Poor working
- Thread starter ruskbucks
- Start date
I grew up with my dad buying all kinds of old tractors. One thing I highly suggest is spend a little more and get one that has been gone thru. A lot of people( my dad) would buy beat up tractors and think we would save money fixing them ourselves. It rarely worked out. You can find restored parade ready tractors cheap. People usually don't put a automotive paint job on a tractor that is not mechanicaly sound. Check out tractors on tractor house.com. Meacham tractor auction also. You can get a great restored tractor for $2000 - 5000. If you are thinking of a no till you will need hydraulics and a 3pt hitch I believe. Might need a little later model. If you are just discing, pulling wagons,drags I would go a mint older tractor. A lot of them are 6 volt, I would recommend 12 volt.
Bassattackr
5 year old buck +
Swiffy - My grandpa had a Ford 3000 for years. Great tractor.
rocksnstumps
5 year old buck +
The only knock I have against the old stuff is that hydraulics and flow rates are much better in the later models. I actually bought my tractor by picking out my loader choice first and the tractor had to fit on my existing trailer cause I think for general property management there is no better option. Kinda like yes it needs a loader just like it needs tires. Worrying about food plots and pulling a disc or whatever was secondary and probably was at least 5 yrs later before I even had a property to do that sorta stuff.
Telemark
5 year old buck +
Well, like I said, I'm very careful with it. I make sure to work in brief periods with plenty of time in between for it to cool down. I don't push the limits, and I err on the side of caution. So far nothing has gone wrong with it.
Tree Spud
5 year old buck +
I like all the deer tracks in the picture ...
Wind Gypsy
5 year old buck +
What do you folks think about something like this:
Ford/ new holland 3930 - farm & garden - by owner - sale
Nice utility tractor. 50 hp. Smooth loader can lift over 2200 lbs. MFWD. Great tractor for field work, snow removal, and loader work. Very reliable pre emissions tractor.
minneapolis.craigslist.org
I've had a 1958 (I believe that's the year) Ford 841 for about 6 years and it works great. In those 6 years I've had to replace and rebuild a good portion of that tractor, turning my $4000 tractor into a $15,000+ tractor. But it only happens one piece at a time, so I just kept fixing it and paying the shop bills.
Tractors work great when they run though and they are a lot of fun. The 3 point hitch and disk is really nice to use in tight areas and the front end loader comes in really handy. Just be prepared for expensive repair bills if your luck is anything like mine.
Tractors work great when they run though and they are a lot of fun. The 3 point hitch and disk is really nice to use in tight areas and the front end loader comes in really handy. Just be prepared for expensive repair bills if your luck is anything like mine.
Wind Gypsy
5 year old buck +
You must have missed the part of the add that says "very reliable pre-emissions tractor" (sarcasm).
It's these thoughts that have kept me mostly researching new. The last thing I want is time spent waiting on parts and a shop to keep the tractor running. Not enough time as it is.
I'll never buy another used tractor again!
I will say this has been a learning experience, but a fairly expensive and often times frustrating one. Every time I get it repaired I think it should be good to go for at least a decade, but then something else breaks! I made it through the whole planting season last year without a trip to the shop though, so maybe my luck is changing (knock on wood). Tractors really are a lot of fun though, so I don't think I'd ever want to be without one. But my next one will come with a bumper to bumper warranty!
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
I love the older vintage tractors!
I can also see where I will be buying one this year. Leaning towards an 8N mostly because we used to have one, it's gas, there are lots of them around in my area, I know how to work on it. I just need one with a good three point hitch and PTO to bush hog and push snow. They can be had here for $1500 with ones that have been dolled up pretty nice for $2500-$3000.
An old Ford 900 would work too, my Dad bought a bottlegas one the day I was born and we used it for all kinds of stuff...the step mom sold it at the farm sale right after Dad died. Never forgave her for that.
I can also see where I will be buying one this year. Leaning towards an 8N mostly because we used to have one, it's gas, there are lots of them around in my area, I know how to work on it. I just need one with a good three point hitch and PTO to bush hog and push snow. They can be had here for $1500 with ones that have been dolled up pretty nice for $2500-$3000.
An old Ford 900 would work too, my Dad bought a bottlegas one the day I was born and we used it for all kinds of stuff...the step mom sold it at the farm sale right after Dad died. Never forgave her for that.
Bassattackr
5 year old buck +
Unless you:
- Don't mind working on tractors
- Don't mind working on tractors when you don't have time
- Don't mind spending money to work on tractors when you don't have time
I would not personally get a tractor 50+ years old with 4,000+ hours without knowing the history on it. ..But that is just me
Many 0% deals are out there.. What do you plan on using it for? You may be able to get by with less HP..
- Don't mind working on tractors
- Don't mind working on tractors when you don't have time
- Don't mind spending money to work on tractors when you don't have time
I would not personally get a tractor 50+ years old with 4,000+ hours without knowing the history on it. ..But that is just me
Many 0% deals are out there.. What do you plan on using it for? You may be able to get by with less HP..
Wind Gypsy
5 year old buck +
Unless you:
- Don't mind working on tractors
- Don't mind working on tractors when you don't have time
- Don't mind spending money to work on tractors when you don't have time
I would not personally get a tractor 50+ years old with 4,000+ hours without knowing the history on it. ..But that is just me
Many 0% deals are out there.. What do you plan on using it for? You may be able to get by with less HP..
The 3930s were made between 1990 and 2002 so it's not that old, just well used.
I've always been a pay cash kind of guy but it's kind of a suckers deal with inflation and 0% financing these days so the new stuff is intriguing. The only real reason for a tractor that big is the ability to handle a 606NT or Genesis 5 drill eventually. A guy could have both for way less than just what a kubota big enough for a one of these drills costs. If not for a drill I'd probably go L2501 or L3901 the latter might be enough to pull one. My plots are small though and I feel like a 3pt would be nice. L3560 would handle a genesis 5 light and I've been reading about them as well.
I think his sarcasm is toward the the new tractors that are required to have DEF. This same motor with DEF cost about $4000 more. Besides the cost of the DEF fluid their is additional maintenance.
I think his sarcasm is referring to the new tractor motors that require DEF. The government required that the new tractors have to have this new emission standard. The price of this caused the price of a new compact tractor to go up about $4000 more. Besides the cost of DEF fluid there is additional maintenance too, that can be expensive. This all caused the prices to go up on the tractors that don't have the new requirements. A lot of people don't want it. It doesn't add any extra performance, just cost. I have to admit that it sure is A lot cleaner exhaust, doesn't burn your eyes like the old diesels do.
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
I make a few acres of plots with my ATV. honda 420 rancher. ATV are decent at maintaining a plot, make a plot from a new spot is a pain. Spring harrows like the horses used work great on ATV's. I use disc's, but mainly for chopping up vegetation before seeding. Breaking new ground is usually done with that harrow drag.
I put one danish S tine harrow on my disc setup to stabilize it.
Stick with basic seed beds, no deep tills, and focus on using a sprayer, mower, and cover crop methods. I pretty much only use cover crops in my food plots. Red clovers, small grains, and raddish. Rye, Daikon raddish, and red clover, excellent 1st year plot receipe.
I've heard good things about tarter flip discs.
I put one danish S tine harrow on my disc setup to stabilize it.
Stick with basic seed beds, no deep tills, and focus on using a sprayer, mower, and cover crop methods. I pretty much only use cover crops in my food plots. Red clovers, small grains, and raddish. Rye, Daikon raddish, and red clover, excellent 1st year plot receipe.
I've heard good things about tarter flip discs.
MRBB
5 year old buck +
new emissions tractors are and can be a handful, one of the biggest issues with them is when you DON"T use them often, , and emission work is NOT cheap when things go bad, all the more so after the warranty is gone!
folks that don't like repairing older things, I get, its not for everyone
but that also can come down to what budget you have to work with, as to what you can afford to buy and upkeep
new machines need regular PM'S to KEEP there warranties going, skips one and you can soon find out your on your own and NEW parts ain;t cheap on new tractors!(not even cheap on older one's at times either)
they ALL break folks both new and old one's
best thing you can do is try and keep things in the best condition you can, and stick to things within your budget!
folks that don't like repairing older things, I get, its not for everyone
but that also can come down to what budget you have to work with, as to what you can afford to buy and upkeep
new machines need regular PM'S to KEEP there warranties going, skips one and you can soon find out your on your own and NEW parts ain;t cheap on new tractors!(not even cheap on older one's at times either)
they ALL break folks both new and old one's
best thing you can do is try and keep things in the best condition you can, and stick to things within your budget!
Bassattackr
5 year old buck +
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
Also, you can buy a new BX kubota 18hp for 10,000. Doesn't include mower or bucket though....
Also, tons of places rent small tractors for $250 a day. Buy a used set of discs, spring harrow, or buy a new C tine cultivator for about $300 or so. Great way to get by on the cheap.
If doing clover, use the ATV for mowing, seed spreading, seed bed prep, spraying, and dont forget every piece of machinery is a cultipacker in itself......
Also, tons of places rent small tractors for $250 a day. Buy a used set of discs, spring harrow, or buy a new C tine cultivator for about $300 or so. Great way to get by on the cheap.
If doing clover, use the ATV for mowing, seed spreading, seed bed prep, spraying, and dont forget every piece of machinery is a cultipacker in itself......
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