Am I operating in an inappropriate way?

[rjwrightohio]

Evening,

So i bought 5.5 acres and we are clearing an area for our future home ourselves. I’m using the tractor (B8200) to rake the ground with an implement of the forest floor, bucket to move large rocks, dirt, and logs. Additionally i am teaching myself to use a box blade to fix my gravel driveway.. I have a grade which i respect as it can/will be dangerous if i don’t. However I’m not building on a mountain side. Otherwise this is my first tractor.

Any ways, it seems like I’m breaking this tractor at every turn. I know i bought a used older tractor, but I’m questioning if I am being too rough or I didn’t buy ‘enough’ tractor. I say this because all the various functions worked great the first several weeks. At the end of the day i am learning a new skill, enjoying making this tractor ‘young again’. But it seems i do as much work on my property as i do keeping this gal running.

Posting here as my earlier posts folks shed light on things i was doing wrong. This allowed me to grow and improve my tractor.

Robert

 

[jimh406]

What are you breaking? Maybe it’s just got some worn parts from other owner use.

 

[Lil Foot]

Yes, more details please.
Hard to voice an opinion if we don't know what is breaking and what was being done at the time.

 

[mcfarmall]

A friend of mine bought a Mahindra eMax 24 with a FEL. Tractor was breaking every day. I discovered that the previous owner had disassembled the tractor to a degree and there were missing bolts and improperly routed wiring harnesses that were causing failures. I also learned that my friend was digging 24" oak stumps from a powerline cutover on his property. Shortly thereafter he broke the left front wheel bevel gearbox off his tractor. He should have bought a D9 Cat dozer for the job. He fully believed that he was using it within its design capabilities.

 

[06B3030]

Being a B8200, it's gotta be 35-40 years old. Like others have said...need more info. How many hours, what "breakages" have you experienced.

 

[mikester]

A friend of mine bought a Mahindra eMax 24 with a FEL. Tractor was breaking every day. I discovered that the previous owner had disassembled the tractor to a degree and there were missing bolts and improperly routed wiring harnesses that were causing failures. I also learned that my friend was digging 24" oak stumps from a powerline cutover on his property. Shortly thereafter he broke the left front wheel bevel gearbox off his tractor. He should have bought a D9 Cat dozer for the job. He fully believed that he was using it within its design capabilities.

Some guys manage break everything they touch - including a D9

 

[NCL4701]

As others have stated, hard to answer without knowing what’s breaking and what you’re doing when it breaks. But that is a rather old machine. One (not all) of the reasons I bought a new tractor was the old ones we worked on at least as many hours, probably more, than we worked with. That was becoming untenable so it was time for a newer machine,

Even if you do replace with a newer machine, Mikester’s point is a good one. Anything can be broken if used improperly. Knowing what’s breaking and what you’re doing when it breaks would get you more useful feedback.

 

[D2Cat]

In your second paragraph is the answer. You said, "...i bought a used older tractor, but I’m questioning if I am being too rough or I didn’t buy ‘enough’ tractor.

So you need to decide what is the solution by eliminating one, two or three of the problems!

 

[JeremyBX2200]

I purchased a used BX2200 and have been happy with it. I have had to fix things from time to time, but overall it has been a good machine.

I would say I have worked it hard, but not beat on it.

With an older machine I would think you will find things you have to fix, but if you pay attention to/listen to the machine you should be okay. Nothing you listed seems like something that would kill the machine.

 

[Orange man hero]

Evening,

So i bought 5.5 acres and we are clearing an area for our future home ourselves. I’m using the tractor (B8200) to rake the ground with an implement of the forest floor, bucket to move large rocks, dirt, and logs. Additionally i am teaching myself to use a box blade to fix my gravel driveway.. I have a grade which i respect as it can/will be dangerous if i don’t. However I’m not building on a mountain side. Otherwise this is my first tractor.

Any ways, it seems like I’m breaking this tractor at every turn. I know i bought a used older tractor, but I’m questioning if I am being too rough or I didn’t buy ‘enough’ tractor. I say this because all the various functions worked great the first several weeks. At the end of the day i am learning a new skill, enjoying making this tractor ‘young again’. But it seems i do as much work on my property as i do keeping this gal running.

Posting here as my earlier posts folks shed light on things i was doing wrong. This allowed me to grow and improve my tractor.

Robert

This is one reason I bought new but never do on pick-ups or anything else. You don't know how the tractors were used and abused.

 

[D2Cat]

This is one reason I bought new but never do on pick-ups or anything else. You don't know how the tractors were used and abused.

How do you determine if the "pick-ups or anything else" were used and abused enough to satisfy purchasing them used?

 

[fried1765]

How do you determine if the "pick-ups or anything else" were used and abused enough to satisfy purchasing them used?

 

[Orange man hero]

Many more understand more common machines than tractors.

 

[skeets]

And some have been ridden hard and put up wet too many times,, why you lookin at me ?

 

[Orange man hero]

How do you determine if the "pick-ups or anything else" were used and abused enough to satisfy purchasing them used?

Experience!

 

[jimh406]

How do you determine if the "pick-ups or anything else" were used and abused enough to satisfy purchasing them used?

I can't speak for orange man hero, but I look at the CarFax or similar. If they've had regularly maintenance and servicing, they are probably pretty good.

There is nothing similar for tractors.

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

Keep your B8200 and plan to make a hobby of fixing an old tractor. It is an awesome and respectable hobby. You"ll need it. My hat's tipping to you in Respect.
But it's not for major footing and grade preparation. Unless you have way more time than money.

Then...
Hire a grading or excavating company to set up your property. They'll do it with dozers and such. In a day or 3.

 

[will721]

How do you determine if the "pick-ups or anything else" were used and abused enough to satisfy purchasing them used?

As others have stated, experience. Buying from a dealer has its pros and cons in this department. For example: the possible availability of a warranty. However private party is my preference for used equipment because it gives you the chance to really feel out the person. Charisma comes into play and you get them talking about the history of the vehicle. Not the repair history, but their history working it or driving it. Often times thats the best way to feel out a deal without even pulling a dipstick.

Then you move onto the physical checks. Like rust and body damage. Checking for overspray or signs of accidents. Test drives and listening for noises. Looking for any aftermarket "upgrades". Any truck that has one of those cold air intakes or nice exhaust has been beat on. Those often not only don't add hp, but reduce it and almost always guarantees they were put on cause the owner wanted to "hear it" under throttle.

Then most importantly is the dipsticks and fluids. Assuming there are no recent repairs that required changing them, they tell you all you need to know. A meticulous owner that maintains their machines keeps records. A seller looking to get top dollar mentions all recent repairs as a selling point. The vast majority don't maintain their vehicles unless theres a problem outside of oil changes. Find a fresh fluid change with no record or repair mentioned and there's likely a problem. Especially transmission fluids.

 

[fried1765]

As others have stated, experience. Buying from a dealer has its pros and cons in this department. For example: the possible availability of a warranty. However private party is my preference for used equipment because it gives you the chance to really feel out the person. Charisma comes into play and you get them talking about the history of the vehicle. Not the repair history, but their history working it or driving it. Often times thats the best way to feel out a deal without even pulling a dipstick.

Then you move onto the physical checks. Like rust and body damage. Checking for overspray or signs of accidents. Test drives and listening for noises. Looking for any aftermarket "upgrades". Any truck that has one of those cold air intakes or nice exhaust has been beat on. Those often not only don't add hp, but reduce it and almost always guarantees they were put on cause the owner wanted to "hear it" under throttle.

Then most importantly is the dipsticks and fluids. Assuming there are no recent repairs that required changing them, they tell you all you need to know. A meticulous owner that maintains their machines keeps records. A seller looking to get top dollar mentions all recent repairs as a selling point. The vast majority don't maintain their vehicles unless theres a problem outside of oil changes. Find a fresh fluid change with no record or repair mentioned and there's likely a problem. Especially transmission fluids.

"Often times thats the best way to feel out a deal without even pulling a dipstick".

Just did exactly, that with the $63.5K private party purchase of a 295 hour 2021 M62 TLB!

 

[D2Cat]

I wanted to hear Orange Man Hero's answer. He said, "experience". I always thought experience was something that was happening to you that you wish to God was happening to someone else!

So you get good at finding good used items by failing enough times to discern the difference between good and bad!

Sometimes rhetorical questions have value.