John Deere 4320

[stretch]

Evening ladies and gentlemen. Took a ride up to Farmington Valley Equipment the other day to look at possibly getting a machine to use around the apartments and subdivision. The salesman asked me about my requirements and set me up with the 48-hp 4320, which seemed to fit the bill perfectly. With a cab, loader, and rear rotary mower, the estimate came out to just under $42,000.

I brought the proposal home to dad, who has the final say about anything. He's not sold quite yet, but there are clear financial advantages to getting it. The two things we'd use it for most often are clearing snow in the winter at our apartments and mowing the right-of-way and landscaping at the subdivision, and although they are major expenses, he seems quite content with subbing them out. It could easily pay for itself in 5-ish years. I'd be willing to help pay too, but unfortunately the job market for a 17-year-old isn't that great. :Banghead

So, any good/bad things I should know about the 4320? Maintenance issues? Fuel consumption? And lastly, how far should I push the old man in convincing him?

 

[equip guy]

stretch, you face an up hill battle with the old man, but don't give up. First you must look at ROI (return on investment) and see how much it will save you. Clearly it will last you more than 5yrs with proper maint. Lets look at some costs. First do you sub your work out now? If so how much do they charge for man hrs, equipment useage, retal of other equipment they don't have, and how fast can they service you the owner. A tractor with attatchments is worth its weight in gold when used the right way. It shows up when you want, you can keep it working and not worry about bringing it back to the rental house, and it sounds like you will use it year long. You (your DAD) has an obligation to his tenants to maintain the property as part of their lease. With snow it becomes a liability issue. Your machine could remain on site to keep up with the snow vs a company comming in and you pay by the pass. One good storm with significant snow could ultimately pay for 2-3 payments if you were to compare. Subing out does have its advantages when a scope of work or the need of expertise is needed, but general maint is a no brainer. You also have it to do your own stuff at home where you would have rented equipment for that work. You may want to also look at good used equipment that has been gone through and doesn't have the sticker shock of a new unit, and it might be more appealing to your dad. I forgot to mention the revenue you could make doing work for other people. Maint costs are low on these tractors, but still should be factored in when considering a purchase. So look at where you could save him on money he is already shelling out and where it would fit if you were to buy, and what are the other avenues that you can use it to help make the payments. Have all of your facts before you sit down again, and maybe it will go in your favor once he sees the cost and conveinence of owning your own machine. Its worth another shot, good luck.

 

[stretch]

Thanks equip guy, I intend to look at the financial records for the plowers, landscapers, and mowers again over Thanksgiving break so I can get precise numbers. We're also looking at possibly opening up some of our old fields (hay or pumpkins likely), so if we ended up doing that it'd make more sense to buy a machine for that instead of renting one for the season. I asked him if a used machine would be an option, but he says he'd rather buy new to minimize possible issues.

Good to see another New Englander on here! :usa

 

[equip guy]

stretch, let me know how you make out.