Does Anyone Buy Used Tractors?

[Paystar]

Ain't just on new cars. We bought a lifetime oil change from our local stealership (lifetime until ownership of stealership changes). They gave the vehicle back to her and 10 minutes later are calling me in a panic to have her bring the vehicle back. Seems they forgot to put the oil back in.

I'm truly surprised at how far she got before she panicked and pulled the vehicle off the road. Jokers showed up with oil, took her back to the stealership, and then let her go on her way. I got home that night and after listening to it run told her to take it back, it's toast. They wheedled and wined but finally caved in and put a replacement motor in (which took over a month to do). We did get a loaner in the meantime at their cost.

The problem is these places are set up for quick turnarounds. If the book says 2 hours for an alternator replacement and the tech gets it done in one hour he gets paid for two. If he breaks a bolt and it takes 4 hours to get the job done, he gets paid for 2. Do it fast and move on to the next, that's how mechanics make money. Speed vs quality.

I would have loved it if they'd discounted the value of our vehicle on a new one (we needed a new one) but sales and service are run like independent businesses and never the twain shall meet.

Well that sucks, but at least they gave you a new engine. And I agree with what you said.

I never even got an apology from that VW dealer or VW corporate, so therefore even though I like some VW vehicles, I will never own another.
I even advertise for them now. I modified all the VW shirts they gave me. They now all say VW SUCKS. LOL

 

[mo1]

Ain't just on new cars. We bought a lifetime oil change from our local stealership (lifetime until ownership of stealership changes). They gave the vehicle back to her and 10 minutes later are calling me in a panic to have her bring the vehicle back. Seems they forgot to put the oil back in.

I'm truly surprised at how far she got before she panicked and pulled the vehicle off the road. Jokers showed up with oil, took her back to the stealership, and then let her go on her way. I got home that night and after listening to it run told her to take it back, it's toast. They wheedled and wined but finally caved in and put a replacement motor in (which took over a month to do). We did get a loaner in the meantime at their cost.

The problem is these places are set up for quick turnarounds. If the book says 2 hours for an alternator replacement and the tech gets it done in one hour he gets paid for two. If he breaks a bolt and it takes 4 hours to get the job done, he gets paid for 2. Do it fast and move on to the next, that's how mechanics make money. Speed vs quality.

I would have loved it if they'd discounted the value of our vehicle on a new one (we needed a new one) but sales and service are run like independent businesses and never the twain shall meet.

That's why I always change my own oil. Changing oil and mounting/removing wheels is the lowest rung of mechanical work and a lot of shops and dealerships have the lowest-skilled people doing that work. Sometimes you get somebody who knows something and is "working their way up," other times you get the dropout whose tox screen would light up like a Christmas tree if he was ever tested, and he is working at the oil-change place precisely because they didn't make him pee in the cup.

Unless a tech is a shop owner, they nearly always get paid by the time-clock hour, not the book hour. If they do two hours of book labor in one hour, they get paid for one hour. If their average time to complete jobs doesn't "beat the book" by enough of a margin, they get fired.

 

[Lstlk2hi]

I think if you know what you need and you can look at a tool for a job and know what will work.. if you can a couple of compromises and you love to bargain hunt you can find a deal. A lot of people here need the security of a warranty or the buying power of a loan. SO new is the only option. I have both new and used cars as well. My wife's car and truck are dealer new. Mine are all used now although the FORD was new to me in 2016. But I don't need a new one every couple a yrs either. What's that? YEs dear, no dear, yes dear....

I love my yellow wheelbarrows, 1975 JD 300B and 1978 Case 580CK extendahoe. Nothing beats a self propelled wheelbarrow. (laughing at the thought but dam, they sure do beat a single wheel push by human motor) Old Massey Fergy decided it was too tired and sold it for $500 to a hobby mech. The pic I took after catching a tree root and nearly bouncing into uncontrolled roll down steep hillside. Skeered the snot outta me.

 

[Texasmark]

Within the last couple of months upping my corral to 6: 1981 Ford 3600 and 1991 Case-IH. Reason being at my age and working alone, I am tired of mounting and dismounting implements. These last 2 are specific purpose and will stay with the selected implements, not changing. The other ones have either expandable lift arms or Pat's and they are easy enough to change.

Both run strong, start in a heartbeat (good compression), rubber excellent, have new or nice paint and other than fluid changes, a few little things that I wanted changed......in particular , Instrument clusters that are sunbaked have to be replaced. Having a new panel is like having a new tractor.

Both are in the 45 hp range with PS, diesels, one Ind. PTO the other Live. The Case-IH was $7800 and the Ford $6000....very economical for what I got.

 

[masseyrider]

Within the last couple of months upping my corral to 6: 1981 Ford 3600 and 1991 Case-IH. Reason being at my age and working alone, I am tired of mounting and dismounting implements. These last 2 are specific purpose and will stay with the selected implements, not changing. The other ones have either expandable lift arms or Pat's and they are easy enough to change.

Both run strong, start in a heartbeat (good compression), rubber excellent, have new or nice paint and other than fluid changes, a few little things that I wanted changed......in particular , Instrument clusters that are sunbaked have to be replaced. Having a new panel is like having a new tractor.

Both are in the 45 hp range with PS, diesels, one Ind. PTO the other Live. The Case-IH was $7800 and the Ford $6000....very economical for what I got.

A friend of my father's in the way back machine had a tractor for every implement.
His health wasn't the best and he was a small man to begin. He didn't want to be changing things all the time. He had about a 100 acres for some cattle and hay.
As a kid he'd give me a few bucks to fuel his tractors so he wouldn't have to lug the fuel cans.
When he died he had 14 tractors and a backhoe. None had over 700 hours.

 

[LouNY]

Dang it sounds like I've got a bit of catching up to. I've only got 4.
The newest is a Kioti CK2620SE, then the Branson 8050, Then the New Holland 8160 and the oldest now is the IH 574.
Poor old 574 hasn't been unhooked from the generator is a couple of years.

 

[5030]

Changing oil and mounting/removing wheels is the lowest rung of mechanical work

Changing oil maybe but wheels at least on my tractors require a mobile service truck and technician. They weigh more than I want to deal with, least the rears do.

Just had a tube replaced on the open station (had a tear in the tube) and it was 185 bucks. Nothing beats a mobile tractor tire service with on board compressor, air powered bead breakers and jacks to lift it up plus a jib crane to move new tires and mounted ones around with. Don't load my tires either, never have.

 

[LightningCamaroGuy]

Why not? The only way to get a small MERIKA made tractor is used. Or maybe you want an old Ford, or International, or pre-CNH CIH or NH, or old Allis Chalmers are the bomb, or you want to experience the joys of using ether to cold start an old JD with a I6, or maybe you like the Farmall M vs JD Model A rivalry, or your grandpa owned an Oliver, or maybe you've built a case to buy a Case, or maybe you think 9N's or 8N's are cool, or maybe you just don't want to ***** around with emissions.

All these are good reasons for a used tractor.

 

[Bentrim]

Most of the older TO Fergusons and Massey were built (ok assembled) in Detroit. 35, 135, 230, 235, 245 for the smaller tractors then about in the 80's production was moved to England or France, then they went more worldwide. Even the larger tractor of that era were built in the US. Hard to believe but also in that time MF was the #1 in worldwide tractor sales. The best part of those older tractors design did not change much and a lot of parts interchanged between models, used parts are usually readily available, used parts are usually affordable, the diesel was the very efficient Perkins, and parts for them are very reasonable (about $350 for a 3 cylinder out of frame overhaul kit)


As posted i the last post good reasons for a used tractor.

 

[WVH1977]

So, I have been looking at used tractors. Mostly 2005 and up. Prices seem to be 10,000 dollars more than the tractors were worth when bought new. Example, are folks really paying 45,000 for a 2009 John Deere 4720 wit 600 hours? Seen Kubota's with similar prices. Lots of tractors in the 40 to 90 HP range, all in the 30-35,000 dollar range. Is this the new normal????