Still looking for a tractor. What do you guys think of this JD 2350?

[RickB]

It is now 2021. Advising the OP to abandon an internet search for a used tractor (or pretty much anything) speaks more to the validity of the advice than the search. Online auctioning and private sale listings on various electronic platforms are the current equivalent of yesterday's Want Ad Digests, Pennysaver papers and feed store bulletin boards.
I probably wouldn't have paid $17500 for the Deere but clearly there were two bidders that thought the value was at that level or close. Good luck in your search.

 

[rScotty]

It is now 2021. Advising the OP to abandon an internet search for a used tractor (or pretty much anything) speaks more to the validity of the advice than the search. Online auctioning and private sale listings on various electronic platforms are the current equivalent of yesterday's Want Ad Digests, Pennysaver papers and feed store bulletin boards.
I probably wouldn't have paid $17500 for the Deere but clearly there were two bidders that thought the value was at that level or close. Good luck in your search.

I would say that it is advice that speaks more to the reality of the rural mindset. We really do still conduct a lot of business differently. Yes, it is old-fashioned.

There is also value in getting out and getting engaged in a different way, which is just another way of saying that if the approach he is trying isn't working; try something different.

rScotty

 

[FreeWulf]

In some areas searching the local bulletin boards would probably work well, but not in this area.

I'm in an area that is more urban than rural, with just small rural communities dotted around here and there. The auction I was bidding in is the local livestock auction, which has been the historic focal point for farm sales. I know of quite a few small farmers that use the livestock auction to sell everything from cows to tractors to saws or even old cast iron bathtubs. They view it as being able to get more people seeing their items and getting a better price than trying to connect with a farmer 2 towns over that might be looking for a tractor.

I suppose I could go over the mountains to Eastern Washington and look at the bulletin boards there, but that would be a 7 to 14 hour round trip every time I did it.

Even my father, who refuses to use a computer and hates them with a passion, will have other people post his equipment on either craigslist, an auction, or facebook marketplace. All he does in his retirement is buy and sell old cars etc, and he hasn't used used anything other than online listings in 15 years.

I don't necessarily think that a local auction is the wrong place to buy anything, I just think that I can't pay full private party price for them since I can't test them. Obviously other local people feel differently and are willing to go much higher.

Having said that, I've equipped 90% of my sheet metal fab shop from local auctions. The remaining 10% was from craigslist.

I do appreciate everyone's thoughts and advice, even if I don't always take it, I appreciate the different viewpoints.

 

[FreeWulf]

It is now 2021. Advising the OP to abandon an internet search for a used tractor (or pretty much anything) speaks more to the validity of the advice than the search. Online auctioning and private sale listings on various electronic platforms are the current equivalent of yesterday's Want Ad Digests, Pennysaver papers and feed store bulletin boards.
I probably wouldn't have paid $17500 for the Deere but clearly there were two bidders that thought the value was at that level or close. Good luck in your search.

Plus they paid sales tax on that. So it actually cost them closer to $18,300.

Fortunately that auction only has buyer premium on sales under $1,500, or that could have added another 10% on top of that. I think a lot of first time buyers forget to add on the extra fees and thats partly why they bid up so high.

I stopped bidding at $12,500, because it was going to be almost $14,000 by the time I got it home.