The next guy that claims "green (or orange) paint doubles the price"

[WinterDeere]

I read too many threads here implying that the only reason Deere and Kubota lead the market on price and resale is because of their pretty green (or orange) paint. Maybe some of it is just good-natured ribbing, and maybe there's some real perception this is the case.

But of course, while I can still buy nearly every part for a Deere made 36 years ago, including front spindles, folks making the "expensive paint" claims seem to ignore many threads like this:

MF431 front spindle

Hello everyone new guy here. Have a low hour tractor that's useless until I can get front spindle replaced. Dealer says don't make em anymore and every salvage yard says nope. Getting frustrated have round bales to move and sell. Might have to start looking at different models for a replacement.

www.tractorbynet.com

I feel for the owner, this really sucks for him. I didn't want to muddy his thread, or pour salt on a wound, so I'm posting separately over here.

But his machine hasn't been out of production more than 15 years, and Massey has already stopped support for key components like a front spindle! If it were Deere, even in the very unlikely scenario that the dealer can't still get the parts for a 15 year old machine within 48 hours, there'd be a dozen second-hand options a click of the mouse away. All indications from my Kubota fanboy friends are that the same would be true on that side of the color wheel, manufacturer support is good even on older machines, and there's a plethora of Kubota bone yards there to save you when that falls thru.

As a non-commercial user, I tend to keep my machines a relatively long time. Knowing I'll be able to still get every part I need 25 years from now, and most from the dealer within 48 hours, is one good reason to pay more.

 

[DanMc77]

Tractors run for a very long time if cared for, so when looking to buy a machine, I very rarely ever buy anything new, and it makes a lot of sense to purchase a machine that is widely available. There will be a good selection of used machines, and if you want to get rid of it, then there will be a larger population of people that will have interest in buying it. Add to that, you have large groups of people to draw knowledge from, when (not if) you have issues. And then there's the availability of used parts, and there will be aftermarket parts too.

On top of all that, JD builds excellent machines that are well thought-out and easy to work with, so yeah, I'll pay a little more for that. After I've had a machine for a year or so, the price I paid is insignificant.

 

[dodge man]

I also get tired of hearing how expensive the green paint is.

 

[3gunr]

Whats expensive for one person is just pennies to another, I have seen this hundreds of times in the remodeling business for the last 47 yrs, My son and older daughter are good examples , Compared to my middle daughter who just scrapes by, the other two think nothing of trips to europe or 30,ooo dollar utvs.I have always had to shop for the best deal and always will.

 

[gstrom99]

I haven't (yet) needed anything serious on my 1995 green tractor... Only replaced the water pump a year ago because the shaft seemed too loose - not leaking. Bought an aftermarket one.

 

[beenthere]

And the other real payoff for "green" paint, is the value retained after using the green machine for a fairly long time. They really do hold their value.
Look at other brands that are 5 years old and the sordid depreciation over those years. Getting parts is a good part of the reason, I suspect.

But I just let the nay-sayers chide the green paint, and am happy to have that green paint on mine. (that emojii is supposed to be a big grin, believe it or not)

 

[ovrszd]

When I was shopping for a used 50hp tractor I looked hard at Massey. But when I shopped for parts I changed my mind. Ended up buying a Ford.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

At the front of one property is orange, nice people who said I could buy anything at cost, however, I went with Deere. The reason is farmers around here (I mean long-term farmers with 100s acres) have Deere as well as highway department.
I do have one orange, my Grandad's Economy Power King he bought new.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

At the front of one property is orange, nice people who said I could buy anything at cost, however, I went with Deere. The reason is farmers around here (I mean long-term farmers with 100s acres) have Deere as well as highway department.
I do have one orange, my Grandad's Economy Power King he bought new.

 

[sea2summit]

There are sales associated with colors, you can't deny that. Those colors know how much they can leverage that, they'd be foolish businesses if they didn't.

However, I think a lot of people that talk about how much paint costs are the same ones posting questions like "why won't my tractor start", "help me find a widget for this tractor", "NEED HELP", or "XYZ problem". There is a lot more, not all, that goes into the price than the color of the paint from materials to dealer prep/explanation to components on the tractor. I have only owned one color but I've operated a lot of colors and don't consider myself committed to a brand...for my last two tractors I've looked at multiple colors. You need to look at each machine independent of the color hype IMHO.