Farm tractors: buy used or new, or hire one
Buying, renting or hiring a service
If you need to do one job, such as ploughing five acres, it is sometimes better to hire a tractor driver with a machine. Buying a tractor makes sense when there is a lot of work through the year: ploughing, cultivating, hauling, mowing. In your request say at once whether you are looking to buy or to hire a service, because these are different offers.
What to look at when choosing
- Power: for small farms often 35–60 hp; a 50 hp tractor remains very popular.
- Drive: 4×4 is better on wet fields and slopes, 4×2 is cheaper.
- Engine hours: for a tractor they matter more than the year. The real life depends on servicing.
- The condition of the engine, transmission, hydraulics, PTO, cabin or canopy and the front axle parts.
- Make and spare parts: Massey Ferguson, Kubota, John Deere, New Holland, Kubota and others. Parts are easier to find for some than for others.
What to put in your request
- buy or rent — or a service;
- model or brand, for example Massey Ferguson 240;
- condition — new or used, with or without implements;
- power, for example 45–55 hp;
- year and engine hours;
- volume of work — for example ploughing 5 acres;
- implements — plough, trailer;
- city or district;
- budget, if you want to name one.
Example: “I am looking for a used Massey Ferguson 240, 45–55 hp, not older than 2015, up to 4,000 engine hours, no repairs needed. Jurong West, to buy, budget up to $9,100. I am considering a plough and a trailer separately.”
How to compare offers and what to avoid
Compare tractors of the same class, not just “any tractor of that brand”. The offer should state the year, engine hours, tyre condition, and whether there is a canopy or cabin, hydraulics and PTO. Ask for a video of a cold start, photos of the engine and gearbox, and the papers. Check the numbers on the body and engine, and whether there is a loan pending against it.
The price should come from the condition, the set of equipment and the brand, not only from the date of manufacture. If one offer is clearly cheaper, look for the reason: a worn engine, missing papers or another catch. For a service, ask what the rate covers: fuel, travel, implements.
A typical mistake is buying a tractor on price alone, without finding out whether there are spare parts and mechanics nearby. Another is not matching the power to the implements you already have on the farm. Check the PTO, the hydraulic valve and the brakes at the inspection, not after paying.
How the search works here
You write one request, and sellers and providers reply in chat. The system compares the offers and shows the best one first, and sellers compete for your request. Your phone is hidden, and it is free for the buyer.
For smaller farms, look at mini tractors, and for working with a tractor, implements and attachments. A combine harvester will bring in the crop.
