Buying a tractor in the UK

Smalltom

Morning All. In the market for a 2nd hand tractor (John Deere with 50k box) in the 130hp bracket. Is there much to be saved in going accross the pond? I'll be looking at a low hours 6630/6830 more than likely as the new models are pricey. Thanks in advance.

Wildsurfer

I'm looking into the same thing...not to hijack op but any recommendations of dealers in UK that people have heard positive things about?

Smalltom

Wildsurfer wrote: »

I'm looking into the same thing...not to hijack op but any recommendations of dealers in UK that people have heard positive things about?

No problem. Just with the exchange rate it might be an option I think.

Timmaay

Wildsurfer wrote: »

I'm looking into the same thing...not to hijack op but any recommendations of dealers in UK that people have heard positive things about?

The sterling actually isn't that good in comparison to the euro, £0.77 to each euro which isn't any better than pre brexit. There is a bigger choice from the UK, and in general machinary tends to be minded better (but certainly not all!) , that's about the only real advantage to the UK, the huge disadvantage is the unknowns, wasting time and money travelling to only discover whatever your after isn't what it's said to be. The other thing alot of machinary is quoted ex vat. Once your happy with all that and ya do your homework there is definitely money to be saved, but it certainly doesn't appear to the huge opportunity that's it's all made out to be at the second.

dh1985

Timmaay wrote: »

The sterling actually isn't that good in comparison to the euro, £0.77 to each euro which isn't any better than pre brexit. There is a bigger choice from the UK, and in general machinary tends to be minded better (but certainly not all!) , that's about the only real advantage to the UK, the huge disadvantage is the unknowns, wasting time and money travelling to only discover whatever your after isn't what it's said to be. The other thing alot of machinary is quoted ex vat. Once your happy with all that and ya do your homework there is definitely money to be saved, but it certainly doesn't appear to the huge opportunity that's it's all made out to be at the second.

Is it not 85p to 1e

darragh_haven

dh1985 wrote: »

Is it not 85p to 1e

Correct. You can exchange money at 85p/euro today.

Timmaay

darragh_haven wrote: »

Correct. You can exchange money at 85p/euro today.

Hmm I was looking at the stg to dollar ha! Still a long way off parity like some people are suggesting.

darragh_haven

Timmaay wrote: »

Hmm I was looking at the stg to dollar ha! Still a long way off parity like some people are suggesting.

I honestly don't think it'll even reach 90p/ € but I'm no economist
I closed a deal for 4 ton site dumper today in Scotland because i dont think that the exchange rate will get much better

cute geoge

did not it almost reach parity in 08/09 during the finacial meltdown .As far as i remember it hovered around 95-98 pence for a couple of weeks

Smalltom

So are there any recommendations as to who people have previously dealt with etc?

darragh_haven

I keep an eye on autotrader.co.uk , planttrader.co.uk. , ebay and auction houses. It took me 8 months to source my dumper. I dont know any particular dealer that would be recommended or another.
I go to a aution in Hereford fairly often. They have every sort of machine and implement for sale around the 10th of every month. I find that a good one. You need to have £2000 in the office to even bid

Dawggone

Some excellent value to be had in France.
I've sent a few to Ireland in the last 18mts.

huey1975

Dawggone wrote: »

Some excellent value to be had in France.
I've sent a few to Ireland in the last 18mts.

It'd be a bit of a pain having the steering wheel on the wrong side though.

queueeye

huey1975 wrote: »

It'd be a bit of a pain having the steering wheel on the wrong side though.

And they'd probably go on strike!

kay 9

Got a tractor from http://gmstephenson.co.uk/agricultural/tractors back in February and anything they have is as described. They always seem to have a good selection of jds.

MF290

darragh_haven wrote: »

I honestly don't think it'll even reach 90p/ € but I'm no economist
I closed a deal for 4 ton site dumper today in Scotland because i dont think that the exchange rate will get much better

The economists reckon it'll only go as far as .85 too.
I'm half thinking of buying something over here rather than converting my pounds and getting screwed.

Edit: .9 actually now

oldsmokey

Hi,that's interesting about the French stuff, how does it work if the tractor is fitted with that strange drawbar arrangement they use? Can one of our type be retrofitted? Cost?

Timmaay

MF290 wrote: »

The economists reckon it'll only go as far as .85 too.
I'm half thinking of buying something over here rather than converting my pounds and getting screwed.

Use the likes of currency fair to get the best rate possible.

MF290

Smalltom wrote: »

Morning All. In the market for a 2nd hand tractor (John Deere with 50k box) in the 130hp bracket. Is there much to be saved in going accross the pond? I'll be looking at a low hours 6630/6830 more than likely as the new models are pricey. Thanks in advance.

I'd be very cautious anyway, there are plenty of horror stories about low houred, immaculate looking machines being bought and causing endless problems. If you're looking at 50k machines you'd really want to be looking for ones with air brakes that had actually been used.
There will be good value had in the John Deere 6r models apparently, machinery dealers are finding it hard move them.

White Clover

kay 9 wrote: »

Got a tractor from http://gmstephenson.co.uk/agricultural/tractors back in February and anything they have is as described. They always seem to have a good selection of jds.

What did you go for Kay9?

carrollsno1

Look into getting a tractor used on a vegetable rig handy tipping up along the field and less roadwork done on them

kay 9

White Clover wrote: »

What did you go for Kay9?

NH 6635. So far so good. Was always massey here at home but the 42 and 43 series masseys seem very light in the rear and prone to rust any I viewed. No dreaded gear box spring to tend with either.

cbb1982

Mu husband bought a couple of tractors the past 3 years in North he got bargains on both compared to Irish garages. Kieran Fegan tractors worth a look at he might source what your looking for very honest man. Also Chandlers in UK good to deal with they have a few depots with stock.

White Clover

kay 9 wrote: »

NH 6635. So far so good. Was always massey here at home but the 42 and 43 series masseys seem very light in the rear and prone to rust any I viewed. No dreaded gear box spring to tend with either.

Well wear! Nice tractor. Pros and cons with every make.

darragh_haven

Sterling at approximately 85p today

Wildsurfer

kay 9 wrote: »

NH 6635. So far so good. Was always massey here at home but the 42 and 43 series masseys seem very light in the rear and prone to rust any I viewed. No dreaded gear box spring to tend with either.

Have a 43 series here and that spring went on me this year, never realised it was such a widespread fault until I read your post and googled it. Seriously you think Massey would have sorted the issue seen as it was an issue with the 390s! And yes they are very light on back end... But I still love her... She's not perfect but she's a fair comfortable ride...

MfMan

Wildsurfer wrote: »

Have a 43 series here and that spring went on me this year, never realised it was such a widespread fault until I read your post and googled it. Seriously you think Massey would have sorted the issue seen as it was an issue with the 390s! And yes they are very light on back end... But I still love her... She's not perfect but she's a fair comfortable ride...

Does the newer 56** series have this spring problem?

White Clover

MfMan wrote: »

Does the newer 56** series have this spring problem?

Aren't they all dyna4?

kay 9

White Clover wrote: »

Well wear! Nice tractor. Pros and cons with every make.

Thanks, that's for sure. One flaw I'd have is she's a bit bouncy on road, I know it's short and I don't use a front loader but I've my suspicion that the Goodyear tyres aren't helping but I ain't changing them yet as they've good thread left. Tbh, I don't mind as I don't do alot of road anyway

kay 9

MfMan wrote: »

Does the newer 56** series have this spring problem?

No

kay 9

Wildsurfer wrote: »

Have a 43 series here and that spring went on me this year, never realised it was such a widespread fault until I read your post and googled it. Seriously you think Massey would have sorted the issue seen as it was an issue with the 390s! And yes they are very light on back end... But I still love her... She's not perfect but she's a fair comfortable ride...

They are a nice tractor. I thought the later 43 series were rectified though. What year is yours as a matter of interest? The older 390 didn't suffer from that stupid spring fault at all I think.

MfMan

kay 9 wrote: »

They are a nice tractor. I thought the later 43 series were rectified though. What year is yours as a matter of interest? The older 390 didn't suffer from that stupid spring fault at all I think.

Oh it did, as I know to my cost.

White Clover

kay 9 wrote: »

Thanks, that's for sure. One flaw I'd have is she's a bit bouncy on road, I know it's short and I don't use a front loader but I've my suspicion that the Goodyear tyres aren't helping but I ain't changing them yet as they've good thread left. Tbh, I don't mind as I don't do alot of road anyway

There's goodyears all around on mine and it goes along nicely.
Was checking the cattle this evening when the neighbour went down the road with the tw20 and it bucking...wasnt flat out either. Never thought I'd see a tw bouncing!

X6.430macman

The spec generally on tractors in England is serious compared with here. I'd look no where else

kay 9

MfMan wrote: »

Oh it did, as I know to my cost.

Is it the one with 3 sticks or 1? Always thought the older 3 stick which is 12x12 was ok

kay 9

White Clover wrote: »

There's goodyears all around on mine and it goes along nicely.
Was checking the cattle this evening when the neighbour went down the road with the tw20 and it bucking...wasnt flat out either. Never thought I'd see a tw bouncing!

What causes is it I wonder? Christ a tw is a fairly long and only has a 30k box. Mine is comfortable up to about 37-38k but anymore and it starts that bucking motion. Feels like a tyre issue (flat spot) but it can't be I think as it'd be felt at every speed.
What do you have white Clover?

MfMan

kay 9 wrote: »

Is it the one with 3 sticks or 1? Always thought the older 3 stick which is 12x12 was ok

Tis the shuttle (forward/reverse) gearbox to be sure.

kay 9

MfMan wrote: »

Tis the shuttle (forward/reverse) gearbox to be sure.

Sorry MfMan, is it a 390 or 43 series you have? I know which gearbox your on about I think (18f+4r) with the ranges on the one stick.

White Clover

kay 9 wrote: »

What causes is it I wonder? Christ a tw is a fairly long and only has a 30k box. Mine is comfortable up to about 37-38k but anymore and it starts that bucking motion. Feels like a tyre issue (flat spot) but it can't be I think as it'd be felt at every speed.
What do you have white Clover?

I don't know the cause of it, lads tell me the 7740 are the worst for it. I've a 4 cylinder 43 massey and like you, at 40K it can at times go at it a bit but ease off a little and it will cruise along.
The tw has a full deck of front weights too and was towing a trailer!

kay 9

White Clover wrote: »

I don't know the cause of it, lads tell me the 7740 are the worst for it. I've a 4 cylinder 43 massey and like you, at 40K it can at times go at it a bit but ease off a little and it will cruise along.
The tw has a full deck of front weights too and was towing a trailer!

Yeah I tip along like miss daisy anyway as the roads around here are absolutely buckin diar. I don't like the tractor roaring her head off for the sake of a couple of km/h but it's more I'd like to know the cause lol:d

White Clover

kay 9 wrote: »

Is it the one with 3 sticks or 1? Always thought the older 3 stick which is 12x12 was ok

The 3 stick box is 12x4.
R123 on main leaver, high and low on next lever, that's 6x2 and the splitter gear doubles your gears again to 12x4.
The 12x12 is the left hand shuttle with the single floor lever on rhs with 1 to 4 and the range changes

kay 9

White Clover wrote: »

The 3 stick box is 12x4.
R123 on main leaver, high and low on next lever, that's 6x2 and the splitter gear doubles your gears again to 12x4.
The 12x12 is the left hand shuttle with the single floor lever on rhs with 1 to 4 and the range changes

Cheers for the clarification white Clover. I better get off this thread, the man asking about importing a 6630 will be scrolling through the ins and outs of the 390 gear box and spring issue :d

Username John

White Clover wrote: »

The 3 stick box is 12x4.
R123 on main leaver, high and low on next lever, that's 6x2 and the splitter gear doubles your gears again to 12x4.
The 12x12 is the left hand shuttle with the single floor lever on rhs with 1 to 4 and the range changes

Surely that's 3x2 rather than 6x2?

(I know nothing of tractors really, just goin on your post, confused where the 6 comes from)

White Clover

Username John wrote: »

Surely that's 3x2 rather than 6x2?

(I know nothing of tractors really, just goin on your post, confused where the 6 comes from)

3 forward gears and reverse like a 135 on main lever. The high and low range double all gears on that lever...so 6 forward and 2 reverse speeds. Some 390's etc had a splitter gear (like a half gear) this doubled all your gears again to 12x4. Hope that explains it a bit better!

liam7831

Its ok to buy them over there as long as you can fix them when they go wrong

Grueller

Same buying sevond hand anywhere. 3 month limited, as in very limited, warranty on a lot of yokes over here.