Yes, for what they are, you pay about 100 times over the odds for anything over 5 years old. Who else would pay 10K for a 20 year old machine that has spent its life in ***** and has appreciated since it was first bought!?
But anyway, unless you can spend 25K you don't get value for money.
As for electronic controls, the way I look at is:
My neighbour has an old Renault, everything is levers. It feels clunky, the linkages all feel worn out, it feels old basically.
But then, another neighbour has a Massey 3095 in pretty rough condition really, rusty old bucket, much worse than the Renault, but you get in it, close the door, and it still feels pretty new. Switches either work or they don't, no inbetween.
Sure, you can get the odd faulty connection, but normally it doesn't take much to fix, yes a solenoid can burn out, but thats a new solenoid and 2 minutes to bolt on.
But then get the Renault, and the linkage to control the 3PH is a really complex unit. If that gets too worn out, its an off with the cab job and lots of time to fix it.
The Massey linage control is just two valves controlling up and down, a sensor to tell where it is in it's stroke and a computter brain, which hardly ever actually breaks.
Yes, dealers may not look like that much help, but at least if you stick with a Deere John 2650 or a Massey 3070 you can give the dealer a ring and they can advise you over the phone or send a spanner man out if you are stuck. By something obscure, and you are on your own.
Same goes for if you buy it and it blows up the next day, at least with a dealer you have some comeback. I reckon most older tractors of this age are in auctions because something is about to go wrong on them. Leave them to the dealers to worry about...
I am actually about to swap in an older Same which whilst it is an OK tractor, the dealer support lets it down, he is not interested in helping, and the Deere dealer is 3 minutes drive away. When you need the tractor and hay is on the ground, a break down is not good. I'm looking for a JD 6410 or similar, but thats 14K ish.
I'm also on the hunt for a cheap 2WD MF3000 close to me like my neighbours one to help out at hay time
I'd like it as a bit of a project. Need to find a 16 speeder though.
But anyway, unless you can spend 25K you don't get value for money.
As for electronic controls, the way I look at is:
My neighbour has an old Renault, everything is levers. It feels clunky, the linkages all feel worn out, it feels old basically.
But then, another neighbour has a Massey 3095 in pretty rough condition really, rusty old bucket, much worse than the Renault, but you get in it, close the door, and it still feels pretty new. Switches either work or they don't, no inbetween.
Sure, you can get the odd faulty connection, but normally it doesn't take much to fix, yes a solenoid can burn out, but thats a new solenoid and 2 minutes to bolt on.
But then get the Renault, and the linkage to control the 3PH is a really complex unit. If that gets too worn out, its an off with the cab job and lots of time to fix it.
The Massey linage control is just two valves controlling up and down, a sensor to tell where it is in it's stroke and a computter brain, which hardly ever actually breaks.
Yes, dealers may not look like that much help, but at least if you stick with a Deere John 2650 or a Massey 3070 you can give the dealer a ring and they can advise you over the phone or send a spanner man out if you are stuck. By something obscure, and you are on your own.
Same goes for if you buy it and it blows up the next day, at least with a dealer you have some comeback. I reckon most older tractors of this age are in auctions because something is about to go wrong on them. Leave them to the dealers to worry about...
I am actually about to swap in an older Same which whilst it is an OK tractor, the dealer support lets it down, he is not interested in helping, and the Deere dealer is 3 minutes drive away. When you need the tractor and hay is on the ground, a break down is not good. I'm looking for a JD 6410 or similar, but thats 14K ish.
I'm also on the hunt for a cheap 2WD MF3000 close to me like my neighbours one to help out at hay time
I'd like it as a bit of a project. Need to find a 16 speeder though.