Tractor Question

[bighammer]

I've been plowing snow for a neighbor who owns an antique store and he asked me the other day if I knew anyone looking for a tractor. I told him I've been shopping around for one to grade the road in summer and have as a backup for snow.

It turns out they are handling an estate sale and there's a tractor (02 or 03 with less than 100 hours on it) He said it's been in the barn and not started for a couple years, as far has he knows. He couldn't remember the make or model, but he said it's similar to a Kubota and he thinks it's a 29hp four wheel drive with front bucket, grader blade, and maybe another attachment or 2. I guess the paperwork says it was over 20k for the tractor, but I could get it for a lot less than that. I'm going to have a look at it tomorrow.

Anything that should be checked out or done before starting it? Is there an easy way to check out the condition of the fuel in it? I would guess if there's algae, it would be easier to just drain and clean the tank rather than clogging the injection system.

Any thoughts or ideas would be helpful.

 

[KDOHM]

Hey Pete,

If it's been sitting for 2 years I'd definately at least check the fuel. Probably best to drain tank and replace filter befor firing up. When you find out exactly what the tractor is, let me know - I'm in the equipment business and been around tractors all my life, so if you have any more questions call or write! I'll be out on the peninsula this weekend working on my parents' Kubota (broke hydrostat linkage)



Kevin

642-7468

 

[Babyfat]

Pete If You Can't Get A Hold Of Kevin You Can Give Me A Call Also If You Need To, I'm A Kubota Dealer





John

517-784-3146

 

[bmoeller]

I'd drain the fuel tank, and put fresh stuff in it. Check the oil level, and make sure there isn't any water in it.

Also, if it has a manual shutoff, I'd leave it in the off position, or if it has a solenoid, I'd disconnect it, and spin the engine a bit. Need to prelube it a bit, before starting it.

 

[AndyMan]

He couldn't remember the make or model, but he said it's similar to a Kubota

Simmilar? Meaning grey market Chineese tractor maybe? Kiota I guess? Surely not though for a pricetag of over $20k new.



I paid right at $20k for my 50 horse 4wd Kubota MX5000 (used w/ 200 hours) from a Kubota dealer. It's a FANTASTIC piece of equipment.



If it is a Kubota and it's in good shape, BUY IT. Great tractors.



If it's a chineese tractor, I would shy away. The few I've been around have had horrible build quality, and ridiculously cheap parts.

 

[ScottLewis]

There are a lot of Asian built tractors out there. Some are "Gray Market" i. e. built for foreign markets that don't meet US safety standards, others were built for US standards.

Do a internet search on the brand name and you will get some idea of the perceived reliability of them. Yanmar, for example gets pretty good marks overall as a fairly good tractor at a cheap price. Iseka is another Japanese brand gray market.



They aren't as good as Kubota but sell for much less and are suitable for occasional use.



Dan

 

[bighammer]

It's a New Holland 1725 gear with a Koyker (never heard of them) loader. It has 186 hours on the clock and includes a brush hog, finish mower, and 5' blade. They're asking 12k for it, but it looks like a toy to me.

 

[Babyfat]

Pete,



according to my blue book the last year they had that 1725 was 1998 and book price for the tractor is 5200-6200 depending on condition, never heard of that loader my best guess would be 7-9k for everything.



hope this helps



John

 

[bmoeller]

Koyker is an old name. They sell heat housers, too. Might have even built tractor cabs similar to Year-a-Round. Been a long time, so I don't quite remember for sure.

http://www.koykermfg.com/LoaderSearch_.asp

 

[AndrewGray]

Koyker has been around for years. Good stuff. They are made right here in South Dakota. It is a small tractor but a good one. Beings it is almost 10 years old and not run for 2 yrs, all the attachments included, I wouldnt go more than 3500 for it. JMO

 

[bighammer]

I appreciate the help, guys. I think I'm gona keep looking. I'm still trying to decide if a Unimog or tractor/loader (or backhoe? ) will be best for me. This one really looks too small for me. I think I'd also like a cab with heat.

I have about a 1/2 mile of road to maintain. Some is steep, curvy, one-lane, between tall banks... . You get the picture of my nightmare if we get 3 feet of snow, or 1/2" of ice?

My old 94 has done well so far, but we haven't had a tough winter here yet. (only owned the property 3 or 4 years. I am really only keeping one side of the road open. I can go out the other way, but it drifts more because of the exposure and contour. (a few inches of snow and a good wind and it's waist deep, so I dont even try) The county wouldn't put up a Dead End sign, so I bought my own. I think it's helped reduce the number of lost and wandering vehicles down our road. I don't want to meet one of these knucleheads around a curve while I'm trying to get up or down the hill. We had somebody abandon their car for the night and get it at about 10 the next morning. (I'd hate to have to move it for them if Lisa had been on-call and had gotten paged. )

Maybe a Kubota M series (or at least L) with a loader and snowblower?

 

[Babyfat]

the L series with a 72" snowblower sound like what you need, i sold one to a guy that is off 571 just north of 72, he got a L3430 cab w/loader and 72" 3pt snowblower he has prolly 1500-2000' of drive.



I would have went with front mount blower and a loader.



If your looking for used keep and eye in the auto-rv book but watch some of the prices I've seen people pay more than new price for used.



John