

Yeah, I know that I like to pay a couple thousand more for that John Deere compact instead of its paternal twin Yanmar. Same with New Holland/Ford and Shibaura. It's no doubt that the alleged big three make fine compact tractors because they are either built in Japan, assembled with components made in Japan, or have their components made in America based on Japanese technology. Must be something in the water, huh?

It is (in my opinion) indisputable that JD, NH and Kubota market fine compact tractors under their respective brands. We've used Fords (although the older American made utility/ag tractors) for years with good luck; my JD 2010 backhoe was okay, but nothing special; the Kubota L1500/L175 was a good little compact, but not as nice as a Yanmar 1500. As the major three players in the game, they command a high yet fair market price - if it wasn't fair, folks (except for the ones that are blindly brand loyal) wouldn't buy. I personally don't buy for name alone - I doubt too many people do. When you buy a JD, NH or Kubota, you are buying a fine tractor and name. In my area, from my comparison shopping, I quite frankly have no idea how anyone can afford a JD. The Kubotas and New Hollands were very reasonable I thought, though.

I think somebody else has posted on this forum before the comment "You don't always get what you pay for, but you seldom get more." I also don't think that just because you buy a big name tractor you are necessarily getting a better product; you may be getting one with a more recognizable name and local access to parts in service. However, the savvy buyer who does their due diligence can often pick up an equivalent grey-market counterpart to the alleged American-made tractor and come out ahead by hundreds or thousands of dollars. It may require a bit more research and a few phone calls, but that is part of the education process. For those you are afraid to do their own mechanic work, its good that the premium priced tractors are available; that way there is a tractor for every type of buyer.

Take it Easy

Tim Gray

 

[cowboydoc]

With JD at least the tractors are made to John Deere specs. You won't see a John Deere spec engine in a yanmar. Lots of little differences like wet sleeves, etc. Brakes are different. Hydraulics are different. Flow is different. Materials are different. They aren't the same tractors. It's the same for NH and Kubota. Others may try and copy them or at least make the look the same but the specs are most certainly not the same nor are the components.

It's the same thing with the JD 5303 and the equivalent hp JD 5320. They look like the same tractor but when you really compare the two they are as different as night and day.

There are differences in more than the paint.

 

[knucklehead]

<font color="blue">It's the same thing with the JD 5303 and the equivalent hp JD 5320. They look like the same tractor but when you really compare the two they are as different as night and day.</font>

Cowboydoc - I have been searching TBN recently for info on larger JD's and got into one thread where you were participating and discussing your next purchase - I believe it led to the 4600 (I had the same questions about why go 4700 or a few hp and no improvement in hydraulics, lift, etc., BTW). Sounds like you've gained some knowledge about the bigger ag/utility tractors. I don't mean to hijack this thread, could you expound on that briefly? I'm not in the market right now, but gathering info for a +/- five year distant purchase. I know at a certain level JD starts making its own engines, etc., but I've only recently considered green stuff because I basically get the impression they're the Harleys of the tractor world - everyone wants them, no incentive to price attractively or innovate engineering-wise. Not to start a firestorm, just an impression, that's all.

 

[Egon]

There is more than brand symbolisim involved in the agriculture business.

The equipent must preform, be reliable and have a readily available supply of parts.

When its time to plant or harvest there is only a small window of opportunity availabe. If the equipment fails and the crop is not harvested the bills become very difficult to pay.

Successful farmers will be using reliable equipment. They will also know which models/makes have problems and avoid them.

Egon

 

[rtimgray]

I could be grossly misinformed, but I have seen it documented that the JD 850 and 950 cross directly (minus the PTO speeds) to the Yanmar 2500 and 3000 respectively (I think these are isolated cases). Are these a couple that JD let slide or did Yanmar slide them in on the sly? I agree that there are many differences between the grey market tractors and their American cousins (although very few on the Kubotas, but with the injunction against their importation to the states, that's a moot point), but the grey market tractors sacrifice precious little. It seems that most of the the detractors of grey market tractors, like the detractors of chinese tractors, have never actually owned one, driven one, seen one, etc...just what they hear from word of mouth or posted somewhere on the internet. I have also seen posts from grey market and chinese tractor owners that got a bad unit and have suffered and probably thought "Man, why did I get into this?"

I'll readily agree that there are differences between the greys and the American tractors, but I won't agree that the tractors made the JD/NH/MF specs are any better than their grey cousins. They each have their good points/bad points and have a different owner-buyer markets (owner tolerances and such). All in all, I personally think that a Yanmar grey market tractor is the best value on the compact tractor market today. But hey, I owned a Belarus for five years, so what do I know anyway?

Take it Easy

Tim Gray

 

[EagleEye]

SteveM,
I just sold my Ford 8N in April so that I could buy a new NH TC35. I almost shed a tear when I watched that guy drive my 48' (1947 year) model down the 600' driveway. It was like watching an old friend that I'd been through a lot of good and bad times together leaving me forever.

Well, that guy drove that tractor home (which was about 15 miles away). He still says it's a great tractor (I sold it to him for $2300, which is $300 more than I paid for it).

The 8N is a GREAT starter tractor. It's inexpensive to purchase, works great with a brush hog, is very inexpensive to maintain and a very simple machine to fix. You can also find a HUGE support network like this one at Yesterday's tractors. When it comes to knowing how to fix things, those guys (many of them, old timers) have a fantastic collection of knowledge. I learned tricks from them that astounded me (like how to get the rear seal off the axle without taking off your knee caps at the same time). /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif....

In any event, I am biased because when I grew up, we had Ford tractors (much more recent models) but I will agree that you can't go wrong with an American brand.

I'm am admittedly tough on a tractor and that 8N was just coming back asking for more... She loved to work hard for me. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[EagleEye]

.... oh yea...forgot to tell you ... I DO NOT CONSIDER MYSELF A GREASE MONKEY SO don't interpret my changing a rear seal with any great feats of mechanical strength. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif