Trying to find a good used Tractor

[sd455dan]

Just thinking.....I mean, they must be out there somewhere. Right? Especially those 20 to 40 year old pre-emission utility size John Deeres. People really liked those 30 to 65 hp machines.

They can't swim, don't tend to wander off, and rarely break - even if they did, people seem to fix them.

Tractor Data can tell us how many were made. Anyone have any idea how many that would be? It wouldn't surprise me at all that most are still working. That's a lot of used tractors.

rScotty

In the case of my buddys 5310 his mom and dad bought it for him. He had purchased acreage for hunting and has what his father thought was a dangerous old tractor. In the picture that’s his dads name on the side, his mothers name is painted on the other side.

If the OP was close to us I would look at this.
Very similar specs to the 5300 series Deeres and parts especially aftermarket should be available for a Long time. Was available with syncro trans as well.

Ford 4610 Tractor - farm & garden - by owner - sale

Solid 4x4 Ford 60 hp tractor. 1987. Good shape and great in snow. Has good Westendorf loader but the bucket is bent. Works but should be replaced. Owned it 5 years and the hours meter has worked...

spokane.craigslist.org

 

[dodge man]

from walking in and talking to the dealers! they want to sell you construction equipment or a big agg tractor or charge you that amount of money for a lawn mower with a FEL attached made in large part by some one else.

More misinformation. John Deere has been making their small tractors for several years now, Yanmar just supplies the engines. There are a lot of makers making “lawn mowers with a FEL”. It’s not a JD thing. Saying JD’s small tractors are a side hustle is like saying anything Kubota sells over 50 hp is a side hustle since the specialize in small tractors.

 

[DaBear3428]

More misinformation. John Deere has been making their small tractors for several years now, Yanmar just supplies the engines. There are a lot of makers making “lawn mowers with a FEL”. It’s not a JD thing. Saying JD’s small tractors are a side hustle is like saying anything Kubota sells over 50 hp is a side hustle since the specialize in small tractors.

what you call mis-information is what i call my recent experience. so you would not call the engine a "LARGE PART" lol

so what would you call the JD 1000 series? other than a lawn tractor with a FEL attached?

 

[dodge man]

I don’t know anything about the JD 1000 series. Googled it and didn’t find anything. So what if it is a lawn mower with an end loader. It’s not like they don’t make anything bigger.

I think Mitsubishi makes engines for Mahindra. Is that a bad thing?

I guess you must have had a bad experience with JD dealership. My local dealer has been decent to work with. They have a salesman that is assigned to smaller homeowner tractors and mowers. I guess I haven’t heard of anybody going in trying to buy a 25 hp tractor and being talked into a large ag tractor or large excavator instead.

 

[zzvyb6]

I have a JD 1070, a model before the 790. Mine is as good as new, cut, rake & bale hay wih it, dig post holes, blow snow with an old 8' truck plow on it, many other things.

I just converted the loader to the JD Hook & Pin Q.A. system, got a 7' snow pusher at an auction, forks, and added a diverter valve for a 3rd function. With either JDs you are considering, the QA loader system kit will work with them. It's a MUST HAVE, IMHO.

 

[dodge man]

I guess I’m not sure what Dabear was referring to. A 1070 is a 3000 pound tractor, not exactly a lawn mower with an end loader.

 

[DaBear3428]

I guess I’m not sure what Dabear was referring to. A 1070 is a 3000 pound tractor, not exactly a lawn mower with an end loader.

TractorData.com John Deere 1025R tractor information

www.tractordata.com

that is what i was referring to by 1000 series what would you call it? you original stated that what I and others have experienced was misinformation and ask how we could feel that way, I gave you the reason why i felt the first responders experience was not Misinformation and that my experience followed his. now you may have a great dealer and may have nothing but good experiences in dealing with your dealer but there are several people that have related their experience and you have responded that their post was misinformation. I have no doubt that you love your JD equipment and I like my JD equipment, but i can also tell you honestly that my dealer experience when dealing with the CUT tractor segment has been a lot less than spectacular. all of your positive experiences does not invalidate our experiences like you seam to think they do.

I have dealt with JD for my ZTM and liked the experience the same thing for my family's JD 350 dozer, but that experience has not carried thru to the CUT segment.

 

[dodge man]

They are called a 1 series but now I understand where you are coming from. You had a bad dealer experience, I understand that but it has nothing to do with the product they make, at least not directly. Some of the dealers can be stuck up. The fact that JD makes a “lawn mower” with an end loader has nothing to do with it either. The OP is clearly looking at bigger tractors. Mahindra, Kubota, Massey and most others make a very similar sized machine to a 1025r also. It’s not an original idea to JD.

I get the thread drift, it happens but the OP was asking about 3 specific used tractors. He wasn’t asking about other brands or asking about dealers. It seems like JD and Kubota are the favorite brands for people to bash. I get that, they cost the most but it gets out of hand with comments like “side gig”, “lawn mowers with end loaders” and “paying extra for green paint“.

 

[DaBear3428]

They are called a 1 series but now I understand where you are coming from. You had a bad dealer experience, I understand that but it has nothing to do with the product they make, at least not directly. Some of the dealers can be stuck up. The fact that JD makes a “lawn mower” with an end loader has nothing to do with it either. The OP is clearly looking at bigger tractors. Mahindra, Kubota, Massey and most others make a very similar sized machine to a 1025r also. It’s not an original idea to JD.

I get the thread drift, it happens but the OP was asking about 3 specific used tractors. He wasn’t asking about other brands or asking about dealers. It seems like JD and Kubota are the favorite brands for people to bash. I get that, they cost the most but it gets out of hand with comments like “side gig”, “lawn mowers with end loaders” and “paying extra for green paint“.

I get it you will defend JD with every ounce of your energy, but guess what it is not necessary, You made a comment about someone's post being incorrect you are wrong they have and i have experienced issues with JD's CUT segment dealers. Guess what, it does not matter that you try to discredited posters on here when they post their experiences/ opinions. i also like your attempt to make the conversation about anything other that what it is about.

I never expressed any dislike for the fact that JD (and others) make SCUTs only that JD tried to push me into a SCUT when they could not compete on price/ performance in the CUT segment in order to deflect from that fact.

bottom line is you asked a question and i answered it, but you did not like the answer so you have tried to reframe the conversation, nice try but no banana for you.

you have stated that mine and others experiences are misinformation and the fact is that you are wrong, i'm not saying that JD is a bad brand or that they make a bad tractor, what i'm saying is that the value of the green paint is based on their dealer support / experience and lately i'm personally seeing my dealer drop that ball and after that is gone i have very little reason to pay the premium for the green paint. BTW that applies for my local Kubota dealer also (more so even).

 

[dodge man]

When I said some information was wrong I was referring to the fact that John Deere was now making their own SCUT and CUT tractors. Someone had said they weren’t. Sorry you misunderstood what I was referring to when I said disinformation. I of course can not say what another persons experience was at a dealer.

The real question is can you give the OP any advice on his question? Thread drift happens but this has devolved into a ridiculous argument over what I said or didn’t say, John Deere’s are or aren’t made by Yanmar, John Deere dealers are or are not good. Did you even click on the OP’s links? They are used and aren’t listed with John Deere dealers.

 

[DaBear3428]

"I of course can not say what another persons experience was at a dealer."

enough said

 

[mo1]

What advice do you have for choosing one of these two tractors I am considering buying?

We have 16 acres and do a lot of mowing, box blading and tilling.

We would also use it to assist in our sawmill and moving siltation from wet weather pond (dry in the summer but muddy).


1999 JOHN DEERE 790 $12,250
https://www.tractortown.com/invento...&accountcrmid=12741707&settingscrmid=12741709

2003 JOHN DEERE 990 $22,900
https://www.tractortown.com/invento...&accountcrmid=12741707&settingscrmid=12741709

Would I be better off with a newer one like this?
2021 John Deere 3043D $25,000
Used 2021 John Deere 3043D

I like working on the older machines and doing TLC along with light mechanical work.

Do you think the prices are fair?

Please tell me what I maybe don’t know.

Ideally, I would like something that could mature into a collectible in the future as well as be usable in the near term.

This is all fairly new to me.
Please just say what hits you and comes to mind.
Much Appreciated.

A little more information would be helpful, such as how much you intend to till and why you are tilling it, what and how much you are mowing, and how large of logs you intend to handle. In general though, running some PTO-driven implement like a rototiller or mower with a tractor like the 3043D (or a gear-drive Kubota L2501) that has a transmission-driven PTO is more challenging than using it with a tractor with a live or independent PTO that doesn't stop when you press the clutch pedal. It can be done but you are going to have a larger learning curve in order to work around it.

The 3043 would be the better decision financially since 18 years newer for $2000 more. What I don’t know about 3043 is what it has for emissions equipment, electronics, etc. Vs the 990.

Prices today are insane so very hard to say what is fair..

The 3043D is a Tier 4 tractor between 26 and 75 HP, so it has an ECU-controlled common rail direct injection engine with a particulate filter and catalyst, but no urea (no SCR.)

Deere makes three different 3 series tractors, the 3D, 3E, and 3R.

- The 3E is the lightest by a good bit as it has an aluminum transmission housing, the 3D and 3R are pretty similar in weight as their transmissions are iron.
- The 3E is hydrostatic-only. The 3D has an unsynchronized transmission with a mechanical idler-type reverse lever. You have to stop completely to change gears or go between forward and reverse. The 3R can be had either with a hydrostatic transmission or with a wet clutch hydraulic reverser with synchronized gears and unsychronized ranges.
- The 3D has a transmission-driven PTO, so step on the clutch and the PTO stops. The 3E and 3R have independent PTOs.
- The 3R can have a mid-mount mower deck, the 3D and 3E cannot.
- The 3R is a lot more expensive than the 3D or 3E. The 3D and 3E are fairly similar in price.

This is a friends 5310. It’s a little over 20 years old and roughly 2000 hours. It’s roughly the same age just a slightly larger version of the 990. It’s been a very solid tractor for him.
View attachment 774142

The 5310 has nothing in common with a 990 besides a paint job. The 5310 was made by John Deere in Georgia and uses a John Deere engine. The 990 was made by Yanmar in Japan and uses a Yanmar engine.

The 5000 series tractors are quite solid machines. Deere still builds a nearly identical tractor to that 5310, the 5067E.

Yes, now that I look closer I see that the sync shuttle sticker is still on the side. That identifies the transmission as being like a stick shift automobile rather than the sliding gear type that required stopping to shift, or the power shuttle type where the clutch was optional.

In the sync shuttle JD transmission he would select a range when stopped, and then can clutch and shift on the go between 3 speeds and reverse in that range. Its fully syncronized like any automotive manual shift one might buy today - except that it has extra ranges. And known to be very fuel efficient.

Nice solid transmission and a good match for a lifetime tractor. I'm spoiled by my HST+ Kubota transmission with it's power shifting Hi&Lo ranges. But 25 years from now when he does decide to sell it I wouldn't be surprised if that syncronized manual transmission added value to the tractor.

People ask "how do I find a good used tractor?". They're out there.
rScotty

The Collar Shift was the unsynchronized transmission that was available in the 5310. Deere quit offering that transmission when they redesigned the 5 series for the Tier 4 models, they kept the SyncShuttle and the wet clutch PowrReverser that were options on the 5x10 models. Deere now calls the SyncShuttle the "Top Shaft Synchronized" aka "TSS," which is what they called their non-powershift synchronized transmissions in their 30 through 55 series tractors. I suspect that occurred since a lot of other manufacturers call a wet clutch hydraulic reverser transmission a "shuttle" and people thus confused the PowrReverser and SyncShuttle/TSS transmissions.

The SyncShuttle/TSS is a good transmission, my tractor has that transmission. Anybody who is not completely ham-fisted can be a lot smoother on a regular dry-clutch unit like the SyncShuttle than with a computer-controlled wet clutch transmission where the clutch pedal is simply a switch to tell the transmission computer to engage or disengage the wet clutch pack.

 

[Saucymynx]

Looks great after 20 years!

Heres my CX-15 after 10 years. Knowing what it’s been through, I think it still looks excellent.

View attachment 774146

It’s sad to see all that beautiful hay being chopped up

 

[Saucymynx]

I have a 790. Mine is 2 Wheel Dr. with no power steering and no loader. I use it only to pull a 5 foot finish mower. What I like: the Yanmar engine is awesome. Problem, free, always starts, plenty of power for that size machine. I also like the maneuverability for getting around trees and such. It is also compact enough to fit easily in the garage. What I don’t like: number one on this list is the lack of power steering, although it looks like the one you are looking at has PS number two on the list is the transmission driven PTO. when you push the clutch, the PTO stops. That just seems dumb to me and it’s a pain in the butt when you’re mowing. I have 1200 hrs on mine and paid $5500 for it three years ago. I would buy it again for that price.

 

[3gunr]

Bearing in mind that most, if not all of the smaller, lighter Mahindra compact tractors are private label machines produced under contract for Mahindra by LS of Korea.

The up and coming compact tractor brands are Korean: Kioti, LS and Branson. There are other Korean brands. You have to critically assess dealer stability while shopping minor brands.

Those mahindra tractors are made by TYM not LS

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

Bearing in mind that most, if not all of the smaller, lighter Mahindra compact tractors are private label machines produced under contract for Mahindra by LS of Korea.

The up and coming compact tractor brands are Korean: Kioti, LS and Branson. There are other Korean brands. You have to critically assess dealer stability while shopping minor brands.

Smaller mahindras I've seen are Mitsubishi or TYM

I have a proper mahindra in india built mahindra. Aka an international clone

 

[Hay Dude]

It’s sad to see all that beautiful hay being chopped up

Its not a big parcel and the owner wants no haying.

 

[plastikosmd]

Mo1

Thank you for the great post.

A lot more useful than the “well I had a friend that had a friend that had a tree drop on his machine so I just hate em”

 

[zzvyb6]

My 4 cylinder 35 HP 1070 is now almost 40 years old. BTW: I can draw more than enough juice from a PTO generator to power an electric car equipped with a trailer hitch as long as I don't have to stop.