When I bought my M4700DT I made a few mistakes…but got very lucky in the final analysis.
I talked to my local Kubota salesman, who actually came out to my property to see what I wanted to accomplish…and he saved me from myself by telling me I needed a (approx) 50 HP tractor …instead of the smaller one I had planned to purchase used.
He did not try to sell me a Brand-New tractor….and he actually Recommended I ”look around”…and if I didn’t find what I wanted…to call him again….and he left.
I got online (craigslist) and found two M4700DT ‘s within 25 miles of home… one with a grapple ($25K) and one without. ($20K) ..Both with less than 500 hrs on them. I called the one with the grapple to see if he’d sell it without …since I had no use for a grapple….or so I thought.
He agreed to reduce the price by $1K without the grapple…. So I went to look at the other one first. The same day, Saturday.
The $20K was firm on price also, but it looked really Clean… 80% tread on Ag tires and no leaks., ..new battery. It started easily, no smoke, no warning lights, the fuel gauge indicate 1/2-tank, the headlights worked, as did the 1002-FEL and the PTO, all the gears were quiet…. So I offered to buy it For $19K, ready to write a check immediately….The seller insisted on CASH Only….and said he had a “cash-buyer” who said he couldn’t bring cash until Monday.”…and whoever brought the cash first…would own it.
I went to my bank Monday early and delivered the cash by noon. Seller carefully counted it. Twice. And mentioned how nice it was to receive the money still wrapped in the bank-wrapper because “machine-counted money has already checked it for counterfeit. “
He did load it up on my trailer, gave me some good advice about not leaving the key in the ignition when hauling it unless I wanted to lose the key on the highway… and on my urging….tossed-in a Quick-Hitch he for which was asking $200. I asked if he had any of the manuals for the tractor and he said, “No, I threw them away……all they were good for was to feed mice.”
I still felt I’d made a good deal.
Two weeks later it wouldn’t start. Battery was almost dead and the alternator only produced 11 volts.
(Explains the new battery, heh?)
Then I downloaded the Owner’s Manual….and discovered the Oil Press and Low Fuel idiot-lights would simultaneously illuminate to indicate a charging-system problem.
I checked and found the lamps and even the lamp HOLDERS / FIXTURES for the low-fuel-Level were removed.
The seller definitely was Hiding the alternator failure.
This was My Fault, in my opinion. I am fairly experienced with machinery maintenance and I had been so excited to get a “real tractor” …(I had been mowing for 15 years with a rotted-out 9N Ford)…. I simply failed to perform due-diligence…. but I don’t respect the deceitful seller….. (and it shed new light on his scrupulous checking of each of the Two-Hundred 100-dollar bills I had presented for payment.)
Kubota wanted $600 for an alternator…but I bought a chinese exact-copy (DB-Electrical) on Amazon for $89 and it’s worked perfectly now for 7-years. (also bought a new regulator on-line for the OEM alternator for $20 and installed it…. now the OEM alternator also bench-checks properly…so I have a spare.)
I also bought from my local Kubota dealer the lamp-fixtures for the idiot lights and now they work properly.
The problematical “mice’ the seller mentioned had eaten thru the Temp-Indicator sense-wire…. and I replaced that and now it works correctly also. (I thought the tractor ran pretty Cool when mowing…. now it indicates in the middle of the range as it should.)
No other problems have occurred and I still feel the tractor was a very good purchase. (I do now realize the one with the grapple probably deserved a personal inspection also…. the extra hydraulics alone were probably worth the addt’l price… even tho’ I still don’t have a need for a grapple.)
OK. So what did I learn?
SLOW DOWN! Don’t let your excitement cause you to lose your good sensibilities.
Bring your VOT test-meter and thermometer and check ALL the systems for proper operation when looking at a used tractor.
I got Lucky! I have a Non-Emissions, Low-time Diesel Kubota with very good tires and no leaks and it’s been a really fine Work-Horse. But a detailed Check-list for a Pre-buy Inspection is a good thing to review and have ON Hand when inspecting a used tractor.
Here’s one that may be helpful ( I have no interest or connection to this ck-list provider…but it looks helpful)
ONE FINAL THING: Ask how the seller became the Owner of the tractor and attempt to obtain PROOF of his legal ownership.
You can call any Kubota Dealer, give them the serial number, and they can likely provide the ORIGINAL Owner and Selling Dealer information. I called the original Selling-Dealer and obtained the Date of original sale, the Name/Address of the Original Owner, and confirmed it was sold by that Original Owner to the Seller I was buying from. (at least the less-than-honest seller actually DID own it legally.) But Beware: Tractors are sometimes STOLEN and quickly SOLD at attractive prices. Buyer Beware!
I hope this Post is Helpful.
I talked to my local Kubota salesman, who actually came out to my property to see what I wanted to accomplish…and he saved me from myself by telling me I needed a (approx) 50 HP tractor …instead of the smaller one I had planned to purchase used.
He did not try to sell me a Brand-New tractor….and he actually Recommended I ”look around”…and if I didn’t find what I wanted…to call him again….and he left.
I got online (craigslist) and found two M4700DT ‘s within 25 miles of home… one with a grapple ($25K) and one without. ($20K) ..Both with less than 500 hrs on them. I called the one with the grapple to see if he’d sell it without …since I had no use for a grapple….or so I thought.
He agreed to reduce the price by $1K without the grapple…. So I went to look at the other one first. The same day, Saturday.
The $20K was firm on price also, but it looked really Clean… 80% tread on Ag tires and no leaks., ..new battery. It started easily, no smoke, no warning lights, the fuel gauge indicate 1/2-tank, the headlights worked, as did the 1002-FEL and the PTO, all the gears were quiet…. So I offered to buy it For $19K, ready to write a check immediately….The seller insisted on CASH Only….and said he had a “cash-buyer” who said he couldn’t bring cash until Monday.”…and whoever brought the cash first…would own it.
I went to my bank Monday early and delivered the cash by noon. Seller carefully counted it. Twice. And mentioned how nice it was to receive the money still wrapped in the bank-wrapper because “machine-counted money has already checked it for counterfeit. “
He did load it up on my trailer, gave me some good advice about not leaving the key in the ignition when hauling it unless I wanted to lose the key on the highway… and on my urging….tossed-in a Quick-Hitch he for which was asking $200. I asked if he had any of the manuals for the tractor and he said, “No, I threw them away……all they were good for was to feed mice.”
I still felt I’d made a good deal.
Two weeks later it wouldn’t start. Battery was almost dead and the alternator only produced 11 volts.
(Explains the new battery, heh?)
Then I downloaded the Owner’s Manual….and discovered the Oil Press and Low Fuel idiot-lights would simultaneously illuminate to indicate a charging-system problem.
I checked and found the lamps and even the lamp HOLDERS / FIXTURES for the low-fuel-Level were removed.
The seller definitely was Hiding the alternator failure.
This was My Fault, in my opinion. I am fairly experienced with machinery maintenance and I had been so excited to get a “real tractor” …(I had been mowing for 15 years with a rotted-out 9N Ford)…. I simply failed to perform due-diligence…. but I don’t respect the deceitful seller….. (and it shed new light on his scrupulous checking of each of the Two-Hundred 100-dollar bills I had presented for payment.)
Kubota wanted $600 for an alternator…but I bought a chinese exact-copy (DB-Electrical) on Amazon for $89 and it’s worked perfectly now for 7-years. (also bought a new regulator on-line for the OEM alternator for $20 and installed it…. now the OEM alternator also bench-checks properly…so I have a spare.)
I also bought from my local Kubota dealer the lamp-fixtures for the idiot lights and now they work properly.
The problematical “mice’ the seller mentioned had eaten thru the Temp-Indicator sense-wire…. and I replaced that and now it works correctly also. (I thought the tractor ran pretty Cool when mowing…. now it indicates in the middle of the range as it should.)
No other problems have occurred and I still feel the tractor was a very good purchase. (I do now realize the one with the grapple probably deserved a personal inspection also…. the extra hydraulics alone were probably worth the addt’l price… even tho’ I still don’t have a need for a grapple.)
OK. So what did I learn?
SLOW DOWN! Don’t let your excitement cause you to lose your good sensibilities.
Bring your VOT test-meter and thermometer and check ALL the systems for proper operation when looking at a used tractor.
I got Lucky! I have a Non-Emissions, Low-time Diesel Kubota with very good tires and no leaks and it’s been a really fine Work-Horse. But a detailed Check-list for a Pre-buy Inspection is a good thing to review and have ON Hand when inspecting a used tractor.
Here’s one that may be helpful ( I have no interest or connection to this ck-list provider…but it looks helpful)
https://tractoraddict.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Used-Farm-Tractor-Inspection-Checklist-Tips.pdf
ONE FINAL THING: Ask how the seller became the Owner of the tractor and attempt to obtain PROOF of his legal ownership.
You can call any Kubota Dealer, give them the serial number, and they can likely provide the ORIGINAL Owner and Selling Dealer information. I called the original Selling-Dealer and obtained the Date of original sale, the Name/Address of the Original Owner, and confirmed it was sold by that Original Owner to the Seller I was buying from. (at least the less-than-honest seller actually DID own it legally.) But Beware: Tractors are sometimes STOLEN and quickly SOLD at attractive prices. Buyer Beware!
I hope this Post is Helpful.
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