What is the most important things to look for when buying a tractor?

[Reddogs]

Whether new or used, there are things IMHO that go beyond just the price and size and what you think you need, as a there are critical issues which need to be looked at. Like will this manufacturer be there when I need parts and service, to say nothing of it having financial troubles and being phased out by its parent company or ceasing operations altogether. What do the reviews show on this tractor manufacture from long term owners as well as satisfaction of new owners, as well as its track record. So to me, you have to look for a manufacture that is stable, having a good record on sales and service and great dealer support network to start with before you even look at the actual tractor. Find out what you can expect when you need help with the tractor, what does the MFG Warranty actually cover and what will the dealer do if there is a problem that cant be fixed on the tractor, and is there a escalation ladder for these critical issues.

So a good rule of thumb at least for me, is MFG stability, good dealer relationships and dealer support, and getting good feedback on sales and service, then looking at what you would call the actual tractor issues of reliability and performance, cost of ownership, and how it fits your need. I think I cover the basics, but everyone chime in on what I might have missed.

So what is everyone's view on the most important things to look for when buying a tractor?

 

[2manyrocks]

For me, it is important to consider the whole situation. I agree that parts availability is crucial over time. There have been a lot of lower cost tractors that became orphans as years passed.

This issue is even worse if the tractor is prone to break and needs more repairs than tractors with better reliability.

 

[nybirdman]

And ,how long the dealer has been in business.My Kubota dealer is great and is in the third generation as a dealer.Have seen a lot of start-up and failures locally.

 

[sea2summit]

A new consideration is supply chain. One of the larger manufacture's seems to be struggling to repair tractors largely due to where their parts are coming from.

 

[kthompson]

My first and best recommendation is: TAKE YOUR TIME. Don't fall in love or must have this unit attitude. It is a tool and not a life. I am always amazed how I can look at a tractor, equipment and go back and look again shocked to see how much I missed in designed or such. I agree with all above but will also suggest you look past the local dealer for they close for reasons such as death so look to next level of dealerships also. One of the big reasons I passed on Yanmar was outside of the nearest dealership it was over 100 miles to another dealership.
If not a true tractor dealer (lawn mower or uhaul or used car dealer) I would pass.

Sit the tractor, play with the levers, adjust the seat, steering wheel and does all those fit you? Are they smooth to operate? Is the fit natural to you, are you comfortable? Is it easy for you to get on and off of? From each side? Read the specs, compare weight of units. At least drive the tractor on their lot.

I have owned one Case, one JD and now own three Kubotas. To me the Case and JD were smoother operating tractors. They were heavier for same hp as the Kubotas were. so why do I have three Kubotas? Dealership is about 10 miles away, others about 45 miles away, price, and two smaller size options. See you have two of those brands now so sure you can understand some of that.

 

[Reddogs]

My first and best recommendation is: TAKE YOUR TIME. Don't fall in love or must have this unit attitude. It is a tool and not a life. I am always amazed how I can look at a tractor, equipment and go back and look again shocked to see how much I missed in designed or such. I agree with all above but will also suggest you look past the local dealer for they close for reasons such as death so look to next level of dealerships also. One of the big reasons I passed on Yanmar was outside of the nearest dealership it was over 100 miles to another dealership.
If not a true tractor dealer (lawn mower or uhaul or used car dealer) I would pass.

Sit the tractor, play with the levers, adjust the seat, steering wheel and does all those fit you? Are they smooth to operate? Is the fit natural to you, are you comfortable? Is it easy for you to get on and off of? From each side? Read the specs, compare weight of units. At least drive the tractor on their lot.

I have owned one Case, one JD and now own three Kubotas. To me the Case and JD were smoother operating tractors. They were heavier for same hp as the Kubotas were. so why do I have three Kubotas? Dealership is about 10 miles away, others about 45 miles away, price, and two smaller size options. See you have two of those brands now so sure you can understand some of that.

The only thing I missed when checking the Kubotas was the noise, I thought it was just that particular tractor or model line, but its looking like they make a good amount of noise when you give it power..

 

[Reddogs]

A new consideration is supply chain. One of the larger manufacture's seems to be struggling to repair tractors largely due to where their parts are coming from.

Thats a good point, its having a real affect across the board...

 

[dodge man]

I’d say one thing people don’t do is look ahead. How will you be using that tractor ten years from now? My first tractor was a Kubota BX. A great tractor, but small, I finally realized it was to small and bought a larger JD.

 

[wolc123]

I’d say the paint. If it’s not green, then I would shop somewhere else.

 

[Rdrcr]

I’d say the paint. If it’s not green, then I would shop somewhere else.

You beat me to it!!!!

Color should be the only consideration, lol

Mike

 

[scaredychicken]

Manufacturers / Brands / Tractor types are generally comparable and competitive. That is mostly purchaser preferences.

It comes down to Dealerships for me ... Relationships and Location (convenience)

Then, enjoy tractor life

 

[timbatrader]

I come from a different angle i have a couple of old tractors that the manufacturer has been out of business for decades (Leyland's) I have never had a problem getting the few parts I have needed and there seem to be specialist suppliers that can supply pretty much any part I could ever need at cheaper prices than OEM from a current machine would cost. Apart from my tractors I have a couple of machines that were self imported from china. A bulldozer and a pivot steer loader lots parts on those fuel pumps alternators etc are just standard easily available parts the bits that I have ordered direct from china take a couple of weeks to arrive and are ridiculously cheap, if I couldn't import parts there isn't much on the machine that a local engineer couldn't repair or rebuild.
I do think this attitude of buy the dealer not the machine is oversold probably by the dealers a simple machine either second hand old machine or a Chinese new machine which uses 30 year old technology is what works for me. Then I have a much bigger choice of local mechanics to choose from to service it

 

[Reddogs]

I come from a different angle i have a couple of old tractors that the manufacturer has been out of business for decades (Leyland's) I have never had a problem getting the few parts I have needed and there seem to be specialist suppliers that can supply pretty much any part I could ever need at cheaper prices than OEM from a current machine would cost. Apart from my tractors I have a couple of machines that were self imported from china. A bulldozer and a pivot steer loader lots parts on those fuel pumps alternators etc are just standard easily available parts the bits that I have ordered direct from china take a couple of weeks to arrive and are ridiculously cheap, if I couldn't import parts there isn't much on the machine that a local engineer couldn't repair or rebuild.
I do think this attitude of buy the dealer not the machine is oversold probably by the dealers a simple machine either second hand old machine or a Chinese new machine which uses 30 year old technology is what works for me. Then I have a much bigger choice of local mechanics to choose from to service it

I think a few of the Yugo buyers would disagree....

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

A new consideration is supply chain. One of the larger manufacture's seems to be struggling to repair tractors largely due to where their parts are coming from.

Who would you be referring to if you don't mind me asking?

 

[cathy liebchen]

Buy the heaviest Kubota you can afford

 

[cathy liebchen]

The only thing I missed when checking the Kubotas was the noise, I thought it was just that particular tractor or model line, but its looking like they make a good amount of noise when you give it power..

One should always wear hearing protection when operating any tractor so comparative noise is a non issue

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Whether new or used, there are things IMHO that go beyond just the price and size and what you think you need, as a there are critical issues which need to be looked at. Like will this manufacturer be there when I need parts and service, to say nothing of it having financial troubles and being phased out by its parent company or ceasing operations altogether. What do the reviews show on this tractor manufacture from long term owners as well as satisfaction of new owners, as well as its track record. So to me, you have to look for a manufacture that is stable, having a good record on sales and service and great dealer support network to start with before you even look at the actual tractor. Find out what you can expect when you need help with the tractor, what does the MFG Warranty actually cover and what will the dealer do if there is a problem that cant be fixed on the tractor, and is there a escalation ladder for these critical issues.

So a good rule of thumb at least for me, is MFG stability, good dealer relationships and dealer support, and getting good feedback on sales and service, then looking at what you would call the actual tractor issues of reliability and performance, cost of ownership, and how it fits your need. I think I cover the basics, but everyone chime in on what I might have missed.

So what is everyone's view on the most important things to look for when buying a tractor?

Red, what you're saying is 100% logical here and there is nothing that you have said that I would disagree with. In fact, I took the exact same methodical approach as you to shopping for a tractor BUT here is where logic and reality do not always coincide. John Deere for example has the best betting average in the industry when it comes to reliability. They have the best warranty and extended warranty and they have the most dealerships nationwide. They have been around the longest and they have the best parts support. So based on what you're saying John Deere theoretically is the best brand to pick hands down on paper. In reality John Deere is bringing less value per dollar then any other manufacturer out there, the local dealers are terrible to deal with, the manufacturer is terrible to deal with and John Deere is the biggest opponent of the right to repair law, making every part 100% proprietary so you can't ever buy aftermarket or third party. So reality does not follow logic here.

Looking for lower risk buys is always the goal when you are smart shopping. It's the same objective as looking for lower risk investments when you are smart investing. The problem is at what cost are you willing to pay to avert risk? If you play your hand too conservative you can end up overpaying for the return on value that you actually get thus making the value to price ratio imbalanced. If you play your hand too risky you can end up with a lemon product and a bad company that erodes every bit of that value and savings the buy was supposed to bring you leaving you with no reward for the risk that you took. This is where you have to personally research and evaluate your individual market to come to the best determination about where the sweet spot is for you as a buyer. A brand that makes sense in one market may not make any sense in another market. Some areas of the country have good Deere dealers and for those markets Deere could be the winner despite all the factors I pointed out above. Roy Jackson is a TBN member that only buys Deere and in his market Deere has worked out great for him. The same goes for Kubota. Here we have quite a few Kubota dealers but none of them impressed me and none of them have pricing that now makes any sense. However, if you talk to the TBN member 5030 Kubota is the only choice that makes sense to him due to his long standing relationship with his dealer. Brands fair differently in different parts of the country due to a number of factors. This is the nature of franchised businesses. This is why many here always talk about shopping for a dealer as much as a brand because a good dealer can make all the difference in the world in your experience of doing business with that brand. This is often due to their commitment to customer service. Like any business, some care about the customer and some don't.

 

[kenmac]

I'm not brand loyal. I own Kubota, and McCormick.
The reason ? they were priced right. I didn't care about the dealer

 

[paulfun9]

I think a few of the Yugo buyers would disagree....

I can show you Chevy, Ford, Mercury, dodge, vw, Toyota parts that are Not availiable for cars right now. So why go to the extreme by picking the true odd ball?

 

[paulfun9]

I’d say the paint. If it’s not green, then I would shop somewhere else.

If I wanted a green tractor, I could buy anything and paint it!