Buying Advice Old Or New?

kubotacres · Dec 23, 2016

I shopped for several months at semi-used tractors and even demo tractors. I found that anything less than 2 years old or less than a 100 hours was cheaper to buy new. Anything beyond that was simply in too rough shape to offset the couple grand I could save. However I initially was worried about the DPF, but those worries faded after lots of research and test driving. I'm glad I bought new, especially with some of the new features on the L60.

dickfoster · Dec 23, 2016

kubotacres said:
I shopped for several months at semi-used tractors and even demo tractors. I found that anything less than 2 years old or less than a 100 hours was cheaper to buy new. Anything beyond that was simply in too rough shape to offset the couple grand I could save. However I initially was worried about the DPF, but those worries faded after lots of research and test driving. I'm glad I bought new, especially with some of the new features on the L60.

That's the same thing I found in my area so I bought new. I don't know how they get away with it but I guess they do somehow. I just didn't seem to be the thing to do with my money. Plus I got exactly what I wanted and needed by buying new plus the new warranty. What's left to think about?

rScotty · Dec 23, 2016

dickfoster said:
That's the same thing I found in my area so I bought new. I don't know how they get away with it but I guess they do somehow. I just didn't seem to be the thing to do with my money. Plus I got exactly what I wanted and needed by buying new plus the new warranty. What's left to think about?

I think one of the things we need to include in this "new versus used" discussion is who we are buying from. My assumption was that a new tractor would come from the dealer and a used tractor would be bought directly from the owner. In fact, meeting the owner and being able to buy directly from him without also paying dealer markup is the only way I would consider buying a low hour used tractor.
rScotty

dickfoster · Dec 23, 2016

rScotty said:
I think one of the things we need to include in this "new versus used" discussion is who we are buying from. My assumption was that a new tractor would come from the dealer and a used tractor would be bought directly from the owner. In fact, meeting the owner and being able to buy directly from him without also paying dealer markup is the only way I would consider buying a low hour used tractor.
rScotty

That's well and good if you plan on doing all of your own service and repairs. I imagine someone who buys a machine from a dealer probably also gets in ahead of the others who didn't in the service line. It's called you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours, also what goes around comes around. That is if you shopped the dealer as carefully as you shopped for the tractor which I always recommend. If you go by price alone you typically get what you pay for. There simply are no free lunches in life.

deadshort · Dec 23, 2016

Well I went ahead and bought a used tractor. I found a super clean 2011 Kubota 5740 with a cab, heat, A/C, Radio, 170 hours. I bought it from a private party. There was no loader on it but I have one ordered from the local dealership. Its a nice clean tractor that was only used for deer plot stuff. I was a whisper away from buying a new L6060 but stumbled into this deal at the last minute. For me it wasn't necessarily just a financial decision. I was fine with the price of the L6060. I just didn't want to deal with emissions stuff. All in I was able to save around $16,000.00 dollars by doing this deal. I will find out whether it was worth it down the road I am sure.

Now I get to try to sell my boomer 8N on my own. Hopefully all goes well with that.

rScotty · Dec 23, 2016

Nice... Shucks, that's not even broken in. Hope it treats you well. Post some pics? Factory loader or aftermarket? How did the dealer feel about installing the loader? Our local dealer is pretty professional about that sort of thing. On a good day he doesn't even mind letting one customers know when another is selling something useful. Could be he is playing a long game......

If I have the time I actually enjoy doing my own service work; if not, I'll ask the dealer to do it....or one of the local independent shops. For true repair work I draw the line at 50/60 hp. On our smaller tractors it's nice to do it myself. Mechanics is fun to do and sure beats TV. But I'm getting old, so for larger machines I prefer to involve a mechanical shop. I doubt I'd find wrestling that big loader into place to be all that much fun.
rScotty

ovrszd · Dec 23, 2016

deadshort said:
Well I went ahead and bought a used tractor. I found a super clean 2011 Kubota 5740 with a cab, heat, A/C, Radio, 170 hours. I bought it from a private party. There was no loader on it but I have one ordered from the local dealership. Its a nice clean tractor that was only used for deer plot stuff. I was a whisper away from buying a new L6060 but stumbled into this deal at the last minute. For me it wasn't necessarily just a financial decision. I was fine with the price of the L6060. I just didn't want to deal with emissions stuff. All in I was able to save around $16,000.00 dollars by doing this deal. I will find out whether it was worth it down the road I am sure.

Now I get to try to sell my boomer 8N on my own. Hopefully all goes well with that.

Very nice!!!! Good choice!!!!

Don't worry about the "dealer" discussion. I'll bet you a Beer you can take your newly purchased tractor to the nearest dealer for service and they will gladly help you. Well,,,,, wait,,,,,, you already know that because you've went to that dealer and bought an FEL. Didn't get any hesitation there did you???

Don't worry about selling the Boomer. Someone will gobble it up.

Leejohn · Dec 23, 2016

Is that the savings with the loader?

deadshort · Dec 23, 2016

I am not sure where that misconception ever came from where a dealer wont help you or work on your equipment if you didn't buy it from them. A dealership is a business, a business makes money by selling a product or a service. In a dealership situation they sell both. It would be asinine to turn someone away because your machine didn't come from there originally. I would think if a dealer only worked on stuff they sold they wouldn't survive long. I have personally never seen or heard of that happening. Maybe that is something that happens in other parts of the country but it doesn't seem to happen here.

It was no problem calling the dealer to order a factory Kubota loader. Matter of fact I called two of them before I ordered one just to see if there were any options that one may have missed. They were both willing to help but the one guy seemed to be more knowledgeable so I went with him.

The $16,000.00 savings was the total savings considering purchasing the loader for the tractor I just bought. I am sure there are some more electronic doodads on the new one but I am not into that nonsense anyway. Hopefully there are no issues with a 170 hour tractor. I don't think it should really matter how old it is it should last more than 170 hours.