Starting Up Your Own Farm? Choose A Used Tractor To Save Money
Posted on: 17 February 2021
If you are starting up a new farm it can be expensive to get everything going. One thing that costs a lot of money is farm equipment. You can save a lot of money, however, if you buy used equipment. You likely need to have a tractor on your farm as it can be used for a variety of tasks. Below is some information on what you should look for when buying a used tractor to ensure what you purchase will work well for you.
Repair and Maintenance History
Ask the seller if the tractor has ever needed to be repaired and what types of repairs were done. If the tractor has been repaired multiple times, you may need to look elsewhere. Ask the seller to show you paperwork of the type of maintenance that has been done on the tractor. This could be changing the oil, checking the radiator fluid, checking the fan belt for wear, and more.
Inspect the Body
Look at the body of the tractor to make sure it has been maintained. You do not want to see dents, peeling paint, rust, or any kind of damage that looks like it has sat out in the weather. If you do see any of this, the seller has not taken good care of the tractor. This means you may have problems with it not soon after you make your purchase.
Check the Tires
Also, look at the tires to see if they are in good condition. Tractor tires can be quite expensive. The tires should not be bulging and should have good tread. You can use a tire gauge to determine how deep the tread is. Look on the manufacturer's website to see what the tread depth was when they were new.
Inspect the Cab
You should not see mud or built-up dirt inside the cab. Look at how many hours the tractor has been operated. You will find this on a dial on the dash. In some cases, something like 4000 hours may be too much. A tractor that has been properly taken care of, however, would be okay even if the hours were much higher than this.
There are other things you should check, such as the engine, the hydraulic system, and the power take-off shaft. Ask a mechanic that works on tractors to inspect these things for you.
To learn more, contact a resource that has farm equipment for sale.
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