New here and looking to buy first tractor

[generalbegg]

Hey all, I have really enjoyed reading on here and I have a couple of questions. I live in NW MN and there is a guy not too far from me that has listed a YM1500 and a YM1700 for sale. He is asking $2500 and $2700 respectivly and they have 600 hours and 1000 hours on them. I am really just looking for something to mount a snow blower on to clear a 100" driveway which is flat, and possibly add a FEL to do some light work around the yard. Is this a good price? Is there anyway to know if these are rebuilt? I have read enought to know that I don't want a vietnam rebuild. I talked to him on the phone and he told me they both came with the farm he bought a couple of months ago and he has no use for them. For what little I want to do is this a safe buy?? Any input would be greatly appreciated. Attatched are a couple of pictures.

Thanks!

 

[California]

Simple unfounded opinion: Those gorgeous paint jobs on 30 year old tractors makes it likely they are VN 'rebuilt', ie repainted. And with 3 digit hour meters, those hours are meaningless.

On the good side, those models are utterly simple and near indestructible.

And those would be good prices here. I don't know about there.

You need to appraise whether the one you choose is abused and worn out, or cobbled together out of dissimilar components. If you don't find anything to be alarmed about, I would buy one and expect many years of the light service you propose before it needs anything expensive.

Like any used equipment, reserve a budget of a few hundred $ for the unexpected and hope you never need to use it.

I think the 1700 will fit you better (larger operator area) and of course with more horsepower and weight is capable of a broader range of tasks. At that minimal price difference it's the one I would select. But if you need to maneuver around tight spaces the smaller one might make sense.

I would go ahead. You won't find another alternative anywhere near these prices.

 

[tallyho8]

If it has a very nice, almost perfect paint job on it, then it is probably a viet rebuild.

Having a fel put on it might wind up costing you more than you paid for the tractor. It's always nice to get one that already has a fel if you need one.

You could compare prices by looking at the web sites of some of the dealers who post on this board but their prices will usually be higher because they warrant their tractors and some come with rops and other safety devices.

Many times it's worth it to pay a little more to get one with a warranty from a company with a good reputation.

 

[LMTC]

Guys! If it has a nice paint job AND no ROPS or a ROPS that does not have OSHA certification, then it is probably vn. Look at our inventory page...our tractors are better looking than ever, and you KNOW they're not vn recons.

general, the old adage "you get what you pay for" is partially true in this market. The practical truth is.....you never get more than you pay for and you sometimes get what you pay for IF you're dealing with a credible seller. Dealing with a random seller you may well not get what you pay for. ALWAYS get references...multiples, and some a year or more old. Ask to see parts books, and ask how/where he gets his parts. Way too many shady and fly-by-night sellers in this market. We get the teary-eyed calls later from people with no support from their seller and all too often a bad tractor. And while we will sell them parts, they will not get the discounts our tractor customers get, nor the free support/information that goes with our tractor sales.

You will pay more from a credible established dealer, but you will get more...more support, more experience to provide that support, and likely a far better tractor. We sell 1500s for $1300 more than that, and about $850 of it is UTDA safety equipment that the tractors you picture don't have. That makes us about $450 more for a tractor with warranty from an long-established dealer who provides customers with the information and books they need to be as self-sufficient as the choose to be. No ROPS anymore is insane....what's your life worth?

 

[drippingwithgold]

"he told me they both came with the farm he bought a couple of months ago and he has no use for them".


I do not believe this, you buy a farm and get 2 VN recons for free? Nah, he sells them for a living.

 

[LMTC]

Isn't it funny (funny curious, not funny ha-ha) how so many sellers of the vn recons don't want to admit they sell the tractors routinely? They recognize that they HAVE to make up some story, because the truth will never sell those things.

 

[YanmarFever]

The seats dont look like a VC tractor.

Also, you will need a 4x4 machine to move snow, not 2wd.

Keep looking

 

[ritchieb]

I have to say I was tempted a couple of years ago with the nice paint jobs on the VN refurbs also. Key to the sales pitch there seems to be they came with a farm he bought and did not need them. $2500 and $2700 is just that, if you buy one or the other and it lasts one day under hard use will you have a six month warranty? ROPS? they save lives and isn't your life worth another $1000 or $2000 when you buy from a dealer who routinely posts here? (LMTC) Maybe he cannot ship up there but it would be worth checking into. Maybe others also, but if you can, buy from a UTDA member. Ask some dealers and members here some questions, get some references, after all $$$ is $$$ and the cheaper price may come in at a higher price down the road. I would rather have some kind of background and warranty on a tractor purchase. Good investments pay off in the long run.

 

[LMTC]

Oh, we can ship up there, trust me Bret. Heck if we can go to W Va, we can go anywhere.................

So where did you end up getting your tractor Bret?

 

[Gizmo36]

The seats don't look like a vn recons . those seats are from Japan.