Hello everyone.
I'm a typical homeowner with just under 3 acres of land in a very rural area of southern WV to maintain. Very soon (Spring/Early Summer) I will be in the market for an older used tractor which will be used to complete a number of earth moving projects and to maintain our gravel driveway which is about 1000 feet long. I'm no stranger to owning and maintaining machinery of virtually every kind so the additional work involved with purchasing "old iron" will not be a problem. In fact, I plan to eventually fully restore the tractor I purchase and have a very large garage with a nice flat concrete floor that is perfectly suited to the task.
Several years ago, I very nearly purchased a new Mahindra 3215 with a backhoe and FEL but couldn't qualify for financing because I tend to pay cash for everything. In hindsight, I am very glad that I did not purchase it because I was rather swept up in the desire to get a new tractor that would have amounted to little more than a very expensive toy. I could have paid cash rather than financing it but I had more important obligations at the time. That, and I was never very comfortable with the dealer, who seemed to be somewhat shady and the fact that Mahindra seems to think that something as simple as prices are top secret. In short, I despise haggling but I can hold my own and am not afraid to walk away if needed.
Transporting the tractor won't be a problem, as I now have an 06 F250 Superduty truck and a new 18 foot carhauler trailer with a 2 foot dovetail and dual #3500 axles, both of which were purchased with the money I saved by not buying the new Mahindra. Although I currently have the wooden deck of the carhauler trailer so I can paint the undercarriage before it rusts, since the manufacturer was too cheap to do so. Come to think of it, that's another reason I am choosing "old iron", because nothing is made like it used to be. Everything today seems to be slap and go for more profit.
After much consideration and deciding that "old iron" will do just fine, I believe I have settled on the Massey Ferguson 135 as the tractor that is right for my needs and budget. I'm also considering the Massey Ferguson 35 but heavily favor the 135. My understanding is that the Massey Ferguson 150 is very similar to the 135 except that it is a bit longer with a stronger front axle which is better if I ever get a FEL so I am considering those as well.
My research seems to indicate that a Massey Ferguson 135 can be bought for between $3000-$5000, depending on the condition, with the very rare possibility of finding one for between $1500-$2000. All things being equal, I believe I can eventually find one for a reasonable price, though I have seen many advertised as "restored" for more money than I would want to pay unless I had very clear documentation to back up the claims of the seller. More often than not, in my experience, "restored" simply means a new coat of paint to make it look pretty so I would much rather find one that shows it's age and do the restoration myself.
Lastly, my fuel preference is gas simply because gas is cheaper and more convenient for me, but I have read that the Perkins 3 cylinder diesel is one tough little engine so I wouldn't pass one up if it came my way.
Well, I think that covers everything, any advice or suggestions anyone can give are much appreciated.
I'm a typical homeowner with just under 3 acres of land in a very rural area of southern WV to maintain. Very soon (Spring/Early Summer) I will be in the market for an older used tractor which will be used to complete a number of earth moving projects and to maintain our gravel driveway which is about 1000 feet long. I'm no stranger to owning and maintaining machinery of virtually every kind so the additional work involved with purchasing "old iron" will not be a problem. In fact, I plan to eventually fully restore the tractor I purchase and have a very large garage with a nice flat concrete floor that is perfectly suited to the task.
Several years ago, I very nearly purchased a new Mahindra 3215 with a backhoe and FEL but couldn't qualify for financing because I tend to pay cash for everything. In hindsight, I am very glad that I did not purchase it because I was rather swept up in the desire to get a new tractor that would have amounted to little more than a very expensive toy. I could have paid cash rather than financing it but I had more important obligations at the time. That, and I was never very comfortable with the dealer, who seemed to be somewhat shady and the fact that Mahindra seems to think that something as simple as prices are top secret. In short, I despise haggling but I can hold my own and am not afraid to walk away if needed.
Transporting the tractor won't be a problem, as I now have an 06 F250 Superduty truck and a new 18 foot carhauler trailer with a 2 foot dovetail and dual #3500 axles, both of which were purchased with the money I saved by not buying the new Mahindra. Although I currently have the wooden deck of the carhauler trailer so I can paint the undercarriage before it rusts, since the manufacturer was too cheap to do so. Come to think of it, that's another reason I am choosing "old iron", because nothing is made like it used to be. Everything today seems to be slap and go for more profit.
After much consideration and deciding that "old iron" will do just fine, I believe I have settled on the Massey Ferguson 135 as the tractor that is right for my needs and budget. I'm also considering the Massey Ferguson 35 but heavily favor the 135. My understanding is that the Massey Ferguson 150 is very similar to the 135 except that it is a bit longer with a stronger front axle which is better if I ever get a FEL so I am considering those as well.
My research seems to indicate that a Massey Ferguson 135 can be bought for between $3000-$5000, depending on the condition, with the very rare possibility of finding one for between $1500-$2000. All things being equal, I believe I can eventually find one for a reasonable price, though I have seen many advertised as "restored" for more money than I would want to pay unless I had very clear documentation to back up the claims of the seller. More often than not, in my experience, "restored" simply means a new coat of paint to make it look pretty so I would much rather find one that shows it's age and do the restoration myself.
Lastly, my fuel preference is gas simply because gas is cheaper and more convenient for me, but I have read that the Perkins 3 cylinder diesel is one tough little engine so I wouldn't pass one up if it came my way.
Well, I think that covers everything, any advice or suggestions anyone can give are much appreciated.