used B6200 .... good deal? maybe?

[b1gmoose]

I live in Vermont and have been thinking about getting a new yard toy. I have a craftsman riding mower, a snow blower, etc etc. Too many little engines.

So on my way home from work, I stopped by a riding mower/small engine repair shop to look at a Kubota that they've had in the yard for at least a year.

Its a B6200, diesel, 2wd (loaded rear tires w/ chains), and a manual gear box.

It fired right up at 38 degrees (I stopped by early in the morning). Everything seems to run, but as such with a 20+ year old tractor, it has seen some wear and tear and neglect. Nothing major, and nothing I can't fix. Some electrical wires just hanging around, decompression lever didn't work, cracked headlight, rust, etc.

It has a huge front mount snow blower (48-50" I didn't measure it). The mowing deck will come with it but wasn't on it when I looked at it.

He quoted my $3000 USD for it. I noticed that in the articles, there is a reference to a B6200 quite a bit, so I'm sure somebody here would have an idea as to what the value is on this tractor.

Again, it starts up and runs and doesn't "need" anything to operate, just cosmetics. Comes w/ loaded tires, chains, belly mower, and a snowblower.

Also, what other types of implements can attach to this? FEL? Small backhoe? Rototiller? Wood Splitter? Or is the 15 hp engine just too small for some stuff?


Thanks in advance, and if this message is in the wrong forum, please move it to where it is more appropriate.

~ryan

 

[Mr. K]

Hey Ryan,

Thanks for signing up to the site! Welcome aboard!

I think $3K US is a good price for that B6200, especially considering that you are getting the mid-mount deck and a snowblower as part of the deal too. Even though it fires up for you right away, do factor in spending a small bit of $ if/when you first get the equipment to do the usual filter & fluid changes. You mention that it's been sitting for a year and it's also 20 years old - so, take the time to bring it up to "speed".

The B6200 can be equipped with a factory FEL and a rototiller. Here's a picture of one Vic had not too long ago - the caption says "aftermarket loader" but it's actually factory:

http://www.orangetractortalks.com/kubotagallery/?page=1&image=1

15HP is a good start for most folks, but again depends on what you are planning to do with it. Mowing, snowblowing, tilling - yes, pulling out stumps - no.

Also, if it's been sitting there for a year be sure to ask for a deal! I bet they'd take $2500 or even less if you offered.

Again, welcome to the site! Keep us posted if you do get that orange tractor.

 

[dusty-t]

Hey Big Moose. welcome to the forum. A B6200, 2wd, stick shift, no power steering, in not too good shape. In Ontario you would have a hard time getting that money for the tractor alone. But if the blower is in good shape it would bring well over a thousand on its own. The mower deck is probably a 48 inch. Again if it is in good shape it may be worth 4 or 5 hundred, or a thousand from a dealer. The deck will be no problem for the tractor to handle, the blower on the other hand might be a bit of a challenge to get the tractor to go slow enough to have enough power for heavy snow. In 10 inches of wet snow you may be pushing the clutch in a lot. That blower will be heavy way up front. No power steering? With a name like Big Moose that may not be a problem. It starts good. Take it for a test drive make sure the clutch doesn't slip, pto goes in out of gear alright, and that it will shift through the gears alright. If the tractor works good and the blower and mower are in reasonable shape then ya I think it is well worth the money. I had a b6000 and it was tough as nails, a great tractor. If you looking for a play toy, you know, something to fix up and use as you are doing it 3000 isn't a whole lot of money. Let us know how you make out. Dusty-t

 

[Mr. K]

Nice reply Dusty-t,

If you are just joining us, Dusty-t's in the middle of his own teardown and rebuild on his B7200, the bigger brother to the B6200. Check it out here:

http://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100

 

[b1gmoose]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the replies.

I'll take the tractor for a spin later next week, make sure the clutch is good and the PTO engages. When we fired it up, the snowblower appeared to work fine. I figured I'll have some costs with getting her up to speed. Same deal as a used car, the $1000 rule applies. Any car bought for $3000 or less needs $1000 in repairs. So I'm guessing I'll fork out $500 or so to make this tractor 100%. I'm quite capable with my tools and torches, so it's just a matter of getting a service manual for it.

I only have a small piece of property, but the plan is in the next couple of years to get 10 acres or so and start using it. I figure if I get a tractor now, I can always fix it up, clean it up and re-paint and sell it for about the price I bought it for if I need bigger.

I drove past a Kubota dealership last night. Out on the back lot where they have used tractors and parts, they had a loader that was orange and a tag that said off of B6200, 100% complete. No pricetag, no idea what it would cost.

I've run my uncles case 530CK which has a huge loader on it, no problem with out working powersteering for me when there is a load in the bucket. But my Wifey might have a little trouble if she wantd to snowblow the yard without powersteering. I wonder what it would take to retrofit a powersteering pump onto it??

I also saw a B6200 HST 4wd in that kubota dealership, it wasn't for sale, but I was wondering, what would it take to make a 2wd 4wd? At least an xfercase, front d-shaft, front axle? The frames are the same as far as I noticed, but it would probably be more work than I would benefit from.

I'll probably bring $2500 cash with me and see if he bites. Money usually talks better when they see the green vs. I can go get $2500, that gives them time to think. Plus he is a small mower/tractor repair shop, I know it's been sitting for a year and then some. So he's made no money since he's bought it and put time/money into it. So any money is better than nothing. Everything else in his yard is $300 - $900 riding mowers / rototillers etc. So this is a big item for him.

The other thing is, my grandparents are getting into their 80's. My grandfater has parkinsons disease now and can't take care of his driveway. They have someone plow it. It is fairly steep and it gets very icy on sunny days as it faces south. They're 10 miles down the road from me. I could use this with a sander/spreader on the 3pt hitch and whenever they need the driveway sanded, I can drive down there and take care of it for them.

As far as the 3pt hitch goes, is it a Cat0 or a Cat1? Or a Cat0/1? I know the limiting factor is PTO horsepower as far as implements go, but I also would like to know how big "too big" is for it.

Thanks,

~ryan

 

[b1gmoose]

Sorry about rambling. Sometimes before I go to bed, I ramble o n.

Anyways, one more question/thought ...

What is the expected parts availability for this tractor? If Ikeep it for a few years, will I run out of parts, say waterpump, thermostat, alternator, (standard consumable parts)?

What about availability of parts for an engine or transmission rebuild if one is required? Should I buy the tractor, would it be a good idea to do a rebuild of the engine now for fear of no parts availability in the future?

Thanks,

~ryan

 

[Mr. K]

Brand new FELs run anywhere from $2000-$4000 depending on where you shop. Also, depending on what you pay your control valve, hoses, etc. may/may not be included. We looked at fitting a loader on a B6100 in another thread which you can read about here:

http://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26

Regarding power steering, I think I remember reading something about Dusty-t doing something with power steering on his B7200 rebuild project he's got going on. Search for Dusty-t's thread and read through a bit, or search on the forum for "power steering". I think he had to break out the torch a bit...

As far as making a 2WD a 4WD, yes, lots of work. You would need to find a parts tractor to scavenge from. I think after the cost of buying 1.5 tractors and fiddling about, might make sense to just get a 4WD in the first place.

Finally, parts are all still available for the B6200. And, as an added bonus, that model is not a gray market model, which means your local dealer would be more than happy to help you get parts. How many hours are on this equipment? I do not believe an engine rebuild is necessary out of fear of no parts availability - Kubota still has parts around for tractors built 30 years ago, so you have at least 10 years to go before you start to worry.

 

[b1gmoose]

Thanks again for the response.

Hours indicated on the tractor are 830+. Not sure if the meter is still working.

I'm not worried about a rebuild if parts are going to be available for awhile. I just wasn't sure what the Kubota parts lifecycle was, but for 10+ more years, I'll be set.

That loader looks a ton bigger than the one I saw out on the back lot at the dealership. It was a used loader, and it had everything. Control lever, hoses, etc. So I'm not sure on the price, but I'm guessing it is a 100% bolt on kit from the looks and the note on the tag.

Power steering would be a luxary, but given, even if I have a loader on it, it's a small tractor and I'm in good shape for 26.

As you can tell from my ramblings, I like to tinker.

We'll see if I can talk him down to $2500 for it, if he does, I'll grab the tractor. I'll have a working tractor that I can tinker with and fix up. And if I need something bigger w/ 4wd, I can sell it or trade it to defray the cost of a bigger 4wd in the future.

Thanks for the responses. Now only if there was some way to drop a 20+ hp kubota engine onto that frame :-D.

~ryan

 

[dusty-t]

Hey bigmoose a turbo would make a difference.

 

[dusty-t]

Ok on the power steering. It can be a bit tricky, you only have about 4.5 or 5 gpm for hydraulics. The cylinder on my 7200 is off of an old leeland or some such thing.It is huge for the size of my 7200.The first thing it did when I hooked it up was to turn right really fast busted the shaft into my steering box. No one around here could give me any info on how to hook it up. Not being to worried about being wrong a time or two helps. Anyway it works really good now. But if I had to do it over again I would buy a hydrostatic unit from a tractor wrecker. They are more compact and easier to hook up. And Yeh, I'm a bit of a tinkerer too. But I don't got no torches. No room for torches. I hope you buy this thing so we can see what you do to it. Good Luck and let us know how you make out.

 

[montelatici]

I owned a 4 WD model for nearly 25 years and sold it last year after buying a BX 24.

The only thing I would caution you on is that there were few occasions in the winter when I could get buy on the 2 wheel drive alone and frankly, except for mowing, I rarely used 2 wheel drive. I guess it depends on your particular surface you have and the amount and type of snow/ice you expect to have to negotiate.

 

[BobVA]

It sounds like a fair price to me. I bought my B6200HST 4wd 5 years ago for $5,000 and it came with a belly mower, rototiller, and FEL. I would definitely recommend you look at the used FEL. Couldn't live without mine, especially for clearing snow.

 

[Amishkingpin]

Mr. K you have a great memory. I was in the same position b1gMoose is with adding an FEL to my B6100DT. I bought it cheap for $2500 cash but really wanted the FEL. As Mr. K said, $2~$4K to add a FEL makes you think long and hard...as we discussed in this link:

http://www.orangetractortalks.com/fo...hread.php?t=26

After much thought and discussion on OTT. I decided to sell my 1980's B6100DT after a spray can paint job and glad I did, since I picked up a nice 1990's B7100HST with FEL and attachments. I have included pictures of the B6100DT and B7100HST.

My suggestion, b1gMoose is to buy the tractor for $2500, paint it and make some cash reselling it. Keep the attachments, keep looking on Craigslist or Ebay and buy a Kubota with a FEL.

After I bought my B6100DT, my wife told me to find one with a FEL so I listed it and sold it this spring for $3500. Luckly, last winter I found a B7100HST for $3500 cash. Now I have exactly what I wanted, a nice dependable Kubota with a FEL and I can do ANY job I need to tackle.

As Vic and Mr. K have expressed so well, You are on the right path joining the ORANGE brotherhood!!!

Welcome Aboard!!!

AK

 

[Ross1014]

Hello All
I have owned a 20 year old B6200 for 6 months or so. It has done lots of work already pulling a 5 foot blade, 5 foot cultivator etc. I am amazed at the torque this 15 hp engine develops. It has 700 hours on it and looks and runs excellent. I was lucky to find it.
One thing. In the USA Kubota offers a specially priced ROPS pkg for older Kubotas including a B6200 (as per Kubotas web site). It is around $150US. In Canada the same package is $406.00. Not fair at all