XU5065CPS - Possible Purchasing - Demo vs New?

[HereBull]

Howdy everyone!

Regret not asking this last week but better late than never!

I've been eyeballing LS tractors for the past 2 years, lately I've been eyeballing their 55HP Hydrostatic model and recently I was told of a dealer that had an ad for a 2015 XU5065CPS demo model for $28k before tax (I think it has like 170 hours on it). Now all I need is a tractor that can move round bales for cattle and horses but I really have the itch to get into larger stuff later and figured the extra oompf would be nice in a few years if I decide to get a large herd of cattle or such.

My big question is, I've got the option to get this demo model w/ 170 hours on it and 3 years powertrain warranty still on it for the 28k or for 30k I can get a brand new one with full warranty. The full warranty is nice but my thoughts are the 170 hours ensures the tractor was (hopefully) put through its paces and any issues that might have cropped up have already been weeded out.

Would y'all opt for the new one? Or spring for that savings and go w/ the demo unit?

Further, anyone know much on this model? I've been scouring these forums and the internet and I'm having a hard time getting a good feel for this model, it seems to be less common then their smaller tractors or P series.

I really wanted a hydrostatic 55 but it makes more sense to get this at a better price than the 55 hydro and I'll learn on that clutch!

Thanks!

HereBull

 

[CMV]

To save roughly 6% I would not. I'm a cheapskate and bought my machine slightly used from a private seller with 36 hrs on it. But saved a LOT more than 6% doing it that way.

Might be a lot different for a cab model - but the demos I saw at local dealers, they were in bad shape cosmetically considering the low hrs on them. Smaller Mahindra, but the black plastic dash was all gray for example from sun damage, dirty overall. Didn't look like they were cared for and that was enough for me to cross off list. Not that I expect my tractor to stay pretty forever, but didn't want it looking shabby on day 1 - at least not if I weren't getting a significant discount or buying something with a lot more hrs.

The demo thing would scare me a little too. Maybe I'm way off, but if I were using something like a tractor for a couple days to evaluate it, I wouldn't be 'putting it thru it's paces'. I'd be doing the absolute toughest things I could imagine ever wanting to do with it to see what it was able to do. Never had a demo tractor so don't really know what people do with them though - just a guess. I do rent backhoes at least once a year. Just had one over the long weekend in fact. I will say I am MUCH harder on those than if I owned the machine and were responsible for it's maintenance and long-term survival. So I would worry that people using it as a demo were doing their worst to it to see if it would hold up.

Of course 'demo' could simply mean they used it as the dealer's lot machine just moving stuff around & unloading trucks. People played around with it right there, under the salesman's supervision. Could have been babied those 170 hrs and excellently maintained. Would be hard to tell without going to see it I guess and getting a feel for how it was used. Even though I was looking for a used machine, I was also adamant about only looking at things that weren't stored outside. You know as well as I do how quickly the sun destroys just about anything down here. I know every brand new tractor (around here at least) spends a lot of time sitting in full weather on a dealer's yard for X amount of time before it is sold. But the demo's had been there much longer and it was evident. I also know the stuff is made to work and to be outdoors. But I wonder the long-term effect of just a summer or two under NC sun if not under cover? Does that mean the tires are gonna start cracking sidewalls a year or two sooner? What about exposed hydraulic hoses? Seat cover going to split a few years earlier? All routine stuff that will eventually wear out and need replaced at some point, but I would think sitting out in full sun for a summer or two has to greatly accelerate 'normal wear & tear' on anything rubber or plastic.

Anyway, the $28k + tax would be about the same $ as buying a $30k used machine from a private seller and no tax? I would want a lot more of a discount unless it was really pristine/like new. I wouldn't buy a new truck 'demo model with only 5k miles' for a 6% discount - I'd expect a lot more off since it's used. Also hard to say since LS tractors aren't real popular around here, but I don't suspect they should hold value nearly as much as an orange or green one would. Used is used, and should be priced accordingly.

 

[HereBull]

To save roughly 6% I would not. I'm a cheapskate and bought my machine slightly used from a private seller with 36 hrs on it. But saved a LOT more than 6% doing it that way.

Might be a lot different for a cab model - but the demos I saw at local dealers, they were in bad shape cosmetically considering the low hrs on them. Smaller Mahindra, but the black plastic dash was all gray for example from sun damage, dirty overall. Didn't look like they were cared for and that was enough for me to cross off list. Not that I expect my tractor to stay pretty forever, but didn't want it looking shabby on day 1 - at least not if I weren't getting a significant discount or buying something with a lot more hrs.

The demo thing would scare me a little too. Maybe I'm way off, but if I were using something like a tractor for a couple days to evaluate it, I wouldn't be 'putting it thru it's paces'. I'd be doing the absolute toughest things I could imagine ever wanting to do with it to see what it was able to do. Never had a demo tractor so don't really know what people do with them though - just a guess. I do rent backhoes at least once a year. Just had one over the long weekend in fact. I will say I am MUCH harder on those than if I owned the machine and were responsible for it's maintenance and long-term survival. So I would worry that people using it as a demo were doing their worst to it to see if it would hold up.

Of course 'demo' could simply mean they used it as the dealer's lot machine just moving stuff around & unloading trucks. People played around with it right there, under the salesman's supervision. Could have been babied those 170 hrs and excellently maintained. Would be hard to tell without going to see it I guess and getting a feel for how it was used. Even though I was looking for a used machine, I was also adamant about only looking at things that weren't stored outside. You know as well as I do how quickly the sun destroys just about anything down here. I know every brand new tractor (around here at least) spends a lot of time sitting in full weather on a dealer's yard for X amount of time before it is sold. But the demo's had been there much longer and it was evident. I also know the stuff is made to work and to be outdoors. But I wonder the long-term effect of just a summer or two under NC sun if not under cover? Does that mean the tires are gonna start cracking sidewalls a year or two sooner? What about exposed hydraulic hoses? Seat cover going to split a few years earlier? All routine stuff that will eventually wear out and need replaced at some point, but I would think sitting out in full sun for a summer or two has to greatly accelerate 'normal wear & tear' on anything rubber or plastic.

Anyway, the $28k + tax would be about the same $ as buying a $30k used machine from a private seller and no tax? I would want a lot more of a discount unless it was really pristine/like new. I wouldn't buy a new truck 'demo model with only 5k miles' for a 6% discount - I'd expect a lot more off since it's used. Also hard to say since LS tractors aren't real popular around here, but I don't suspect they should hold value nearly as much as an orange or green one would. Used is used, and should be priced accordingly.

Yeah that was my concern as well, the unit looks pristine and all the hoses are nice, zero sun-fade. Come to find out, it was a showroom model or such and was given to a customer as a loaner for warranty work on his for a short time.


I actually ended up getting the new model deal as I'd need R4s for my horse pastures to avoid tearing them up and just couldn't make it work on the used version (no free tire swap!). Waiting for some paperwork to clear and hopefully will have me a new unit next week!

Really appreciate the reply on this though, I was leaning towards that feeling as well on the discount as it's hard to say exactly how it was used (even if in very very nice condition). I considered going used w/ some other brands but I do enjoy that peace of mind that a warranty brings and hopefully staves off having to wrench on it for at least 5 years. I told myself 30k was my limit and in the end it came to about 32 w/ taxes and implements, which I'll cringe on but with any luck, I'll get the money's worth out of her and if not, hope to have some decent resale value.

Can't wait to get pics when she gets here!

 

[CMV]

Yeah that was my concern as well, the unit looks pristine and all the hoses are nice, zero sun-fade. Come to find out, it was a showroom model or such and was given to a customer as a loaner for warranty work on his for a short time.

That right there would give me lots of peace of mind. Something goes wrong & the dealer gives you something to cover the downtime - that would go a long way toward selling me.

The M-B dealer sold us on that when we bought an E-Class a few yrs back. Sure enough 1st time it went in for service we got a similar E-Class loaner. That turned into a smaller C-Class next time or two, then quickly turned into 'we don't have any loaners available'. Needless to say we haven't returned to that dealer and never took the M-B back for service there again. Anyway.....your experience would make me feel comfortable that they would honor their word on that if they let someone put 170 hrs on a new machine as a loaner.

Good luck with it. Hope you like your bigger one as much as I like my little LS.