Buying Advice John Deere 1020, Massey Ferguson 135 or New Holland TC30

[jack32008]

Buying a first compact tractor has proven to be more difficult than I ever imagined. I like the older John Deere 1020 and Massey Ferguson 135, but as a maintainer and NOT A MECHANIC, I am also attracted to the 'newer tractors' like the New Holland TC30.

Are parts readily available for the older tractors and are the parts for New Holland as expensive as I have been lead to believe after LOTS of research? I have a small property (6 acres) and just need a good starter tractor for bush hog work, mowing and pulling small stumps. My skid steer with a 60" Wicked Grapple can do the rest.

Any advice would be welcomed!

Thanks!

Jack

 

[Dillier23]

Have you looked into a front mounted mower for your skid steer? If you have the machine already, it may be cheaper to look for attachments to do the jobs listed.

 

[jack32008]

Thanks for your reply. Actually, I have considered adding attachments to my skid steer but think I may be $$$$ ahead by buying a good, used tractor with a bush hog and finish mower implement. The other side of this is the 'attraction' of restoring an older tractor as a retirement project.

Jack

 

[flusher]

Buying a first compact tractor has proven to be more difficult than I ever imagined. I like the older John Deere 1020 and Massey Ferguson 135, but as a maintainer and NOT A MECHANIC, I am also attracted to the 'newer tractors' like the New Holland TC30.

Are parts readily available for the older tractors and are the parts for New Holland as expensive as I have been lead to believe after LOTS of research? I have a small property (6 acres) and just need a good starter tractor for bush hog work, mowing and pulling small stumps. My skid steer with a 60" Wicked Grapple can do the rest.

Any advice would be welcomed!

Thanks!


Jack

If you don't like to turn a wrench, my advice is to stay away from 50+ year old tractors. I used to have six of those around my place slated for restoration. That said, parts are available for those two old tractors you mentioned. But they are not cheap.

Find yourself a 10-15 year old tractor in the 35 hp (engine) range with a front end loader.

Good luck.

 

[murphy1244]

If you don't like to turn a wrench, my advice is to stay away from 50+ year old tractors. I used to have six of those around my place slated for restoration. That said, parts are available for those two old tractors you mentioned. But they are not cheap.

Find yourself a 10-15 year old tractor in the 35 hp (engine) range with a front end loader.

Good luck.

No more old Tractors??? Say it ain't so Flusher. We need you.

 

[jack32008]

Flusher,

Thanks for your advice. Much appreciated!

Jack

 

[GManBart]

There really is no easy answer. If you buy something 30-50 years old that wasn't fully restored or very carefully maintained, you're going to deal with age issues....bad seals, cracked hoses, frayed wiring, etc. If you buy something 10-15 years old the parts can be more expensive, you still deal with some age issues but the machines tend to be a bit more complicated, and harder to work on. If you look at under 10 years old, you get into electronics (safety cutouts, etc) and that changes everything in how you work on them...and the price goes up.

For example, my Massey was made in either late 1999 or early 2000, and has something like 1700hrs on it the last time I looked. It runs great, has lots of power, and starts easily, but the lift pump went bad last year, and the seals on the steering cylinders just needed to be replaced (leaking badly)...both easy fixes for me, but maybe not for someone else.

As so often is the case, it probably comes down to budget more than anything else. If you can spend enough to get something like a really nice Massey 135 or the Deere 1020, it's likely you won't have any major headaches as they're pretty simple machines. If you buy the typical ones you see on Craigslist, etc, you may be in for more work than you want.

 

[jack32008]

GMan, appreciate your time and informative response. The little guy on my shoulder is telling me to go for the older, simpler tractor (mid 60s John Deere 1020) and steer clear of the newer stuff for the reasons you listed. There is a reason those older JD and Masseys are still running after 40-50 years in most cases. They just don't build stuff like they used to. And yes, budget is a concern.

I have built and flown three different homebuilt/kit airplanes. I know lots about airplanes, air-cooled engines and aviation electronics (wired all the airplanes myself). I've even changed the High Pressure Oil pump seal in a Ford/International Powerstroke 6.0L engine. However, just because I did it, doesn't mean I LIKED IT! I would much rather have something I can continue to MAINTAIN and leave the wrenching to my BIL or a professional mechanic. I know nothing about tractors other than playing with a green toy tractor as a kid.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family. Thanks again for your valued response.

 

[bspeedy]

If you'd rather not wrench and tinker, I think a more modern diesel tractor like the NH TC30 might be a good choice. I just sold mine after 5 years and 500+ hours - bought it used with 300 hours. It required very little work to keep running. I called it the Toyota Camry of tractors. In that period of time, I replaced a thermostat, rebuilt one loader cylinder, and replaced a coolant drain valve. The selling price paid for all these repairs plus the fuel I burned over the 500 hours, plus a bit of profit! That is what I call value.

 

[jack32008]

bspeedy, can't argue with that logic. The issues you raise are a lot of the reasons why the NH TC30 is on the 'short list'. Thanks for your input!