Does Anyone Buy Used Tractors?

[finn1]

cavitation and oxygen impingement are the same thing. When a bubble forms on the side of a liner and it 'explodes', it initiates the process as it removes a tiny amount of the outer treated part of the liner and allows the resultant hole to bore into the liner and eventually compromise the liner causing engine failure. I retired from a class 8 heavy duty truck dealership and we rarely saw that happening because most trucks either came with a coolant filter with a block of potassium permagnate inside or the owners used DCA4 additive which is deionized water with the Potassium in solution. The DCA 4 or or the charged coolant filters allows the potassium to 'coat' the outside of the liner, preventing cavitation or oxygen impingement. Kind of like taking water in a pan and heating it. The bubbles that form on the bottom of the pan as the water heats are exactly what happens with a liner.

Like I said, did a few, but not many and it always resulted in engine failure.

We never referred to oxygen impingement in Engineering. Must be a Cummins term.

 

[5030]

We never referred to oxygen impingement in Engineering. Must be a Cummins term.

Actually, was a CAT term though it applied to any large diesel, more of a shop term than anything else. I take it you went to Michigan Tech in Houghton? My BIL went there as well and graduated with an engineering degree. Just the place to be in the winter...lol

Cat's had some interesting quirks like breaking exhaust studs and warping spacer plates, more than failing liners but then it wasn't just Cats, it was every wet sleeved engine that was neglected.

Pretty much old news. Today, all large diesels come with loaded coolant filters from the OEM.

Cat did well to get out of the on road market then. Cat engines got stupid with emissions hardware. Their 'furnace' and twin turbo's were a nightmare.

 

[Hay Dude]

So do I. It sounds like the OP has his answer - quite a few people buy used. It's been mentioned before, but I actually prefer buying low hour used over new. Lots of reasons, and saving money is just a side benefit. And I especially lean toward low hour used now that I am not doing much of my own mechanical work.
rScotty

Exactly. Let someone else take the depreciation hit. The warranty is pretty much over in the first 1-2 years and nothing much usually breaks in first 2 years anyway.
Best used tractors are ones that previous owner sells because “it’s too big”. Especially home/hobby-farm owner. You know it’s been babied, waxed & fluids changed ahead of time.

The problem is, those tractors usually sell for a small amount less than new and there’s no financing incentives.

 

[jwmorris]

None of our tractors (5) were purchased new. The real old ones are worth more dollars now than when they were new but the Dollars themselves are not worth what they used to be…

 

[ptsg]

Back in 2017, when I decided I was going to get rid of my two Toselli crawlers and the Kubota B7000, I was dead set on buying used. There wasn't really a need to spend a whole bunch of money on a new tractor to put maybe 100 to 150 hours a year.

I spent a bunch of time looking for used tractors. Ended up on a New Holland dealer looking at a 2005 New Holland TCE45 (not to be confused with the TC series). A very nice European specked tractor, built by Landini. Front and rear diff locks, 45HP, R1 Radial tires, 2 sets of remotes, etc. It had 3000 hours and the dealer was asking €13.000 for it. Now the cons, the tires had maybe 10% tread left and being Radials, that meant another €1500 to €2000 to replace those tires, plus some cosmetic stuff here and there that would be easily fixed.

Anyway, had the dealer cared more about the costumer instead of his phone (spent 30 min waiting for him to finally finish with his call), I would've probably went for it regardless.

Ended up driving towards home, literally 2 miles away from the NH dealer, is the Case/Branson dealer (former big NH dealer as well). Long story short, ended up with a brand new Branson F36Rn with 2 year warranty for only €500 more than the NH one, plus the Branson dealer actually spent some time to come at my house (only 12 mile drive) and look at my tractors. Ended up taking two with him.

Needless to say, the used market only got crazier ever since.

 

[5030]

None of our tractors (5) were purchased new. The real old ones are worth more dollars now than when they were new but the Dollars themselves are not worth what they used to be…

Which makes it all relative anyway.

 

[arto98607]

None of our tractors (5) were purchased new. The real old ones are worth more dollars now than when they were new but the Dollars themselves are not worth what they used to be…

Used tractors are fine, the important thing is to do homework as best you can and buy the right one so no need to buy over and over.
Good used tractor can last a lifetime in homeowner use, if looked after & maintained properly.


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[finn1]

Actually, was a CAT term though it applied to any large diesel, more of a shop term than anything else. I take it you went to Michigan Tech in Houghton? My BIL went there as well and graduated with an engineering degree. Just the place to be in the winter...lol

Cat's had some interesting quirks like breaking exhaust studs and warping spacer plates, more than failing liners but then it wasn't just Cats, it was every wet sleeved engine that was neglected.

Pretty much old news. Today, all large diesels come with loaded coolant filters from the OEM.

Cat did well to get out of the on road market then. Cat engines got stupid with emissions hardware. Their 'furnace' and twin turbo's were a nightmare.

We live in Az in the winter

 

[5030]

Must be nice, well I have no issue with winter at all. Time for the ground to rest to produce good crops the following year.

 

[stumblinhorse]

Must be nice, well I have no issue with winter at all. Time for the ground to rest to produce good crops the following year.

I appreciate winter since it kills off the things that bite you in the summer…