Need Advice

[rScotty]

Thank you

If it runs good and no problems the price sounds like a decent deal - and those are getting hard to find.
I would get a mechanical buddy to look at it with you. A good diesel engine is one that starts well in cold weather.

If you are not familiar with HST transmissions get someone who you trust to drive it around. That HST is the one part of a used tractor that can make a good deal into a bad one. You can fix a manual gear shifting tractor or a diesel engine and certainly electrics and hydraiulics - any of those things may be a pain, but are not fatal flaws. But a bad HST transmission is not something you want. So satisfy yourself there. The good news is that if the HST fluid looks good, and the HST itself works properly then they are very reliable. Expect that all HST transmissions will whine in too high a gear, but they sound reasonalble otherwise. The FEL hydraulic system should work fairly quickly and without excessive jerkiness. The power steering should be smooth with no jerkiness at all.
At that low hours I would expect most all the systems to be tight. .

An even better sign is when the DPO has kept maintenance records and offers you the operator and shop and parts manuals. We should be so lucky.

It will be a tremendous help doing your building work.
It is a little small to do much work in the forest.
I know, because I built our place with an even smaller one.
Yes, I know how tempting it is to do the work yourself, but I urge you no matter what tractor you buy to spend a few thousand dollars getting the major landshaping work done by a professional. Clearing and access. Maybe some digging too. If there is one thing you will thank us here on TBN for suggesting that is it. You will still have plenty to do on your tractor.
good luck,
rScotty

 

[Gzach]

If it runs good and no problems the price sounds like a decent deal - and those are getting hard to find.
I would get a mechanical buddy to look at it with you. A good diesel engine is one that starts well in cold weather.

If you are not familiar with HST transmissions get someone who you trust to drive it around. That HST is the one part of a used tractor that can make a good deal into a bad one. You can fix a manual gear shifting tractor or a diesel engine and certainly electrics and hydraiulics - any of those things may be a pain, but are not fatal flaws. But a bad HST transmission is not something you want. So satisfy yourself there. The good news is that if the HST fluid looks good, and the HST itself works properly then they are very reliable. Expect that all HST transmissions will whine in too high a gear, but they sound reasonalble otherwise. The FEL hydraulic system should work fairly quickly and without excessive jerkiness. The power steering should be smooth with no jerkiness at all.
At that low hours I would expect most all the systems to be tight. .

An even better sign is when the DPO has kept maintenance records and offers you the operator and shop and parts manuals. We should be so lucky.

It will be a tremendous help doing your building work.
It is a little small to do much work in the forest.
I know, because I built our place with an even smaller one.
Yes, I know how tempting it is to do the work yourself, but I urge you no matter what tractor you buy to spend a few thousand dollars getting the major landshaping work done by a professional. Clearing and access. Maybe some digging too. If there is one thing you will thank us here on TBN for suggesting that is it. You will still have plenty to do on your tractor.
good luck,
rScotty

Thank you

 

[rScotty]

Thank you

You're welcome. You know that I did about what it sounds like you are doing with a small compact tractor and have some thoughts.

I loved that compact and it's loader and hoe. Even if it did look silly with the FEL full of rocks, extra weight on the back and chains on all 4 wheels so it could pull a firewood trailer through the woods...but it pulled it. Eventually I happened upon an older larger farm tractor and an old 90 hp backhoe. Both were old with lots of hours, but still working fine and well maintained. BTW, they cost less together than a newish compact tractor. These older larger machines were orphans. Too big for suburbia. Way out of place. And just as wrong for someone wanting machines to run hard enough to make a living with - they would be shot in a month doing that. But for homeowner work done without ever straining the machine and at a much slower pace they were fine for many years yet.
Yes, of course it helps that I'm a mechanical guy - in fact it's essential. I built our house, too. Sounds like you may be doing the same.
.
Even working slowly and gently, the old yellow backhoe nearing 7000 hours can do in one or two easy scoops what it took the little compact an hour to accomplish. And there is almost no limit to what the front bucket can pick up. The old farm tractor still starts and runs fine. It always did. There isn't much that they can't shift. We almost never spin a tire.

Yet even with these machines I hired a bulldozer and an excavator when it was time to do some serious work.

You may have noticed that this TBN forum is oriented toward compact tractors and semi-suburban lifestyle. That's great and we love 'em. But there are other machines out there too.
rScotty