Shopping for an inexpensive tractor. IH 504?

[ericsink]

Warning: I'm a newbie.

I'm shopping for a small tractor with a loader. I will also want the ability to hook up a tiller. I'd like to spend $5000, perhaps a bit more. I know that this means I'm looking for something used and probably fairly old. I will only use this tractor a few times a year.

A local dealer has a 1968 IH 504 with a loader for $6950. A link to the actual dealer website appears below and is current as of the time I am posting this note:

Click here

Is this a good price?

Is there a better way to spend the same money?

I'd appreciate any advice, either on this tractor or more generally on my shopping.

Thanks!

 

[gone]

I think 7000 is to much for a 504. geting one from a dealer you will probly pay to much no matter what it is, i'd look in clasifieds. The older farm tractors arn't worth what the little compacts are. 5000 is about right for a tractor like that.

 

[_RaT_]

I'm getting my 1974 International 454 diesel ready to sell. It does not have a loader, but will be sold with a 80" super heavy duty offset brush mower made by Woods. The mower new was $4500. Trying to establish a price for it can be tough. Your listings help. It has 1650 hours or so on it and the diesel runs beautifully. I was thinking of a ballpark value of $7500 or $8000. Does that seem unreasonably high? While the ones you showed had a loader, this one is diesel and has a massive mower. I will probably just drive it to the end of our road and let the drivebys look at it. Rat.

 

[SteveM]

I have never worked an IH of that size, but I would doubt it is a good tiller tractor. awful big, for one thing, and might not have a slow enough low gear. Finding a tractor loader for less than $5grand is a challenge, pretty soon you be hearing about grey market tractors (like that mitsubshi on the listing) etc.

Most of the older tractors I can think of do not have really slow creeper gears which are needed for tilling. Also keep in mind how expensive a tiller is - $1-$3000 for a 48" etc.

Anyhow, often I see Ford 3000s with loader in that price range, some have power steering. Some have hi/lo range. An IH 300 or 350 utility can be had in the price range, may not have 3 pt hitch however.

You certainly have some fun shopping ahead /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[California]

ericsink,

First, I should caution you to not take the word of another newbie (me!) as gospel. There are many here who know a lot more than I do.

I went looking for an inexpensive tractor and here's what I found. I'm still under $5,000 total for a 20 year old, 24 hp tractor with loader, disc, and new rotary mower. That cost includes minor repairs - replaced alternator, fuel filter, etc. But not appearance renovation. It runs fine. This unit has the crawl gear needed for a rototiller.

My rig is a 1980 Yanmar YM240 that was sold new in the US when Yanmar had retail dealers here. Today essentially the same tractor known as YM2000 in Japan is being imported here in large quantities as 20 year old 'renovated' (repainted) used tractors. If you find one of those, the reputation of your dealer and the warranty he offers are the main thing to look for. The tractors themselves are nearly bulletproof but like any 20 year old equipment it is much better to have a warranty as you first try it out.

See your regional equipment-trader type magazines, and look on ebay for dealers near you.

In another thread I just posted a photo of my rig in use. I'll post the same photo again here - see Attachment, above. Also see my sig photos.