Comparison Help me decide...?

[bearthebruce]

There is now an online Massey dealer where I have purchased parts. If you want that web address, PM me and I will get it for you.

As you will see, I operate a 2005 1533... pretty much the same machine you have but perhaps a little larger engine.

 

[5030]

Other than imported parts from you know where, all parts are expensive today and I'm patently curious as to how the tariff's will impact those 'made in China' parts as well.... Myself, I prefer to avoid those parts in general as often they are substandard replacements, especially carbs and spark plugs.

 

[arrow]

So basically you have a 20 yr old tractor and about a 30 yr old tractor to choose from.
Sell them both and with the proceeds from these sales, use the money as a down payment for a new machine.

Life’s too short to keep nursing and chasing parts for old machines imo.

 

[rScotty]

So basically you have a 20 yr old tractor and about a 30 yr old tractor to choose from.
Sell them both and with the proceeds from these sales, use the money as a down payment for a new machine.

Life’s too short to keep nursing and chasing parts for old machines imo.

There's other ways to look at that thought:

We know tractors are much more reliable than cars, trucks, and most other mechanical things.

So if manufacturing 20/30 years ago was as good or better than today, then any reliability difference between an old tractor and a new one is easily made equal by any reasonably mechanical owner.

It seems to me to be a worthwhile gamble that the time and energy invested in an old one is going to be less than the time spent making money to pay for a new one. But even if the time spent is equal, money spent on the old one is an investment rather than an obligation.

Life's too short to trade away just paying off debts.

rScotty

 

[bigtiller]

So basically you have a 20 yr old tractor and about a 30 yr old tractor to choose from.
Sell them both and with the proceeds from these sales, use the money as a down payment for a new machine.

Life’s too short to keep nursing and chasing parts for old machines imo.

That's what I would do.
Also, with a cab tractor, you can enjoy the "new-tractor" smell.

 

[jorswift]

That's what I would do.
Also, with a cab tractor, you can enjoy the "new-tractor" smell.

Looking to add a skid steer with the profit from selling one of the tractors.

 

[arrow]

There's other ways to look at that thought:

We know tractors are much more reliable than cars, trucks, and most other mechanical things.

So if manufacturing 20/30 years ago was as good or better than today, then any reliability difference between an old tractor and a new one is easily made equal by any reasonably mechanical owner.

It seems to me to be a worthwhile gamble that the time and energy invested in an old one is going to be less than the time spent making money to pay for a new one. But even if the time spent is equal, money spent on the old one is an investment rather than an obligation.

Life's too short to trade away just paying off debts.

rScotty

I had a 1985 jd cut. Kept it for 28 yrs. Parts became almost impossible to get thru jd and had to use old tractor junk yards to find what I needed.
I sold it to a guy who owned a machine shop and when I told him of the parts situation, he had no worries as he felt he could make any part he needed.
Now I’ll tell ya what makes life shorter. Stress.
So you’ll either stress out for payments made on a new machine and I don’t care how much possibly better older iron was made, new is new and new stuff has a much better life chance than anything 25 yrs old.
Or you’ll stress out on not getting a job done because your old iron may give up the ghost.
Or you’ll stress out about any costs involved with fixing your old machine and not having it when you need or want it….. so pick your poison.
I work on these things and what I see ppl spending money on to fix up old crap is ludicrous to me.

 

[Joe Batt]

My MF1250 front hubs are starting to leak. The o ring is $100, which seems ridiculous to me. The PTO seal was $75 a few years ago. The tractor is functioning fine, but the stupid custom parts are just awful. They could have used a common seal in both cases, instead of a custom seal. I couldn't even get lower lift arms and had to fabricate my own.

 

[rScotty]

SNIP
Life's too short to trade away just paying off debts.

rScotty

SNIP
Now I’ll tell ya what makes life shorter. Stress.
So you’ll either stress out for payments made on a new machine and I don’t care how much possibly better older iron was made, new is new and new stuff has a much better life chance than anything 25 yrs old.
Or you’ll stress out on not getting a job done because your old iron may give up the ghost.
Or you’ll stress out about any costs involved with fixing your old machine and not having it when you need or want it….. so pick your poison.
I work on these things and what I see ppl spending money on to fix up old crap is ludicrous to me.

Well, I know about tractors and old machines, but not so much about other people & their stresses.

To me a tractor is stress relief - whether I'm working on it or with it, both are good because I am the one who can choose when and how to do the work. Just being in charge of my own time is what works for me.

rScotty