When is New Not New!

[JoeinTX]

I'd expect most of those in the business of farming consider a tractor to be a tool with a useful life of x working hours. They probably figured out long ago that if it gets a few hours at the beginning of its life or has some faded paint or a scratch, it generally means nothing to the likelihoood that the thing will still deliver x hours to the new owner. And they'll figure the depreciation on it the same either way. Business decision... no emotional component.

Now a hobby farmer, like me I guess, is a whole different ball game. This is a guy who buys the tractor for... well it's usually not for earning a living. So he's proud of it and wants it to look nice. He'll even detail it once in a while. Take delivery of a unit that someone else actually used for a few hours? Not on your life! Give me that brand spanking new one over there with 0.0 hours! Emotional decision all the way.

Can't say either approach is wrong, just different. And woe unto the dealer who doesn't understand the difference!

Ding, ding, ding, ding.....!!!!!


I, obviously, am of the former school that Grandad mentions. And I'm not even old The useable life of a tractor that's sitting on the dealer lot with some hrs and some faded paint that he's willing to warranty and discount when compared with one still with the Christmas wrapping on it is negligible. I take the lot queen and whatever they offer. It should and will still be running 20-odd years from now provided you take care of it and know how to change a few parts from time to time.

 

[bigbull338]

theres 2 kinds of new to tractor dealers.1.is the tractor just has a few demo hours on it.2.is the tractor is like new with say 200 hours on it.an that is a 2 or 3yr old tractor thats had 100 hours a year put on it more or less.

 

[nickel plate]

I bought a NH TC40S with no marks or scratches that was a harvest rental return (pulled walnut bin carts-so I was told) with 17 hours on it. It came with a nice discount, full warranty and a CNH new tractor loan. The dealer even took my not too old left over 5' box scraper off of an 8N that I sold and traded me straight across for a new 6' Gearmore unit. Oh-and delivered it 20 miles out to my place as part of the deal.

 

[Soundguy]

Ding, ding, ding, ding.....!!!!!


I, obviously, am of the former school that Grandad mentions. And I'm not even old The useable life of a tractor that's sitting on the dealer lot with some hrs and some faded paint that he's willing to warranty and discount when compared with one still with the Christmas wrapping on it is negligible. I take the lot queen and whatever they offer. It should and will still be running 20-odd years from now provided you take care of it and know how to change a few parts from time to time.

yep if a year of setting with 30 hours of light use on it significantly effects that tractors lifespan... i don't want THAT tractor.

course most of my stuff is antique and 50-65 years old.. and I bet, in many cases, has sat YEARS ( decade? ) between uses during it's life..

soundguy

 

[wallace]

Most all of our tractors come from the factory with a couple of hours on them already.
All my manufactures allow us up 25 and even 50 hours of demo time and still consider it new. Matter in fact one of our manufacture wants us to take them to customer houses for demos.(which I will not do)

Look at it this way....I have never sold a tractor for MSRP or List which ever way you want to say. So there is your discount for a 1-5 hour machine.
I discount according to age of my inventory.
But on the same note, I will tell my customers that "this is the one you are going to get.
If you want brand spanking new one, I will also do that with a 100% deposit.

 

[Hughman]

I bought mine as a "harvest return" with 80+ hrs on the clock. The dealer added the loader and box blade and started the warranty when I bought it. Came with a fresh oil change and 5yr/0% financing. I forget what the difference was between that deal and a zero hr new machine, but it seemed to make sense at the time. No regrets 4 years later.

 

[crazyal]

It could be tractors that were used as loaners while the dealer worked on customer's tractors. Technically they were never sold so they are "new" but could have quite a few hours on them. I would expect to pay a discounted price and have the first service done as part of the deal.