What's 700 hours worth?

[Henro]

“I thought you were nuts spending so much money for that tractor! But now that I see what you have accomplished I bet it paid for itself already!”

Which got me thinking...

My B2910 Kubota just turned four years old. I have just under 700 hours on it. Very few of these hours are mowing (maybe 20). Most of the hours have been loader/backhoe/box blade/dirt type work. Some have involved clearing a couple acres of brush from under trees, and clearing some of the smaller trees, and so on.

Since this tractor counts tachometer hours, I have over 1,000 hours of seat time on it.

Did it really pay for itself already?

How much is an hour of tractor use worth? I think around here a similar sized tractor would rent for about $25 per hour (plus 7% sales tax on top of that).

700 x $25 = $17,500.

Not sure if this is realistic or not, but it sure FEELS like I may be well on the way to breaking even, at least on the tractor part. Guess I'll need some more hours to take care of the cost of the backhoe.

Whatdayathink?

 

[ovrszd]

The wife just bought me a 2001 B2910 w/MMM with 320 hours on it for $9900.

I figure this tractor would cost me $15,500 new, so I saved $5600 off new price!!! I felt pretty good about that!!!

But the part that shocked me was when I figured what it cost the original owner to mow his lawn, that's all this tractor has ever done. It cost him $5600 for 320 hours, that's $17.50 per hour.

I think that's pretty expensive for a lawn mower. But if I look at it the way you have, I guess he did okay!!! But then,,,,, I wouldn't pay $25 per hour to rent a lawn mower either.

I don't think it will cost me nearly that much per hour for the next 320 hours. Actually I think I could put an additional 320 hours on this machine and sell it for $9000. That would be $900 for 320 hours. That comes out to $2.81 per hour!!! Now we are talking!!!!

 

[neverenough]

I've been shaking my head at a lot of the pricing and "you get a lot of tractor for the $$$" in these threads. Then you here about all these "smokin' deals" people get on used tractors. So what do you really gain by buying an off brand trator, and taking it in the shorts a few years later at trading or sale time??? Yeah, the Deere's and NH's cost more up front sometimes, but how much does it cost after 5 years of use and you go to sell it?? This, IMO, is a very good thread, and I can't wait to see more numbers. Especially the ones who traded in their off brand tractor looking to get something newer or bigger, or smaller.

I'll give my garden tractor example becouse I traded up within the last 2 years so it is current numbers. I traded in my garden tractor, I bought used, after putting on 128 hours in 1 1/2 years. The loss at trade in was $550. $550/128hrs=$4.30 per hour. Not too bad for a mowing, snowblowing, garden tilling tractor.

 

[ovrszd]

I've been shaking my head at a lot of the pricing and "you get a lot of tractor for the $$$" in these threads. Then you here about all these "smokin' deals" people get on used tractors. So what do you really gain by buying an off brand trator, and taking it in the shorts a few years later at trading or sale time??? Yeah, the Deere's and NH's cost more up front sometimes, but how much does it cost after 5 years of use and you go to sell it?? This, IMO, is a very good thread, and I can't wait to see more numbers. Especially the ones who traded in their off brand tractor looking to get something newer or bigger, or smaller.

I'll give my garden tractor example becouse I traded up within the last 2 years so it is current numbers. I traded in my garden tractor, I bought used, after putting on 180 hours in 1 1/2 years. The loss at trade in was $550. $550/128hrs=$4.30 per hour. Not too bad for a mowing, snowblowing, garden tilling tractor.

Good example!!! In the garden tractor mode, I'm a JD guy. I've used three over the past 25 years and they have been extremely cheap.

My attached picture is of the Kubota at $9900 and the JD we purchased last summer for $4750 with 400 hours. There is a total of $14,650 for both. Less than the cost of the Kubota by itself new.

I too am anxious to hear others talk about buying new, putting on several hours, then trading or selling. I think tractors are just like cars. The first owner pays a lot more per hour/mile than the second owner, who pays a lot more per hour/mile than the third owner, etc., etc.

I'm very satisfied with the money my wife saved us by buying a quality brand, used tractor!!! It's new to me!!!

 

[neverenough]

Good example!!! In the garden tractor mode, I'm a JD guy. I've used three over the past 25 years and they have been extremely cheap.

My attached picture is of the Kubota at $9900 and the JD we purchased last summer for $4750 with 400 hours. There is a total of $14,650 for both. Less than the cost of the Kubota by itself new.

I too am anxious to hear others talk about buying new, putting on several hours, then trading or selling. I think tractors are just like cars. The first owner pays a lot more per hour/mile than the second owner, who pays a lot more per hour/mile than the third owner, etc., etc.

I'm very satisfied with the money my wife saved us by buying a quality brand, used tractor!!! It's new to me!!!

Lucky you to have a diesel with 3pt. When I bought my second to last tractor, I looked all over for a 455 with 3pt and couldn't find one.

 

[PineRidge]

Here's my take on this subject:


Don't think the majority of the folks here at TBN buy stripped down Ford Focus's as their only family vehicle for family transportation. They could if they wanted to save $$$$$


Nor do I believe that the majority of folks here at TBN live in homes that compare to an efficiency apartment. They could if they wanted to save $$$$$


Guess what I'm trying to say here is that I've never felt the need to justify in my own mind purchases that I've made. After all, we're only here for so long, should we all have to live like missionaries?

 

[biker128pedal]

Time. JD 155, 8-1/2 hours cutting time. K B7610 w/5' RFM and JD 155, 2-1/2 cutting time. As far as new and used. In our area a used CUT if it goes up for sale will last less than 3 days if it is any good.

 

[Turbys_1700]

In 1992 I purchased a Yanmar YM 1700 for $4200. New paint job with 667 hours. I just traded it in on a 2000 NH 1720 with 245 hours. I was allowed $2000 on the Yanmar. That's $2200 depreciation for 583 hours usage and 14 years. Comes out to $3.77 per hour. That's mowing 5 acres of rough ground. Garden tractor would not have been heavy enough. Biggest thing not mentioned is that the cost of money in more now. You could buy a lot more in 1992 for $4200 than you can now.

 

[ovrszd]

Lucky you to have a diesel with 3pt. When I bought my second to last tractor, I looked all over for a 455 with 3pt and couldn't find one.

That's what I thought!!! I bought this one from a dealer, he had two 455s, one with 3pt, one without, close to the same hours, same price. He said which one do you want?? I looked at him like he was stupid, then said I think I'll take the 3pt model. He acted like it didn't make a difference. Lucky for me he didn't know what the 3pt was worth!!!

 

[ovrszd]

Here's my take on this subject:


Don't think the majority of the folks here at TBN buy stripped down Ford Focus's as their only family vehicle for family transportation. They could if they wanted to save $$$$$


Nor do I believe that the majority of folks here at TBN live in homes that compare to an efficiency apartment. They could if they wanted to save $$$$$


Guess what I'm trying to say here is that I've never felt the need to justify in my own mind purchases that I've made. After all, we're only here for so long, should we all have to live like missionaries?

Yeah, how many of us can TRULY justify the tractors we own???

 

[riptides]

Maybe not so much as to justify, but just a comparison to see if one can do better. It all comes down to a very personal "what is my time worth?" question.

-Mike Z.

 

[Henro]

I guess my thinking was (is) that I have been using my tractor for things that I otherwise would have had to pay someone else to do, or to rent a tractor from someone else to accomplish.

Grass cutting that could be done with a cheap riding mower (like I did for years) has not been part of the picture for the B2910. Projects that NEEDED the loader/backhoe have been the mainstay work for this tractor.

No question that one can sell and recoup costs, and calculate a cheaper hourly rate...but me, I'm not sellin'! I bought my tractor to grow old with...older with?

Anyway, no justification needed here. I was just surprised by a couple comments where people said my tractor already must have paid for itself.

Thinking about it...perhaps they could be right.

I don't really care or need to care about what the tractors cost, but I am curious about value gained, as compared to what I lose by driving a Ford van that cost more than my tractor/loader/backhoe did, and offers really no payback, only depreciation and loss...

Appreciate the input from all. Most things I spend money on are one-way propostions...money goes out, some kind of enjoyment comes back in return. My tractor actually seems to be one real tool that gives something back...

I suppose my table saw, wood working and other tools do something similar, but the scale is not the same...

 

[qstott]

On the garden tractor subject, I bought a used JD 214 in 1979 for $1200. I mowed with it until 2001. It had no hour meter. I cut an average of 5 acres of grass per week for 22 years. I sold it for $700. That works out to about $23 a year or $2.27/month of mowing season. I spent some money on repairs, but it was cheap to maintain. I replaced it with a 445 with 185 hours for $5500. It now has 812 hours on it. That works out to $8.75/hour. My most recent purchase was a JD 1050 with 3124 hrs. It now has 3197 hrs on it. My purchase price ( including paint and maintanence) was about $2400. That averages almost $33/hr. You may be able to tell by the lenght of time I kept the 214, that I don't tend to trade often. I keep equipment for very long time. (Vehicles included) I expect the 445 to last me the rest of my "mowing" life. I expect the 1050 to last me until I get so old that I am forced to progress to a hyro equipment, power steering, easier to operate because I'm too old to do it any other way, tractor. I doubt I will get have any equipment that will give me more hours of work for the money than the 214. I do, however, expect that I will get more "work" for the money out of the 445 or 1050 than the 214.

 

[ovrszd]

On the garden tractor subject, I bought a used JD 214 in 1979 for $1200. I mowed with it until 2001. It had no hour meter. I cut an average of 5 acres of grass per week for 22 years. I sold it for $700. That works out to about $23 a year or $2.27/month of mowing season. I spent some money on repairs, but it was cheap to maintain. I replaced it with a 445 with 185 hours for $5500. It now has 812 hours on it. That works out to $8.75/hour. My most recent purchase was a JD 1050 with 3124 hrs. It now has 3197 hrs on it. My purchase price ( including paint and maintanence) was about $2400. That averages almost $33/hr. You may be able to tell by the lenght of time I kept the 214, that I don't tend to trade often. I keep equipment for very long time. (Vehicles included) I expect the 445 to last me the rest of my "mowing" life. I expect the 1050 to last me until I get so old that I am forced to progress to a hyro equipment, power steering, easier to operate because I'm too old to do it any other way, tractor. I doubt I will get have any equipment that will give me more hours of work for the money than the 214. I do, however, expect that I will get more "work" for the money out of the 445 or 1050 than the 214.

Very well stated!!! My most cost effective Lawn Tractor has been a JD 140. But my most comfortable, speediest Lawn Tractor is the JD 455. I'm new to the B2910 world so don't have history there yet. But I'm like you, I'll wear it out or it will wear me out, but it won't be sold. I gave my 140 to my Son who still has it.

 

[bones1]

Henro " Most things I spend money on are one-way propostions...money goes out, some kind of enjoyment comes back in return. My tractor actually seems to be one real tool that gives something back...

I suppose my table saw, wood working and other tools do something similar, but the scale is not the same"
I agree with Henro.If it gives me utility and enjoyment, I don't care what it costs.

 

[7864]

Many of the things we buy are for entertainment purposes only,and have no payback,at least with a tractor we can get work done and be entertained how can you put a price on that?

 

[Doc_Bob]

. Then you here about all these "smokin' deals" people get on used tractors. So what do you really gain by buying an off brand trator, and taking it in the shorts a few years later at trading or sale time???

I bought a used TN70. It was a good deal.
Bob

 

[roxynoodle]

I bought a used Yanmar. The way I'm looking at it, if I average 100 hours per year and it can go to 4000 hours or more before needing an overhaul, I expect that when it hits that point I will either be dead or too old to operate a tractor. So I consider it a lifetime investment and it was cheap as far as tractors go. I doubt I will ever sell it or trade it. A tractor can last you forever if you take care of it.

And, yeah, we all spend money on things that we don't necessarily need like entertainment, but we enjoy it. As far as my tools go like table saws, etc, well, it is much cheaper for me to remodel my own house than to hire it done. I just made all new doors for my kitchen cupboards at a cost of about $500 including a cheap table saw and wood and hardware. My kitchen has 33 cupboards and drawers, most of them large. What would that have cost me to hire done? I'm thinking a few thousand. I also bought a cheap wet saw and put granite tile on the countertops. New formica countertops would have cost $2500 to fit the existing cupboards. Thus far it has been my experience that doing your own work is significantly cheaper than hiring it out.

 

[Iowachild]

Here's my take on this subject:


Don't think the majority of the folks here at TBN buy stripped down Ford Focus's as their only family vehicle for family transportation. They could if they wanted to save $$$$$


Nor do I believe that the majority of folks here at TBN live in homes that compare to an efficiency apartment. They could if they wanted to save $$$$$


Guess what I'm trying to say here is that I've never felt the need to justify in my own mind purchases that I've made. After all, we're only here for so long, should we all have to live like missionaries?

I completely agree! However I do have to "justify" to my wife and sometimes I have to be real creative!


MIKE

 

[neverenough]

So what happened here??? We went from figuring cost of operation, which BTW, no one has figured fuel, oil, parts, and labor into yet, to justifying buying fully loaded cars as more of a waste of $$$.

The down right scarry part, so far, it the statements about not needing to justify the expenditure. Gas is around $3 a gallon becouse people are willing to just pay it. Houses are over priced, becouse people are willing to pay it. The national savings average is NEGATIVE .5%. Meaning people are spending MORE than they earn. Why??? becouse they don't justify expenditures, they just spend.