Used DX29 -- Decent Price?

[BigE_]

I've been lurking in the forums for about a month now, spending hours reading all of the posts. As you well know, lots of good info here -- thanks. I finally joined so I can post....

I'm looking for a tractor / loader / backhoe for use on my 5 acres. 4 acres are wooded, and everything is on a slope (20+ degrees in places). I thinned the forest last fall, and they left quite a few downed trees, and all of the tops, so I've got about 100 or so downed trees left on the property. I've been chipping the branches and cutting the trees for firewood, and hauling everything with my little 24hp lawn tractor. Brakes went out on the lawn tractor while going downhill. I was out of commission for a few months, and now I'm using my Blazer to haul the trailer .

I've got several stumps to remove, hence the backhoe. I'm also thinking that putting a thumb on the backhoe would let me grab smaller logs, etc., off the tops of piles that the loggers left.

Started out looking at the Kubota BX24, but I'm now thinking it would be too small to get the big stumps out (although I think it would work great to mow my 1 acre very sloping yard and the price is nice at $15.5k). Next up was the B26 TLB, but at $29k for new, that seemed steep (might be including cab, though).

A rental return (259 hours) TC30 with L/BH is $22k with full 3 year warranty. TC30 seemed to be made cheaper, though, and lot less bells and whistles.

A DX26(new) will set me back $21k, 3 year warranty.

I passed on a 2001 John Deere 4300 with loader for $9500. 1300 hours as a rental left it pretty beat up. Had regular maintenance every 200 hours, but lots of rust, lots of dents.

Now I'm looking at used Case DX29 for $9k from a dealer, no warranty. Adding new L/BH will set me back another $10k. 3 years old, 1600 hours on the meter. Owned by a local dairy. Never had a loader on it, and rear PTO cover has never been removed, much less had the PTO used. Differential lock was never used (and now stuck in non-differential mode -- needs cleaning to fix). Primary use was a rear blade, mucking out stalls every day. Regular maintenance, and cleaned every day after use, so it still looks new. Rarely made it out of the barn. The guy replaces his tractor every three years when the warranty runs out, and he got a new DX33 (DX29 no longer made).

Standing behind it, the DX29 seems too big for my usage. DX26 is closer to what I had it mind, considering I'll be going between trees. Riding on the DX29, it doesn't feel quite as big. My father in law thinks I'll need the additional HP due to the slope and larger stumps, and the wider wheel base should be more stable. Width is about the same as my Blazer, and I've been driving that in the forest....

So, is $9k a good price? (Remember, no loader, but has HST, foldable rops, front and read lights on the rops, front guard). I've heard that dairies are hard on tractors. But, how hard can you be on a tractor used to muck out stalls with a back blade?

I think I can talk the dealer down a bit on the price, and I'm sure I can have him throw in the obligatory hat, fuel can, and filters.

 

[radman1]

I paid 8.5K for my DX29 HST with dual rear hydraulics and R4 tires. Had 130 hours and still under warranty when I bought it from a dealer. Was in pristine condition. Now that was an excellent price. I think you have some room for negogiation. I would try for 7.5-8K.
The reason dairies are hard on tractors is because they are used frequently but more importantly, the manure can be harsh on the paint, wires, or anything external. Was it really cleaned everyday after use? Most dairy guys aren't that particular about their machinery but it is possible.

 

[BigE_]

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like you scored pretty good with yours.

I really like the way the DX29 handled, at least on the pavement and gravel at the dealership. The Kubota dealer is right next door to the Case dealer. Kubota is just a dealership -- *might* have a shop. Case definitely has a shop, parts counter, and is a complete Ag supply store. Same deal with the NH dealership, for that matter. Felt at home in the Case and NH dealerships. Felt like I was buying a car in the Kubota dealership.

I might be able to get them down to $8k, but I doubt much lower. Either the dealer put a new paint job on it, or it was definitely hosed down every day. Paint doesn't look brand new, but close.

To put yet another spin on this, I *finally* got a call back from the Kubota dealer at 5pm tonight. Called yesterday afternoon. Price for a B7800 came in around $22k with a FEL and BH, plus filled tires and a ballast box. So, I'm looking at $3k to $4k for a 3 year warranty on the Kubota, or $2k-$3k for a 3 year warranty on the DX26 (and getting a smaller tractor).

Honestly, I don't see how people can choose which tractor they want. After a while, some models boil to the surface, but between the brands.... Coupled with the knowledge that the wife isn't going to go for this again *anytime* soon.

 

[daTeacha]

Your place sounds like mine, except I'm in Ohio. 6.5 acres, wooded, about the same slope. I have a DX29. I moved up from a Kubota B7100 for the extra capabilities and stability. I would suggest getting the loader and a grapple and hiring someone to take the stumps out unless you really feel a need to have a hoe. I used the B7100 and a chainsaw to clean up after a logging operation, just making firewood and brushpiles. Looking back, the Case and grapple would have made life a lot easier. I've thought about a backhoe, but after balancing cost and the amount of use it would get after the initial job, it didn't seem worth the price and the space needed to store it.

I was not looking for a tractor as physically large as the DX when I bought it. Sitting on the lot it seemed immense next to my B7100. Now it seems a little small but it's the biggest thing I can use since it just clears two of my doors with ROPS up and there are dents in the tops of two other openings where the tractor goes from forgetting to put it down.

It's wide enough for stability and agile enough for woods work even with the long L114 loader Case sold with it. If you plan to be in the woods a lot, look at a Woods or Bush Hog loader. The entire package will be about a foot shorter than with the Case loader due to the design of the arms. That doesn't sound like much until you're in a tight spot between two trees and a rock. I have to lift the bucket high enough to get nervous sometimes just to make a turn between trees.

The price seems fair for the tractor, but I would ask to see the underside. The plastic body parts are color clear through and clean up easily. Look for chipped paint and rust underneath to see if they pressure washed the bottom, too. Manure clogging the diff lock linkage is not a good sign as far as cleaning the parts you don't see.

What tires does it have? Are they loaded or are there weights on it? Ask to visit the former owner's operation to see how his other equipment looks. This unit could have easily been cleaned up just for selling.

Check the hoses to the oil cooler in the front of the radiator. There have been issues with the lines breaking but there was a fix in the form of metal lines instead of flexible ones for most of the bends.

Drive one (or a 33, 34, or 35) with a loader on it. There is no comparison between the handling of the machine with and without the loader. It seems twice as big with the loader mounted.

 

[BigE_]

Thanks, daTeacha.

I really don't *know* if I need the backhoe. I'm thinking about putting a ripper tooth on it to attack the stumps. I've looked at renting, but I haven't found a TLB for rent -- either you get a tractor with FEL, or a backhoe. But, I know I'll have to replace my septic sometime soon, and BH would be perfect for that. Also am going to run in-ground sprinklers. Kids want a swimming pool. The list goes on... Much of what I've read here says that you don't think you need a BH, but wouldn't part with it.

Tires are R-4, filled (calcium, I believe).

I did drive a TC33 with loader -- that there was a nice tractor. It was used as well, 1000+ hours (meter broken), but the dealer wouldn't give me a price and said it needed some work first.

Good points on checking out the underside thoroughly, and on the radiator -- I'll do that next time I'm down there.

I've considered getting a FEL with grapple or 4-in-1 bucket. But, the BH just seems more suited to disassembling those big piles the loggers left.

Here's a photo that will give you an idea of the slope:
http://www.bigelowsite.com/tree_harvest/photos/photo26.html

I've also attached a few photos of some of the piles I'm going after. Footing is not very good, and I've slipped more than once with a chainsaw in my hands.

Regards,
-Steve

 

[daTeacha]

Your evergreen forest is thicker than my hardwoods were. The sticks they left you would be worth quite a bit of money around here if they were cherry, oak, hickory, etc. and sure wouldn't be left lying around.

What situation are you in regarding fire? I would want to get a pretty decent area around the house clear of that standing tinDer.

After seeing the size of your debris, I'm thinking you might want to look at a bigger and heavier tractor than the 29-35 series. Maybe a DX-40 or just a D-40 which is a more basic tractor with a lot more guts. Quite a few guys on the NH forum own 40's in red or blue and you might want to check in there.

The 40 is also more suitable for BH work.

 

[BigE_]

Those pictures were taken at the beginning of the summer, and I've gotten quite a bit done since then. Most of the larger logs (18-36" in diameter) from that pile are cut up at this point. Some of them, I'm not certain why they weren't taken. Most of them, though, were either rotten in the center, or had huge warps in them. All fir and cedar, and the cedar tended to be the ones that were rotten and full of termites. (I cut the rotten cedar up and have it in a pile by my bonfire pit).

I did have a guy with a portable saw mill come out and take a look at the logs. He could cut them up for me, but would need them hauled out to a level area and decked up. I hauled out a couple with my Blazer, but that was just too much work, and hard to get them where I wanted them.

Yes, there is a fire danger during the summer that I want to eliminate. Also, before the thinning (took out 56 million board feet of lumber from those 4 acres), we had a lot of nice trails, which are now covered with the tailings.

The big logs were easy to deal with, but the tree tops are the hard part. They are only 6-7" in diameter and 10-15 ft long, but full of branches, and they are all jammed together. So, I cut off a few branches, spend time digging them out of the pile, cut off the new branches that are exposed, dig those out, and finally get a log exposed, which I then cut up. If I could just grab onto that log and pull it out, it would be much easier to cut up...

A friend of mine has a JD 4100 (similar to Kubota BX24), and he claims it would probably work for me, just take longer. (He's not a good enough friend that I could ask him to trailer it up and haul it 20 miles one way for me to play with). The DX29 is two sizes up from the JD 4100, and I worry that I would be able to manuever that in my forest. Up above it is much thicker still. I agree that the 40 would give me yet more stability and power, but I can't imagine trying to get that through some of the trails without taking out more trees.

 

[daTeacha]

I'd suggest getting a manual tranny and/or the higher hp version, then. My HST 29 just doesn't pull very hard before stalling out the hydro. I seriously think the little Kubota gear drive would outpull it in some situations.

I have Ag tires, btw and have had no problems yet. The R4s look tough but tend to lose usefulness in a hurry when things get wet.

Again, do some reading or posting on the New Holland forum. The two brands are twins under the skin.

 

[Chuckatuck]

Slopes in the photos are what would concern me. There's been a few times when I've either been lifting with the loader or pulling with the backhoe when my DX33 started to tip or lift. I was thankful our ground is flat. I would certainly weigh that thing down even with calcium in the tires.

Pricing doesn't sound too bad. By the time you add a loader it would be another 5Kish. Don't have my notes here at the house, but remember a local NH dealer had a TC29DA for around 18 w/FEL. He just was too busy to call me back. Went with a DX33 HST.

I see a used 2006 TC29DA on tractorhouse.c0m for 14K w/o a loader and 11 hours. Also saw used 2005 DX29 w/ FEL (and Grapple) and 281 hrs. for $16750. Just some samples!

Good luck, and yes, you are right -- there won't be another purchase for a long time. Better get the implements you need too. I've had mine since January and can't get the comptroller to release any more funds!

 

[BigE_]

Thanks for your help, folks. I finally decided against the DX29 based on the feedback re: manure not being good for tractor in general. Combine that with the fact that the last time I went to look at it, it wouldn't start -- turns out that the fuel solenoid had gotten corroded.

And lastly, see http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/nh-buying-pricing/108425-ready-pull-trigger-tc33.html -- I found a cousin to it with slightly more HP, older but with less hours, for less $$.

And yes, I am leery of the slopes around my house, especially since my thrill ride this last June on my lawn tractor down the driveway (speeds exceeding 20mph on the 25 degree slope) ending with the thing flipping and landing on top of me. Brakes went out on me.... One large steering wheel shaped bruise on my leg and a slightly fractured back later, well, that was a driving factor in getting something with better brakes and better suited to hauling 1/6th of a cord of wood per mini trailer load.