It depends on the use. Tractors are a little different than most tools. You can think of it this way: The Kioti has a warranty because it has not been proven in use.
With 275 hours on the Kubota, that machine is proven to work exactly as it is doing now and can be expected to continue doing so for thousands of hours - but only if the owner is the kind of person who you would want to buy something used from.
I buy most tools and equipment used, always have.... and am always on the lookout for good used tools. The ones that I pursue are sought after models at the top of their price range because of their good condition. The downside is that it does take a few years to know if a machine is going to become a "classic" or "sought after model". The
B26 is such a model.
My experience is that on sought after models, a knowledgeable owner can put a few hundered hours on a machine and - with the aid of his warranty if needed - actually make it better than something unknown but brand new. It's worth asking why is he selling and also take a look at the state of the rest of his machinery. Past that, the one to interest me would have a complete set of owner's manuals, maintenance records of some sort, maybe some other literature, tools, spares, or accessories. All those are reallygood signs.
If something used is priced "at the market or below" frankly I simply avoid it. I don't even go look. The reason being that most of the time those are things being sold because the owner didn't like them. I'm looking for something that is being sold for a completely different reason. And I never object to paying top dollar because I'm looking for a classic model in top condition.
Does that reasoning apply to your friend's used
B26? I don't know. How does the rest of his equipment look? And why is he selling? The answer to those two questions would be what would make my decision - not the price or the hours.
rScotty
