Were GARDEN TRACTORS ever affordable???

In this video we discuss garden tractor prices, and see if they were ever really affordable!!!

[@benjaminstiegemeier1411]

Great video guys love the tractors and tool talk I just came across a garden tractor I never seen or heard of it’s a page tractor very beefy heavy hand lift 3 point on the back can’t wait to get it going

[@BuildALotAcres]

@@benjaminstiegemeier1411 Very cool. I’ll check out the brand 👍

[@hometowndiy9109]

I work for a power equipment dealer and have tried to get multiple customers to understand this. They always come in going my grandfather paid $1000 for his 1967 cub 102 and it’s still running with 5000 hours in it. I paid $3000 for my cub XT1, I can’t believe it’s junk at 300 hours. You guys sold me a piece of crap. We’ll sir let me show you the equivalent of that 102, it’s only $11,000. Oh that’s way too much. Well….. 😅.

[@BuildALotAcres]

💯 For some weird reason people get the same number stuck in their head. The grandfather also probably made $2 an hour doing a strenuous physical job

[@michaelnagy4603]

Hello fellas love your channel I have an 84 case 226 and my fav 1980 JD400 ❤ older is better 💯

[@BuildALotAcres]

@@michaelnagy4603 Thank you sir 🙏👍

[@jamesgarland4990]

We live in a throw away society now sadly.

[@BuildALotAcres]

I agree. Hard to find quality made products for those who do want them.

[@maxwell6774]

Back in the days, making it durable was the only option. As plastic transmissions an what not, wasn't even on the table. At those prices, they had to be servicable. Families couldn't afford a new machine every 3 years.

[@BuildALotAcres]

@@maxwell6774 Very true points. 👍

[@michaelnagy4603]

This was very interesting and also just really makes me realize how old I am 😂

[@BuildALotAcres]

At least you got to live through these good times 👍

[@michaelnagy4603]

@@BuildALotAcres very true 💯❤️💪

[@powderriver2424]

Inflation was always a killer, but let's talk wages. In 1983 if you made $30K a year you were a solid middle class, that however was not the norm, more in the realm of $18 to 25K was probably average, or $12 to 15K annually. If you were making $15 bucks an hour in 1983, you were making a solid wage that was approximately union scale for a for trade job in a mill. I believe $10 bucks an hour was the average skilled wage. with all this said homes could be purchased for $35-45K or less in some cases. Now property has skyrocketed people are still making $30K or less, and can't afford to rent let alone buy anything.

[@BuildALotAcres]

I agree, the ratio is way off. Wages haven’t kept up with inflation. Especially the last 5 years or so

[@eltorito1011]

I had actually been thinking about this very thing not to long ago. Great subject, keep up the good work ! 👍 The wheelhorse on the thumbnail was amazing! Maybe you can do an episode on resto mod garden tractors. Swapping in Honda engines for the Onans. Making different mower decks work with different manufacturers. Take us in to the hotrod side of garden tractors if their is one 😊.

[@BuildALotAcres]

I’ll see what I can do 🙏👍

[@GardenTractorBoy]

You are making me feel rich, we have 5 Bolens 1050's 🙂A while back we compared the prices of garden tractors over here and a new Bolens or Wheelhorse cost the same a new mid sized car. I expect they cost more over here due to the shipping and import costs. I also wonder if people just want something bigger in the same way modern cars are much bigger. This is great information, thanks

[@BuildALotAcres]

I agree Joseph. It's crazy, but the math is what it is 👍

[@urbanitesgarage3299]

Im glad i was born this day and age, ive gotten alot of nice garden tractors for under 500$, and with inflation each one would of been over 10k! So i dont mind putting some elbow grease into them

[@BuildALotAcres]

@@urbanitesgarage3299 I agree, other than parts availability for certain brands and models can be tough

[@toro220d]

Hey Guys you forgot to mention the BEST garden tractor EVER the GRAVELY they 😊could be used all year round and Simple no belts or pulleys except on the mower deck otherwise very awesome video I love your channel do more Gravely videos pkease

[@BuildALotAcres]

Gravely is on our list for sure. The Sno Cannons are hard to beat 👍

[@aaadamt964]

There's a gravely dealer near me. Actually, less than a mile away now. You don't see them anymore. Even having a dealer here. I still see the old deeres, wheelhorse, cubs, etc. But not the gravely. Seems odd now that I mention it. You'd think there would be a bunch of them around.

[@toro220d]

@aaadamt964 there's a very big Gravely community a very tight knit community fun to work on and build to last they are owned by Airens and that is the commercial side of airens company

[@toro220d]

@BuildALotAcres I have 2 of them and several riders and walk behind graveks as well as an airens GT17 with a bunch of parts from other tractors etc AKA MUTT

[@ebinmaine]

Very good video, gents. I'm no economist, but your dollars to dollars comparisons look pretty good. I was wondering about your usage of the Wheel Horse 420LSE for a listing at first because it's such a rare and intentionally collectible, but after watching the video, I think it was a very good high-end tractor example to use.

[@BuildALotAcres]

@@ebinmaine Thank you very much. We’re glad you enjoyed the video 👍

[@timothykeith1367]

The Sears Suburban was a good value

[@BuildALotAcres]

Most certainly was 👍

[@49commander]

The downfall of Garden Tractors was the introduction of the Sub-Compact Tractors from John Deere Massey Ferguson New Holland and Kubota. Those tractors today can be bought with 3pt Hitch, PTO, Loader, Mower Deck and Backhoe for as low as $15-18k. The last Simplicity Legacy when equipped the same cost MORE and offered less than those Sub Compact tractors. Then when you add in the real garbage Chinese Tractors selling a 30hp model for $5K or less and slightly better Indian Tractors for a bit more, there was no market left for the Garden Tractor. I think the Only Companies left selling them are John Deere and Kubota. Infact its almost impossible to find a Riding Lawnmower anymore! Yet people are willing to spend $20K plus for a 25hp Speedy Mow that can't do much other than mow grass! Oh and they are terrible at the one thing they are designed to do! they push over more grass than mow! I remember how our yard looked like a golf course after mowing it with our 1968 John Deere 112 with the 46" mower! Just think 46" and only 10hp!! Tecumseh HH100 engine! We bought it used in the early 1990's and it lasted us for 10 years when we traded up to a used JD 318 with the not so good mowing 50" deck! Remember in 1960's people only had a mortgage, electric, gas and phone bill! They bought a new Refrigerator, Washer, Stove etc. once every 30 years sometime even longer! You only financed a car for 18 months and a home for 15 years. If you paid payments on appliances it was at max 12 months usually 90 days!!!

[@BuildALotAcres]

Different times for sure. The “quality”…or lack there of with todays goods is really disappointing 😞

[@jamesoquinn9168]

Those starting numbers are ASTOUNDING! 😮

[@BuildALotAcres]

@@jamesoquinn9168 Amen!!!

[@jayhawkins2309]

I recently bought a clean Bolens HT20 with a 54" deck and 54" power angle snow blade from an auction for $1400 after fees that same auction also had a lowes special john deere that sold for $1500 you definitely get what you pay for I think the HT 20 was $6000 new

[@BuildALotAcres]

You certainly made out the best in that situation 👍

[@RidenPride]

Wow, I could get an entry level L series Kubota for back in the day Wheel Horse $!

[@BuildALotAcres]

Yeah, some of the prices (especially the 1980’s) were pretty shocking. 👍

[@jodegroote2350]

Hello guys. I have a kubota GR1600 garden tractor. Its a diesel and no powerstering. Its 20 years old, and its got 1200hours on it. The engine is phenomenol. Does this model exists in the States? I think its around 10000€ in Belgium. Most populariteit models here are the honda's.

[@BuildALotAcres]

@@jodegroote2350 Hello Jo, I have not seen one, so I can’t say for sure. My brother has a G6200 Kubota which is a 16 hp diesel with 3 cylinders. It’s a very durable machine 👍

[@irish5359]

The dollar is worth so much less today is a big part of the problem.

[@BuildALotAcres]

Very true. Printing endless money nowadays.

[@rickpustelnik7221]

I have a 1991 Ariens GT 18 with a 48 inch deck power stearing and shaft drive with a hydraulic lift it is a heavy duty beast. Now Ariens just make crap..

[@BuildALotAcres]

@@rickpustelnik7221 Yes sir, I agree! 👍 I did a video on the Ariens GT. Line. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXnPlHWboalsjcUsi=M9BaH172qg10WpGf

[@bobslawntractoraddiction]

People want cheap I paid $4500 for my simplicity broadmoor in 1995

[@BuildALotAcres]

I agree 100%

[@BuildALotAcres]

I purchased a one owner 91-92 Sunstar a few years ago. I have his original paperwork. Now I need to take a look. Had to have been a good 6 grand new

[@eltorito1011]

@@bobslawntractoraddiction Ya know, one of the reasons I started looking into garden tractors and riding mowers of the past was because of cost. It just seems to me that their was more selection and options back then. Maybe thats another episode, "What is the most versatile riding mower/garden tractor on the market today?" I've been drooling over a JD 445 with attachments. Day dreaming over an Ingersoll 4020 or a 4120. I really do feel like I can do more with the older machines than with the new stuff. Projects and tasks on my list include, lawn maintenance on 3 properties, installing new grass on 2 of them, tree removal, and leveling and grading gravel drive ways. Given the size of these projects and properties a garden tractor is the way to go. Im still trying to make up my mind on which one to get, but I do believe a classic is the way to go.

[@BuildALotAcres]

@@eltorito1011 Great idea 👍

[@whew5]

JD 430 now will still cost you about 4k

[@BuildALotAcres]

I agree. John Deere hold there value about the best of any vintage GT brand.

[@bobslawntractoraddiction]

People want cheap junk they are going to want junk

[@BuildALotAcres]

I agree 👍