Kubota L3710 at auction Backhoe, loader, & mower. How Much should I bid?

[3jakes]

Coming up at auction is a Kubota L3710 selling as a package with:
HST
4690A 12" backhoe (3 pt hitch type)
LA682 Loader (has chain hooks welded to the top, no teeth in the bucket)
RC7236A Belly mower
Heated Cab.
800 hours. 10 years old.

I was able to view & hear it run (started easy) but not drive.
Bucket is rusted from loading municipal salt trucks. Rust has worked itself into the swivel joints of the bucket, but I didn't see any cracks.
Paint is pretty faded.
Front tires look pretty worn. Rear tires look good. (ag type)

This is more tractor than I invisioned myself buying. I want to be able to bush hog old pasture & logging trails in my woods.... but the back hoe is really speaking to me.

I asked the auctioneer what he thought it would sell for & he said around $19,000. Is he close? Can I hope for a better price? Should I just stay home?

 

[nybirdman]

Personaly I would avoid that tractor...mostly because of the use in salt.I wouldn't use a three point back-hoe myself.Sounds like it was used by a school or business,lots of drivers..........

 

[scoutcub]

I think the auctioneer mis-spoke....I think he wants YOU to bid 19K.....:laughing:

I would be leery of that machine, unless it goes for very cheap money. 19K sounds a bit steep to me.

If you keep looking, there's always a better deal out there......shopping is half the fun.

good luck!

 

[Singlemalt]

Its always hard to say if a used deal is a good one. Sounds like commercial use. 10 years
How well was it maintained? Front tires worn but then front seals and bearings may also be in trouble. If it is showing rust what is it not showing?

Check out the tractorbynet classifieds for some price comparisons.
(2009 BX 25 w/FEL and hoe 462 hours $14750)
For $19,000 you could probably find brand new and it would be closer to what you need. Price out some newer models, Kubota, Kioti, etc. 30 HP is a lot of tractor.

If you miss this one another will be along, just like a bus.

 

[Cat_Driver]

Rust on a bucket is a non issue, buckets are cheap. Bid what your comfortable with. 19K is out of the question though.

 

[LastSTRAW]

19K is a lot to spend on a tractor of unknown quality even more so if you don't necessarily need all the extras.

Now if it goes real cheap it might be worth the risk or you might be able to sell the pieces you don't need to bring the cost of the tractor down.

If you are going to pay close to market value you would be better off buying something newer from a dealer with some type of warranty. IMHO

I have seen people pay more for a used item at auction than the same item would have sold for new.

 

[dfkrug]

I asked the auctioneer what he thought it would sell for & he said around $19,000. Is he close? Can I hope for a better price? Should I just stay home?

Well, he might be right, depending on how well publicized the auction is
and how many bidders he gets.

Despite the bad economy, many buyers still WAY overpay because they
get into a frenzy and want to win, rather than get a good deal. I have
seen buyers buy tractors at auction with known problems, without ANY
testing.

Seeing it start and run is a good thing, but you still have not driven it. If
there are drivetrain problems, that unit could be "worth" less than $10K.
But worth is what a person is willing to pay, ignorant or not.

Since you are in PA, check out McGrew's auctions on eBay. Some of
his stuff sells high, and others not so much. I bought my 4-in-1 bucket
from them, shipped to CA.

 

[3jakes]

Thanks everyone so far for your 2 cents.
I know how auctions go (car & estates) But farm equipment not so much.
I had stopped at a Kubota dealer & he quoted me $19500. for a new L3200 with no extras.
So when I saw this one with all the attachments, I thought it was worth a look.
and I always thought that 800 hours on a Kabota was nothing.

So what would a good lo-ball & stop price be?
$8000. ..... $12000. ..?

Don't worry, I won't hate anyone for spending my money.
I'm just looking for opinions.

 

[kevincook]

The three point mounted backhoe can put too much stress on the tractor. People have actually broken their tractors in half with this setup. Do you trust the people that have used this tractor in the past? I wouldn't.

Kevin

 

[3jakes]

Just wanted to put a "period" at the end of this thread.
I went to the municipal auction today to see the opening of the bids.
I had taken the pricing advice of someone on another thread, & went to the Kubota site & "built myself" a comparable tractor & subtracted 15%.
That came to around $30K. Then I thought about half that would be a fair price, so $15K.
Then I knocked off another $2500. to make it a killer deal.
I bid $12500.
Only 3 other bids came in...
$8,000
$10,000
And... $13,500.
so I didn't drive a tractor home, but I feel I learned a lot in the process.