Buying Advice First time tractor buyer looking for advice (MF 210-4)

[carpart67]

Hey all,

Looking for some advice from those of you who know your tractors. My buddy/neighbour has a compact tractor that I'm thinking about making an offer on, but I'm not sure if it is a good investment or not. It's a 1983 Massey Ferguson 210-4. It's a 4x4, 23HP, 2 cylinder diesel with a MF 216 front end loader. High, medium and low range transmission. Tires are in good shape and the rears are loaded. It has 1,550 hours. He bought it with the intention of fixing it up and re-selling. I could probably convince him to let it go to me for what he paid, as he hasn't done anything to it yet. I believe he paid in the area of 4k (all prices here are in Canadian $). Any compact 4x4 tractor that age in my area usually sells in the 6.5-8k range.

My friend has only had it around a year. The gentleman who owned it before him used it mostly for snow clearing. The mechanics look to have been cared for. It has new exhaust and new wheel centers. My friend bluntly asked him why he was selling it so cheaply. He said he was selling it for what the dealer offered him for trade value. This way he saved the cost of floating it to the dealer (quite a distance) and made a quick sale. I've been borrowing the tractor in return for performing some maintenance. As it is right now the machine works like a top. It has small issues common to older tractors like leaks and such, but it starts great (at least this time of year, I've never used it in winter), runs well, brakes work good.

Here's the catch, from what I have read MF subbed the manufacture of these tractors to a Japanese company. I've read that parts can be hard to find. I've also read that the front axle is the weak link when used for heavy loader work. I'd be using the loader to move fill, crushed rock, and occasionally to dig rocks too large to man handle out of the ground. It wouldn't be everyday, mostly just when the odd job comes up. Other than that the tractor would mostly tow a trailer of fire wood or tools and lumber and possibly run a small tiller or mower. I'm not on a farm that would require daily tractor use or anything, I'm just more of a DIY guy who has some land to tinker around. My family has a larger MF130 tractor, but it can be a handful navigating narrow woods trails with it, it's only 2wd,has no loader, and isn't the most well cared for (not my doing).

I'm not new to running tractors, but I am new to the used tractor purchasing experience. I'm guessing worst case scenario I could probably sell the loader to recoup some costs. I feel like a well cared for machine will last a while, this particular friend is running tractors from the 50s and seems to have no problems, but I don't want to get stuck with an expensive paper weight. Given the hours on the machine, and the possibility parts may be hard to find is it worth the 4k (CAD$) Anything I should look for next time I have it?

Any help or info would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[cglaser104]

The biggest issue I see for you is parts. The manufacture was Hinomoto (Toyosha motor) who ceased manufacturing tractors and was a discontinued brand in 1997. Things like hydraulic hoses and filters don't aren't a huge concern as those can be cross referenced to other manufactures and replaced but things like toyosha motor parts might be tough to get parts for. The good news is that it's a young motor if it was cared for properly and not beaten and shouldn't give you too much trouble in the near future.

As for the front axle, if you exceed it's load working specifications it may fail. If you operate within the limits of the machine you should be fine.

The price would seem to me to make up for some of the issues with parts and what not. You'll get a good deal compared to a similar purchase of a similar machine for the payoff of having to work a little harder if you do need a Hinomoto specific part

Good luck on your perspective purchase.

 

[carpart67]

Thanks for the reply. I'm still thinking things over. I have an ATV I will be selling in the future, my friend is interested in it. He said that if he still has the tractor when I'm ready to part with the ATV we may be able to do some bargaining. So there is the potential that I could get the tractor for very little "out of pocket" expense. If that's the case I may pick it up, use it lightly and fix it up while I save some more cash. Then sell and upgrade to something with more parts availability.

 

[cglaser104]

Depending on the atv you have you should come out at a wash. A well maintained, low to moderate hour/miles 4x4 ATV starts at $3000 USD in my area in a best case scenario.

 

[bspeedy]

The fact that you've been able to evaluate the machine and operate it some make it seem like a good buy to me. I think 4 grand Canadian (what is that - 175 dollars US?? Haaa!) is a very low price for a 4wd tractor with loader. Normally I'm skeptical of older machinery, but you've had the chance to use it. Go for it, I say.