Realistic $ for a reliable tractor?

[paulsharvey]

Tractor Requirements: FEL, cat 1 3pt hitch, 4wd.



Given all this, what’s a realistic budget for something *reliable*? I’m looking for equipment because I already have more projects than time, and don’t need another one.

The cheapest around me seem to be about $5k for an older 1970-1980 compact tractor (yanmar 1610d or kubota b6800 equivalent).
I dont think this route is ideal; ive used stuff of this vintage, and although they get work done, its far harder than it needs to be. Parts can be a process, be prepared to hunt cross references, possible wait weeks or longer for parts, and know that some parts simply dont exist anymore. Things that sound simple, like a clutch, are a Major job.



The next step up seems to be around $10-15k for a more modern, used compact or subcompact.
If you can find a good deal, and not too rough shape, this can be good. You likely can get more size/power than the $20-25k range of new. Stay with major brands, and know there are sacrifices, like SSQA, and some other stuff, but there absolutely are deals out there.

Finally I could buy new, but I’m wary to drop $20k+ when I’m not entirely confident on what size tractor I need or how much I will actually use it.
This is likely the safe bet, and people often find they dont actually end up using them that much. You dont really see that side on TBN, but when you browse FB Market, and see 5-7 year old machines with 80 hours; its often people who found they really didnt need the machine, and eventually decided to sell and try to recoup some of the cost.

Ideally I’d love to stay under $10k but I would rather spend a bit more and get something I will want to actually use vs an expensive lawn ornament.

 

[airbiscuit]

Thanks Shawn,

Over the last 20 years at TBN we've seen a lot of posts by newbies wanting to buy tractors to do small acreage chores...which is great. Of course, there are a lot of opinions about brands, prices, new, and used.

What happens is our newcomer is quickly overwhelmed with opinions and still has only a rough idea of what he expects the tractor to do or how it feels to run one.

One piece of advice most all told timers here do agree on is that for the novice, renting ANY tractor for a weekend is money well spent. I don't recall that anyone has ever actually followed that advice, but I still think it would be worth doing.

Good luck in your search,
rScotty

BTW, I don't see any downside to getting an older tractor. Just be sure to get a nice older one with everything working. Tractors age slowly, and rarely need more than routine maintenance.

The other advice I would give is to start scouring Craigslist, Tractorhouse and Facebook Marketplace. That is your training Grasshopper. You will become familiar with tractor brands, sizes, models. After a few have sold because you didn't act fast enough, you will come to learn what a good deal is.

 

[rScotty]

The other advice I would give is to start scouring Craigslist, Tractorhouse and Facebook Marketplace. That is your training Grasshopper. You will become familiar with tractor brands, sizes, models. After a few have sold because you didn't act fast enough, you will come to learn what a good deal is.
View attachment 4830595

And check your private message box here on TBN - It's next to the search function on the upper rt. hand corner of the page.
You never know. Maybe someone here is looking to sell. At least then you would have some history.

 

[Tractor_Jack]

Thanks everyone for your replies!

I’ll try and respond to some of the questions and comments I saw in the replies.

- I definitely plan to rent something and visit dealers before buying anything. However renting is not super practical on an ongoing basis as the closest rental locations are about 1.5 hours away over mountain passes.

- I don’t mind doing maintenance myself, but as noted I’m not looking for a project so anything requiring more than a few hours of work I would likely be finding a mechanic. so it sounds like the cheapest category of old tractors probably isn’t a good fit

- I could afford to buy a new tractor, it’s definitely an option. However, the goal is to (in the long run) save money by doing many tasks that I would otherwise have to contract out. If I’m buying new with the implements I want I figure I’m in at least $30k. that’s a big hole to dig myself out of

- I saw some people mentioning looking at larger tractors, a big constraint for me is my current truck can only tow 5000lbs. I was hoping to be able to tow whatever I get myself, which accounting for the trailer weight and everything is pretty limiting. Or do people have good experiences with dealer delivery/pick up and not find themselves towing their tractors much?

 

[Little Red Tractor]

One good way to get a feel for prices is to watch dealer inventory of used tractors.

This dealer isn't in your area, but they sell a lot of tractors and have a good YouTube channel.

Used Tractors

Tractors

messicks.com

I'll double-down on recommending Messick's. Their YouTube channel is a wealth of information. They also have an incredible supply of used equipment, so you can use that for price-point reference.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

If you were to buy new, would you be financing?

Do you currently have a trailer? If so, what is it?

Trailers ... I have a 20' utility trailer rated for 7,000 Lbs, it weighs just a few pounds over 2,000 Lbs, (allows 5,000 Lb of tractor) I'd not want shorter, but many are happy with 14' - 16' dual axle trailers for hauling there own tractors, which would be lighter ... For the sake of weight and weight distribution front to back, and your situation I'd not go less than 16' dual axle trailer, you could save weight, but not money by going to an aluminum trailer ...

My Massey Ferguson GC 1725 MB SCUT TLB weighs about 3,000 Lbs, plus the 285 Lb 5' land plane ...

I like, and added rear stabilizers to the trailer, so when loading/unloading the rear of the trailer doesn't sag, and the front of the trailer will and can rise, lifting the back of the tow vehicle ...

This Kubota Grand L 5030 HSTC weighs about 4100 Lbs alone ... Looks like I have more than enough trailer length, but it leaves room to adjust where the weight is on the trailer ...

I have a weight distribution hitch ...

When I scaled it out, it was pretty even, and had room to spare!

While I love My Little Baby Fergie, it is a Sub-Compact Tractor (SCUT) Tractor Loader Backhoe (TLB) and it's an AMAZING little Swiss Army Knife Tractor? I have 16 Acres, and it does it all, just in smaller bites, and more time ... It is similar size to a Kubota BX.

Two disadvantages of this size of tractor is the tiny tires, ride quality and ground clearance, and a third - bigger tires have bigger foot print, hence better traction ...

What is your plans of "logging"?

While I don't have a grapple, most people that work in the woods really like them over forks, for me and my very limited "woods" I make the very handy forks work ... Grapples do require more hydraulic plumbing to work.

I'm thinking something the size of Kubota B 2601 could work for you, bigger tires, small enough to work in the woods, light enough to trailer, weighs about 1700 Lbs before adding a loader and rear attachment, if you fill the rear tires, that will increase the weight by about 400 Lbs, but increase TRACTION, and lowers the center of gravity ...

 

[dodge man]

I have a John Deere 2025r. It weighs about 1800 pounds bare weight. With fluid in the rear tires, the end loader on, the mower deck on and a ballast box it’s closer to 3000 pounds, my trailer weighs around 2000 pounds so you are at 5000 pounds.

Price point is always an issue for everything you buy, cars, trucks, houses, new shops and tractors. If you spend $15k that’s a good step up form $10k but if you spend $20k that gets you bigger, newer less hours. Whatever you buy doesn’t mean you can’t upgrade in the future.

Unless a tractor is part of your farm or business don’t try to have it pencil out in terms of money. I’ve had a tractor for 15 years. The truth is I don’t need a tractor, it’s doesn’t sustain life for me or my family. It does improve the quality of my life and I enjoy it.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

I paid $18,000 for a brand new Bobcat CT230 back about 10 years ago. Came with an FEL and a backblade. Nice thing about new is that you don't get someone else's problems, and you get a longer useable lifespan on the equipment. But it does cost more money. USAF figured 1200 hrs per year was standard seat time for tractors on the flightline, so I'd use that as a high figure for how much a used tractor has in wear and tear. (400 hrs was the "six month" fluid change interval, so that shows a rather wide variability.)

 

[edgarrian]

I live on 8 acres myself and do all that tasks the OP mentioned. Even skidding logs. I do it with a 1705 massey. I burn about 8-10 cords a year. I do rent a 15000 lb excavator every so often bc i have some massive trees that come down. My buddies 40hp tractor won't pick them up. So i rent the excavator to cut up the big ones. I recently purchased a wolf ridge 28 X pro. For ease of splitting big logs and making the job quicker.

The OP should consider a log splitter in his expenditures if he's using wood. Those box store splitters work but they dont compare to a nice log splitter

 

[ArlyA]

Used tractor shopping is tough and been at it for a while. Would you drive 4 to 6 hours one way look at it?

 

[kmesr9]

Background:
Recently purchased a house on 10 acres of wooded land in the mountains of Washington state. ~1 mile of trails, small cleared yard (no mowing required), 150ft sloped gravel driveway. Moving from the city I’ve never owned or operated a tractor. I’m about an hour from any dealer, but there’s pretty much all the major brands represented.

Realizing I need some machinery to speed up all the tasks around the property (moving snow, skidding logs, regrading driveway, laying mulch, trail maintenance, etc). Importantly I don’t have grass to mow, though am considering a brush hog for the trails.

Tractor Requirements: FEL, cat 1 3pt hitch, 4wd.

Given all this, what’s a realistic budget for something *reliable*? I’m looking for equipment because I already have more projects than time, and don’t need another one.

The cheapest around me seem to be about $5k for an older 1970-1980 compact tractor (yanmar 1610d or kubota b6800 equivalent).

The next step up seems to be around $10-15k for a more modern, used compact or subcompact.

Finally I could buy new, but I’m wary to drop $20k+ when I’m not entirely confident on what size tractor I need or how much I will actually use it.

Ideally I’d love to stay under $10k but I would rather spend a bit more and get something I will want to actually use vs an expensive lawn ornament. Apologies for the novel, but I wanted to include as much context as possible. Please let me know your thoughts and advice!

I live in western WA and bought a used B2150 with a 60” belly mower and FEL for $9k 8yrs ago. I was looking for a 4cyl diesel, 4wd, power steering, hydro and this checked all the boxes even though it was an ‘83 model and had quite a few hours. The mower deck was rusted through in a few places and needed a new belt but I fixed all that and added new blades. Changed the oil and antifreeze and it’s been a great tractor for me ever since. Just put a new battery in it last December. I have 3acres, some hilly parts but the tractor has done almost anything I need and has paid for itself over and over again saving me labor. (and my back!)

 

[edgarrian]

Used tractor shopping is tough and been at it for a while. Would you drive 4 to 6 hours one way look at it?

I did this when I purchased an excavator. I went with the expectation of buying but was ready not to. Negotated the price and purchased. Sometimes it worth doing a long trip like that if its a good deal. It was a link belt. Good brand but not popular in the excavator world. This was sometime ago as well. I was able to negotiate my 1705 as I was a cash customer in 2016.

It would seem several people claim that dealers are not coming down but I find that hard to believe. I was able to negotiate my wife's new car last year. Funny when we were doing the test drive. I brought up the price and told the salesman that he needed to start thinking about the bottom price. His response was. Oh we are sir. During the negotiation. He left 3 times about my requests. IN the end we made a fare deal. I think the art of negotiating has really fallen off a cliff. People take no for an answer entirely to quick

 

[Jaygyver]

Look at your property and think of what your plans are for now and in the future. Is it mostly wooded, is it mostly flat, is it a mix?

Using a tractor just requires a bit more common sense than a car as the car is a bit more forgiving. Just use your head when on hills or working in the woods. Use a counter balance when using the loader, the brakes are only on the rear axle, there are plenty of the cheaper box style ones where you just throw some rock, etc, in it and you’re good to go.
The other thing is where are you going to store it? If you’re going to use the garage then you will have to get one that has a fold down Rops bar. (Roll bar)

You NEED a Large frame 25hp and would be fine. Would you need to lift more than 1000 lbs very often? With my old 24 hp tractor I was able to get away with my 5 acres with 1/3 wooded and the rest partially hilly and flat. I just dragged the trees to the burn pile that I didn’t want to cut smaller or the rounds were too large to fit in the bucket. If I needed to make a lot of trips I just loaded the hell out of my old HF wanna be 4x8 trailer and just towed it to where ever I needed it. The biggest thing is to have a plan.

A WANT would be a 35+- hp but would be quicker and be able to use larger implements.

Worse case scenario if a smaller tractor just doesn’t work out there is no reason you couldn’t trade up to one you can use. Tractors do have pretty good resale/trade value.

Any of the name brand or well known tractors brands are fine to buy, they have been around for decades now. Just do your due diligence and look online for the model you're looking at to see if that year had issues. Every single brand I looked into had a model or two that had a lemon, yes even the green and orange ones. The reason I went with LS this time was it was around $7000 cheaper and came with more than JD and Kubota. (and was the closest dealer). Well that and the “all in one” pedal Kubota had was a no go, I used a forklift that had one and it was way to embarrassing to watch me use it.

Look at the fine print if you do go new as some dealers only advertise the -tractor only- not the loader and/or bucket but still show the loader and bucket in the pictures. You would have to include those. You also have the warranty to fall back on also. There is no need to buy every implement you think you would need now as you can always buy used or new later when you figure out if you will even use it enough.

Also be aware that JD, and I believe Kubota, sell a proprietary QA loader so you can only use JD or Kubota buckets, etc. They both sell the Universal and the proprietary loaders tho so you would have to know which loader you get. USSQA (universal skid steer quick attach or just SSQA or QA now) can be used by all the brand tractors IF they have a QA loader. Most 3rd party manufacturers do sell both versions of the JD/Kubota implements now. Retro fitting a pin on bucket to a QA is doable but does get pretty involved.

I skipped the dealer 45 minutes away from me as I didn't want to hear their political views when all I'm looking for is a tractor so I went 1-1/4 hours to another dealer.
I have a #9000 cap twin axle trailer that I pulled with my old '92 bronco and the #3000 LS pulled fine. I think my old 24 hp JD only weighs around 2000 lbs. And you can always borrow or rent a trailer if needed.

Worst case most dealers will pickup your tractor for maintenance/warranty for a fee. It vary’s by price and how far away you are but is still way cheaper than buying a truck and or trailer to tow it yourself.

 

[Sportsman762]

Used tractor shopping is tough and been at it for a while. Would you drive 4 to 6 hours one way look at it?

My last tractor was 3.5 hours away and is a 1988 so its darned far from new. But I am pretty impervious to long drives, most of my friends will not even drive 35 minutes to look at a new truck.

 

[coast40]

We can better help if we know your location

We can better help if we know your location

YES! At least your county. Welcome to TBN!!

 

[fustsgt]

View attachment 4830425

Cheap and reliable are like Yin and Yang.

Sell the country lot and buy a condo in Miami.

I can do it quick, on budget, high quality. Pick any two.

 

[paulsharvey]

On dealer negotiation; I'll relay what I was told;
cash, they will take it, but its a pain, they arent going to keep it at the shop even 4 hours, they have to send someone to deposit it, its a pain, so why discount?

Loans, they have the money in their account in hours, zero hassle, a form or two to fill out, but streamline and easy. They typically arent actually getting kick backs from lenders like auto lenders.

Personal, cashier check, or some kinda of money wire; longer time, more trouble, sometimes fees; so they prefer to avoid them.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

All three of my dealers I bought from Massey Ferguson, John Deere, and the Kioti/New Holland dealer I bought my used Kubota from, all preferred personal check ... The John Deere dealer that I bought the used finish mower took my credit card!

 

[kenmac]

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I bought this McCormick CX105 about 5 yrs ago ? for 35 K .Haven't had one issue with it .
You can get good used tractors that will be trouble free and last a long time if you just look around

 

[jwmorris]

Used tractor shopping is tough and been at it for a while. Would you drive 4 to 6 hours one way look at it?

I drove 443.4 miles one way for the last one we bought. Spent the night and brought it back.