# Assessing older tractors



## Hokelund Farm (Feb 4, 2014)

I've been shopping for a 80-100 HP tractor for quite some time.

Do you have a routine you use for looking at older tractors?

Start it up and look for leaks? Run it through the gears? Do you hook it up to something or just turn the PTO on? Do you hook up the hydraulics and test those?

Do you go as far as checking compression?

What else am I missing?

If it's still available I'm looking at a White 2-85 tomorrow, hopefully its as nice as it looks/sounds.


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## lgn98868 (Jun 15, 2015)

I would first and foremost want to know what it had been used for. I would much rather have a tractor that had done easy work for 10,000 hours than one that has been worked to death for 5,000 hours. Look at the components of the hitch on the back, note if they look heavily worn or bent. Look at the drawbar and hole and examine wear there. I would try to check all the things you mentioned (except maybe compression just because of difficulty) if at all possible. If owner is reluctant to do those then either a) they don't want to sell that bad anyway or b) you might find something out that would change your mind by doing those things. Good luck.


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## Farmerbrown2 (Sep 25, 2018)

We have Wenger's here in Pa advertising 20 series Deere's in the $12-25,000 range . That said it will be getting that much harder to find good used older tractors. Most good dealers will let you run them through some paces at your place or there's . Buying used tractors is a crap shoot.


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## Hokelund Farm (Feb 4, 2014)

http://eauclaire.craigslist.org/grd/5145625395.html

Here is what I'm looking at. I think he said around 4500 hours. No A/C

2 hyd

I'm thinking $7,500 would be pretty fair? Assuming it is a sound tractor


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

I'm not impressed by their use of quotation marks but the tractor looks nice.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

No ac, or ac no work? Looks nice in pics.


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## Hokelund Farm (Feb 4, 2014)

No A/C from what I understand. I spoke to him on the phone. He sounds like an elderly gentleman with a pretty good sense of humor.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

Just make sure when you are driving it that you get it up to operating temp. Some things don't show up until it gets hot. Ideally, you should run it under a load also. Good luck, it does look clean.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Hokelund Farm said:


> http://eauclaire.craigslist.org/grd/5145625395.html
> 
> Here is what I'm looking at. I think he said around 4500 hours. No A/C
> 
> ...


They all came with A/C far as I know, now if somebody got disgusted with it and removed the A/C that's entirely a different story.


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## Hokelund Farm (Feb 4, 2014)

mlappin said:


> They all came with A/C far as I know, now if somebody got disgusted with it and removed the A/C that's entirely a different story.


According to tractordata it looks like A/C was optional unless I'm reading it wrong.


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

From the pictures, it looks like this is at a farm. Keep an eye out and see what the other equipment looks like. Does everything look like it is maintained well? That might give you a good idea if this tractor has been well maintained or just cleaned up really nice for the sale.


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

Here's a few posts that might help:

http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/viewtopic.php?t=904543

http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/viewtopic.php?t=1185637


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## Hokelund Farm (Feb 4, 2014)

Thanks for all the input.

I looked at it last night. Seemed to run well, no leaks that I could see. He said he heard a noise from the rear end so he asked a tractor mechanic and the mechanic said its "normal". I couldn't hear anything so I don't know what he was referring to.

The Over/Under worked. I don't know what its suppose to feel like shifting but if it shifts I'm assuming it's OK?

Tires were not great. Rears were maybe 35%, fronts not much left.

He only does hay, so he rakes with a vermeer twin and hauls manure with the 2-85 (it was hooked up to the spreader when I looked at it). He has a different baling tractor and cuts with 1499 new hollands. Very few row crops in that area. I think it's had a relatively easy life. He has had it for about 3 years he said.

I'm thinking $7,000-$7,500 would be more of a fair price? probably just depends on the buyer/seller though


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## Hokelund Farm (Feb 4, 2014)

Hokelund Farm said:


> http://eauclaire.craigslist.org/grd/5145625395.html
> 
> Here is what I'm looking at. I think he said around 4500 hours. No A/C
> 
> ...


Can anyone tell me what the thing on the front of the hood is? I'm looking at some other 2-85 pictures and some of them just have the stack coming out of the hood and not the other thing.

Wondering if that is any indication of the year. He said it's a 1981 and it is a "red stripe", paint looks original.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

It's the air intake. And red strip is rather self explanatory.


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## Hokelund Farm (Feb 4, 2014)

Yes, no confusion on the red stripe - but was wondering if the models that have the air intake on top correspond with certain years (is he accurately representing the year of the tractor?)


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Hokelund Farm said:


> Yes, no confusion on the red stripe - but was wondering if the models that have the air intake on top correspond with certain years (is he accurately representing the year of the tractor?)


The red stripes are later production. I don't know off hand but I know I was able to figure it out by googling it when I was looking at a 2-105.


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## matador (Jun 18, 2014)

We own a 2-105, the same tractor with a turbocharger. If you go with a White, make sure the Over/Under filter has been changed frequently. Some operators never did- that's a sure way to have major problems.

The Red Stripe models were later ones, but check for a repaint. White didn't have very good paint, so a lot of their tractors were repainted. Most of the repainted Whites that I've seen were given the red stripe treatment.

That said, I think this looks like a very nice unit! That is an A/C cab- the section above and behind the rear window means that this machine had the A/C stuff- at least at some point.


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## Hokelund Farm (Feb 4, 2014)

matador said:


> We own a 2-105, the same tractor with a turbocharger. If you go with a White, make sure the Over/Under filter has been changed frequently. Some operators never did- that's a sure way to have major problems.
> 
> The Red Stripe models were later ones, but check for a repaint. White didn't have very good paint, so a lot of their tractors were repainted. Most of the repainted Whites that I've seen were given the red stripe treatment.
> 
> That said, I think this looks like a very nice unit! That is an A/C cab- the section above and behind the rear window means that this machine had the A/C stuff- at least at some point.


Looking in the cab the tractor does have the A/C settings on the fan/heater, but the guy insists the tractor never had A/C. He said they all came with the knob positions but unless you added the A/C option to the cab it didn't come with it.

He didn't buy it new so I'm not sure if he knows what he is talking about. Maybe the owner before him removed the A/C and so he is under the impression it never had A/C.

I offered $7,100 and he said he would come down to $7,500. I think I'll take it.

My in-laws have a 1 ton Dodge with a trailer that could handle it, I'm assuming i should haul it and not drive it. It's about 115 miles!


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

8350HiTech said:


> The red stripes are later production. I don't know off hand but I know I was able to figure it out by googling it when I was looking at a 2-105.


The originals were multi pin stripes that gradually got thinner. Expensive decal it was, hence the red stripe.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

A little late now, but oil samples. Engine, hydraulic, rear end and over/under is a good place to start once you get it home.


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## Hokelund Farm (Feb 4, 2014)

Bringing it home sometime this week!


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