Trying to find a good used Tractor

[DaBear3428]

"I of course can not say what another persons experience was at a dealer."

enough said

 

[mo1]

What advice do you have for choosing one of these two tractors I am considering buying?

We have 16 acres and do a lot of mowing, box blading and tilling.

We would also use it to assist in our sawmill and moving siltation from wet weather pond (dry in the summer but muddy).


1999 JOHN DEERE 790 $12,250
https://www.tractortown.com/invento...&accountcrmid=12741707&settingscrmid=12741709

2003 JOHN DEERE 990 $22,900
https://www.tractortown.com/invento...&accountcrmid=12741707&settingscrmid=12741709

Would I be better off with a newer one like this?
2021 John Deere 3043D $25,000
Used 2021 John Deere 3043D

I like working on the older machines and doing TLC along with light mechanical work.

Do you think the prices are fair?

Please tell me what I maybe don’t know.

Ideally, I would like something that could mature into a collectible in the future as well as be usable in the near term.

This is all fairly new to me.
Please just say what hits you and comes to mind.
Much Appreciated.

A little more information would be helpful, such as how much you intend to till and why you are tilling it, what and how much you are mowing, and how large of logs you intend to handle. In general though, running some PTO-driven implement like a rototiller or mower with a tractor like the 3043D (or a gear-drive Kubota L2501) that has a transmission-driven PTO is more challenging than using it with a tractor with a live or independent PTO that doesn't stop when you press the clutch pedal. It can be done but you are going to have a larger learning curve in order to work around it.

The 3043 would be the better decision financially since 18 years newer for $2000 more. What I don’t know about 3043 is what it has for emissions equipment, electronics, etc. Vs the 990.

Prices today are insane so very hard to say what is fair..

The 3043D is a Tier 4 tractor between 26 and 75 HP, so it has an ECU-controlled common rail direct injection engine with a particulate filter and catalyst, but no urea (no SCR.)

Deere makes three different 3 series tractors, the 3D, 3E, and 3R.

- The 3E is the lightest by a good bit as it has an aluminum transmission housing, the 3D and 3R are pretty similar in weight as their transmissions are iron.
- The 3E is hydrostatic-only. The 3D has an unsynchronized transmission with a mechanical idler-type reverse lever. You have to stop completely to change gears or go between forward and reverse. The 3R can be had either with a hydrostatic transmission or with a wet clutch hydraulic reverser with synchronized gears and unsychronized ranges.
- The 3D has a transmission-driven PTO, so step on the clutch and the PTO stops. The 3E and 3R have independent PTOs.
- The 3R can have a mid-mount mower deck, the 3D and 3E cannot.
- The 3R is a lot more expensive than the 3D or 3E. The 3D and 3E are fairly similar in price.

This is a friends 5310. It’s a little over 20 years old and roughly 2000 hours. It’s roughly the same age just a slightly larger version of the 990. It’s been a very solid tractor for him.
View attachment 774142

The 5310 has nothing in common with a 990 besides a paint job. The 5310 was made by John Deere in Georgia and uses a John Deere engine. The 990 was made by Yanmar in Japan and uses a Yanmar engine.

The 5000 series tractors are quite solid machines. Deere still builds a nearly identical tractor to that 5310, the 5067E.

Yes, now that I look closer I see that the sync shuttle sticker is still on the side. That identifies the transmission as being like a stick shift automobile rather than the sliding gear type that required stopping to shift, or the power shuttle type where the clutch was optional.

In the sync shuttle JD transmission he would select a range when stopped, and then can clutch and shift on the go between 3 speeds and reverse in that range. Its fully syncronized like any automotive manual shift one might buy today - except that it has extra ranges. And known to be very fuel efficient.

Nice solid transmission and a good match for a lifetime tractor. I'm spoiled by my HST+ Kubota transmission with it's power shifting Hi&Lo ranges. But 25 years from now when he does decide to sell it I wouldn't be surprised if that syncronized manual transmission added value to the tractor.

People ask "how do I find a good used tractor?". They're out there.
rScotty

The Collar Shift was the unsynchronized transmission that was available in the 5310. Deere quit offering that transmission when they redesigned the 5 series for the Tier 4 models, they kept the SyncShuttle and the wet clutch PowrReverser that were options on the 5x10 models. Deere now calls the SyncShuttle the "Top Shaft Synchronized" aka "TSS," which is what they called their non-powershift synchronized transmissions in their 30 through 55 series tractors. I suspect that occurred since a lot of other manufacturers call a wet clutch hydraulic reverser transmission a "shuttle" and people thus confused the PowrReverser and SyncShuttle/TSS transmissions.

The SyncShuttle/TSS is a good transmission, my tractor has that transmission. Anybody who is not completely ham-fisted can be a lot smoother on a regular dry-clutch unit like the SyncShuttle than with a computer-controlled wet clutch transmission where the clutch pedal is simply a switch to tell the transmission computer to engage or disengage the wet clutch pack.

 

[Saucymynx]

Looks great after 20 years!

Heres my CX-15 after 10 years. Knowing what it’s been through, I think it still looks excellent.

View attachment 774146

It’s sad to see all that beautiful hay being chopped up

 

[Saucymynx]

I have a 790. Mine is 2 Wheel Dr. with no power steering and no loader. I use it only to pull a 5 foot finish mower. What I like: the Yanmar engine is awesome. Problem, free, always starts, plenty of power for that size machine. I also like the maneuverability for getting around trees and such. It is also compact enough to fit easily in the garage. What I don’t like: number one on this list is the lack of power steering, although it looks like the one you are looking at has PS number two on the list is the transmission driven PTO. when you push the clutch, the PTO stops. That just seems dumb to me and it’s a pain in the butt when you’re mowing. I have 1200 hrs on mine and paid $5500 for it three years ago. I would buy it again for that price.

 

[3gunr]

Bearing in mind that most, if not all of the smaller, lighter Mahindra compact tractors are private label machines produced under contract for Mahindra by LS of Korea.

The up and coming compact tractor brands are Korean: Kioti, LS and Branson. There are other Korean brands. You have to critically assess dealer stability while shopping minor brands.

Those mahindra tractors are made by TYM not LS

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

Bearing in mind that most, if not all of the smaller, lighter Mahindra compact tractors are private label machines produced under contract for Mahindra by LS of Korea.

The up and coming compact tractor brands are Korean: Kioti, LS and Branson. There are other Korean brands. You have to critically assess dealer stability while shopping minor brands.

Smaller mahindras I've seen are Mitsubishi or TYM

I have a proper mahindra in india built mahindra. Aka an international clone

 

[Hay Dude]

It’s sad to see all that beautiful hay being chopped up

Its not a big parcel and the owner wants no haying.

 

[plastikosmd]

Mo1

Thank you for the great post.

A lot more useful than the “well I had a friend that had a friend that had a tree drop on his machine so I just hate em”

 

[zzvyb6]

My 4 cylinder 35 HP 1070 is now almost 40 years old. BTW: I can draw more than enough juice from a PTO generator to power an electric car equipped with a trailer hitch as long as I don't have to stop.