BX23S dealer trade or private sale?

[dougie]

First post, please be gentle......I have a 3 yo BX23S with backhoe, garage kept, 39 total EASY hours. It was my first tractor, so I bought many implements I have never used (post hole digger, heavy box blade, rake). I need more tractor for a big cleanup job on tap for Hurricane Helene storm damage.

I demo'd the L3902HST and really liked it. The local dealer is gonna shoot me a number tomorrow for a easy, peasy pick up my BX and all implements and drop off the L02 with backhoe, bucket, and pallet forks. I expect to take a bit of a haircut because the dealer has to make a profit, but I don't know the market well enough to figure out whether or not I want to mess with a private sale.

What is the best way to educate myself before making that decision? Thanks in advance!

 

[The Evil Twin]

Look up what your tractor is selling for on multiple sites. They don't get asking price, usually. So true "3rd party sale" is going to be less than listing price. Total guess- 10 to 15% lower.
Convenience comes at a price. I'd say if the dealer is giving you 50% of what they are listed for, you might want to reconsider.
One man's opinion after 2 beers.

 

[Chris_]

This summer I sold my 600 hour 2017 BX25D with loader, backhoe, and 60" mid mower for $22 k, private. This is in Canada.

I think you'll take a pretty heavy haircut if you dealer trade.

 

[85Hokie]

If you can face the stupid people on Craigslist and Marketplace - you will be 1,000's ahead - probably 5k when all the dust settles.

If you want it simple - take the what the dealer offers.

Me - I am not in favor of giving the dealer any "freebies" - I know that have to make money,
JUST not easy free money!

 

[dougie]

Hooboy, I don't suffer the stupid with much patience. Let's see what the dealer says. I pulled out all my paperwork, so I know what I have and don't get hornswoggled. Hopefully.

If you can face the stupid people on Craigslist and Marketplace - you will be 1,000's ahead - probably 5k when all the dust settles.

If you want it simple - take the what the dealer offers.

Me - I am not in favor of giving the dealer any "freebies" - I know that have to make money,
JUST not easy free money!

 

[The Evil Twin]

Please keep us informed on how things develop. It will be good info for others.

 

[jimh406]

If your state has sales tax, include that in your math.

 

[JasonW]

When I sold my other tractor back in march the local dealer offered me 50% of what I sold it for myself. I just bought the larger tractor outright since I wasn’t going to give away my old one knowing I could sell it myself.

It took 3 or 4 weeks to sell on marketplace. Tons of wild offers and people to deal with but worth it to me.

 

[The Evil Twin]

If your state has sales tax, include that in your math.

Jim, you bring up another good point. On the different side of things.
In some states, if you sell "real property" then you owe taxes on what you sell. Yes, it sounds crazy. Some states, if you sell a (car, boat, tractor, camper, etc) then you are supposed to claim the sales price minus lein as income.
Yeah, I'm going to pay tax on something I paid tax on after being taxed on the income I bought it with.
Anyway....food for thought. That's why everything goes through my LLC.

 

[D2Cat]

If the dealer numbers don't strike your fancy, might list your tractor and implements on FB or other forums in your neighborhood. There may be someone needing to do what you intend to do but on a smaller scale.

 

[PaulL]

Depends how fast you want to move. One option is to get a price from the dealer, then list it on marketplace or wherever with "dealer has offered me a price, at the end of the week I'm taking his price unless someone gives me $X". Where $X might be dealer's offer plus 10% or 15%. If someone gives you that price, done. If they don't, give it to the dealer.

If you can put it on an auction site, then you can set the starting price as being whatever the dealer offered (plus a bit extra for your hassle), and let them fight it out. Whoever wins the auction takes it home, if nobody bids then the dealer gets it. I'm not sure what auction sites you have in USA, here in NZ there's a site that specialises in that.

 

[D2Cat]

Someone brought up taxes, sales taxes. If you trade in your equipment and buy new the dealer would subtract the value of your trade in from the amount of taxes you'd owe (if this even applies to your state).

Around here the sales tax is right at 10% depending on the county and city the dealer is located. Makes a big difference in final cost. As an example, if your equipment is worth 20K and you sell it outright you would miss out on (20K x 10%) $2000 additional tax you would have to pay the dealer.

 

[DustyRusty]

Someone brought up taxes, sales taxes. If you trade in your equipment and buy new the dealer would subtract the value of your trade in from the amount of taxes you'd owe (if this even applies to your state).

Around here the sales tax is right at 10% depending on the county and city the dealer is located. Makes a big difference in final cost. As an example, if your equipment is worth 20K and you sell it outright you would miss out on (20K x 10%) $2000 additional tax you would have to pay the dealer.

That is where a good dealer comes into play. The dealer takes the tractor in at the agreed-upon price and then sells it to the person that the original seller finds. That person pays the tax to the dealer, the tractor is traded in and the dealer deducts the trade-in value from the sales price of the new tractor, and the buyer of the tractor gets a better price on the used tractor. Everyone wins and gets what they want. This is how I bought my last used car. It was traded to the new car dealer and sold to me on the same day. The selling dealer was the conduit that made everyone happy.

 

[Speed25]

Looks like the OP is in NC and would have our normal 7% sales tax (assuming non-exempt), but if I recall, there is no trade credit on tractors, so you still pay tax on the full purchase price.

With that said, I opted to sell my L outright and had it gone for a fair price within a week after listing on Craigslist and FB. I had a few lowball offers, but even those were decently reasonable. First guy that showed up ended up buying it.

I'm in central NC and I'd expect the tractor (without extras) to sell for $20k-$22k privately. I'd list the implements separately as you'll get more money that way.

 

[DustyRusty]

First post, please be gentle......I have a 3 yo BX23S with backhoe, garage kept, 39 total EASY hours. It was my first tractor, so I bought many implements I have never used (post hole digger, heavy box blade, rake). I need more tractor for a big cleanup job on tap for Hurricane Helene storm damage.

Looks like the OP is in NC and would have our normal 7% sales tax (assuming non-exempt), but if I recall, there is no trade credit on tractors, so you still pay tax on the full purchase price.

With that said, I opted to sell my L outright and had it gone for a fair price within a week after listing on Craigslist and FB. I had a few lowball offers, but even those were decently reasonable. First guy that showed up ended up buying it.

I'm in central NC and I'd expect the tractor (without extras) to sell for $20k-$22k privately. I'd list the implements separately as you'll get more money that way.

Considering that the base model BX23S-1 (newer model) is $25,818 and comes with the full Kubota warranty.

Basic Standard Limited
For non-commercial home and residential use, the warranty is 24 months or 1,500 hours, whichever comes first. This does not include the implement, loader, or landscaper utility.
Limited Powertrain
For non-commercial home and residential use, the warranty is 72 months or 2,000 hours, whichever comes first.

I would be inclined to believe that the tractor would sell for between $18,000 / $20,000. The reasoning behind these figures is that with a new tractor the buyer can finance the unit at a very attractive financing rate, and it will also have damage insurance included with the monthly payment. Not everyone can afford to pay large sums out of pocket, and if they can, they are looking to save money on the purchase.

 

[fmgsr]

Dougie, well, any news?

 

[DustyRusty]

Dougie, well, any news?

dougie
New member · From NC
Joined Oct 6, 2024
Last seen Oct 8, 2024

Guess that either he sold it and doesn't need our help any longer, or he didn't care for the advice he received.

 

[dougie]

First post, please be gentle......I have a 3 yo BX23S with backhoe, garage kept, 39 total EASY hours. It was my first tractor, so I bought many implements I have never used (post hole digger, heavy box blade, rake). I need more tractor for a big cleanup job on tap for Hurricane Helene storm damage.

I demo'd the L3902HST and really liked it. The local dealer is gonna shoot me a number tomorrow for a easy, peasy pick up my BX and all implements and drop off the L02 with backhoe, bucket, and pallet forks. I expect to take a bit of a haircut because the dealer has to make a profit, but I don't know the market well enough to figure out whether or not I want to mess with a private sale.

What is the best way to educate myself before making that decision? Thanks in advance!

FINAL OUTCOME: The dealer gave me a what I thought was a fair quote on BX and all Implements ($24k, original cost was $31k). The LO2 package was $48k. I thought I needed it for a big cleanup of dozens of huge oaks down on my Va. property, courtesy of Hurricane Helene. But I found a tree guy with a bucket truck to put all the leaner trees on the ground and chip all the limbs for $6k, and I found a firewood guy to take all the trees for free. So, Captain Obvious says $6k is a lot less than $48k. -Instead, I bought a 2023 Ford Transit 350, 148 midroof AWD with the $48k. I needed it more than a tractor, as I am heavily involved in Great Pyrenees Rescue transport and need to haul 4 to 6 of them at a time. I put 994 miles on in the first 3 days that I owned it, and hauled 4 dogs away from an animal hoarder situation to a better life. Honestly, the BX23S fits my needs just fine, and my neighbors all have big tractors if I ever need one.

 

[PaulL]

Good decision.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

Plus nobody got hurt...tree work is a lot of work and comes with a lot of hidden dangers.