help me buy a shitbox tractor

[87manche]

Go look it over, check for obvious leaks and farm repairs and if it test rides ok, it's probably a decent deal. If it's been listed for a month, throw $3k at him and see if he bites.


Stop at TSC on the way home and pick up a gallon of IH Red. Painting the hood and fenders will make that think look 10x better.

tractor restoration in a can.

use the hardener.

 

[Sceep]

And with all manual transmission tractors, check the shifter boots. If they're torn/missing the gearbox gets water in it.

Huh... Maybe that's why my Case is ALWAYS a freaking milkshake. Will look into it.

 

[akguy09]

i did not know this, thank you. the tractor in question looks a little rough but mostly because it was likely stored outside

more pics of the case

I'd use that MF'er all day long. I also plow my driveway with a 1950 IH Cub with a belly blade too....so wtf do I know.

I do a have newish Kubota to pick shit up with, but my old IH will out pull it all day long.

People often forget that a tractor bucket is really a material mover, not a digging implement.

If you need a digging implement get a skid steer.

 

[87manche]

Huh... Maybe that's why my Case is ALWAYS a freaking milkshake. Will look into it.

stored outside?

likely.
cost you like $20 to replace them. Cheaper than the oil anyway.

 

[aczlan]

hour meter is kinda meaningless once equipment has a decade on it

Exactly, condition (how well it starts when cold), if the clutch slips, if it shifts smoothly, etc are far more important than hours or paint.

exactly, levelling a hillside isn't something you'd want to do with a farm tractor loader

Nope, that one had the top and tilt for the 3 point as well so you could cut a crown in a road with a blade without leaving the seat.

starter looks new. Filter has surface rust. can't tell if it's just the photo, but that side of the motor looks darker, so it may have an oil leak over there.

I'd bet it sat for a time, somebody slapped a new starter on it and then used it for their project or is flipping it.

Probably bought it at an auction, used it and moved into something newer.
I would be surprised if that tractor had not lived most of its life with a Brown Tree Cutter or similar heavy 6' rotary cutter on the back and was used to mow power line or road right of ways. Light enough to not sink immediately in the soft spots, enough power to shred anything that you could run over with the front bumper, simple enough to fix with a hammer and a adjustable wrench to get it back to the road. Probably has 5-10k hours on it and has spent very little time inside. Tough tractors.

use your best judgement. it's just a machine, you know what to look for. And with all manual transmission tractors, check the shifter boots. If they're torn/missing the gearbox gets water in it.
Check for water in all the fluids.

100%

Aaron Z

 

[87manche]

I would be surprised if that tractor had not lived most of its life with a Brown Tree Cutter or similar heavy 6' rotary cutter on the back and was used to mow power line or road right of ways.

the farmer fabbed brush bar up front gave me definite mow in the woods vibes.
but the front tins all look great, so it were doing it's job.

 

[aczlan]

the farmer fabbed brush bar up front gave me definite mow in the woods vibes.
but the front tins all look great, so it were doing it's job.

Possibly, seems a little nicer than most farmers around here would do and they would have made it a tray do put rocks on.

The expanded metal on the back of the roll bar definitely screams that it's lived with a mower on the back.
The lower link ends being well worn agrees.
The sunshade being tilted down says ditto.
If it had risers from the front to the canopy and the exhaust pipe angled back to dump just above the canopy I would say 100% power line mowing or scrub brush clearing , but it looks a little lightly armored for that...

Highway right of way mower:

Source: Tractors | Angier+Fox, Celebrating Rural America & beyond

Power line right of way mower:

Source: Woods Boss Right of Way Tractor

Aaron Z

 

[Spiritof76]

more pics of the case

Ironically, had a 585 for about 10 years, too. Nice, N/A diesel. Ours had a high-low switch on the dash that didn't work, so it was stuck in the lower range. IIRC, it had a 2 place (high-low) manual shifter, then a 4 speed manual shifter, and then the 2 speed electric shifter. Great tractor. Did not like to be lugged AT ALL. Had some other electronics issues; fuel gauge was wonky, alternator was wonky at times. Got those sorted out. Later models had an electronic fuel shutoff solenoid that was a bit of a PITA. This one should have the manual shutoff (by your left knee?) that works well and is troublefree. Case made a loader for these that worked well; we had one--it was a Quik-Tach and came on and off easily.

The 585 definitely had more nuts than the 464 did. It was a little heavier, and had a fair bit more power when doing PTO work or loader work. We had fluid in the tires, and rarely needed to add weight on the back, even for loader work.

 

[87manche]

Possibly, seems a little nicer than most farmers around here would do and they would have made it a tray do put rocks on.

The expanded metal on the back of the roll bar definitely screams that it's lived with a mower on the back.
The lower link ends being well worn agrees.
The sunshade being tilted down says ditto.
If it had risers from the front to the canopy and the exhaust pipe angled back to dump just above the canopy I would say 100% power line mowing or scrub brush clearing , but it looks a little lightly armored for that...

Highway right of way mower:

Source: Tractors | Angier+Fox, Celebrating Rural America & beyond

Power line right of way mower:

Source: Woods Boss Right of Way Tractor

Aaron Z

shit that things like 3/4 of the way to killdozer right from the factory,

 

[clodhopper]

If I needed one, I would have already been in the truck to go look at that Case. Just sayin. But I also tend to shy away from the green paint premium, so there is that.....

 

[WTF?]

yea just looking for something old and cheap, i won't be plowing 200 acres with it. just small time stuff so no need for a huge one or a new one

can anyone get phone numbers on these 2 CL ads? I'm only seeing email as an option

Ford 3000 tractor with front loader - farm & garden - by owner - sale

Ford 3000 Diesel tractor runs great hydraulics work as they should tires are good comes with front bucket a set of forks and a 5 ft weighted box blade 6000 for all

mobile.craigslist.org

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and also gonna see if my grandmother still wants to sell her older JD but not likely, I think she decided to keep it

While case parts exist and aren't unobtanium , they're not cheap and plentiful like ford parts are. the two above would be worth a good look If i were in the market.

I had a early 70's ford industrial (yellow) 4500 loader and it was incredible to me how easy and cheap most parts were to find. if i'm buying something 30 yrs old, i'm assuming its gonna need parts/maintenance at some point in the not so distant future.

that case looks like its been rode pretty hard based on the 3 point hitch wear in the pics.


Youre in a great position Being that you're not in a huge hurry/ dont have a urgent need for a machine and we're heading into winter in the south so you can also afford to take the winter to be selective and look for deals. the more research you do now, the easier it will be to identify and jump on the right deal in Feb/march before the spring rush market hits.

I just sold a creampuff '98 John deere 870 with 440 hrs for $7500 . it was a little bit lighter than what you're looking at but one of those needle in a haystack nice low hr clear tractors that do exist however rare.

 

[Projectjunkie]

I had that same case 585?485? With a loader and Gannon, 3cyl diesel iirc, it was a beast, low hours, ton of power. If it's solid for the money, it's hard to beat. If it's a basket case, refer to my previous comments about financing a smaller tractor

 

[Stix]

As someone who’s in tractor dealers weekly getting parts. Case IH parts arent that much cheaper than green.

If I needed one, I would have already been in the truck to go look at that Case. Just sayin. But I also tend to shy away from the green paint premium, so there is that.....

 

[lagunaMS]

If I needed one, I would have already been in the truck to go look at that Case. Just sayin. But I also tend to shy away from the green paint premium, so there is that.....

gotta finish putting a new rad in the tow pig today and i'm going to see if I can go look at it tomorrow

I had that same case 585?485? With a loader and Gannon, 3cyl diesel iirc, it was a beast, low hours, ton of power. If it's solid for the money, it's hard to beat. If it's a basket case, refer to my previous comments about financing a smaller tractor

good to know. hopefully it's decent

While case parts exist and aren't unobtanium , they're not cheap and plentiful like ford parts are. the two above would be worth a good look If i were in the market.

I had a early 70's ford industrial (yellow) 4500 loader and it was incredible to me how easy and cheap most parts were to find. if i'm buying something 30 yrs old, i'm assuming its gonna need parts/maintenance at some point in the not so distant future.

that case looks like its been rode pretty hard based on the 3 point hitch wear in the pics.


Youre in a great position Being that you're not in a huge hurry/ dont have a urgent need for a machine and we're heading into winter in the south so you can also afford to take the winter to be selective and look for deals. the more research you do now, the easier it will be to identify and jump on the right deal in Feb/march before the spring rush market hits.

I just sold a creampuff '98 John deere 870 with 440 hrs for $7500 . it was a little bit lighter than what you're looking at but one of those needle in a haystack nice low hr clear tractors that do exist however rare.

the ford with the loader only had an email listed and he hasn't responded

lady with the ford 4000 on marketplace still has it, Im supposed to look at it saturday morning

 

[muddyrover]

I'd say look for a B7800 kubota. Tough and simple. I was brush hogging 55 acres with a 6' mower for the last 10 years. Take about 36 hrs, but it did it. I also run a 3 point wood splitter and moved snow exclusively with it since I bought it new in 2007. I also have a woods frame mount backhoe for it. 600 trouble free, hours. Spread out my ownership and it has cost me about $100 a month, and would sell for 3/4 of what I paid for it... maybe 100% or more if I held out. It has paid for itself with work done.

After looking for years for a reasonable deal on a bigger used cab tractor, I finally broke down last year and bought a new 60Hp MX6000 kubota cab tractor with a loader and a 12' batwing from another brand. MADE IN USA. Every thing used had at least 5000 hrs and they wanted $20k

I used the Equine program and got 20% off MSRP on the tractor. That being said a new small L (similar in size to the B7800) small enough to not have a DPF would be in the low $20K with a loader. I priced one out earlier in the year for my father in law.

A kubota is a better investment than anything else you could spend your money on. Better than the bank right now for sure.

 

[V30crewcab]

I would be all over that case.

 

[2big bronco]

I'd say look for a B7800 kubota. Tough and simple. I was brush hogging 55 acres with a 6' mower for the last 10 years. Take about 36 hrs, but it did it. I also run a 3 point wood splitter and moved snow exclusively with it since I bought it new in 2007. I also have a woods frame mount backhoe for it. 600 trouble free, hours. Spread out my ownership and it has cost me about $100 a month, and would sell for 3/4 of what I paid for it... maybe 100% if I held out.

After looking for years for a reasonable deal on a bigger used cab tractor, I finally broke down last year and bought a new 60Hp MX6000 kubota cab tractor with a loader and a 12' batwing from another brand. MADE IN USA. Every thing used had at least 5000 hrs and they wanted $20k

I used the Equine program and got 20% off MSRP on the tractor. That being said a new small L (similar in size to the B7800) small enough to not have a DPF would be in the low $20K with a loader. I priced one out earlier in the year for my father in law.

A kubota is a better investment than anything else you could spend your money on. Better than the bank right now for sure.

A b7800 is probably the best small kubota ever made.... but not even close to an L series in size. More of a construction grade B series. I also have a lot of hours sitting on 1.

 

[muddyrover]

Maybe it was an LX.... was just about the same weight and size of the B7800. The MSRP was well under $20k without a loader. Most of the B lineup seems lower and smaller in person now, or way more pricey.

B7800 is 30Hp... hotrod for its size.

Tractors - Compact - LX Series | Kubota

Browse through Kubota's LX Series Compact tractor inventory, filter search by features to find the best fit for you, or even build your own. Then find a dealer close by with your desired product!

www.kubotausa.com

 

[woods]

I've got an L3710 and wouldn't want anything much smaller than that. Those B and LX series are really too small for what they are fetching for prices. You be better off spending the same amount on older and bigger.

edit: I may be wrong on the LX. I thought those were just glorified B series

 

[2big bronco]

I've got an L3710 and wouldn't want anything much smaller than that. Those B and LX series are really too small for what they are fetching for prices. You be better off spending the same amount on older and bigger.

edit: I may be wrong on the LX. I thought those were just glorified B series

The Lx series are huge pieces of shit... to the point that its the only older tractor I wont touch when flipping them. Its like taking a 1990 f150 with a 5spd, straight 6, and manual windows, and then sending it to the bmw electronics engineers and asking them to make it better.

 

[woods]

The Lx series are huge pieces of shit... to the point that its the only older tractor I wont touch when flipping them. Its like taking a 1990 f150 with a 5spd, straight 6, and manual windows, and then sending it to the bmw electronics engineers and asking them to make it better.

Ah ok, that is what I originally thought.

Its to a point where its a lawn tractor with a bucket and the tractor just isn't worth the time. My FIL has a B series. Its ok for snowblowing I guess. You need to take your time. I cut down a few trees on their lot and we tried to use the tractor to move the trees out. It was easier to just back the truck in and load them by hand after I cut them to 8' length. tractor just wasn't panning out. I think it was more of a weight thing with the trees.

 

[muddyrover]

The Lx series are huge pieces of shit... to the point that its the only older tractor I wont touch when flipping them. Its like taking a 1990 f150 with a 5spd, staight 6, and manual windows, and then sending it to the bmw electronics engineers and asking them to make it better.

You're talking about the new LX series? From what I could tell looking at them,
these are the stripped down versions of the older bigger b's now. Kind of think b2910 stripped down like the B7800 was. Kubota bills them as bigger B with L horsepower.

Kind of like the mx6000 is a stripped down l6060 for $10000 less. Not the exact same machine underneath, but close enough to make the comparison.

 

[muddyrover]

Ah ok, that is what I originally thought.

Its to a point where its a lawn tractor with a bucket and the tractor just isn't worth the time. My FIL has a B series. Its ok for snowblowing I guess. You need to take your time. I cut down a few trees on their lot and we tried to use the tractor to move the trees out. It was easier to just back the truck in and load them by hand after I cut them to 8' length. tractor just wasn't panning out. I think it was more of a weight thing with the trees.

Not sure what b he has, but my b7800 has ran and picked up 1957 McCormick 6' rear snow blower with no issues. Other than being unsafe, it will drag any log until the front wheels come off the ground with a bucket full of dirt. It weighs around 4000 # with the backhoe.

I will say it wasn't worth a shit pulling without the backhoe on it until 8 loaded the rear tires.

 

[woods]

Not sure what b he has, but my b7800 has ran and picked up 1957 McCormick 6' rear snow blower with no issues. Other than being unsafe, it will drag any log until the front wheels come off the ground with a bucket full of dirt. It weighs around 4000 # with the backhoe.

its pretty small. I recall a "22" or "2200" or something like that in the line. its a 20something horse. the only backhoe going on it is the one my kiddo plays with at the sandbox at the local park.

 

[muddyrover]

That's a bx.... lawn tractor

 

[woods]

That's a bx.... lawn tractor

ok, I thought it was a B series, but the smallest they made. Maybe it is a BX then.

I get lost at the smaller, compact tractors. can't keep the models straight.

 

[muddyrover]

A lot of work can be done with a b7800 sized tractor... better than an 8n ford. Perfect for the op's 7 acres unless you need to make hay. It sips fuel., doesn't compact the ground and can work when heavier machines sink in wet ground. Really a tractor is where just big enough is ideal... which usually means you need more than one.

I got rid of my 8n and 800 ford's when I got my MX6000, partially due to safety aspects of my 10yo son starting to run equipment.

 

[clodhopper]

As someone who’s in tractor dealers weekly getting parts. Case IH parts arent that much cheaper than green.

Possibly. But is Case cost due to rarity? The Deere parts are more simply due to being green. I have no grudge against deere, they have done a very good job of building brand value. I simply choose not to pay the upcharge they have built into the market for their products. Many others do, which is why the premium carries into the used market as well. Case certainly doesnt carry any premium due to brand reverence.

My tractors are all ford for a reason. Much of the parts are still available and what isnt, well, there are a plethora of old options in junkyards to pull parts. You dont hear about ford tractors in country music and if you find a ford logo shirt or hat, it is the car market, not the tractor market. Ford wasnt effective in building brand value, which I will suggest contributed to the demise of Ford agricultural equipment. Despite that, I believe that Ford out produced all tractor competition in the 50s and 60s. There is a BUNCH of old fords out there. But it wouldnt stop me from buying another brand if the price was right and the tractor was sturdy and it fit my needs. The fact that it is a 1990 is more of a turnoff for me than the brand. I tend to select pre-80s tractors.

 

[2big bronco]

You're talking about the new LX series? From what I could tell looking at them,
these are the stripped down versions of the older bigger b's now. Kind of think b2910 stripped down like the B7800 was. Kubota bills them as bigger B with L horsepower.

Kind of like the mx6000 is a stripped down l6060 for $10000 less. Not the exact same machine underneath, but close enough to make the comparison.

Im talking about 2010 ish lx and grand serries

 

[TiTRD]

I've got a 1993 Kioti LK3054 shitbox.

Previously owner was an idiot and everything that's broken has been from his stupidity (except a voltage regulator).