Vehicle $$$

Stmar

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B2650HSDC
May 23, 2017
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Buffalo, Wyoming
What does it mean when your most expensive vehicle is your Kubota? My MKC was more expensive when it was new but I bought slightly used so the Bota is still in first place. One good thing is that tractors hold their value better than road vehicles. Just a random thought so thought I would post.
 
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ken erickson

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B7100 hst, 2650 front mount snowblower, L2501 hst qa loader
Nov 21, 2010
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Waupaca Wisconsin
I had the same thought when I purchased the L2501 new about a year ago. Other than houses, land , business purchases it was the single largest purchase in my life thus far.
 

Stmar

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B2650HSDC
May 23, 2017
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Buffalo, Wyoming
I can believe what new trucks cost and I can't believe I talked myself into one.
I am having the same dilemma, love my '05 F150 so that is keeping me sane. If I find a new one that I like better then all bets are off. New Ford Rangers are neat but over $30K with the 2.3L turbo, F150's with 3.7L turbo or 5L are over $40K.
 

85Hokie

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What does it mean when your most expensive vehicle is your Kubota? My MKC was more expensive when it was new but I bought slightly used so the Bota is still in first place. One good thing is that tractors hold their value better than road vehicles. Just a random thought so thought I would post.

I asked an "old" farmer one time ...... why do you and your wife live in a very "simple" home - but you have 4 tractors and huge barns? Got a quick answer - those tractors MAKE money .... the house does not!!!

As with most of our tractors - it is either making money is some way, or saving money in some way. A truck is almost the same........

Where as a car - simply gets us to point "A" or "B" - some have really nice cars, some have POS, I have always owned the $3,500 POS's ...... till recently.

I can see how a person that has a "new" tractor - it being the most expensive vehicle they own!
 

NHSleddog

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B2650
Dec 19, 2019
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Price out a F350 diesel 4 door long bed Lariat - it is insane. But like 85Hookie said, the truck makes money.
 

bucktail

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L1500DT, 6' king kutter back blade, boom, dirt scoop ford disk JD212
Jun 13, 2016
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A local has been giving away food for the needy and I've driven past it a couple of times. 4 out of 5 cars in line are nicer than mine.
 

OrangeKrush

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BX2680, LA344 with Piranha tooth bar, LP PF 1242, LP Rear Blade, KK 60" BB
Nov 15, 2020
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Indy
What does it mean when your most expensive vehicle is your Kubota? My MKC was more expensive when it was new but I bought slightly used so the Bota is still in first place. One good thing is that tractors hold their value better than road vehicles. Just a random thought so thought I would post.
You almost got me feeling bad.. but I love my little tractor and the vehicles have been paid for.. for a while now. Not always did I not have a car payment.. 😞 as said above tractors at least hold their value, worth the money!
 

Nicfin36

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L2501 HST, BH77 Backhoe, SSQA Loader ZD1011 Mower
Jun 19, 2019
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Decatur, AL
I would guess that many of us on this forum are very similar, and at the very least, think similarly. I've pretty much noticed that when I started coming here.

My tractor is by far and away the most expensive "vehicle" I own. My road vehicles are a 97 Toyota Tacoma and a 2008 Toyota Yaris. I have had my Tacoma for about 20 years and my Yaris about 7 or so.

I would like a bigger truck, but refuse to pay the current prices. If gas goes up to the insane prices we have seen a few years back, we shall see many deals on large vehicles. I will start shopping then. :)
 
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dlsmith

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Nov 15, 2018
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Goshen, IN
I am having the same dilemma, love my '05 F150 so that is keeping me sane. If I find a new one that I like better then all bets are off. New Ford Rangers are neat but over $30K with the 2.3L turbo, F150's with 3.7L turbo or 5L are over $40K.
I have an '06 F150 and was kicking around maybe replacing it back in the spring. It's a rare bird, std cab, 8 foot bed, 2wd and 4.6L V8. I ordered it that way new because that's what I need and want. Anything made after '06 is a 4 door, little bitty short bed, 4wd ,V6 and a whole bunch of electronic doodads that are of no use to me. One Ford dealer checked for a new one on the Ford inventory system, and said there were none like it to be had in the US. A 2021 XLT speced like mine was around $41K. I think not, being the cheapskate that I am.
So, I had mine checked out by my local independent shop and completely serviced, and then had the rust fixed and completely repainted by the best paint shop in town. At 225K, it only uses a quart of oil between 6K mile changes and the compressions are good and even, so it should be good for a while yet.
New Paint 03-13-2020 (3).jpg
 
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SidecarFlip

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M9000HDCC3, M9000HD, Kubota GS850 Sidekick
Oct 28, 2018
7,197
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My wife's Suburban LTZ is the most expensive non money maker we own. But no payment book. Paid cash. I'd love a new F350 King Ranch 4x4 diesel but just too much jack for what you get., if I could find an off lease low miles one, I might buy it and let the original owner / leasee take the depreciation hit. Not about to give them what they want for one.
 

NCL4701

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The value of and reasons for spending large sums on road vehicles not for business use is complicated and varied. An old Corolla will move your butt from one side of town to the other as effectively as a new Ferrari but it won’t assist you in attracting members of the opposite gender or impressing people. My plain Jane work truck model Tundra ain’t impressing anybody but I like it and it will move me and a 5 ton trailer wherever. For many cars and light trucks, substantial portions of their value is not purely transportation. With few exceptions, non-business road vehicles are an expense and nothing else. For most of us, there’s no viable alternative so they’re also a necessity.

There is a little bit of “cool factor” with tractors but the vast majority of a tractor’s value is pure utility, which is why they hold their value so well as long as they’re functional and reliable. Whether using it for business or not, the cost of ownership is at least majority, if not all, a money decision for all but a very few owners. I don’t use mine for business but if I’d hired out all the jobs I’ve done with it in just the first year I’ve owned it, I’d have spent about 75% of the cost of the tractor, implements, maintenance, fuel, insurance, etc. already. I also have ongoing routine jobs such as gravel driveway maintenance, bush hogging, trail maintenance, firewood work, tree lot maintenance, etc. Hiring all that out would be totally impractical and very expensive.

Long story how we got there and this is already too long, but we were on 55 acres that had been neglected for several years. My wife and I discussed our options and it came down to let the property continue to decline to its natural state and just keep the yard tame; sell out and move somewhere without land maintenance; or buy some real equipment to give us the capability to maintain the place. I had experience running equipment just didn’t own any. We set a budget of around $40k and started researching.

If it’s a business tool it makes money. Otherwise it’s about as simple as you have 1/4 acre you need a push mower, a couple of acres you need a riding mower, more serious acreage you need a tractor and a smattering of implements. Hiring out or renting equipment for a one off project once in a while may make sense, but you have to own the equipment for the routine stuff. Didn’t spend the full budget on the purchase of the tractor but adding some implements later plus all the miscellaneous costs, in it about $40k +/- total for the first year. I’m not apologizing for it, not ashamed of it, no regrets.

And my wife’s Highlander cost more than my tractor so if she has anything to say about equipment costs, I got that going for me. 😉
 
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SidecarFlip

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M9000HDCC3, M9000HD, Kubota GS850 Sidekick
Oct 28, 2018
7,197
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King Ranch would be a farm truck and plated farm as well.
 

lugbolt

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ZG127S-54
Oct 15, 2015
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Mid, South, USA
someone said 4 out of 5 cars are nicer'n theirs

you outta see mine. I guess mine's the 5th out of 5

every car's nicer'n mine. Trust me.

I finally put a passenger seat in it yesterday cause today was work christmas party and I was sure that someone was fixin' to need a ride home. I wasn't wrong. I bet they never ride in that old car again. No heat, no carpet, just 4 shades of rust on the exterior and when you put your feets down after getting into the seat watch where you put them because the pavement is easily accessed through the Fred flintstone floorboards. But I own it and have no payment, and no urge to go into debt anytime soon.

Seriously my GF still laughs at my little beater but laugh all she wants. Someone dents her Acadia? She cries. Someone dents my turd? I laugh and put a bigger dent in theirs without even blinking an eye. Reminds me I need to go straighten the door so it'll shut again. Probably about time to pour another gallon of oil in the engine too. I don't change it. Just add a gallon every so often, when I can't see it on the dipstick anymore.
 
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SidecarFlip

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Oct 28, 2018
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I don't change it. Just add a gallon every so often, when I can't see it on the dipstick anymore.
reminds me of a locomotive engine. The railroad never changes the oil in one of their big diesel engines, they just add as necessary. Same with a ship engine, the oil in the sump is in there unless there is a catastrophic failure, then the oil is changed but barring that, what you have is what you have until the motor wears out. Roadway express (NOW YRC) does the same deal. They never change the oil. They have a metering system that takes the sump oil and injects it into the fuel tanks so it's burned with the fuel and every so often they top off the crankcase and change the filters, they never do a complete oil change for the operating life of the truck.

Probably could do that with a Kubota as well if you wanted to. Didn't make that comment to have an oil war either..... :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 

NWAZL3560

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Jun 11, 2018
127
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I've bought new vehicles for a long time, but keep them for a long time and don't put many miles on them. My new L3560 two years ago was as expensive as my 6 year old then Rubicon was, so it qualifies as most expensive at that time. This year we bought a new travel trailer, and my 2008 F-150 regular cab similar to dlsmith's that I thought I'd keep forever was a little light for towing the trailer. So I bought a new F-350 6.7 diesel, and boy am I glad I'm having that experience. It's an amazing truck. After seeing how great my tractor was in getting things done my Brother said it's the best purchase I've ever made. He also said I worked hard for my savings and should spend it on myself while I'm here. I'm an old guy and others on this forum have said the same thing. So right now I'm living the dream!
 
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Stmar

Active member

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B2650HSDC
May 23, 2017
929
47
28
Buffalo, Wyoming
I have an '06 F150 and was kicking around maybe replacing it back in the spring. It's a rare bird, std cab, 8 foot bed, 2wd and 4.6L V8. I ordered it that way new because that's what I need and want. Anything made after '06 is a 4 door, little bitty short bed, 4wd ,V6 and a whole bunch of electronic doodads that are of no use to me. One Ford dealer checked for a new one on the Ford inventory system, and said there were none like it to be had in the US. A 2021 XLT speced like mine was around $41K. I think not, being the cheapskate that I am.
So, I had mine checked out by my local independent shop and completely serviced, and then had the rust fixed and completely repainted by the best paint shop in town. At 225K, it only uses a quart of oil between 6K mile changes and the compressions are good and even, so it should be good for a while yet. View attachment 52109
Sounds like we are on the same page. I don't drive much, couple thou a year, and have less than 100K on my STX.. No power anything so less to go wrong. A bit under powered with the 4.6L, bought an Edge EVO programmer that helped a bit.
 

Raymo853

Member

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LX2610SU
Jun 26, 2019
71
23
8
Dorset, VA
What does it mean when your most expensive vehicle is your Kubota? My MKC was more expensive when it was new but I bought slightly used so the Bota is still in first place. One good thing is that tractors hold their value better than road vehicles. Just a random thought so thought I would post.
I am hoping my LX2610 lasts as long as my 2000 Tacoma. I consider the Tacoma about 2/3 used up.
 

random

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L3301, bucket, backhoe, grader, plow, harrow, cultivator
Nov 2, 2020
717
401
63
NC
Before getting some land, we've always (for many years at least) lived in "nice" middle-class neighborhoods. Always had the crappiest cars in the neighborhood, too, but we could afford to go to nice restaurants and such while the neighbors were complaining about how they were always broke.

Priorities.

We finally got a "new" SUV because the old one just wasn't worth keeping up anymore. Still came out to about the same as the tractor, not counting the attachments.

When it's time to trade up my truck, I might spend a bit. I don't think I could live without an 8' bed, and I want an extended cab. But I also don't want all the fancy new electronics, so I'll probably end up with something older.

With less than 80k on my 2004 Silverado, I think that trade might be awhile still...