Should I sell out?

[bigcountry]

I know that this is ultimately up to me, but I am looking for some 3rd party insight. I am debating selling out every piece of equipment I own but the '99 JD GT-235. I have played with some numbers on paper, and it looks like I could get roughly $5000 for it all. I would use the money to get a nice low-hour Simp. 7790 or Legacy or JD 332 or JD 430 and a trailer heavy enough to haul it on as well as a new Stihl BR-550 4-mix back pack blower. Should I sell out and consolidate, or should I keep going with what I already have?--which includes: 1969 JD 140 H1 w/ JD #50 cart and homemade disk. 1965 AC Big 10 with 42" mower and 42" blade and 36" rotary snowplow and matching cast iron wheel weights 1987 Honda HT-3813 (liquid cooled inline 2 cylinder engine) 13hp/38" cut 1955? David Bradley 2 wheel walk behind garden tractor with hood, cultivators, snow plow, and plow points, needs new engine which I plan to install myself. 2004 Carry-on 5x8 trailer w/full light set and reflectors There is also a couple of other pieces that could be in this but those are still up in the air as they are tied up in a will. I also have about 7 or 8 junk mowers and about 10 or 12 junk pushmowers that I think I could sell as a lot for parts for something like $300.

[rokon2813]

First off, what happens if you start selling off, then dont have the needed equipment to do the job anymore, and dont make enough to buy the new equipment??? Those numbers might look good on paper, but can you guarantee you'll get your asking prices???? Personally, I don't see over $3000 in that list, but you know your area better than I do.

[dirtsaver]

Max I'll stand with Dan on this one. I'd be hard-pressed to give up the equipment without having a garentee(?) of having the other equipment "in hand". As for the BR-550 "four-mix" blower, we have sold several of the "four mix" blowers and trimmers but I'm still leary of them. We had a couple of the "field test" units a while back and one did ok but the other scored out the cylinder and blew. To me 50-50 is not odds I want to bet on.

[bigcountry]

Well, here's where I was thinking. The JD 140 runs good (rebuilt carb, new axle seal, etc.) and along with the #50 cart and homemade disk would bring $750 easy. The Big 10 with attachments and new tires will bring $850, I was offered $800 for it all last week but didn't sell because I wanted to get the battery and new tires on and try it all out for a while. The Honda should bring anywhere from $1200 to $1500 just because of the name on the hood as well as being liquid cooled. The David Bradley I was thinking would bring anywhere from $300 to $500 because of all of the attachments as well as the new(er) engine that will be in it when I do it. My trailer would bring $450-$500, but if I sell out, this would be the last thing to go, as I use it regularly. The tractor I'm not so sure about (with the will situation) is a 2002 Poulan (AYP/Craftsman) 20/42, which would bring right at $1500 being that it's in good shape and its a hydrostatic drive along with having low hours (less than 50). There is also a Dynamark 12/38 lawn tractor (which is also tied up in the will stuff) that I would use to pull attachments and work with or sell for $150. I am keeping my Agri-Fab spreader, dethatcher, leaf sweeper, and aerator, and still use the GT-235 to mow with, and my Stihl FS-80R trimmer and 22" MTD self propelled pushmower and Crapsman blower. The way it looks, I'd be selling right at the best time of year, during spring when power equipment prices normally go up in stores anyway. Then I could either sell off the junkers as one whole lot for something like $300, or part everything out and ebay it away.

[bigcountry]

With my rough calculations (taking the average of the highs and lows in the price ranges I listed), as well as adding in some unlisted pieces, I could get somewhere around $5575 plus or minus a few hundred dollars. I sold an '83 Murray 12/36 6 weeks ago for $250, in the dead of winter, when everyone told me nobody would buy it until spring.

[Agricola]

If you are still working on the tractors "and try it all out for a while", you aren't ready to part with them. If you were offered $800 for the Big 10 and then added a battery and new tires, I would find it hard to sell it for $850. It wouldn't be enough for the tires, battery and time. I think I would put the stuff on here for a good but not cheap price. If it sells, you make the money, if not, you still have the stuff. Kind of the best of two worlds. Me, I get too possessive and hardly ever sell. I would rather give stuff away or trade over selling.

[andy gartner]

It's always fun to play with nos on paper. And...if I took all the offers I was offered for things, that I called people's bluff on..."gee, I wanted it, but the wife said bla bla bla...sorry, they had enough tractors for a while... well, ditto above. Besides, you don't even have a 620 or 700 AC yet, and those look like air force F85 Saber jets. real cool... How you gonna get chicks w/out one of each of those??? With your entire fleet, it seems you have, perhaps, because of your mis-spent youth, still missed the message here. pardner...read between the lines... You may have thought this is all about cutting grass, the passion and all. Let it be known, it's about getting chicks. If you can get chicks with a lawn mower/tractor especially Harley chicks, then you're ready for anything...till that time...keep cutting grass...and keep the fleet.

[bigcountry]

It was hard enough getting my last girlfriend on one....the only other female I've been able to get to drive one of the fleet is my aunt, but thats because she grew up on the farm with my daddy. But seriously, I have several issues to deal with: 1. Increased maintenance costs on older equipment. 2. VERY limited storage space--right now I have all the good tractors (4) under the carport, and there is NO room for anybody to even step between them. My mother has been on my case for 6 months about cleaning out. 3. A newer machine would make me money and keep the GT-235 in good shape.

[andy gartner]

yes Max, true issues indeed! That's why after the wife left... I moved my bedroom downstairs, and all the tractors indoors with me. The just acquired B112 is outside, but under the portico, till the bunkhouse boys return from Texas, and help me get it inside. Why heck, on a good saturday night, we all sit around on tractors indoors, drink beer, and smoke cigars. It's real easy on the machines, we haven't blown-up one yet.

[ambler]

Andy's right, All the chicks want to drive my 1920 but I start them out on the 7112. If your clever they can do the mowing while you work on the fleet. Opened a starbucks 2 miles away, I'm going to get a 720 soon and mosey down there.

[Dtrain]

If you can get what you want out of everything, go for it. But from my experience, I regret selling many of my 20+ GT's. All of us go thru times when we want to simplify. Just give it lots of thought. I sold a beautiful GT w loader to a guy who wanted it more than I did at the time. Now I kick myself everytime I break my back loading or lifting something.

[PGL]

Don't be afraid to do what you think is right. If things work out as you planned, be glad they did. If they don't, be glad for your lesson. Your reasoning seems O.K., and at least your mother will be happy - and that's not a bad thing.

[D-17_Dave]

With what you have in the B-10, I'd find it hard to get rid of it. The way I look at it is fortunately, they made more than one of all these tractors so if you do sell and later regret it, then there's hope of replaceing it. Now for the heart of the problem. I know it's older but the abiliaty to still do an abouve average job, and capable to do so many diff. tasks, I'd still find it tough to part with it. The same could be said about the 140, but I'll always take the qaulity of the cut of a simplicity over a deere. As for the others, they sound exspendable. I know if I could financetially I wouldn't miss out on a chance to upgrade to a newer tractor and more serious attachments. But I wouldn't do it without picking something that you could get by with through the transition. I hope this helps, as it is your choice and of course, your payment. All I can say is give it plenty of thought, and good luck.

[brooksdr]

A wise old man told me once not to count the chickens before the eggs hatch. You could probably sell your stuff for that amount, but it may take months or longer. (As soon as you try to sell the 140 for $750.00 everyone else magicaly decides to sell theres for $450.00.). When and if they do sell that means that you will have to hang on to your cash till you get it all together. That is a lot harder than it sounds. I have walked in those shoes. It took me a long time to figure it out. Trust me thats all I do is buy, sell, and part out Garden Tractors. I wish you luck!