First Tractor...Need Some Advice

[beersngars]

Hi all. Been reading this site for a few weeks now and need some advice. I am looking for a tractor to do brush hog work and driveway maintaince at our cabin. I have looked at about 40 units so far and found one that seems nice and clean. It's a Massey 135 with the 3 cylinder gas engine and power steering. The front tires are brand new and the rears are like new but are a turf type tire. Sheet metal is the best Iv'e seen so far. The present owner just had the gas tank "lined" because he had some rust show up in the carb. Everything else seems tight and right. Now the part that scares me a little. It has been converted to an alternator and the tach cable is disconnected and probably has been for a while. The hour meter shows 6500. Is this too much? The present owner buys and sells tractors and has a good rep. He states the previous owner used it as a mower and kept it inside. The price is 3700.00 with an older 5 foot brush hog he has laying around. What do you guys think. It seems everyone loves the 135's but most rant about the 3 cylinder deisel.

Thanks

 

[Soundguy]

Massey 35, 135, and 165 are some of the most popular old workhorses there are. Add in a few ford models, and you have some of the most widely used tractors back in the day.

6500 hrs is getting up there on a small old farm tractor.. any chnce it has been rebuilt?

Does it start easy? if so.. I'd not worry too much.

The alternator / tach problem is common.. the genny drives, and alt's with tach drives are expensive.. compaired to a 25$ gm alternator in a junkyard.

You can always get a new genny or alternator with proper drive if you want to plunk down another few hundred dolalrs and turn a few wrenches..

Soundguy

 

[D7E]

A "35" is probably everybody's perfect yard tractor but any older Ford,MF , JD is a pretty safe bet ( except for a few models )with absence of live pto and a few awfull trannies and other things, but deisel is always better if your going to use it and not just a toy.
I have a really nice fordson major i'll sell reasonable (it's gas) looking for a diesel motor ?

 

[Harvey7]

Beerman

I'd get the name of the previous owner and get the history from him, he'll probably be up front with you, after all he doesn't own it any longer.

The 135 is a great tractor., the price doesn't sound too bad, plus you get the bush hog.