Tractor Selection?

[Alan S]

It's about freaking time! 7 pages????

[mikepags]

Yeah I know. I knew nothing about tractors before this thread, now I've got all kinds of info.

Who knew that there were SO many makes and models and options out there?!?! Everyone's input has been a huge help!

!

Sometimes that is the worst thing that could happen you can drive yourself nuts ( I have been there)

[Jeff La]

I think I have one picked out. Went and looked at it a little while ago and thinking strongly of getting it.

Massey Ferguson
Model 1250
1996 year with less than 200 hrs
34 hp Gross engine, 27.3 hp PTO
1.5 L 3-cylinder Iseki engine
Shuttle shift
Independent PTO
4x4
Front end loader, joystick
Comes with a 72" box blade
Guy's says he's been bush hogging with 5 ft but thinks it will handle a 6 ft
Weighs about 3,000 lbs with the loader

$11,700

Nice condition, one of the front tires looks a little cracked but is holding air, rear tires look great, apparently has been stored in a barn that he backed into so the front had a little sun on it which explains the front tire rubber being cracked a little.

Deal or not?

Well according to these prices it's not a great deal. Remember these prices are mostly dealer asking price.http://www.tractorhouse.com/listings...son/model/1250

[Jeff La]

It's about freaking time! 7 pages????

Give the man time.Patience often pays off.

[artcarney_agr]

Well according to these prices it's not a great deal. Remember these prices are mostly dealer asking price.http://www.tractorhouse.com/listings...son/model/1250

Do the hours on a tractor not matter? This one for $11,700 has less than 200 hours

[lgividen]

I bought a 1260 new in 1990. It pulled a 6ft bush hog just fine. Pulled 2-14" plow fine. Was a great compact tractor. I sold it with a little over 600 hours and did nothing but change the oil every 100 hours. Only real difference is the 1260 had draft control. The 16 gears and shuttle shift are real handy. I think you would be very happy with that tractor.

[Crankinstick]

Do the hours on a tractor not matter? This one for $11,700 has less than 200 hours

When you go to trade you get the " it still a 1996" and we will give you $200 for it being low miles. When they go to sell it "its a 1996 but the low miles = + $1500"

[josiewells]

Option 2. Hope you are able to keep it in a shed.

[Jeff La]

Hours definitely matter but what drives the price up more than anything is demand. How many people want to buy a Massey Ferguson that small. Plenty plays into resale but if your happy with the price you pay that's all that counts. IT's an ok deal to me just not great and I do believe demand would be low on that particular tractor but that is just my opinion.

[1Twofish]

To Art and Chief. The B7800 is as good of a tractor for small acreage as you can get. I drove one when I worked for UK and it would mow with a 5 ft bush hog just fine. I don't know how much they will pick up with the fel, but I don't remember ever having any trouble with it. I bought 31 acres recently and wanted to bushhog 1-3inch bushes and trees. I bought a 86 model 2350 JD. Weighs in at 6600 lbs and I have fell in love with it, but once I get the big stuff out of the way I will look for a 7800 to replace it with. The hydrostatic tranny is the only way to go, especially as you get older. Chief, if that tractor is the real deal you better buy it.

[arjone01]

Here's a nice looking kubota in Sparta tn. Just outside of cookeville. https://cookeville.craigslist.org/gr...2.html?lang=en

[artcarney_agr]

Here's a nice looking kubota in Sparta tn. Just outside of cookeville. https://cookeville.craigslist.org/gr...2.html?lang=en

That one is tiny. 21 hp Gross, 16 hp PTO

[cowtrimmer]

Yeah I know. I knew nothing about tractors before this thread, now I've got all kinds of info.

Who knew that there were SO many makes and models and options out there?!?! Everyone's input has been a huge help!

Looks to me like Kubota is king of the market on the smaller tractors, really leaning towards getting one though I really do like the John Deere and their well thought out features but man they sure cost more!

Dont get caught up in the John Deere hype and price unless trade in value is in the top of your list for investing money The difference in pasture tractors is so minute that it all boils down to where the controls are and how it feels to the operator driving them.

[artcarney_agr]

Have agreed to buy the Massey Ferguson 1250 with the Massey Ferguson 1246 front-end loader and 72" box blade
$10,750

1996 model with 168 hours
Iseki 1.5L 3-cyl diesel
Engine (gross): 34 hp
Engine (net): 32 hp
PTO (claimed): 27.3 hp
Weight: 2690 to 2746 pounds
4x4 MFWD 4WD
Steering: power assist

Hydraulics Type: open center
Capacity: 6.6 gal
Pump flow: 6.3 gpm
Total flow: 9.6 gpm

Massey Ferguson is owned by AGCO, and the local Whayne Supply store is a dealer for their parts. Massey Ferguson still uses Iseki engines in current model tractors, so I don't see parts availability being an issue.

Massey 1250.jpg

[Jeff La]

Glad you got one, hopefully it'll last you a very long time.

[artcarney_agr]

Glad you got one, hopefully it'll last you a very long time.

Me too!

[CatFan]

I'd say that's a pretty good choice.

[milligjg]

[Babe Winkleworm]

The single most important preventative measure of any tractor is keeping it covered. Weather will play hell on tires($800-1200 ea for backs), hoses, belts,seat will fall apart in a year. I bought and old Farmall C for $750 bucks to leave a brush hog on. Figured it'd be worth it to just not have to change implements all the time. When. I went to look at it saw a sidewall was rotted out. Figured what the heck, well it cost me $1200 for a set of back tires for it.

[artcarney_agr]

The single most important preventative measure of any tractor is keeping it covered. Weather will play hell on tires($800-1200 ea for backs), hoses, belts,seat will fall apart in a year. I bought and old Farmall C for $750 bucks to leave a brush hog on. Figured it'd be worth it to just not have to change implements all the time. When. I went to look at it saw a sidewall was rotted out. Figured what the heck, well it cost me $1200 for a set of back tires for it.

The guy I'm getting it from had it in a lean-to, he backed it in so the rear never had any sunlight on it but the front did so the paint on the front is a little faded and one of the tires had a little cracking/UV damage but the rest is all good. He bought it new and used it to mow about a 3 to 4 acre field 2 or 3 times a year. Total of 168 hours on the 20 year old tractor, if he mowed 3 times a year (60 times total over 20 years) that works out to just under 3 hours per mowing which seems about right. I thought it was odd that the hours were so low but that makes sense.

I've got a 50x70 dirt floor barn that it's going to be kept in. Once I have the tractor, I'll be adding gravel to the floor, at one time there was livestock in the barn but I have no intentions of ever having livestock unless it was some goats or sheep or something.