Tractor purchase

[Jefd]

Good day all!
I'm looking to purchase a tractor in the 100 horse range. I want this tractor to be my "go to" machine for food plots, CRP maint. and general work. My food plots consist of chisel plowing, chopping stalks with a 4 row chopper, and field cultivating. I would like a decent cab, loader, and front wheel assist I think. I sold my 1586 as I didn't use it enough. There's some tractors around me that fit all my categories. One is a Deere 3150 with 5300 hours on it. Another is a New Holland TS110 with 7800 hours. The last is a Case IH JX80U with 3900 hours. All look good in their photos and are about the same price except the 80U is a few K more. The Deere is about 10 years older than the NH, and the Case IH is an 05 but has less HP than the other 2 . Please share your thoughts on these as well as what else I should maybe be looking at.
Thanks as always!!!

 

[matthies]

I am a Deere guy but would steer clear of the 3150.

 

[Jefd]

Thanks for your honesty! I'm not brand loyal, I'm looking for functionality and low maintenance so as not to break the bank. Would I be better off looking at something older like a 4020, or an 886, and adding a loader, or am I on a better track with newer stuff?

 

[Jefd]

I also know of a Deere 4040 with 6000 hours, a Deere 3055 with 4700 hours and a Case IH 4240 with 3700 hours. No loaders or FWA, but still in the 100 horse area. A lot less money, but still something to consider?

 

[Jefd]

How many hours is too many? When is an overhaul needed in general?

 

[Tx Jim]

Thanks for your honesty! I'm not brand loyal, I'm looking for functionality and low maintenance so as not to break the bank. Would I be better off looking at something older like a 4020, or an 886, and adding a loader, or am I on a better track with newer stuff?

No JD 4020 or 20 through 55 series rowcrop version with MFWD were ever manufactured/sold. I personally don't like the lower pressure hyd systems IE trans pump circuits on JD 40 through 55 series utility tractors more especially on these tractors that have option of cabs

 

[Gary Mitchell]

I've driven a few different colors and sizes over the years and the one I liked the best was the White 2-105. gm

 

[stdsch40]

I would seriously consider the Case IH JX80U.

 

[brendonh]

I've got a 4230 quad range I'd part with. I had delusions of grandeur about farming a 30 acre patch we bought. Unfortunately, the only thing it does these days is pull a 15' batwing around. I just can't justify it's existence anymore. She's an actual open station machine

 

[used red MN]

front wheel assist

I know this is a nice option but describe what you do that would require that. I know food plots don’t have to be planted in ideal conditions, but if you are doing work in those and need FWD the area is probably to wet and being damaged more than it is being helped if you’re out there working it and needing FWD.

 

[EFV]

No JD 4020 or 20 through 55 series rowcrop version with MFWD were ever manufactured/sold. I personally don't like the lower pressure hyd systems IE trans pump circuits on JD 40 through 55 series utility tractors more especially on these tractors that have option of cabs

What 50 or 55 series Deere wasn't considered row crop. Lots of those MFWD sold.

 

[flying belgian]

If your going to do loader work you want fwa.

 

[flying belgian]

If your going to do loader work you want fwa.

 

[johnnmr]

If I were going to buy a do everything tractor I'd get a boxcar Magnum. Plenty of power and weight, cabs are nice enough, the power train is basically bulletproof.

Fwa for a loader is a must.

Probably overkill for your application but they're holding their value if you'd get rid of it.

 

[DanielW]

A little older than the ones you mentioned, but we bought a White 2-105 about 8 years ago. Most people absolutely love those Whites. I hate it with a passion - every time I get in it I want to drive it off a cliff. But most of that hatred is admittedly personal preference.

The reason I mention that: At the same time we bought the White, we were considering a Deutz DX90. It sold for about the same price as the 105, and is a few years newer (about the same age as the 3150). Didn't go for it, because we were unfamiliar and a little skeptical of Deutz. But I know the guy who bought it very well. He was also skeptical and was always an IH & Case guy. But he absolutely loves it. It's become his go-to tractor for many chores, and he's since bought another Deutz of about the same era as a 4X4 loader tractor and loves it too. He does a lot of custom round baling with that DX90 - pretty much gets used every day of the summer. I've had a few chances to run both, and every time I get on one I strongly regret choosing the White over the DX90. The Deutz has a superb layout, is very heavily built where it counts, great tranny, and seems to be very reliable. Lots of the DX series were 4x4.

Possibly worth considering. If it's primarily for food plots, you're going to see almost no return on invesent, so no point spending more money on something newer if something a little older will work just as well.

 

[ss55]

Good day all!
I'm looking to purchase a tractor in the 100 horse range. I want this tractor to be my "go to" machine for food plots, CRP maint. and general work. My food plots consist of chisel plowing, chopping stalks with a 4 row chopper, and field cultivating. I would like a decent cab, loader, and front wheel assist I think. I sold my 1586 as I didn't use it enough. There's some tractors around me that fit all my categories. One is a Deere 3150 with 5300 hours on it. Another is a New Holland TS110 with 7800 hours. The last is a Case IH JX80U with 3900 hours. All look good in their photos and are about the same price except the 80U is a few K more. The Deere is about 10 years older than the NH, and the Case IH is an 05 but has less HP than the other 2 . Please share your thoughts on these as well as what else I should maybe be looking at.
Thanks as always!!!

I'm guessing your budget is in the $20,000 to $40,000 range?

 

[LarrySTN]

No JD 4020 or 20 through 55 series rowcrop version with MFWD were ever manufactured/sold. I personally don't like the lower pressure hyd systems IE trans pump circuits on JD 40 through 55 series utility tractors more especially on these tractors that have option of cabs

Are you implying John deere 50 and 55 series row crop tractors were not available in MFWD?

 

[GermantownGreen]

A little older than the ones you mentioned, but we bought a White 2-105 about 8 years ago. Most people absolutely love those Whites. I hate it with a passion - every time I get in it I want to drive it off a cliff. But most of that hatred is admittedly personal preference.

The reason I mention that: At the same time we bought the White, we were considering a Deutz DX90. It sold for about the same price as the 105, and is a few years newer (about the same age as the 3150). Didn't go for it, because we were unfamiliar and a little skeptical of Deutz. But I know the guy who bought it very well. He was also skeptical and was always an IH & Case guy. But he absolutely loves it. It's become his go-to tractor for many chores, and he's since bought another Deutz of about the same era as a 4X4 loader tractor and loves it too. He does a lot of custom round baling with that DX90 - pretty much gets used every day of the summer. I've had a few chances to run both, and every time I get on one I strongly regret choosing the White over the DX90. The Deutz has a superb layout, is very heavily built where it counts, great tranny, and seems to be very reliable. Lots of the DX series were 4x4.

Possibly worth considering. If it's primarily for food plots, you're going to see almost no return on invesent, so no point spending more money on something newer if something a little older will work just as well.

What is wrong with your 2-105? Someone before you not keep up maintenance? Explain a little further. .... GG

 

[ss55]

Good day all!
I'm looking to purchase a tractor in the 100 horse range. I want this tractor to be my "go to" machine for food plots, CRP maint. and general work. My food plots consist of chisel plowing, chopping stalks with a 4 row chopper, and field cultivating. I would like a decent cab, loader, and front wheel assist I think. I sold my 1586 as I didn't use it enough. There's some tractors around me that fit all my categories. One is a Deere 3150 with 5300 hours on it. Another is a New Holland TS110 with 7800 hours. The last is a Case IH JX80U with 3900 hours. All look good in their photos and are about the same price except the 80U is a few K more. The Deere is about 10 years older than the NH, and the Case IH is an 05 but has less HP than the other 2 . Please share your thoughts on these as well as what else I should maybe be looking at.
Thanks as always!!!

Used tractor prices are quite high right now compared to a few years ago. If you are not in a hurry used tractor prices could be back down to normal in a year or two.

 

[NoDakInMN]

One thing to consider when looking at different brands, is how close is dealer support in your area. When you got a tractor with a few thousand hours on it, odds are you will experience some issues with it. Even with non commercial crops like food plots, planting can get time sensitive due to weather, so you can have a narrow window to work in and having a needed part 20 minutes away verses an hour or two can change your down time from a couple hours to a day or more.

And while the 100 HP is a good general range to look at, I wouldn't let that set my upper limit. A few years ago I was looking for a snow removal tractor with a loader and blower and like you, I was thinking in the 100 HP range. I wasn't finding anything reasonably close except for a JD 4630, which was noticably bigger than 100 HP by 50 HP. I actually disregarded it for several weeks because I thought it was too big for turning around in my yard, but when I wasn't having much luck in my desired range I took a look at it and wound up buying it. The price was actually a few K cheaper and it came with a nearly new loader and an older but perfectly serviceable snowblower, so overall I got it for over $5 K less than what I was budgeting for everything, plus I drove it home instead of having to arrange hauling saving even more $. Although it is a little less fuel efficient and fluid capacities are larger making changing them more expensive, that I have found that is more than compensated by the additional HP. Believe me, if you have extra HP, you will find a use for it. Looking back, I kind of kick myself when I realize I could have let this tractor slip away simply because I had set a HP limit that turned out to be unjustified.