Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Rural Living M-F 30B 1980 tractor value

Awhile back I asked about the value of an old Ford 8N. I much appreciated the info and warnings about that one, and the point turned moot as when I went for a second look it had disappeared.

Now, I'm going to look at a 1908 Massey 30B, yellow model (industrial?) with 3800 hrs on it. Dude got it with some property he bought and says it and another are too small for his haying operation (They're big in this area). It has a box scraper with rippers and a front loader bucket on it. Tires look good in the pics. I'll ask to see it run today and look for smoke after it warms up. Perkins diesel I believe.

Wants $ 5K for it as it was posted in the ad.

Worth it? Anything to watch for with these Masseys?

Thanks in advance,

Geno

The box blade is worth around $500 and the tractor with loader, if everything is working, is worth more than $4500 where I live (South Dakota). Here are a few for sale but none of them are the industrial models, just the red ones......

https://www.tractorhouse.com/listin...p/manufacturer/massey-ferguson/model/285

Industrial tractors usually have heavier front axle components. Good if you have a loader

They may not have pto or 3-point. If this Massey has a boxblade, it should have 3-point.

Check condition. If it was an unassigned piece of equipment run by Tom, Dick, and
Jose, it may have been neglected and abused.

That would be my main concern. I've seen some of the equipment that the county runs being treated pretty rough by it's users. On the flip side, if it has been serviced properly, and not allowed to set out and rust, it should have some useful life left in it.

Buying equipment like that is usually a gamble.

Well, I went and looked, it's actually a 30B, not the 200 series I thought. (He's got two for sale)

Every thing operates, box scraper independent of the rippers. small front bucket, fwd and rev in both high and low range, three point hitch operates in all directions.

Couple of minor leaks, likley from seals drying out while it sat for awhile. Rubber coverings on the hydraulic hoses are pretty shot, so new hoses will be in order soon.

Looks like the right size tractor for what I want to do around my place, not overly large or too small. 3170 hrs on the meter.

He's willing to negotiate 500 or so on the price.

Geno

Be aware of the price of hydraulic hose.
If you haven't bought any recently, it's expensive.

We used to buy rolls and ends, and make our own.

If these are the screw together types, you can just buy
hose and do it yourself.

They are probably crimped. If so, $pendy.

You could use up a lot of that $500.

Look for an independent parts store that can crimp them for you.
That's usually the cheapest way if you need to replace the fittings.

Thanks Snyper,

this is the critter:

http://www.tractordata.com/industrial-tractors/000/1/6/162-massey-ferguson-30b.html

Geno

Dillon,

thanks, we have a shop in town than makes hoses. I'll look into them before I check with a M-F dealer. I like to keep money circulating around town when I can.

I figure if I just get one every month or so it won't stress the budget too much.

Geni

FWD, loader, Perkins Diesel... If it runs good, it’s got to be worth $4500.

You can’t buy much for $4500.

Look at the hoses on the thing.
If the ends are the type you can reuse, you can save money DIY.

I just wanted you to know new hoses weren't going to be $50 and done.
More like $50+per.

Good info when buying an older loader tractor.

You can usually have a hydraulic hose made at a business that makes them for a lot less than you can buy them for at a dealer.

Thanks for all the help guys. Loan is going through right now (I have the cash in the bank, just like to have it liquid if I need it) and should get the tractor Thursday. Delivered even!

Dillonbuck. Do you have a picture of those reusable end hoses? Or a link to what they look like. Not sure I've ever seen them, always the crimped on ones.

Geno

Thanks Brian,

Do those things work like some of the lawn hose fittings. When the outside part is tightened it clamps the hose between it and the inner part in the hose?

Seems handy, like a guy who lives outside a town with an old tractor could use and keep 20' or so of hose and some fittings handy to avoid the round trip and down time.

Geno

PS, just what I need, more emergency parts to store in the shop

Yup.

https://www.gerrardhydraulics.com.au/products/hose-fittings/field-attachable-hose-fittings/

Added those two links to my tractor bookmarks

Thanks again

Geno

Find a trucking supply house, they'll have a hose making guy. Carry your old hose in so they can duplicate it. If they don't have the fittings they can usually cut your old fittings off and reuse them with new hose. Hyd hoses aren't exactly cheap, but they're not ridiculously priced if you find a good place that makes them. Don't ever buy something like that from the dealer, you'll pay 10X for them. I've never used those field detachable fittings, they look OK for emergency use but I'd want a real properly crimped hose as soon as I could get it on there. Hoses are a wear item, especially on loaders with all the flexing and rubbing up against stuff. They're not a big deal, just expect to replace them every now and then.

Pretty much anything is worth $5K nowadays as long as it's running OK. Those Masseys are good solid tractors and the perkins diesel is about the most bulletproof engine ever built.

With a blade and FEL, for that price, I would buy it in a heartbeat. Three thousand hours ain't all that much for an industrial tractor which is built stronger that an ag tractor. Sure you might have to nickel and dime a few repairs for upkeap and all. But those Perkins have been known to last forever

The replaceable ends we used, you screw the outer sleeve on the hose.
Then lube the infer part with Hydro fluid, and screw it in tight.

They will last as long as any crimped hose.

We did every hose on our loader tractor in the eighties.
Stored inside, everything is still fine.

On logging jobs crimped hoses were a pita.

Snag a hose, and you needed to stop and go to town.
Many times, you could hacksaw the hose, fix it

, and be working in a few minutes.
A big length of a couple hoses, and a few fittings, we could make anything we needed.

Thanks for giving him photos Kingston.
I use a flip phone, and have no idea how to do pics.
This right here, all I can do one the web.