Ford 1700 price

[SirReal63]

Hello Everyone, I have been using TBN for research for several months now and this place is awesome.

I am currently looking at a Ford 1700 4WD with FEL, 4' shredder, galvanized box blade and 16' trailer package for a little over 7k. Tractor has had steering box recently rebuilt and the paint looks original and fairly fresh. Knowing this is a 30 year old tractor, it causes me a little concern, but after reading this section I feel better about it. I know it is not a bad deal, but I am curious if others feel it is over priced, considering the age? It will be used mainly to remove the Ash juniper plague, light mowing and light dirt and compost moving on 8 acres we just bought. I won't be plowing or doing anything heavy with it so I am not too worried about it being over worked. I know about the first year issue with weak axles and have not got the serial number to check the year yet.

Thanks for your thoughts.
Jack

A few pics, I have not seen it in person yet.

 

[michael.white]

Sounds like a good price, especially if the hours are low (say sub-1000). If it's been maintained, it'll just go and go and go.... My dad's '79 doesn't look nearly as nice as that one and he's had it since new. The only issue (other than the weak axles on the '79s) I've heard him talk about is that, due to the age, some of the less-than-critical parts are NLA or very expensive; the dash comes to mind, as his cracked and he ended up pop-riveting it back together.

 

[SirReal63]

Thanks Michael, I know they are good little tractors if taken care of, this one appears to have been. It has had two owners so that is a bonus.

We are also looking at a new Branson 2400H, 4x4 with FEL but am not sure it is really worth double the price, a warranty is nice but the dealer is about 4 hours away for one and two hours away through Austin traffic for the other. I am leaning hard towards an older tractor than a new one. With the simple tasks we plan on, it won't be worked hard or abused. Actually Michael, the tractor is located in Dripping Springs.

 

[JC-jetro]

Looks good , I straighten the edge of the bucket and weld up a new edge to it to beef it up.

JC,

 

[michael.white]

Thanks Michael, I know they are good little tractors if taken care of, this one appears to have been. It has had two owners so that is a bonus.

We are also looking at a new Branson 2400H, 4x4 with FEL but am not sure it is really worth double the price, a warranty is nice but the dealer is about 4 hours away for one and two hours away through Austin traffic for the other. I am leaning hard towards an older tractor than a new one. With the simple tasks we plan on, it won't be worked hard or abused. Actually Michael, the tractor is located in Dripping Springs.

The 1700 has already been through its paces, so any infant mortality problems have already occurred; hopefully any sort of damage or abuse will be apparent. A warranty is nice, but twice as nice? For less equipment? I'd take the 1700, especially if it's just for light use anyway.

You're up near Marble Falls, right? The dealer near you (Mustang Equipment?) sure is pricey. They wanted $500 more than Fredericksburg Equipment for a post hole digger and auger. Same brand, too - and they both needed to order it. The cheapest local place I've found is Fredericksburg Equipement.

If you want me to take a look at the tractor, let me know - I'm currently unemployed and looking for a reason to get out of the house

 

[michael.white]

Thanks Michael, I know they are good little tractors if taken care of, this one appears to have been. It has had two owners so that is a bonus.

We are also looking at a new Branson 2400H, 4x4 with FEL but am not sure it is really worth double the price, a warranty is nice but the dealer is about 4 hours away for one and two hours away through Austin traffic for the other. I am leaning hard towards an older tractor than a new one. With the simple tasks we plan on, it won't be worked hard or abused. Actually Michael, the tractor is located in Dripping Springs.

The 1700 has already been through its paces, so any infant mortality problems have already occurred; hopefully any sort of damage or abuse will be apparent. A warranty is nice, but twice as nice? For less equipment? I'd take the 1700, especially if it's just for light use anyway.

You're up near Marble Falls, right? The dealer near you (Mustang Equipment?) sure is pricey. They wanted $500 more than Fredericksburg Equipment for a post hole digger and auger. Same brand, too - and they both needed to order it. The cheapest local place I've found is Fredericksburg Equipement.

If you want me to take a look at the tractor, let me know - I'm currently unemployed and looking for a reason to get out of the house

 

[SirReal63]

Thanks for your thoughts, and I pretty much agree, and this one does look to have been well taken care of. I am having analysis paralysis from all of the different tractor options available. I am leaning towards this Ford or something like it.

Mustang Equipment has always been pricey, they used to be the only game in town but that isn't the case any more. Meadowlakes is a private city next to Marble Falls but the property is in between Burnet and Bertram. If you know the area, it is mostly old cotton fields and is short on trees. Our place looks to have never been worked, there are between 30-40 Oaks, most over 30' tall but the Cedar is choking it out, so the first order of business is to eradicate most of the cedar. The Google Earth view is pretty telling of just how many trees are on it. It was a score to find a property this heavy tree'd.

I would say go take a peek at it but the owner sold the property and isn't there much. We will go look at it by this weekend.

 

[SirReal63]

The 1700 isn't going to happen, he got a better offer than I was willing to do. The search continues.

 

[JC-jetro]

shucks! something better will come up when you're not looking. I find my best deals when I'm not particularly after something.

 

[michael.white]

Too bad about the Ford.

Looks like you've got a great plot. I've got a little under 8 acres but the previous owner cut down most of the oaks due to oak wilt.

 

[SirReal63]

The tractor is a bummer, but not the end of the world either. You are right JC, the right one will come along. I did a search on parts for it, and there really isn't much left out there for that tractor, hoses, brakes, radiator, steering gear and a few spindles. Fortunately I am in no hurry and can be selective. The size of the 1700 was about right but slightly bigger would be good too.

The property is just about everything we were looking for, it is secluded, tons of Oaks, it is on a private road and only one neighbor. It is currently under wildlife exemption so the taxes are great and we got for under $70.

Here are a few shots of some of the trees. They were taken a few months back, I will take some better ones this weekend.

I took this a couple weeks ago, they are starting to get full with leaves.

It has been a slow process, but we will get there. The 5 year plan is to be producing organic vegetables for the farmers market.

 

[michael.white]

The trees look great there - since I live here, my taxes are a wee bit higher

Out of curiosity, have you checked the PH level out there? It's about 7.5 where I'm at, which will impact what vegetables you can grow successfully, or at least without adding a lot of sulfur.

 

[SirReal63]

We haven't bothered with soil tests yet, there are cedars in the spot where the garden will be. I am positive we will have to amend the soil, it is black clay and had had an eternity of cedar needles acidifying the soil. We are going to try our hand at no-till and using a few truckloads of compost over cardboard to start out. We will start with about a third to a half an acre of garden, a couple of greenhouses for aquaponics and probably chickens, goats, potbellies and rabbits. If Toni has her way, maybe an Alpaca or two, but I am not sure we will do that. We will build a barndominimum, well, septic and electrical before anything else happens. First step is cedar removal on the area where the barndo, well and septic will go. My preference is to let Cedar Eaters come mulch the bulk of the cedar, leaving the old growth ones for the birds to build nests from. Unfortunately I will have to pull the cedar where the slab, septic and garden will go.

 

[SirReal63]

Thanks to those who weighed in on the little Ford, we ended up buying a new Mahindra and have started a thread for the journey with this property. About 5 acres of the cedar has been mulched. Thanks again for all of the wonderful advice.
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