grey market tractors

[justdonny]

I've been looking for a good used 140-150 hp mfwd tractor and have come across a few grey market tractors, mainly deere and 1 CIH magnum. They are definately more in my price range, but my friend at the local dealership said i should run from them because parts will be a nightmare, while other people say there is no problem with them. I need some input please. thanks a lot...donny

[Woodbeef]

You should'nt have too much trouble getting parts in Ohio for them. The main differences are in the 3pth and lighting/safety equipment. Not sure if the tire sizes are available down your way though if you need one?

[justdonny]

I had my 4630 go up in flames a week ago, I kept the tractor. I noticed that the european deeres do not really have a draw bar. can I take the brackets and bar one off of my old tractor and put on it? Are the axle shafts the same size that I can use my old rims and duals? and is there any difference in the pto shafts? I noticed the claw 3pth on the deere and have used the ones on the valtra and liked them, are they any different for hooking to US style implements? I am also looking at a white 2-135 and 2-155 mfd and a allis chalmers 8050 mfwd. I do not know anything about either of these and would like some imput please..thanks...donny

[adamL]

The claw type lower links should fit your gear ok, I'm pretty certain all the dimensions are the same, just the way we hook 'em on is different.

Axles, hmm, pretty sure there are 2 bar axle length (the shaft diameter will be the same) a narrower one that we use (don't know how wide) and the one that you can bolt your axle duals to. I'd argue that the super singles that we uses are better that those 18.4 inch tyres between the rows, but I'm not buying..

If you wanted to ditch the european pickup hitch then it just bolts to the existing holes in the underside of the tractor. However. Pick up hitches have a hook to use in our big trailer hitches and a it reverses with the clevis that your are familiar with on the other end. I'd give the pick up hitch a try before I ditched it if I were you.

As for parts, there is a pretty good mark up on spares and the tractors are built in the same factory with only a few differences. If they want your business they sell you some parts

[guest]

these tractors, what models are you looking at and what dealers. I think you wouldnt have any problems buying one, just try to justifiy it over an regular domestic tractor. plus for imports to me would be faster road speed. cheaper price,

[eppie]

Jun 22, 2008 14:58:45 GMT 1 @justdonny said:

I had my 4630 go up in flames a week ago, I kept the tractor. I noticed that the european deeres do not really have a draw bar.

You're judging too quickly

There is a wide difference in hitch styles over Europe: In Scandinavia and the UK, ireland, the pick-up hitch is standard.
In France, the so-called "tipper knob" with vertical capacity of up to 3 ton, is standard. In Eastern Europe and Germany they use a lot of turntable steered trailers that are hooked at a drawbar height of about 80 cm.
In Holland, older equipment from the 2wd era is hooked above the centerline of the rear axle, at 90 cm towbar height, but since the 4wd tractor became standard, about 20 years ago, 95% is mounted on a low towbar, mostly a quick latch adjustable height drawbar, from 45 to 90 cm height in multiple stages.
In Finland, selling high drawbars is prohibited by law. A friend of mine in Finland built his own high drawbar, to solve the problem of straw swaths plugging under the drawbar when baling.

Veenhuis silage trailers are used with low towbars in Holland. In Germany, they sell them with the drawbar upside down, and the tandem axles mounted a bolthole further to the trailer mid, to achieve a high drawbar with less vertical drawbar load.

In Holland the contractors that run big manure tankers with slurry injectors, all use an additional hydraulic cylinder, mounted between the front of the tank, and the tractor's 3pt hitch top link bracket, to get as much load on both rear and front axle as possible.

Since 2 or 3 years, Scharmuller from Germany, is selling 80mm hitchballs for tractors. IT is gaining popularity in the earthmoving scene. (most Dutch earthmovers use tractors and dumpers instead of trucks, because tractors can run on cheap, dyed low tax diesel, and 16 year old kiddie drivers.)

[adaml]

10 years or more ago buyers of new cars, and before that, were getting absolutly fleeced here in the UK compared to the rest of Europe for similar models. What started to happen was people would go to a car dealer some where in continental Europe and order a UK spec car for big savings. However the dealers and importers in the Uk got quite arsey about this and some would refuse to take them in as trade ins or some would even say they couldn't or wouldn't work on them, just because they were a private parallel import. I doubt that happens as much for farm machines. Still don't think you'll have a problem.

I know of a dealer of a well known brand of farm machines in the Mid West that has selling new US spec combines to farms in Australia and stuffing them full of spare parts too and doing it cheaper than a main dealer model after all the shipping