Are You A Gambler?

[TimberFarm]

Iron Planet auction has about 20 brand new Kubotas being auctioned off. All listed as "sustained flood damage March 10". They are all still in their crates. No ideas of high the water got on them or what.
Would you take a chance?

 

[paulsharvey]

Iron Planet auction has about 20 brand new Kubotas being auctioned off. All listed as "sustained flood damage March 10". They are all still in their crates. No ideas of high the water got on them or what.
Would you take a chance?

Not without a very significant cost savings. I mean, near scrap value. A tractor can take a lot of water and be fine; but I wouldn't want to be chasing electric gremlins for a decade. I would also closely inspect everything. I wonder what kind of 'rehab' they did after the flood? Also, being in crates probably makes it worse, as they were lower than with wheel, and the crate trapped moisture/water. I would certainly want to build in enough cost savings to have an entire wire harness (that's a lot of money by itself), and maybe pull head to make sure the valves are salt water rust welded...

If we are talking $5k for a $35,000 machine; you probably could part it out and make money; but if we are at 50% original price, I would Run away

 

[stoyan79]

By the time you pay auction fees, shipping from Cali, get rest of parts and loader to put together ...

 

[Thomas]

Nope to iffy...long run could cost more than real good second tractor.

 

[TimberFarm]

I wouldn't either, at least not without being at the auction in person to go over with a fine tooth comb.
I wonder if anybody here who knows where the Kubota warehouse is or maybe the Kubota dealership that got flooded and would know just how high the water actually got since they live in the area.

 

[stevem5215]

Yeah, if you are there in person and can inspect the equipment as in touch it and take some things apart, then I'd look at all the wiring connectors and then the insides of the cylinders if they'd let me pull the glow plugs or the like. That would be enough to tell you to run away or not.

 

[oldnslo]

I suspect they will not let you open the crates and inspect them. Most likely buy as is, with luck you can possibly see water lines on outside of crates and then speculate on what got damaged.

That is how they handled flood damaged items here a few years back.

 

[TimberFarm]

I suspect they will not let you open the crates and inspect them. Most likely buy as is, with luck you can possibly see water lines on outside of crates and then speculate on what got damaged.

That is how they handled flood damaged items here a few years back.

That's what I was thinking. If there is a water line that is low enough, that may be a deal. Could be the dealer/distributor got wet and just because there was water in the building the insurance company totaled everything in it.
I'm guessing Iron Planet got them all from the insurance company???

 

[KennyG]

Unfortunately, because tractors are not titled, someone will buy these up, put a few hours on them, and resell them as low hour like new tractors.

 

[paulsharvey]

Unfortunately, because tractors are not titled, someone will buy these up, put a few hours on them, and resell them as low hour like new tractors.

It's that or if rough enough, they will be shipped to central America, where the labor rates to rebuild are very low.