Buying in today’s economy

[Heehaw]

As I stated in an earlier post I have issues with no feeling in the thumb, index and middle fingers on my right hand.
A buddy of mine has a third function on his New Holland and the control knob on the joystick could be rotated so the buttons face forward and I could use my ring and pinky fingers to operate them.
Can the third function controls be mounted to the front of the joystick on the Grand L series?
I’m not sure if the throttle up button that comes on the factory joystick has any bearing on it.
Thanks

 

[mikester]

For those of you that have bought the Lxx60 series since Covid started have you had any quality problems?

Thanks

I've had good luck so far on my 4 Kubota's and I would not hesitate to buy another one. I don't think you would go wrong with any K diesel.

 

[top gnome]

the third fuction is easily rotated at least on my B and the buttons are easy to operate you should be able to use your ring and pinky fingers. A grapple will be very useful for working in the bush. you can keep your logs off of the ground. and tops branches brush can be easily moved to burning piles.

 

[Heehaw]

Thanks for all the replies.
I found a dealership about 90 miles away that has a MX5400 on the lot. I haven’t contacted them yet for pricing.
It has R14’s instead of the R1’s I was going to get and would need to have the 2 rear remotes and third function added along with a couple of other factory options I planned on getting.
From what I’ve read it’s usually cheaper to have the rear remotes added when ordering from the factory compared to having them installed later. I’m not sure if there is any difference in the way the rear remotes are run from the factory compared to dealer installed.
I am all set to purchase with cash but
part of me says to wait till next year and if the economy tanks I will be in the position to jump on a low hour used tractor at a better price and without paying sales tax.
However I imagine Kubota will have another price increase coming up so if I wait and the economy doesn’t tank I would pay more.
Decisions, decisions….

 

[fried1765]

Thanks for all the replies.
I found a dealership about 90 miles away that has a MX5400 on the lot. I haven’t contacted them yet for pricing.
It has R14’s instead of the R1’s I was going to get and would need to have the 2 rear remotes and third function added along with a couple of other factory options I planned on getting.
From what I’ve read it’s usually cheaper to have the rear remotes added when ordering from the factory compared to having them installed later. I’m not sure if there is any difference in the way the rear remotes are run from the factory compared to dealer installed.
I am all set to purchase with cash but
part of me says to wait till next year and if the economy tanks I will be in the position to jump on a low hour used tractor at a better price and without paying sales tax.
However I imagine Kubota will have another price increase coming up so if I wait and the economy doesn’t tank I would pay more.
Decisions, decisions….

Reported (rumor?) Kubota 8% price increase on January 1st 2023.

 

[top gnome]

Always a tough decision. I really struggled when spending that much money on a tractor. My newest tractor previous was a 1956 farmall. The new tractor makes life easier that is for sure. It is impossible to know the future. Inflation is insidious and may last for years. (buy tractor) The fed will overshoot and we will have a recession which will make used tractors available. (wait)

The thing for me was I want to put in a few miles of walking paths, cut firewood, and I want my wife and I to stay on our land as long as possible without depending on anyone else. With the farmall it was typical that I would go out to cut firewood and spend 2 hours fixing the tractor first. As I get older I am not working long days anymore. Every working hour counts more than it used to. The kubota saves time.

That being said from a purely economical standpoint I don't know that my tractor will ever pay for itself. With attachments my b2301 with bH, grapple, forks, snowplow, loader cost almost 50,000 cad so if I use it for 2500 hours it still costs me $20.00 an hour without fuel and maintenance. I could hire someone for $ 20 an hour and watch them do the work. Plus as interest rates go up money in the bank is worth more. But that gives up the whole not wanting to be dependant on anyone and hiring people comes with its own risks.

I understand your conflict. I was probably not much help.

Not going to live forever and Have not figured out a way to take it with me.

 

[Heehaw]

Reported (rumor?) Kubota 8% price increase on January 1st 2023.

Ouch!

 

[fried1765]

Ouch!

I know it as rumor only!
An informed Kubota dealer should be able to confirm or deny.

 

[Heehaw]

Always a tough decision. I really struggled when spending that much money on a tractor. My newest tractor previous was a 1956 farmall. The new tractor makes life easier that is for sure. It is impossible to know the future. Inflation is insidious and may last for years. (buy tractor) The fed will overshoot and we will have a recession which will make used tractors available. (wait)

The thing for me was I want to put in a few miles of walking paths, cut firewood, and I want my wife and I to stay on our land as long as possible without depending on anyone else. With the farmall it was typical that I would go out to cut firewood and spend 2 hours fixing the tractor first. As I get older I am not working long days anymore. Every working hour counts more than it used to. The kubota saves time.

That being said from a purely economical standpoint I don't know that my tractor will ever pay for itself. With attachments my b2301 with bH, grapple, forks, snowplow, loader cost almost 50,000 cad so if I use it for 2500 hours it still costs me $20.00 an hour without fuel and maintenance. I could hire someone for $ 20 an hour and watch them do the work. Plus as interest rates go up money in the bank is worth more. But that gives up the whole not wanting to be dependant on anyone and hiring people comes with its own risks.

I understand your conflict. I was probably not much help.

Not going to live forever and Have not figured out a way to take it with me.

Every thing you said is spot on.
I’m in the same boat as far as getting older and slowing down and having a new tractor would sure make things easier to get done.
It probably doesn’t make sense to spend the kind of money these things are going for when I have been getting by with my Ford 860 for all these years. I could rent a tractor with attachments whenever I wanted/needed for the rest of my life and probably would not spend what I will be paying for a new one.
But like you said you can’t take the cash with you and I may as well spend it and enjoy the luxury of new tractor with the loader and grapple.
I’m going to contact the dealer with the MX5400 and see what the price would be with the add on’s. Then I’ll contact a local dealer to see what the price would be to order one the way I want. If the price is right from the local dealer I wouldn’t have a problem ordering and waiting for delivery since I still have the old faithful 860.
However if I was going to order a MX5400 I would have to consider ordering the L4760.

 

[DustyRusty]

Spoke to my dealer this afternoon, and was told that the loaders and backhoes are in very short supply. They have lots of new tractors on the lot, but no loaders/ backhoes. Told me that they don't expect it to get better till sometime next fall.

 

[Impala]

Spoke to my dealer this afternoon, and was told that the loaders and backhoes are in very short supply. They have lots of new tractors on the lot, but no loaders/ backhoes. Told me that they don't expect it to get better till sometime next fall.

Yes you need to find one already setup and ready to go. They are out there.

 

[Impala]

Always a tough decision. I really struggled when spending that much money on a tractor. My newest tractor previous was a 1956 farmall. The new tractor makes life easier that is for sure. It is impossible to know the future. Inflation is insidious and may last for years. (buy tractor) The fed will overshoot and we will have a recession which will make used tractors available. (wait)

The thing for me was I want to put in a few miles of walking paths, cut firewood, and I want my wife and I to stay on our land as long as possible without depending on anyone else. With the farmall it was typical that I would go out to cut firewood and spend 2 hours fixing the tractor first. As I get older I am not working long days anymore. Every working hour counts more than it used to. The kubota saves time.

That being said from a purely economical standpoint I don't know that my tractor will ever pay for itself. With attachments my b2301 with bH, grapple, forks, snowplow, loader cost almost 50,000 cad so if I use it for 2500 hours it still costs me $20.00 an hour without fuel and maintenance. I could hire someone for $ 20 an hour and watch them do the work. Plus as interest rates go up money in the bank is worth more. But that gives up the whole not wanting to be dependant on anyone and hiring people comes with its own risks.

I understand your conflict. I was probably not much help.

Not going to live forever and Have not figured out a way to take it with me.

True but your $20/hour is not calculating resale value. Midsize/ compact/ sub-compact tractors hold their value like no other. Add that in when you are "done" with it and it is not too bad.

 

[top gnome]

True but your $20/hour is not calculating resale value. Midsize/ compact/ sub-compact tractors hold their value like no other. Add that in when you are "done" with it and it is not too bad.

Yes good point in fact that is what finally pushed me over the edge. My neighbour has a mid 80s bolens that is worth about what he paid for it.

 

[fried1765]

Yes good point in fact that is what finally pushed me over the edge. My neighbour has a mid 80s bolens that is worth about what he paid for it.

I do not know exactly what my (260 hour) 2006 L48 TLB cost when new, but I believe (from comps) that the value today is the same (or more?) as the original purchase price in 2006.
Of course, today's "value" is in wildly inflated dollars.