Tractor Recommendations - New vs Used

[MaineBob]

I've been hanging around TBN for over a year in anticipation of buying someday. Well, I finally sold some land and have a little $$. I'm struggling on a new vs used decision. I've got 90 acres, mostly woods, few very small fields that I will plant in food plots; lots of brush I need to clean up from a recent timber harvest; steep ground in many parts. Tractor will also be used for firewood and snow blowing. I have a large, but very old backhoe (good for stumps, nothing more) and a Kubota RTV.

I believe I need a 40-50 HP, hydro, grapple bucket, bush hog, and other attachments as funds allow. Closet dealer is a Deere, with Kubota and Mahindra another 15 minutes. Not a lot of used stuff here in Maine.

I'm tempted by a new JD 4520, but having a tough time justifying the price of a new machine. This may be the only time in my life I can afford new, but I'm afraid a few months into it I'll have a major case of buyer's remorse. Also, cost of new reduces funds for implements. On the other hand, this may be the last tractor I ever buy. What say you? Have those of you who bought new (or used) ever regretted it?

[Sorry about the long post ... I wanted to give all as much info as possible. Thx.]

 

[KiotiJohn]

I have to say that I'm VERY happy I bought new. I had planned originally to buy an import Yanmar, Iseki, Hinomoto, Mitsubishi or such, but didn't find them very large or heavy enough in the 20HP range.
I looked at a TON of used tractors of all types in my search which lasted about one year. Most of what I found would have had me working on it, instead of it working for me.

Long story short, I ended up with a new Kioti CK20HST and it has been fantastic.

Why not take some of the money and put a good bit down on a new one, and use some of the cash to buy attachments rather than financing them in the deal? New won't seem so bad spread out over, say, 3 years and there are some 0% financing offers out there, especially if you put a bunch down on it.

A new tractor is going to last you more than a lifetime. Who knows how long a used one will. You won't have a clue as to the true historyand upkeep of the used one, and unless you're real handy at mechanics it could cost you great deal for maintenance.
Good luck in your search.
John

 

[Ryno1]

Well I've had used as in a late 1950s D17 and I don't regret it. In fact it or it's large brothers the D19/D21 would be a good size for you. I've also tried the new route, as of a year ago, I sold the D17 and bought a new TC30 which is a little small for some of what you want to do. I miss the old orange D17 but I ain't giving up the TC30 to get it back.

 

[john_bud]

Bob,

Used HST machines are pretty tough to find. People don't sell them too often. I'd say look until Mid to late July. If you can't find a used one by then, go for a new one. More used stuff is on the market in the spring and there is still a good supply of inventory in July. Might be able to swing a deal too...

jb

 

[kozak]

MaineBob,

Welcome to TBN !!

I was struggling with the same issue. I wanted to buy used but found the prices very high unless I went fairly old. So started to look new & fortunately found something used at 79 hours. What a buy & have never looked back & regreted it. Of course the nice thing with new is the warranty. But without a half decent dealer it still may not amount to much. Therefore, look for a Dealer you think you can trust by doing some homework & then proceed from there. Sometimes you can get lucky if you wait & can find a relatively new machine used at a great savings. On the other hand.....I would expect.....there is nothing like a brand new TRACTOR. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Good Luck,

Vic

 

[wolc123]

Wow, you are in almost the same boat I was last year at this time. I ended up going with a new JD 4120 powerrev and have not regreted it although it took until fall for the land deal to close and the tractor to arrive so it hasn't got much use yet. The 4120 will save you some $ over the 4520 and has same hyd capacity, etc.. I looked at Kubota, Mahindra, NH also and they are also fine machines. The JD dealer was the farthest away but gave me the best deal on a tractor that outspec'd the competition in most categories. I really liked the fact that the JD was US built with a US engine by a company with US origin and name. The 400X loader is Canadian but I like our neighbors to the north. I have a fair number of tractors the newest about mid 1970's. What has impressed me most from the new deere was that it is as quiet as some of my old gas tractors of the same hp (AC D-14, Ford 3000) but has greatly improved fuel economy. Still, I probably would have went with a used machine, but the wife gave me approval for new so I went for it.

 

[RoyJackson]

Try MachineFinder and see what's available in your region.

I've purchased two used Deeres and saved money on both. One was purchased locally, the other was about 400 miles away. If you do buy out of state, make sure you factor in any shipping costs to determine the true price. Out of state purchases may eliminate sales tax, so shipping costs may be a trade off.

If you need the bells and whistles, you're probably better off going new.

Also, for your property (90 acres), you may be better off looking for a standard uility tractor rather then a compact.

Do a search for a member nickname Soundguy. He's got a few older tractors (Fords mostly). His posts and opinions may set you in the right direction.

Boy...I'd love to live in Maine...but not much manufacturing there anymore.

Good luck in your decision!

 

[canoetrpr]

I was in you situation not to long ago.

What I found was that it was tough to find anything good under 10 years old around here. If I did, it was selling at a premium given normal depreciation and was snapped up quickly. There were some nice older machines - 25, 30 years ago but anything with a loader especially was no bargain.

The used market was next to impossible for me to find a 'deal' in. Yes the prices were lower than brand new but not THAT much given that the machines I looked at were 5 to 7 years old, out of warranty (not to suggest that they would break). What I'm getting at is that the difference in cost between new vs. late model used just was not justifiable.

When you have a hot used market such as this, new can start to look like a pretty good deal. For starters you can narrow things down the tractor that is just right for YOUR needs - not too big, not to small. You've got the brands competing for your business and then once you pick what you want you can usually get 3 or 4 dealers that are near enough to you to compete for you business.

I quickly found that the new market for tractors in my area was a buyers market and the used market was a sellers market.

Then I added bit of a risk factor when buying a machine when I did not know was maintained properly or not and so on... and the 0% financing deal I got from Kubota and new was the way to go.

I ended up getting a new L3400HST and have not hand any post purchase dissidence.

Had I found a resonable deal on the tractor in the size I wanted from a private seller who could look me in the eye and tell me that he had cared for it well and stored it inside, things may have been different. Had I been a more handy guy with machinery, I might have been less concerned about the 'risk' factor of owning a machine I knew little about.

Keep an eye out for private sales - local newspaper, classifieds etc. That's the best place to get a good deal on used IMHO. But make sure that you compare that to the deal you could get on a new one after a reasonable discount. Too many people compare used prices to the MSRP on new and justify it as a great deal.

With the discounts they way they are and the financing I really am convinced that the new market is a buyers market and the used is not.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[GaryE]

Bob,

I was ready to buy new. At the time I could not get the local dealers to even talk to me (that has change). I ended up shipping a used tractor out of Texas for far less than I could have purchased one up here, including shipping. If you are willing to take the chance on no warranty, then it is not a bad way to go. I figure the manufacture thinks their tractor will not fail so who am I to argue? And the money I saved, I can do a LOT of repairs and still be way ahead of the game.

Gary

 

[canoetrpr]

I should add... if I lived in the U.S.A. I would think about doing what Gary did and got one shipped. I chatted with the place in Texas he dealt with and they were a nice bunch and could have arranged shipping for a resonable amount.

It just became too much of a hassle to deal with it at the border etc. and so I decided to bite the bullet with new even at the premium we are being charged here in Canada.

 

[browns40]

Hi MaineBob,

Welcome to TBN--there is a tremendous wealth of experience you will find here--it's great...

If you have the cash & don't need to finance, get yourself a used machine... use varies from the homeowner puttering around the yard to the guy bouncing down log roads dragging tonnage behind... with a private sale you can probably discern what the use has been by the hours, condition of tractor & implements, service records, etc.

I'd have gone used, but needed the financing--and 0% for 36 mos... I am pleased.... maybe buy new! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

If you can find a 2-4 yr old machine that's only lost that off the lot depreciation, you should logically come out ahead overall... a lot of folks crave more & more horsepower, or want to get work done 20% faster... I'll bet there are a few that traded up to 50-70 hp instead of that "little 40-50" that was "slowing them down" /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

If you have your heart set on the 4520 though, and can swing it, why not buy what you really want?

Good luck! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[TOL1488]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I'm tempted by a new JD 4520... This may be the only time in my life I can afford new... this may be the last tractor I ever buy. )</font>

I think the answer is right there, I know it would be for me... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[MaineBob]

To all ..... Thanks for the advice. Definitely not a consensus on new vs used, but the various comments did help. Right now, I leaning towards new .... mostly because I cannot seem to find anything used with a HST transmission. I'm not 100% convinced a HST is the way to go, but since I'll be doing mostly loader work, it seems like the best option.

I did find a 60-hours used powerreverser JD4520, but the price differential was only a few thousand $$'s. The 0% / 36 financing, establishing a relationship with the dealer, getting it configured the way I want it, and knowing the FULL history of the machine all seem to add up to more than the little savings vs a new machine. If I do go used, I will likely buy a little further south (e.g., PA) where there are more options, and talk my dad into coming up for a visit ... towing a tractor.

Besides the obvious JD vs Kubota (others create challenges with dealer proximity), I need to decide on top-end compact (e.g., L5030 or JD4520) vs low-end utility (e.g., M4900 / JD5105). The challenge with the low end utility tractors is that they do not come in a HST version. HP vs convenience??

Decisions, decisions.

 

[canoetrpr]

60 hours is not very much at all. Barely used I would say.

I'm not expert on tractor trannys but if I didn't have an HST I'd definately get a power reverser / GST type of tranny. Guessing they are similar? clutchless (I mean no human clutch?).

I think you should give that lightly used 4520 a second look if it saves you a few thousand. You can establish a relationship with a local dealer when you get things setup on it - purchasing a few implements, adding a remote or two.

If I had found a year or two old L3400HST, in a private sale, I think I might have jumped on it - for two thousand or so less + no sales tax on top of that (we have a LOT of sales tax up here in Canada).

Also remember even with 0% financing, the best deal can be usually had on cash alone. This is true for cars and true for tractors. Often the manufacturer will kick in a bit of cash incentive. May not be huge but any amount helps.

Good luck with whatever you decide.