Oppopinions on buying a broken but dealer fixed thing...

"JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t" (jawzx2)
09/11/2020 at 17:12 • Filed to: oppopinions

OK, So here’s the long story short: We’ve outgrown the little Ford 1720 and we need to make our “small” tractor a little bigger.

Dramatic Recreation Only (though this is a real thing that happened to a tractor once...)

This is a unique and strange market space. The demand for 40-60 HP modern-ish tractors is low, but so is the supply. The manufacturers have it well figured out and the supply pretty much exactly matches the demand (plus rate of attrition/loss). The result is that the used market is HOT! HOT! HOT!.

In order to keep our operating costs low (we raise Sheep afterall...) I do pretty much all my own mechanical work on all our equipment. My labor saves us literally multiple thousands of dollars a year. We may be small, but we’re a REAL farm, not backyard tractor owners. Please take this into consideration when opining....

I’d love to get something with air conditioning too, as it Just Keeps Getting Hotter®

Enter the Tractor That Was Broken In Half:

it’s a 2011 New Holland Boomer 3045 CVT. It has all the features we want (4x4, loader, remote hydraulics, working A/C), the hours are low-ish (1300), and the price is $19,500. This is more than $10,000 below the going used rate for a machine like this. partly that can be blamed on the cosmetic damage, which is ENTIRELY cosmetic, but mostly it can be blamed on the fact that tractor was, at one point in time broken partly in half.

The story I have is that the mid-housing was partially separated from the rear axle housing due to the use of an oversized backhoe attachment breaking some of the connecting bolts. In the process the reverser clutch mechanism was damaged. Upon being quoted a retail repair cost (and time for parts availability) the owner choked, passed out on the floor, and after regaining consciousness, and getting back up (some details made up) said “fuck it. what’ll you give me for it in trade as it sits?” the dealer lowballed him, he said “whatever”, shelled out for a new tractor and went home with it. The dealer waited the two months for parts to come from Japan, tore the tractor entirely apart (seriously, first time I saw it, it was a pile of parts on the shop floor), replaced the broken reverser, reassembled it and offered me a test drive.

This tractor has a known engine to me, a Shibaura N844l. This is a simple, reliable, 2.2l indirect-injection diesel made in Japan by craftsmen who give a shit about making stuff right. I know how to fix it, don’t need a computer to do so, and more importantly know it is extremely unlikely to break in the first place. The Boomer 3045 is mostly made from Japanese parts, and aside from the CVT I know what to expect and how to handle most anything that comes up in the driveline and hydraulics.

We are not made of money, midsize tractors are expensive and the market is tight... The dealer says “hey, we fixed it, and it’s cheap!” I say, “well, the second part is certainly true...” This particular dealer has a pretty good reputation for It’s shop. In fact the machine was actually taken in by another outlet in the chain and sent to the one where it currently is to be fixed because their techs are good and have experience with the Boomers.

I’m not expecting tractor expertise per-se, but I am seeking opinions about buying a “vehicle” that has had ~$7000 (retail value) of repairs performed by a shop with a good reputation and is being offered at a price that essentially unbeatable.

DISCUSSION (11)

Boxer_4 > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
09/11/2020 at 18:10

Any warranty of any kind on the repairs?

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
09/11/2020 at 18:25

I know next to nothing about tractors, but here’s my line of thinking when it comes to cars that have been damaged and repaired :

1) will it be reliable?

2) will it be safe?

3) could you ever resell it?

If the dealer can provide a warranty and/or would be willing to fix anything that went wrong in relation to his repair, I’d be comfortable. You probably don’t need to worry about crash standards on a tractor, but is there any danger of you getting hurt while operating it? As for resale...yeah yeah, you’re going to keep it forever sure...but what if you don’t? Or *need* to get out from it for some reason?

Do you have a backup tractor if this one were to have an issue and need another lengthy repair? Two months for parts seems crazy.

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
09/11/2020 at 18:32

Ten grand is ten grand. Examine the damaged and repaired areas well to ensure they’re not some hillbilly bodge job , test i t extensively, and if you don’t foresee any lasting negative effects tell them to write it up... After playfully negotiating a little more.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
09/11/2020 at 18:36

This strikes me as the kind of deal I would be very tempted by in the situation. Provided they did the reverser clutch correctly, the rest of the damage would strike me as metal damage on big things. T he type of which can be fixed. If they threw in a warranty, or offered you a demo with first right to buy it for a period of time, I’d probably jump on it in a hurry. It seems like a bit of time working it would probably tell you pretty quickly if it is right on the fix.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > Boxer_4
09/11/2020 at 18:37

that is actually a question I didn’t ask... the tractor is beyond factory warranty period... but if there’s a warranty on the work performed that’s a valid thing to know. I am talking to the dealer again tomorrow.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
09/11/2020 at 18:40

#1 is the #1.

#2 yes.

#3 I did mention that the market is HOT!

I actually did not ask if the work is warranted, the tractor in general is out of warranty period. Will be speaking with the dealer again tomorrow, and also fiddling with the tractor a bit more.

yes we have a back up tractor, but only one. Yeah, that parts wait from Japan is garbage. I can’t believe CNH don’t/didn’t keep those in stock in a US warehouse... though that’ s probably an result of actuarial calculations of likely failure rates. if every dealer has one or two of a part in stock then you know it’s something that breaks regularly...

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja:
09/11/2020 at 18:43

I am going to play with it a bunch more tomorrow. I see no leaks and the worst thing i can say is that the tech may have been a little heavy handed with the form-a-gasket, though I’ve seen worse (sloppier excess) .

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
09/11/2020 at 18:50

yeah, I’m gonna run it around the lot a little more tomorrow, and I’ll ask about a trial/probationary period.

EngineerWithTools > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
09/11/2020 at 19:32

I was going to say exactly what the good ITA97 said: if the mechanical and hydraulic bits are new or you have confidence in their repair, I’d not worry for 10 seconds about the steel. Big steel is easily* fixed and the repairs, done by anyone with basic competence, are reliable.**

* Easy if you have the lifting, cutting, welding, shaping and, errr, hammering equipment necessary.

** Opinion of someone that has an engineering degree and license (both debatable usefulness) and can heat straighten steel (very useful).

DasWauto > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
09/11/2020 at 19:44

While I’m a farmer, I don’t actually know all that much about tractors as far as specific brands/ models go, let alone reliability, etc. I will say though, CVT tractors are sweeeet - being able to run the PTO and drive speeds completely independently, and having the tractor take care of the throttle and gearing adjustments itself is utterly brilliant. We only really use that functionality for snow blowing but to me our tractor has been worth it purely for that.

As for the purchase prospect itself, I’d say that given the conditions and reputations at hand, this could be a solid purchase. If they were to warrant the tractor and the work for even something like 90 days and you can properly put it through its paces in that time, go for it.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
09/11/2020 at 20:01

That’s what I was going to ask.