Walk Away or Buy?

J

JerryVA

Member
Arable Farmer
I am looking at a 2002 MF 6270 with 1200 hours that is a dealer trade in. Original tires with 75% tread. Used at a Nursery but never had a loader on it. Dealer had to fix a few things before selling it. That has been a few weeks as he finds more things wrong with it. So far the injection pump was fixed for leaks, new A/C compressor, steering cylinder seal replaced, pto seal replaced, new water pump, air ride on seat fixed. Now he has the 3 point hitch panel pulled out trying to get all that working as it would not lift at all.

So I am thinking the previous owner neglected it terribly and even with all the dealer fixes it will be prone to other failures once I get it working full time on my farm. Last word from the dealer was that price was going up as they put more into it. I have seen it running in the shop but have not driven it yet. I am about to tell him I don't want it. It has the 32x32 trans which should be fairly bullet proof but any repairs on it on my end soon will blow my budget and leave me dead on the farm waiting on repairs.

Pass or give it go?
 
boasley

boasley

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
East Devon
Difficult one... I've got a MF 6280 with 10,000 hours on it and it's been pretty good. If I could find one with 1200 hours on it I'd bite the seller's hand off as they are brilliant tractors and they don't make them like that any more. In my opinion, the best way to keep a tractor healthy is to drive it and with those sort of hours it has probably been parked up for long periods - seals dry out, wires corrode, the cab gets damp and things rot. If it was me I'd take a punt (depending on price and assuming the hours were genuine) and hope that by keeping it working it would be OK. In my opinion (and I'm not an expert) most of the things you list sound like they're coming from neglect and lack of use rather than being abused... good luck!!
 
Wellytrack

Wellytrack

Member
Your have to be joking? The tractor is 20 years old and your surprised it’s needing aging parts replaced?

1200 hours is nothing, but connectors, rubber hosing and perishable materials will continue to deteriorate. Nothing you have mentioned as needing repairs is in anyway uncommon or serious for a near 20 year old tractor.

Personally I’d jump at the chance of it, you will never buy value as good as it again.
 
Timbo

Timbo

Member
Location
Gods County
JerryVA said:
I am looking at a 2002 MF 6270 with 1200 hours that is a dealer trade in. Original tires with 75% tread. Used at a Nursery but never had a loader on it. Dealer had to fix a few things before selling it. That has been a few weeks as he finds more things wrong with it. So far the injection pump was fixed for leaks, new A/C compressor, steering cylinder seal replaced, pto seal replaced, new water pump, air ride on seat fixed. Now he has the 3 point hitch panel pulled out trying to get all that working as it would not lift at all.

So I am thinking the previous owner neglected it terribly and even with all the dealer fixes it will be prone to other failures once I get it working full time on my farm. Last word from the dealer was that price was going up as they put more into it. I have seen it running in the shop but have not driven it yet. I am about to tell him I don't want it. It has the 32x32 trans which should be fairly bullet proof but any repairs on it on my end soon will blow my budget and leave me dead on the farm waiting on repairs.

Pass or give it go?
Click to expand...

Nearly everything you have mentioned will be down to lack of use, rather than abuse or wearing out. It's a 20yo tractor, its going to need some age related repairs, and I suspect, if you buy it, it'll need more - inc the tyres which by now will be dry and half square from sitting and aging.

A.C compressor - shaft seal dried up and leaked the gas - unless theyve been right through the system it'll leak again through another dry o ring.
Water pump - shaft seal dried up and leaking coolant - hope they've replaced the drive belts & coolant hoses which will be similarly dry.
PTO & ram seal - dried out or maybe a touch of rust on the ram piston torn the seal.


I would want a reasonably amount of warranty on the tractor and it NEEDS some regular days work straight away- if you buy it - don't be surprised for afew more niggles to come to the surface.

It'll certainly not depreciate hugely , so I wouldn't pull out, so long as the dealer will stand by it.
 
W

Werzle

Member
Location
Midlands
JerryVA said:
I am looking at a 2002 MF 6270 with 1200 hours that is a dealer trade in. Original tires with 75% tread. Used at a Nursery but never had a loader on it. Dealer had to fix a few things before selling it. That has been a few weeks as he finds more things wrong with it. So far the injection pump was fixed for leaks, new A/C compressor, steering cylinder seal replaced, pto seal replaced, new water pump, air ride on seat fixed. Now he has the 3 point hitch panel pulled out trying to get all that working as it would not lift at all.

So I am thinking the previous owner neglected it terribly and even with all the dealer fixes it will be prone to other failures once I get it working full time on my farm. Last word from the dealer was that price was going up as they put more into it. I have seen it running in the shop but have not driven it yet. I am about to tell him I don't want it. It has the 32x32 trans which should be fairly bullet proof but any repairs on it on my end soon will blow my budget and leave me dead on the farm waiting on repairs.

Pass or give it go?
Click to expand...
Walk away! A twenty year old tractor with only 1200 hrs but with all those faults sounds like a wrong un
 
J

JerryVA

Member
Arable Farmer
Waiting on final price and a thorough test drive. Yes, other than the shiny A/C and water pump, the dealer could forget to mention to another buyer how many things needed fixing on it. Put a loader on it and it would move even quicker.
 
ricky_rascal

ricky_rascal

Member
Location
N. Yorks
It’s probably got a few issues because if the hours are correct and the age that it has done nothing. If the dealer puts the faults right it’s got to be worth a punt? Not like there isn’t risk with any second hand tractor. Might be worth getting them to clean fuel tank out. My JD was a demo having done less than 200hrs in 18 months. I had bother with either water or some crap grown in bottom of tank with standing about doing nothing. Clean out resolved it.
 
Drillman

Drillman

Member
Mixed Farmer
Lack of use will be the cause of a lot of problems. Nothing has ever got nice and warm and dry. It will always have boggles.


I wouldn’t buy it. Would prefer newer and more hours personally.

Age and neglect kills stuff not hours....
 
ricky_rascal

ricky_rascal

Member
Location
N. Yorks
Drillman said:
Lack of use will be the cause of a lot of problems. Nothing has ever got nice and warm and dry. It will always have boggles.


I wouldn’t buy it. Would prefer newer and more hours personally.

Age and neglect kills stuff not hours....
Click to expand...

There are certain types locally run smaller tractors, generally with some form of tipping trailer on never ever look at the dipstick even if they knew where it was or the fact it even had one and service is an alien word only remotely considered when it won’t go anymore. Market gardener might be same with dealer or anyone with spanner’s never going anywhere near from one year to next.
 
Farmer_Joe

Farmer_Joe

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
The North
Wellytrack said:
Your have to be joking? The tractor is 20 years old and your surprised it’s needing aging parts replaced?

1200 hours is nothing, but connectors, rubber hosing and perishable materials will continue to deteriorate. Nothing you have mentioned as needing repairs is in anyway uncommon or serious for a near 20 year old tractor.

Personally I’d jump at the chance of it, you will never buy value as good as it again.
Click to expand...

this sums it up partially but for the same resasons i would run, time as well as use is a killer, its prob had loads of cold starts and veryy little use at 'running temp' unless its cheap i would walk,

i always advise people to buy a new as the can with highest resonable hours/miles they can afford makes much more sense you get a much better vehicle / plant for you money,

people paying premiums for old stuff with low hours it false economy...
 
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