Thoughts on buying used tractors

[Faster horses]

Was bidding on a 1980s international 3488 today. It looked really good but I had some concerns about it. I figured 20,000 would be tops but I bid up to 25000 but others went to 27500 plus a 4 percent buyers fee.
I initially hoped to buy it for 15000
I just can't see how it makes sense to spend that much on a used tractor that the auction mart won't let you drive or even talk to the owner. No paper work and you couldn't even open the hood to look at motor because of the loader being in the way because IH had the swing out hood on those models. PTO was even noisy on it. Nuts people are or I'm to dumb to see whatever they were seeing to make it worth that much.

When in doubt...don't.

 

[Mountain Cowgirl]

Buying tractors is like raiding a squirrel's nest, it is all nuts. My neighbor has a Kubota with front-end loader, backhoe attachment, and several other implements. He paid $80,000 for all 3 years ago and now has a standing offer for $150,000 when he gets his 2 acres all up to his specs next spring. I don't think he will ever sell it because he enjoys playing rancher. When I had to redo my sprinkler main line and dug out several big rocks, he came over and hauled them off. Next thing I know he is digging a deep trench and then burying them since they were ugly and have no value for lawn decorations.

I asked his wife when he will put lawn in that 1/2 acre area. She says never that is his sandbox hahaha!

 

[Evans]

Buying tractors is like raiding a squirrel's nest, it is all nuts. My neighbor has a Kubota with front-end loader, backhoe attachment, and several other implements. He paid $80,000 for all 3 years ago and now has a standing offer for $150,000 when he gets his 2 acres all up to his specs next spring. I don't think he will ever sell it because he enjoys playing rancher. When I had to redo my sprinkler main line and dug out several big rocks, he came over and hauled them off. Next thing I know he is digging a deep trench and then burying them since they were ugly and have no value for lawn decorations.

I asked his wife when he will put lawn in that 1/2 acre area. She says never that is his sandbox hahah

It has to make sense. I'm looking for something to make me money. I can't just buy something because I want it.
I'm pretty good at working at this stuff. Others are not. If they have to take these tractors to someone and pay them to split them a part they will never get there money back out of the machine.
I can't see how this makes sense for them but I guess they are not even trying to make money

 

[Faster horses]

It has to make sense. I'm looking for something to make me money. I can't just buy something because I want it.
I'm pretty good at working at this stuff. Others are not. If they have to take these tractors to someone and pay them to split them a part they will never get there money back out of the machine.
I can't see how this makes sense for them but I guess they are not even trying to make money

More and more people like that nowadays, it seems.

 

[Mountain Cowgirl]

It has to make sense. I'm looking for something to make me money. I can't just buy something because I want it.
I'm pretty good at working at this stuff. Others are not. If they have to take these tractors to someone and pay them to split them a part they will never get there money back out of the machine.
I can't see how this makes sense for them but I guess they are not even trying to make money

That is why if I had use for a tractor, it would be an older one without all the electronics. If I can't repair it then I don't want it. The rural folks that amaze me are the ones that don't weld and have to call a welder out for repairs. I started welding at 8 .

 

[Evans]

I dont really watch the news because its to annoying. But what I'm tyold and I dont know if its true but our prime minister is talking about getting rid of fertilizer because of the environmental crazy people. Anyway this sounds crazy to me and makes no sense but even at today's fertilizer prices I'm being told by neighbours they figure straw is worth 30 Canadian to just blow it out behind their combines for fertilizer.
Lots of straw around this year but not a lot of it getting dropped for bales.
Big part of what I use a tractor for is baling straw. If they outlawed fertilizer or if the price of it keeps going up there won't be much straw to bale.

 

[Evans]

That is why if I had use for a tractor, it would be an older one without all the electronics. If I can't repair it then I don't want it. The rural folks that amaze me are the ones that don't weld and have to call a welder out for repairs. I started welding at 8 .

That older stuff reaches a point sometimes when it isn't worth fixing. Gets expensive and hard to get parts. Those newer powershift transmissions ,oh its a lot of work to split stuff a part. That and just getting parts. Example something simple like getting a starter rebuilt. Nobody does this stuff local anymore. A gasket set for a Perkin's cost about the same as all the parts you would need to rebuild a more modern Cummings. Dealers dont want to even be bothered trying to look up parts for stuff wants it gets a little age on it

 

[Evans]

Looked at a 2590 case today. He wanted 18000. I offered 15000 and he didn't take it. Tractor was bit rough. Supposedly 8000 hrs .

 

[Evans]

Ended up buying a 3155 Johnny deer. Paid way more than what I figured it was worth but its exactly what I wanted. Front wheel assist, good condition and 265 grapple loader. I think its about 100 PTO HP with cab and 3 point hitch.
We have a john Deere dealer in town and hopefully years down the road I can get parts for it.
There just isn't any deals out there that I can see. This older stuff is going up in price.
Any of you familiar with shifting one of these?
It has 4 gears on one shifter and another shifter with I and 2 and R. So I guess I can shift on the move 1st through 4th? Then stop and shift into 2 range? Then four more gears on other shifter while moving?
Then it has a smaller shifter. I think with this one I can split ever gear propabable on the move?

 

[Mountain Cowgirl]

Ended up buying a 3155 Johnny deer. Paid way more than what I figured it was worth but its exactly what I wanted. Front wheel assist, good condition and 265 grapple loader. I think its about 100 PTO HP with cab and 3 point hitch.
We have a john Deere dealer in town and hopefully years down the road I can get parts for it.
There just isn't any deals out there that I can see. This older stuff is going up in price.
Any of you familiar with shifting one of these?
It has 4 gears on one shifter and another shifter with I and 2 and R. So I guess I can shift on the move 1st through 4th? Then stop and shift into 2 range? Then four more gears on other shifter while moving?
Then it has a smaller shifter. I think with this one I can split ever gear propabable on the move?

I may be way off here, but I think you have 8 forward speeds and 4 reverse. The 1-2 horseshoe shift auto level can be used on the move and in forward only. Maybe you are discing and would like to go just a bit faster. Shifting from 1 to 2 might give you that boost without loss of momentum. The 1 -2 auto shift doesn't work in reverse since you have to go out of reverse to use it.

 

[Evans]

More pics might help. In the first pick below the two levers closest to us. The longer lever on left is the throttle and the shorter lever on right is the splitter.
I'm guessing I can shift splitter on the fly by pushing the lever and clutch the same time?
In the second picture you see the 1st ,reverse and high or 2 and range picture with the kind of horseshoe shift from 1st to second. Thats the shift I'm really wondering about? Example do I have to be stopped to go from 1st range to second?
I'm guessing its actually a 16 forward speed transmission.
Original owner has Alzheimer's and hasn't used tractor in six years. Guy who kind of moved it or used it a bit at the farm and brought it to auction wasn't sure so he always stopped to switch all gears

 

[Mountain Cowgirl]

The 1-2 horseshoe shift requires the use of the clutch. I cannot remember but I think they had another transmission in the 3155 that was the 16-speed forward transmission and the hi-lo shift was to the left. and could be shifted without the clutch. They had both the 1-2 manual shift and also the hi-lo auto-shift, thus 16 speeds.

It does appear you have the 16 speed.

 

[Mountain Cowgirl]

I just asked one of my neighbors that is a mechanic at one of the big farms around here. He says you have the TSS HI-LO transmission that gives 16 forward speeds and 8 reverse. The hi-lo is shifted auto on the go with no clutch, but the 1-2 requires a clutch and can be on the go, but always using the clutch.

0

 

[gcreekrch]

Good tractor, you have to clutch every gear change except for rabbit to turtle. When all hydraulics fail, leave in rabbit until you can repair… Will let you know what is next when that happens. Really liked the one we had but a trade up to the 7400 was too hard to avoid.

 

[Faster horses]

We had one and we really liked it. Remember it has a dry clutch, so be careful when clutching. Our daughter has a 3150 and it's in the shop to get a new clutch right now. We never had any problems with ours and hopefully you won't either. I think they are a German made tractor.
Best of luck to you, hope you love it!

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

You probably got the best tractor of the ones you mentioned.
They way it's going it will probably be worth more in 10 ears then what you paid for it.