New tractors versus classics

Mf240

Mf240

Well-Known Member
Seen a few prices for new tractors being quoted over 100 K.
Thought it might be interesting to compare what you could get in the classic market for similar money.

Say a new massey for example. Let's say 100 k. Now for that kind of money you could get. A good 5455. Two 390ts and maybe a 399 and a 188 as well.

What would you go for. New or 5 classics (list you choices in other brands)

Just hoping for a bit of debate.
 
Mf240 said:
Seen a few prices for new tractors being quoted over 100 K.
Thought it might be interesting to compare what you could get in the classic market for similar money.

Say a new massey for example. Let's say 100 k. Now for that kind of money you could get. A good 5455. Two 390ts and maybe a 399 and a 188 as well.

What would you go for. New or 5 classics (list you choices in other brands)

Just hoping for a bit of debate.
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Horses for courses, I don't do big hours compared to some on here, but in short bursts I do long days and need to get across a lot of work in a short time frame, so need reasonably modern and reliable tractors.
But I can see why running a couple of older tractors would be appealing.
 
If no one bought new there would no second hand tractors to buy .Most lads buying new would have a good trade in so this would soften the blow .I have not seen many new massys locally but a share of jd 6130m with loaders and cab suspension coming in around 95k last year anyway ,fine looking tractors but still really only a farmers tractor
 
A very good question @Mf240 ! I'd probably buy what's on your list!
I recall reading an article about a man who got 2 x John Deere 6910 fully overhauled instead of investing in a new tractor. He reckoned it was better value.
On second thoughts, I'd have to have a 6910 too. I put many thousands of bales through John Deere 575 and 578 balers pulled by a 6910 in the early noughties. It really was a fantastic tractor.
 
everyone to their own but i find having a few older tractors means less changing of implements as you can leave a machine attached to its own tractor , it also allows different jobs to go on at the same time if there,s a bit of extra help around but the downside is you,ll have more repairs to be done on the older kit
 
086lavey said:
I’d rather spend 10k on one of our tractors , tyres , engine overhaul , etc ,
You know what you have
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And tax deductible. I never liked the New Massey’s . I drove a brand new Massey 188 on hire for a day in 1975 and never had a longing to own it. I liked ploughing with the TW 15 but when It got to big hours the novelty wore off . The Class and the Fendt are a happy middle ground. I would love to have GPS on both of them and ten missed calls from Liam Quinn .
Old tractor and New machine and no piss going up the exhaust .
 
humungus said:
everyone to their own but i find having a few older tractors means less changing of implements as you can leave a machine attached to its own tractor , it also allows different jobs to go on at the same time if there,s a bit of extra help around but the downside is you,ll have more repairs to be done on the older kit
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our 7810 lived on the fert spreader last summer. was handy as sometimes taking on and off a spreader is a pain in the ass if the link arms are short. repairs though, except for the starter going and usual service, never gave a problem
 
Mf240 said:
Seen a few prices for new tractors being quoted over 100 K.
Thought it might be interesting to compare what you could get in the classic market for similar money.

Say a new massey for example. Let's say 100 k. Now for that kind of money you could get. A good 5455. Two 390ts and maybe a 399 and a 188 as well.

What would you go for. New or 5 classics (list you choices in other brands)

Just hoping for a bit of debate.
Click to expand...

Like some of the others said, I’d rather have one modern and reliable and comfortable tractor than 2 or 3 older ones around the place.
I haven’t the patience or time to be fixing or waiting for them to be fixed. The more tractors a farmer has, the harder it is to keep them all in good nick.

If there’s a wish list of older tractors then mine could be:

JD 77/7810.
MB Trac 1100
Fendt 515
MF 3125
Same/Deutz/Zetor need not apply.
 
I like low houred 8-10 year old proven models, I'd take two used T6080's over one new T7-200, but that would be it, I wouldn't take 3 TM155's or 4 8560's. I couldn't see how you'd justify a new tractor before but now with finance packages, the cost to re tyre a tractor and the safety of warranty I'm starting to see the appeal, won't be me anytime soon if ever.
 
Claas Grass said:
I like low houred 8-10 year old proven models, I'd take two used T6080's over one new T7-200, but that would be it, I wouldn't take 3 TM155's or 4 8560's. I couldn't see how you'd justify a new tractor before but now with finance packages, the cost to re tyre a tractor and the safety of warranty I'm starting to see the appeal, won't be me anytime soon if ever.
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Nothing with ad blue in this yard and there wont be, bloody yokes have me worn out instead of the other way round, I have a luxury in winter, one on a hedgecutter, one on slurry spreading, 2 with loaders so instead of swapping sheargrab for bucket I swap seats, either of these can carry a slurry agitator, come spring another gets the fertiliser spreader, come silage time one loader tractor get the rake, fertilizer and slurry tractors get trailers, hedgecutter tractor gets a mower, other loader tractor stays at farm work. Youngest is a 2011, oldest a '95.
 
I would be inclined to go for the new tractor as well. Reliability, comfort and performance are important in my opinion. The last new tractor we got was a NH T7 200 got it four years ago. When driving it and you think back and compare it to a TW 15, black smoke, noise, crash gearbox a different world. I know I am going back a bit.
 
I'd be happy to have either if someone else was paying for it :laugh::laugh:

I think I'd have a happy medium now with what I call modern classics.

As well as what's here currently, I would not say no to something like a 110-90, a F140 and a T5060.

The rest would be spent on machines to go behind them and a shed for them!!:laugh:
 
Mid cork said:
I would be inclined to go for the new tractor as well. Reliability, comfort and performance are important in my opinion. The last new tractor we got was a NH T7 200 got it four years ago. When driving it and you think back and compare it to a TW 15, black smoke, noise, crash gearbox a different world. I know I am going back a bit.
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I still get to re live that dream/nightmare on a regular enough basis, get down from the T6090 and up in the TW15, lads have romantic memories but I think that's all they are, if things were a bit more promising I'd like to swap out the 8210 & TW15 and just run 4 relatively modern tractors.
 
I often wonder how people justify 100k+ on a tractor (no offence to anyone on here who has a new one) but its a awful lot of profit off either the produce your selling or the work your doing for others. I can see how the fear of a breakdown push people to keep a newish one especially with the complexity of some now, so are we going to want to own the new ones of today in ten years time? Probably someone was saying the same thing ten years ago!!
 
Win said:
I often wonder how people justify 100k+ on a tractor (no offence to anyone on here who has a new one) but its a awful lot of profit off either the produce your selling or the work your doing for others. I can see how the fear of a breakdown push people to keep a newish one especially with the complexity of some now, so are we going to want to own the new ones of today in ten years time? Probably someone was saying the same thing ten years ago!!
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Chances are, that ten year old would be traded against the new 1 while the 20 year old would be kept.
 
Some people just like the basics of tractors and they fear electrical breakdowns. I remember seeing our Ferguson 20 diesel running after a tow start without a single electrical wire on it after the cows took a shine to the wiring during a dinner break when I was a chap. As simple as you get and that's all that was needed back then. Luxuries were a decent coat and cap. Some hold onto older classics for sentimental reasons too of course, our Fergie has had four generations of my family on its saddle since 1954, the 262 has had three generations driving it.
 
Claas Grass said:
I like low houred 8-10 year old proven models, I'd take two used T6080's over one new T7-200, but that would be it, I wouldn't take 3 TM155's or 4 8560's. I couldn't see how you'd justify a new tractor before but now with finance packages, the cost to re tyre a tractor and the safety of warranty I'm starting to see the appeal, won't be me anytime soon if ever.
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Just curious....on the t6080 vs Not taking 3 tm155s.? Would that be because of suspension or age or something else?
 
We would try buy one new tractor every 5 to 7 years. Reason being it keeps on with a dealer and at least one tractor in the fleet is covered on warranty but I am slowly thinking about moving away from this and maybe running an extra tractor as new prices have gone through the roof. We would have two tractors doing at least 1500 hrs a year each , 3 more would do a 1000 each and then 7/800 hrs and the last would be 2/300 hrs. Adding another good tractor might help pull 5/600 hrs from the two main tractors and help push out the new purchase time. Would also mean the tractor being traded will be more valuable as less hrs. I think it’s short pain for long term gain. Also would hope what I would buy would be a modern classic that while still very capable will appreciate in price !!!!
 
I think this thread shows how little tractors have really moved on in 20 years.
20 years ago a 20yr old tractor was uncomphortable and you would want to upgrade.
Now a 20 yr old tractor is desirable and still a good place to spend days in.

Yet the price of a modern one is huge vs a new one 20 yrs ago. Apart from more buttons to controll what a lever controlled what has changed in them?

And I've been told that electric cables and buttons are cheaper to make than levers!
 
AYF said:
I think this thread shows how little tractors have really moved on in 20 years.
20 years ago a 20yr old tractor was uncomphortable and you would want to upgrade.
Now a 20 yr old tractor is desirable and still a good place to spend days in.

Yet the price of a modern one is huge vs a new one 20 yrs ago. Apart from more buttons to controll what a lever controlled what has changed in them?

And I've been told that electric cables and buttons are cheaper to make than levers!
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You wouldn't be able to have headland management or timed spools with levers, some functions that can be automated are useful if doing repetitive jobs like drilling. Suppose cvt transmissions are a lot more common now where it would have been a luxury 20 years ago, personally I think engines have gone backwards due to all the emissions crap dragging them down, you spend a heap of money buying it then have to fork out more mapping or chipping to get it to do anything!!
 
I'd be buying 10 year old models that are very well proven with very low hours.

Its really the low hours that would attract me to buy it. I would try to get something with 2 to 4k hours.

I would also be looking at the history of a machine. Wouldn't want a thing that was pulling a dump trailer all its life.
 
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