Model Year and does it matter?

Boltowner

New member

Equipment
BX 1880 Tractor
Oct 11, 2019
4
0
0
Amsterdam NY United States
Hi, being new to the tractor world and Kubota I was wondering how to tell the model year of a Kubota BX1880? Is it depicted in the serial number? Do these tractors depreciate like vehicles do from year to year. So being 2019 year now if a dealer tries to sell you a new tractor that is actually a 2018 for the retail price that is quoted on the Kubota website now in 2019 that will certainly affect the value of the tractor when it is resold correct?
 

PaulL

Well-known member

Equipment
B2601
Jul 17, 2017
2,098
1,106
113
NZ
It's common for the year of manufacture and year of purchase to be different. They don't change every year, when they change they normally change the model designation. For example, the B2601 became the B2601-1 when they put the single lever coupler on the loader.

There's some logic in asking for a recently manufactured one if buying new, as they normally sit outside until built, so if it's been sitting outside for 6-9 months (and if you're planning to store it inside), then a shiny one makes sense. Otherwise, you may get a bit of discount on one that's been sitting around a while.
 

m.t.hands

Member

Equipment
L 5030, L 3400 and BX2200
Jul 26, 2015
137
1
16
NE Bama
Hours and the likelihood of decent care are my two main things, i do not want a tractor that has been beat up and not repaired, looked at a couple recently that looks like the owners/operators broke something everyday and fixed about 1/10 of the things they had broken:eek:, that said, i use my equipment, trucks, tractors, mowers up to and surpassing their abilities at times, but i always keep the running order up on them, lights, gauges, lift, pumps, lines, loader, keep the maintenance up on one and they really hold their value decent, beat'em up and expect to take a beating IMO and what i have seen:(
 

Boltowner

New member

Equipment
BX 1880 Tractor
Oct 11, 2019
4
0
0
Amsterdam NY United States
So resale value is just based off of condition, hours, and possibly manufacture date? I guess I can understand a one year difference in production date being brand new costing the same amount of money but I can't see a tractor 3 or 4 years old brand new being the same value as one produced the current model year. Or maybe they don't sit around for 3 or 4 years brand new so that is not an issue? I guess I'm just having a hard time understanding a vehicle not being valued on what year it was built. My bottom line question is If I purchase a brand new Kubota now at the end of 2019 and the tractor was manufactured in 2018 I would expect to pay todays price for it?
 

Boltowner

New member

Equipment
BX 1880 Tractor
Oct 11, 2019
4
0
0
Amsterdam NY United States
Hours and the likelihood of decent care are my two main things, i do not want a tractor that has been beat up and not repaired, looked at a couple recently that looks like the owners/operators broke something everyday and fixed about 1/10 of the things they had broken:eek:, that said, i use my equipment, trucks, tractors, mowers up to and surpassing their abilities at times, but i always keep the running order up on them, lights, gauges, lift, pumps, lines, loader, keep the maintenance up on one and they really hold their value decent, beat'em up and expect to take a beating IMO and what i have seen:(
I agree, but I'm talking about purchasing new not used.
 

PaulL

Well-known member

Equipment
B2601
Jul 17, 2017
2,098
1,106
113
NZ
So resale value is just based off of condition, hours, and possibly manufacture date?
Tractors models stay the same for years. So, to take the BX2380 as an example, that's a 3 year old model now. One that's 3 years old with 100 hours on it, one lady owner and garaged when not being used could be worth good money. One that's 1 year old and been treated like a rental, living outside, bashed through the bush, and 1000 hours on it already, might be worth not much. Within that model the hours and condition matter more than the year (within reason).

Even between models, there wasn't a lot of change from a BX2370 to a BX2380. A good condition BX2370 might be worth more than a poor condition BX2380, despite being older and having a few features less.

This is all true of trucks and cars too, but in tractors it's much more so. Tractors don't lose value as fast as trucks and cars, the models change much less frequently, and the difference between a careful owner and a careless owner is a lot more in terms of wear on the machine.

I guess I can understand a one year difference in production date being brand new costing the same amount of money but I can't see a tractor 3 or 4 years old brand new being the same value as one produced the current model year. Or maybe they don't sit around for 3 or 4 years brand new so that is not an issue? I guess I'm just having a hard time understanding a vehicle not being valued on what year it was built. My bottom line question is If I purchase a brand new Kubota now at the end of 2019 and the tractor was manufactured in 2018 I would expect to pay todays price for it?
For new, a dealer considers a 2 year old new tractor to have the same value as a 2 month old new tractor. Same machine, same hours. So they'll try to sell it at the same price. Having said that, it's not really quite as good. So you could say to them "I want to buy a BX2380, but I want you to order me a new one in" and they'll probably do it. If they won't, the dealer down the road will.

My understanding is that with Kubota the dealer doesn't actually own the tractors, Kubota does. So unless Kubota discount them, the dealer would have to take a smaller margin, and they have no real reason to do so. They'd rather order you a new one in at full margin than discount the one on the lot - the next guy might be in a hurry and take the one they have sitting there.

I do suspect that Kubota discount older stock a little, so there is a little squeeze in there. Any business can't allow inventory to age for too long. If it were me and I were planning to keep my tractor under cover, then I'd ask for a new one rather than taking the small discount they'd offer.
 

mikester

Well-known member

Equipment
M59 TLB
Oct 21, 2017
3,125
1,609
113
Canada
www.divergentstuff.ca
If the unit has been stored indoors from new then it doesnt really matter.

If it has been sitting outside collecting moisture and crud and half sun baked then yes it matters...to me at least.
 

SDT

Well-known member

Equipment
multiple and various
Apr 15, 2018
3,084
923
113
SE, IN
Hi, being new to the tractor world and Kubota I was wondering how to tell the model year of a Kubota BX1880? Is it depicted in the serial number? Do these tractors depreciate like vehicles do from year to year. So being 2019 year now if a dealer tries to sell you a new tractor that is actually a 2018 for the retail price that is quoted on the Kubota website now in 2019 that will certainly affect the value of the tractor when it is resold correct?
The year of manufacture can be determined from the serial number.

When selling, dealers will tell you that a tractor made last year or even the year before is worth the same as one made yesterday (ignoring manufacturer incentives).

When you decide to trade, you will find that the story is different.

SDT
 

D2Cat

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
12,901
4,268
113
40 miles south of Kansas City
Buy yourself a nice new tractor, keep it undercover when not in use, maintain it as it should be, and when you sell it you'll see/understand the discussion.

An example. We bought a B6100 two wheel drive with belly mower in 1980 for $4400. Sold about 23 years later with a 3pt finish mower, with 1250 hrs on tractor for 3200.

Comparing the purchase and sale of a tractor to an automobile is not equal. The condition of the tractor and it's ability to do a specific job is paramount, not it's age.
 

m.t.hands

Member

Equipment
L 5030, L 3400 and BX2200
Jul 26, 2015
137
1
16
NE Bama
My understanding is that with Kubota the dealer doesn't actually own the tractors, Kubota does. So unless Kubota discount them, the dealer would have to take a smaller margin, and they have no real reason to do so. They'd rather order you a new one in at full margin than discount the one on the lot - the next guy might be in a hurry and take the one they have sitting there.

I do suspect that Kubota discount older stock a little, so there is a little squeeze in there. Any business can't allow inventory to age for too long. If it were me and I were planning to keep my tractor under cover, then I'd ask for a new one rather than taking the small discount they'd offer.
i have a friend that had considered adding a tractor line to his business and they were telling him he had to carry a certain number of units they called it "floorplan" IIRC and he told me that after 90 days the unit would start costing him money, so there was some incentive to move a unit a little quicker for the dealer, or like he mentioned it would start costing him money for it not to move/sell

but i agree w/mikester i don't want a unit that has sat out in the elements for 6-12 months, if they are the same price or not at a significant enough price break give me the new one;)
 

Boltowner

New member

Equipment
BX 1880 Tractor
Oct 11, 2019
4
0
0
Amsterdam NY United States
Now I understand! Thanks for all of the responses and for educating me on this topic. My general background is automotive so I was having a hard time understanding the value factor but now I totally get it.
 

mikester

Well-known member

Equipment
M59 TLB
Oct 21, 2017
3,125
1,609
113
Canada
www.divergentstuff.ca
i have a friend that had considered adding a tractor line to his business and they were telling him he had to carry a certain number of units they called it "floorplan" IIRC and he told me that after 90 days the unit would start costing him money, so there was some incentive to move a unit a little quicker for the dealer, or like he mentioned it would start costing him money for it not to move/sell

but i agree w/mikester i don't want a unit that has sat out in the elements for 6-12 months, if they are the same price or not at a significant enough price break give me the new one;)
According to my local dealer they get to sit on equipment for 12 months before they have to start making any payments.