Buying Advice New Tractor Delivery Hour Meter

[gunmonkeyintl]

My wife got a new Kubota last month and it has 0.1 hour on it and that's where she drove it around the lot. To me new is less than 1 hour. I feel if it has more than 3 hours it must be used...

By that rationale, a tractor is only "new" if the dealer didn't bother to prep and check out the machine before delivery. In that scenario, the dealer towed it out on to the lot, your wife drove it around for 6 minutes, then it showed up at your house (loaded on the trailer and unloaded with the engine off?).

Mine had 3.6 hours when it was delivered and that did not seem excessive to me. The dealer had to install and test the FEL and back-hoe, hook up a cylinder and test both of the remotes, etc. I know for a fact it was new. The dealer did not have the model I was buying on the lot, and drove to the NC headquarters to pick it up. I even saw it in the crate before his tech started assembly.

We're talking about extremes here. I would want more than a single test drive clocked before a dealer delivered a $xx,xxx product to me. Too, I'm not sure I would accept paying full price for a $xx,xxx product, with a diesel engine, that had its first 30-60 hours put on it at trade shows demonstrating its capabilities to countless shoppers. Even if the dealer is the only one driving it at the shows, his product is in the spotlight, and he is going to work it. Worse, if the shoppers are allowed to drive it, then it is a (free) rented mule in their minds. Who knows how they ran it.

RE: the OP's conundrum, even if it showed up with only 15 hours on it, I would be looking for some sort of significant discount. You negotiated for a new tractor. The delaer has now told you, after the fact, that you're getting a trade-show queen. You can take for granted that every hour on the meter was a hard one, and probably not in line with proper break-in procedure.

 

[LD1]

Here is my take:

0-10 hrs, no complaints. Life goes on and you get a new tractor
10-25hrs, IMO you are entitled to a free 50hr service
25+ hours, IMO you are entitled to a discount

All of that depending on wether the "hours" were just loading, unloading, etc. And not actually being used. The first time the loader hits a dirt pile, it will mark up the bucket. That is a clear indication of if it is used, or just been running to load and unload.

Kinda like cars. I personally dont care. I know some people complain about a "new" car having 50 miles on it. I dont. How the heck are people supposed to test drive them???

 

[Bird]

Hope those of you who want almost no hours on a "new" tractor never try to buy a new motorhome.:laughing: "New" motorhomes are driven from the factory to a dealer so it's not uncommon for them to have a thousand or more miles on them. I once drove a new motorhome from the dealer a thousand miles to deliver it to the buyer; don't remember how many miles were put on it from the manufacturer to the dealer.

 

[MFRED]

Yeah I really don't see anything wrong with up to 10 hours or so. Really could be nice to fine any small issues that might show up. As long as it looks new and the bucket hasn't been beat up, tires skun up or anything

 

[Gary Fowler]

I would rather have a tractor that has been ran 20 hours or more than one with .5 hours. I would think that any bugs or kinks would be ironed out by then. Since most dealers charge for pickup and delivery even on warranty items, this could save you hundreds of dollars in transport cost just to fix a small leak. If the tractor has 25- 50 hours, I would ask the dealer pay for the 50 hour service INCLUDING pick up and delivery. This 50 hour service could cost you $300-500 from dealer and around $200 in parts alone if you do it yourself.

 

[Bluegill2]

I'm glad my 3800 had 14 hours on it when I bought it.

 

[Guesseral]

My new tractor had 23 hours on it when I got it. The dealer stated it had 14 when he got it and he did all of the checks including idling time on it and customers had tested it, and it came from a different dealer (some other state) who had probably done the same things with before it came to him. All and all it just didn't matter I got such a discount on it that I just didn't care, and I still looked at it as a brand new tractor and it was a last year model also. Of course I looked at it as new it had a new tractor warranty there were no scratches anywhere not even on the bucket, and it was clean! If you are getting a new tractor warranty it looks new and doesn't look used you are getting a good or very good price on it what's the difference good deal, good tractor, nice looking, new tractor warranty GREAT! No if it does have around 50 hours (which I think you were just speculating at) or more then yes you either need the 50 hour service or at least the items to do this service thrown in with the deal, and if you can get his down even farther because of the hours that would be even better, but if you are already getting an a** kicking deal, a full warranty, and no scratches just smile and wave as they leave your driveway after delivery!

 

[Pete6114]

If your buying a new tractor than thats what it should be,NEW. If it had more than 10 hours I would not accept it as NEW. When I go to a fair and see tractors for sale there I would try them out. That means you get some people who have never been on a tractor playing with it. I would not accept that as new,its a demo and should be priced accordingly. If it has 40-50 hours then your buying a used tractor and paying for new. If they dont adjust the price accordingly or add an incentive then I would buy elsewhere. I just bought a new tractor with 1.3 hours on it and told them to put it away, I dont want people climbing on it but thats just me. The thing that would really bother me is the fact that there telling you(lying) its the last one when there a new product line. I would tell them to order me a new one and I would wait for that one and let them keep their demo.

Bingo!
All of the three tractors i bought had less then 2 hours on the clock. There is no reason why there should be more on it. They aren't driven to the dealer like motorhomes, but are in crates. They install the tires, check fluid levels and attach ordered accessories.
They all been brought in from a warehouse and haven't been sitting in the sun/rain/snow for a while. All trucks/cars i've bought, have been ordered. Never buy something off the lot. Don't want anything with miles or hours on it, that has been used as a demo, not even a bunch of test drivers and tire-kickers. When i pay new price, i want new. 10 hours isn't new to me. It's like a truck with 700 miles on it. Nobody would consider it as new....well...not me anyway!

 

[NICKB304]

my dealer is in to antique tractor pulls. he takes two 30hp range compacts to a few of them per year. one to pull a land plane to fill in the holes from the previous pull and load more weights on the sled. the other normally an economy model with no loader to pull a big roller to pack the dirt back down. he sells those in the fall as new demos at a discounted price with 15-20 hours on them with full warranty and factory financing. most always end up with a few hours on them at least from being on display at local fairs in the surround counties.

 

[Gator6x4]

Never purchased a new tractor that had over 3 hours on the meter. Most had less than 2 hours on the meter. My opinion for what it's worth a tractor with ten or more hours has been used as a demonstrator. We all know the play book, "Well I like the tractor but I need to see if it fits my land" 10-12 hours later "Well I just don't think it will work."

Now the dealer has a unit with hours he must sell for new.