Passed on a Jubilee today, might have been wrong.

[jdrich84]

Looking for a bit of advice. This would be a first time tractor for my family, but there were enough minor red flags that I decided to pass on the tractor for now.

Was impressed by the owner, he clearly knew his stuff but sells of a lot of equipment he fixes up in his driveway off auction. There was nothing major wrong with the tractor (in fact, it seemed to be well cared for), but enough minor issues that I felt like I couldn't spend the money on it. Brought my father along, who is an auto mechanic but knows squat about tractors.

The good:

- Rims in great condition, newly refilled tires (PG) with good rubber. No wear in the steering system.
- Hydraulics well cared for, some new hoses but not all, snappy, smooth loader and rear lift didn't sag.
- Started right away, idled well, didn't struggle at higher RPMs.
- Brakes actually worked.
- Seemed overall to be a well cared for machine.
- The price for a Jubilee/NAA with a loader in my neck of the woods was very good.

The bad:

- Oil pressure gauge was broken, which is an easy fix in and of itself.
- Persistent leak at the back of the oil pan during/after running, but ran for 15+ minutes without issue.
- Transmission fluid was pretty milky.
- Radiator reservoir was empty. Put about 3 quarts in while I was there, no idea where it went. Hoses were cold after running for 15 minutes. Didn't see a leak. Not sure how much pressure was supposed to be behind the cap (3lbs?), but there was none.
- Exhaust dripped for a good 4-5 minutes after starting.

Took a video of it running, linked here:

Talked to a friend who restores and collects tractors about the noise in the engine, he said it would lead to problems in the long run, but not sure what "problems" means, or how far away the "long run" is. After asking the owner about the radiator, he said he's been running this tractor on his property with a hog for the last year without any issues.

I can't help but feel like I am possibly being too picky/careful with this purchase. I'd appreciate some expert insight.

 

[wore out]

Looking for a bit of advice. This would be a first time tractor for my family, but there were enough minor red flags that I decided to pass on the tractor for now.

Was impressed by the owner, he clearly knew his stuff but sells of a lot of equipment he fixes up in his driveway off auction. There was nothing major wrong with the tractor (in fact, it seemed to be well cared for), but enough minor issues that I felt like I couldn't spend the money on it. Brought my father along, who is an auto mechanic but knows squat about tractors.

The good:

- Rims in great condition, newly refilled tires (PG) with good rubber. No wear in the steering system.
- Hydraulics well cared for, some new hoses but not all, snappy, smooth loader and rear lift didn't sag.
- Started right away, idled well, didn't struggle at higher RPMs.
- Brakes actually worked.
- Seemed overall to be a well cared for machine.
- The price for a Jubilee/NAA with a loader in my neck of the woods was very good.

The bad:

- Oil pressure gauge was broken, which is an easy fix in and of itself.
- Persistent leak at the back of the oil pan during/after running, but ran for 15+ minutes without issue.
- Transmission fluid was pretty milky.
- Radiator reservoir was empty. Put about 3 quarts in while I was there, no idea where it went. Hoses were cold after running for 15 minutes. Didn't see a leak. Not sure how much pressure was supposed to be behind the cap (3lbs?), but there was none.
- Exhaust dripped for a good 4-5 minutes after starting.

Took a video of it running, linked here:

Talked to a friend who restores and collects tractors about the noise in the engine, he said it would lead to problems in the long run, but not sure what "problems" means, or how far away the "long run" is. After asking the owner about the radiator, he said he's been running this tractor on his property with a hog for the last year without any issues.

I can't help but feel like I am possibly being too picky/careful with this purchase. I'd appreciate some expert insight.

I think you were wise to "pass". Unless his asking price was down near scrap value having any issues at all would be a big "turn off", especially the noise in the engine and "milky" hydraulic oil. For the seller to present a tractor for sale like that tells us he's an "equipment jockey" vs. someone who loves tinkering on old tractors and fixes them up as good as new before looking for a new home for them.

 

[Eman85]

Don't know what you're wanting to do with your tractor. I would have no use for a Jubilee with a loader. No power steering and if the loader doesn't come off easily it can be a pain if you want to do other tasks.

 

[jdrich84]

Don't know what you're wanting to do with your tractor. I would have no use for a Jubilee with a loader. No power steering and if the loader doesn't come off easily it can be a pain if you want to do other tasks.

Mostly clearing + moving logs. I have 20+ acres of thick brush that I'm slowly turning into pasture, about 1 acre a year. Up until now I've been renting out my neighbor and his equipment when I need the muscle, but that's becoming cost prohibitive, and running a hog will be far more effective than a 3 blade mower on a lawn tractor without AG tread.

The loader will be off most of the time, but I get a lot of chips and fill delivered, and a shovel and a wheelbarrow only gets you so far.

My biggest concern is the nebulous state of the engine. There may not be anything wrong, but can't really tell when the gauge doesn't work, and it didn't sound great.

 

[Jim L WA]

I think you made a good decision. I don't like that knock sound and you don't know what the oil pressure is. Where did the coolant go?

 

[Eman85]

Best money I spent was buying a diesel 2600 with a Bush Hog loader that disconnects easily. I knew some history on the tractor and the loader was brand new. it has power steering which is just about a must if you want to work with a loader. I have to be careful though as it's easy to break the front end on an ag tractor with a loader. If I couldn't put the loader on and take it off easily I'd want 2 tractors as doing any work with a loader on is a pain. The loader also takes a lot of weight off of the rear wheels.