About JD resale value.
When I bought my JD4100, I traded in a 1988 JD 240 Lawn and Garden Tractor. Basically a glorified riding lawn mower.
It had a 14 horse Kawasaki engine that just wouldn't quit. After 13 years of mowing, pulling, hauling, and joy riding, it was time for retirement. When I made my final decision on the JD 4100 (yes, I looked at Orange and Blue - no real price difference in my case), the ol' workhorse was traded in. In 1988, I paid around $3400 for it. When I traded it in, I got $1250. No too shabby after 13 years of hard use.
Did I get a good deal - yes. The dealer tried to sell it for around $1450 and had no takers. He put it up for auction about 3 months later. How I found this out was that I went to the auction to see what implements I might be able to pick up before purchasing new. As I was walking around, I noticed my JD 240. I would have like to see what it went for, but had other things to attend to.
Everyone I have ever talked to about tractors mentioned the resale value of a JD. Too be honest, that is one of the reasons I bought one. It's like buying a Mercedes or an Acura. If they're well taken care of and in good shape, the trade in and resale value are high. Simply put, the market bears witness to this fact.
Terry