New member with old questions. Should I buy it and for how much.

[Titan17]

Hi all. Just joined tonight; this is the first forum iv ever joined so forgive me if I make mistakes. First an intro. I live in South East CT. And just bought a mini farm last year. Rehabbed house and barn; next year I'll move on to the land. Retired few years ago and want to live my dream??? 7 acres, 3 woods and 4 cleared but littered with stumps, rocks, dirt piles, downed trees, etc. I own a B2910 TL now with a 60" rotary cutter and a rake. Need a backhoe and 3pt is not an option. A big hoe is too big, a mini ex is too expensive. A mid size Kubota is probably it. Now for opinions. I have a chance to buy from an aquaintance a 2006 L39 with 1411 hours, homeowner owned from new. Garaged and maintained. He was having family problems so the machine took a back seat. All pins and bushings are tight, machine is dry everywhere except 1 outrigger piston, loader joystick is very tight, fr bucket is straight, little use on backhoe but could use some teeth, oil is little low but motor sounds good with no smoke. Coolant is little low but oil and coolant look good. Original tires 50% rear, 25% front. Had it's 1st and 2nd service up to 500 hrs. Then just oil changes. Other than a few dents it looks good and runs well. But needs some love. I'm a former diesel mechanic and machinist so not affraid of the work just hesitant on the price. The tractor flippers drive the price of these up so he's already getting crazy offers that I have to compete with. I think$10,000. But that's not going to happen LOL.i have 1st refusal. Wondering what others think.

 

[Missouribound]

Welcome. Are you familiar with tractorhouse.com?
You may be able to find comparable equipment there and see how the numbers look. It's hard to say what it's worth without being able to see and drive it.
Are you not considering a backhoe for your existing machine? Do you plan on keeping both? If the machine you are looking at is in good shape the $10K sounds pretty good.
But you are there and we are not so ultimately it's a decision you have to make.
Best of luck.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

First note: Learn to hit the enter key once in a while.

10k for that tractor...it would have to be completely trashed.

A poor condition L39 with those hours will still fetch about 25K to 30K.

 

[SidecarFlip]

First note: Learn to hit the enter key once in a while.

10k for that tractor...it would have to be completely trashed.

A poor condition L39 with those hours will still fetch about 25K to 30K.

It was a hard read....lol

Least it wasn't all uppercase.

 

[mickeyd]

Welcome to the OTT forum.

Congrats on the new farm.

I don't blame you for wanting to get out in the country for your retirement. If you are anything like me and a lot of others, you will find that you will actually work harder and never have enough time to get everything done. But you'll get that "job well done feeling" on each project.

Enjoy and post pictures often.

 

[Titan17]

I hope I'm doing this correctly. I hit quick reply?? Thks for replies. My first lesson - too long winded. And only 1 paragraph.
Had a hoe on b2910 years ago; never used it. Prices have gone up on Kubota's. Thus the reason for buying one with issues. All the tractors I've seen for $15-20,000 have bigger issues. But the zero maintenance for 4-5 years worries me. The immediate parts list with front tires comes to 700. How long can one last with poor maintenance??

 

[PaulL]

Plenty of tractors go with no maintenance for many years. Oil changes is better than many - hell, for many people that's all the maintenance they ever do. It depends a bit on the hours during those years too (i.e. how many of those hours were with oil changes only), but if the tractor still feels mechanically sound, it's probably worth a risk at a good price.

Sounds like you'd be getting 3-5K (or more) discount off what it'd be otherwise worth, and sounds that you'd be able to fix most things that could go wrong yourself. Would you spend more than $3K on parts? If not, then even worst case you're still ahead, best case you got a steal.

 

[Titan17]

Makes me feel more confident re this machine. I'm a stickler for servicing my things. I own lots of small power equipment, some 30+ years old and every runs 100%.
I couldn't shoot a basketball or catch a football but I could make anything run.
I only have an earnest deposit on the tractor but looks like I'll own it. Owner and I are handshake guys. He's finishing a little job for family and we'll work out a fair price considering condition. I'll let you all know $ when I get it.
Kubota parts prices are crazy. $94. For a seal kit for the swing cyl. Fortunately I can do the work.
From replies so far it seems worth buying. I just can't wrap my head around $15,000+ when you can buy a full size JD 310 or Case for that price.
When your emotions are tied to a purchase it's good to hear knowledgeable opinions. Thks to all who respond. These forums are a Great service for many of us. I hope I can contribute as I gain experience.
I have to figure out how to work this forum first.

 

[skeets]

I know money doesnt grow on trees. However at 10k if you can swing it grab and growl! Even if it turns out to be a POS, you can part it out and make your money back, just MHO.

 

[bearbait]

Welcome to the forum and enjoy. As others said seems like a good price.

 

[BAP]

Welcome aboard. One thing to remember about Kubotas, is they tend to hold their resale value very well. So if you get it, do a little work on it to fix it up a little, then decide it isn’t the right machine for you and you sell it, you should have no problems getting your money back.

 

[Digger Dager]

Titan17,

Welcome to the forum. Yes, you can get a full sized JD or Case, but the L39 is a lot smaller and lighter than those big boys, and yet is quite capable to do what you need. You will have less yard ruts in wet weather, less damage to any underground utilities, and will be easier to trailer if and when you need to.

Bonus, when you're done with it, you can get most of your money back to get the equipment you will need for farming.

 

[Titan17]

10,000 was what I was going to offer without any knowledge of pricing. It's going to be over 15000. He got a solid offer of that already and I'll give couple hundred extra for giving me the first shot. Overall it is in pretty good shape compared to L35's, L4400's and similar machines I've researched in that price range. He's not advertising it so I'm going to pay the price.

 

[PaulL]

That sounds fair. You don't want to leave a bad taste when you do a deal.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

One thing to note which a lot of people do not know, the machines with a letter and a double digit # like B21, B26, L35, L39, L48, M59, are commercial machines.
They are built heavier, have more shielding, stronger FEL and BH mounts and have much higher pump volumes.
It's hard to compare a L39 to a L3901 as the 2 are completely different tractors.

With this L39 are you getting the BH, FEL, Three point arms?
That affects prices drastically.

Front tires for that unit are relatively cheap around $90 a peice.

 

[Titan17]

The more info I get from everyone the more confident I feel. It also has quick detach bucket; something I really wanted.
I looked at an L4400 gear shift only. I didn't really like running it and was more money. I guess HP isn't the only thing that matters.
This L39 is 7000# so it must be more of a construction grade.
Now just the wait. Jan 30 was the date he gave me. He only has the weekends to do the job.

 

[MadMax31]

An L39 is a purpose built TLB, designed for landscapers and light commercial operations.

Anything under 2000 hrs is fine. Its loader design is inherently stronger and more capable than alot of larger tractors with FELs. As said, the backhoe is its moneymaker. 10***8217; of digging depth, with 5800lbs of dipper stick strength, my little BX23S would be crushed by that hoe.

The lack of maintenance can be off-putting, but if you budget for fresh fluids and filters itll likely be a non factor.

That would list $25,000 here in Communist Upstate NY.

 

[Titan17]

I want to thank all for the good vibes I got on this tractor. I know it won't do what a JD 310 will but it will get used much more. I got a real education on the 2 number tractors like 35, 39, 45, 48 etc.

After reading all the replies and studying the specs, this tractor is a completely different animal than the B's and many of the similar sized L series tractors.

It's exactly what I wanted, lots of power and a good reach in a small package. I talked to the seller today and might be getting it this weekend.
Wound up being considerably more than $15,000 but it's decent machine.
I'm going to start a new thread in maintenance and repair so that I can completely service it and do the minor repairs. I've used Messek's and my local in the past.
I'll post pics when I get it.