Your Tractors: Best deal/worst deal

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Tractorologist
Senior Member
Member
Out of all the tractors you own, which turned to be of least value to you and which is your absolute favourite?
How much did you buy them for and how much did you sink into them?
A good time to clear your conscience right here. Get it all out.
 
I don't think I ever got a real bad dealon a tractor. The ones I buy have been neglected, sat outside and most of the time don't run. I get them cheap...$50, $100, $200.
The most I have paid is $800 for the tractor that came with my house. JD STX38, came with a cart. I have been using it for 12 years now, just replacing belts, oil etc. I did have to put a starter on it about 7 years ago. I figure it owes me nothing.

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I guess the best deal I got was my first Ford LGT.....I had advertised that I was looking for a garden tractor. Guy called me up saying he had the POS that the steering had broke and almost tipped him over going into a ditch. Wanted $50 for it. When I got there, he also had a deck, blade and tiller to throw in. He had a brand new Kubota sitting there, so I guess he wasn't hurting for money.

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Another good deal I got was this trailer load of Fords. It was advertised and when I called, lady said if I got there quick, they were mine. Another buyer was on the way also. Got there first, he never showed while I was there. Paid $200 for the lot. They didn't run, but did get them going. Ended up selling one for $500 and rebuilding the other ones engine with that money.

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Have had a few given to me also, but none that were very interesting...mostly cheapo worn out tractors, used for parts.
 
My favorite would probably be my '77 sears 16/6 single. Pretty much the first working tractor I got and learned with, still my go to worker and I got it for a decent price.
I've gotten some good deals, best one was probably the 2 Speedex tractors and a 4x7 trailer for $200. Sold the tractors for $350 and still use the trailer.
Worst was probably the Snapper UGT2060 (power king built). I paid $375 for it not running then sold it for 400 so did make a little for it. New owner said motor had gotten water in its froze and snapped crankshaft.
Least favorite was the Wheel Horse B80, I paid 75, got it running sold for 150 so doubled my money, but I never really liked that tractor.
 
Best deal was my Speedex 1631 for $650. Needed next to nothing and I use it a lot.

Worst deal was probably a Farmall Cub. It cost $1,000 which was probably $250 too much. By the time I replaced the wrong rear rim, added hydraulics and replaced a flaky coil I was over $2,000 on what is probably a $1,500 tractor - AFTER I fix the noisy transmission. Bought it to help out a friend and I do use it as my plough tractor and have a ball.

My recently acquired Farmall H might eventually beat out the Cub for worst deal. I bought it for $800 and have so far sunk another $600 into it. It is my absolute favorite for just riding around on though.
 
I don't think I ever got a real bad dealon a tractor. The ones I buy have been neglected, sat outside and most of the time don't run. I get them cheap...$50, $100, $200.
The most I have paid is $800 for the tractor that came with my house. JD STX38, came with a cart. I have been using it for 12 years now, just replacing belts, oil etc. I did have to put a starter on it about 7 years ago. I figure it owes me nothing.

View attachment 21660

I guess the best deal I got was my first Ford LGT.....I had advertised that I was looking for a garden tractor. Guy called me up saying he had the POS that the steering had broke and almost tipped him over going into a ditch. Wanted $50 for it. When I got there, he also had a deck, blade and tiller to throw in. He had a brand new Kubota sitting there, so I guess he wasn't hurting for money.

View attachment 21661

Another good deal I got was this trailer load of Fords. It was advertised and when I called, lady said if I got there quick, they were mine. Another buyer was on the way also. Got there first, he never showed while I was there. Paid $200 for the lot. They didn't run, but did get them going. Ended up selling one for $500 and rebuilding the other ones engine with that money.

View attachment 21662

Have had a few given to me also, but none that were very interesting...mostly cheapo worn out tractors, used for parts.
You sniff out the deals that's for sure. I never pay much either. Most expensive was $400.
 
My favorite would probably be my '77 sears 16/6 single. Pretty much the first working tractor I got and learned with, still my go to worker and I got it for a decent price.
I've gotten some good deals, best one was probably the 2 Speedex tractors and a 4x7 trailer for $200. Sold the tractors for $350 and still use the trailer.
Worst was probably the Snapper UGT2060 (power king built). I paid $375 for it not running then sold it for 400 so did make a little for it. New owner said motor had gotten water in its froze and snapped crankshaft.
Least favorite was the Wheel Horse B80, I paid 75, got it running sold for 150 so doubled my money, but I never really liked that tractor.
For some reason I imagined Wheel Horse were the more decent Toro. I see a lot of people locally trying to find parts to restore them. I guess they haven't learned yet, like me lol. Good to know.
 
I think the only tractor I had that turned out to be the least value to me was my Massey MF14. It wasn't a bad tractor, and I did like it, but the fact is I bought it and restored it, never had any working attachments for it, it had no 3pt hitch on it, so ultimately I did not use it at all and ended up selling it for about half what it cost to buy and restore it. It's been awhile but I think I bought it for $750 and sold it for $1200 or something like that.

My absolute favourite WAS my Case 444, a rare golden demonstrator model. Has never gave me a lick of trouble, just works, runs great, always starts. I have a front blade, snowcaster, and mower deck for it. It also has the rear PTO and 3pt on it, so I can use my Brinly plough, disk, cultivator etc.
However, I think the Ingersoll 7020L has taken it's place, It's just far more capable. 20hp, almost 2000lbs ballasted, FEL, 4wd, same 3pt and PTO as the 444. She is a fine machine. But, much more expensive than the 444 and getting it was a bit laborious, they basically do not exist in Canada so I had to bring it up from the US.

I've bought and sold a few MF12's over the years, wish I could have kept them all, I really do like the 10/12 tractors, more so from the collector standpoint rather than someone using them. I don't think I had any really bad buys there. Although I did buy a MF12H for $250 one time, did a bunch of work restoring it, and ended up giving it away as an unfinished project. That hurt. But I was moving at the time and couldn't take it with me.
 
For some reason I imagined Wheel Horse were the more decent Toro. I see a lot of people locally trying to find parts to restore them. I guess they haven't learned yet, like me lol. Good to know.

Don't get me wrong, WH are really good tractors, but I'm a Sears and Massey guy, just didn't fit in my collection. I would take a WH 520 any day if I could find one cheap.
 
Worst deal: Husqvarna YTH180. Not that it was a bad tractor once I dumped a pile of money and time in it, I was taken for a ride on that deal. Paid $450 for it with a plow, probably dumped $500 into it in parts.

Best deal: Craftsman DGS 6500 that needed a carb rebuild and a gas cap. Got it for free, I've put maybe $100 in it in parts.

Favorite: even though I haven't officially ran it yet, it would be the 1969 Sears Suburban SS 12 I'm restoring. I will know every aspect of it since I've literally removed every bolt in it. Paid $75 for it with a plow, wheel weights and chains. Including the purchase of a deck, I've probably put $800 into it so far and I'm not done.

Neatest unit: had a rear engine snapper as a teenager that we put a 440 snowmobile engine on, bucket seat out of a van, and a wheelie bar. That thing was a blast but boy was it dangerous.
 
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Both my best and worst has been Sears equipment. David Bradley has been good to me. Simple built, good quality units and since I bought most before the internet came along, I made a chunk on the ones I sold when I had to downsize.
Now the Craftsman side has been horrible. Even the ones I got for free were far too expensive. I call them ditch fill - made to sell and not to actually use. I wonder why Sears went belly up? :rolleyes:
 
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