How do you know a good used tractor when you see one?

[RoMad]

I bought my tractor used with very littlte tractor knowledge. First, I would recommend reading a lot here. Second, appearance as stated above. What did they do with the tractor? The guy that had mine bought it new in 03 and only had 3 acres. The front end loader did not have any slop in it from lots of use. The tires looked good. It started cold and did not smoke a lot.
What I missed. When I test drove it, it was in hign range and four wheel drive. I asked the guy how to tell if the four wheel drive worked. He said rev it up and pop the clutch in second gear and you will see the front tires spin on the grass. I did and they spun and I was happy. He came down 1k from his asking price real quick, so I bought it.
When I got it home I found that it would not come out of high range or four wheel drive. Luckily it was just the two levers sharing the same swivel point and they were froze up. It was an easy fix. I got lucky and have a very good little tractor that I am happy with.
Don't be like me, be more thorough.
I would definately buy used again, just with a little longer test drive

 

[sweettractors]

If you are in the market for a new or "gently used" tractor, what are some things to look for to make sure the used tractor isn't likely to turn out to be a lemon?

Talk to the previous tractor owner or ask one of his neighbors how much trouble the owner had over the years. He will also probably know why he is selling it. Ken Sweet

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

Like any mechanical machine (tractor, car, whatever), look for signs of trouble or repairs that may have been done which is made evident by broken / chipped off paint on bolt heads. Or RTV sealant looking "fresh" / unpainted around a seem where components fit together.
This can be good or bad - if it's obvious the tractor has been broken in half to install a new clutch it could be good - it's been replaced already and you should not have to worry about it for a while. It is a something that should not have to be messed with for many many hours / years of use, though, then it could be signs the machine is worn out. If you spot something, aks the owner about it and see what they say - most sellers will offer up good stuff (like the new clutch example) but if you spot a questionable item and call them on it, they may knock the price down or admit there's something going on that you'll need to address later.

 

[wolc123]

My best deal on an old tractor came from an old widow. She was a nieghbor and I knew her husband always took good care of the machine. He used it to work up a 1/2 acre garden each spring and little else. It was a 1951 Ford 8n that I bought around 1985 when it had 1200 hours on it and most of the factory paint. I think I paid her around $1200 for the tractor, 2x12 plow, 6.5 ft disc, 6 ft drag, and 7 ft snowplow. It had low compression due to unhardened factory valve seats that were never intended to operate with unleaded gas. Since giving that tractor a valve job, more than 25 years ago, it has operated completely trouble-free for over 1000 additional hours, needing nothing but oil & filter changes every other year or so. For the first few years, it was my only tractor and got somewhat heavy use. I still use it weekly thru the winter for hauling firewood and a bit each spring on a 2-row corn planter. For those jobs, there is no modern tractor I would rather use. It still starts on six volts with the first turn or two of the engine, even when the temperature is below zero. The steering is still very tight, the brakes are good, and the tires it had on when I bought it (probably it's second set) are almost like new. There has probably been less than a dozen nights when it has "slept outside", which no doubt contributed to its fine shape today. The moral of the story here is: if you know the previous owner, and the history of the machine, you stand a very good chance of being far better served by an old tractor than a new one. I put myself thru college on the money I saved by not buying a new tractor back then.

 

[BrierPatch]

Take a buddy along that is knowledgable and he will be able to look at it more unbiased and hopefully with your best intrests and without the excitement of purchasing a new tractor that a lot of us fall prey to and miss some things.

Good Luck !

Oh yah. I almost got burned on my used tractor purchase also. Bought it for over $6k and with in 6 months it turned into a fog machine. I was told $3k worst case total engine rebuild or $1500 for trade in. Luckily I turn wrenchs and was able to replace the rings, tighten up the rocker arm assembly, and clean up the engine for only a couple hundred dollars. And yes once I tore apart the engine it was obvious that someone had already been in it as well, which caused the problem. Funny Seller didn't mention that part. Get a Work Shop Manual if you are going to work on it yourself !

 

[Humdinger]

Great advice guys, thanks! I'd have to get a really good deal on a used one to think about it over buying new, but you never know.

 

[SandburRanch]

Take a buddy along that is knowledgable and he will be able to look at it more unbiased and hopefully with your best intrests and without the excitement of purchasing a new tractor that a lot of us fall prey to and miss some things.

Good Luck !

Oh yah. I almost got burned on my used tractor purchase also. Bought it for over $6k and with in 6 months it turned into a fog machine. I was told $3k worst case total engine rebuild or $1500 for trade in. Luckily I turn wrenchs and was able to replace the rings, tighten up the rocker arm assembly, and clean up the engine for only a couple hundred dollars. And yes once I tore apart the engine it was obvious that someone had already been in it as well, which caused the problem. Funny Seller didn't mention that part. Get a Work Shop Manual if you are going to work on it yourself !

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That's a real good example of someone lapping the valves.