Things to watch out for on used 2013 1100

Hi folks, been lurking here on and off for a few years. My brother has a '05 900 that has served
him well, so I am about to take the plunge.

I've found a 2013 1100 with 600 hrs, used on a farm. Mainly hauling trash, hay, fence work...light
duty stuff. It was owned by a fairly wealthy family, that maintained it thru the dealer. All records are available, and it has no major repair history. The only added accessories that I have noticed is a radio/cd player. It is extremely clean. Tires aren't the mudding, off-road variety and look to be about mid life. So they match the time on the machine.

I will use it to do the same kind of things. Maybe a little wood hauling, and dragging logs and stuff out of the yard. I was thinking of buying a new X series, but am a little shy of first year or so off a new model. Like to let them get the kinks worked out.

Price is great I think at below 14k. I've seen older 900s for almost the same money.

What things do I need to look for and look out for during the inspection and test drive ?

Live just north of B'ham AL on couple hundred of mostly wooded acres.

Thanks, and I really feel like I know alot of the regulars around here after reading for the past
3-4 years.

Mike

I suppose you have done an ebay search but have you done a Craigslist in like Chattanooga, Atlanta, N. Georgia, Huntsville, and where ever else is kinda close to YOU????? NOT to buy especially but to get a feeling for prices...........

Worksite tires are adequate for us over here by Rome, Ga in the woods etc.......Don't want more aggressive tires as our pastures are on hills and what soil is there I want to keep in place........No problem on those hilly pastures spreading fert, spraying, chores...............

We burn wood here in the house so in the woods a lot..........NO PROBLEM, even pulls a cord of wood on a heavy 16' trailer...........

How many hours????.............Is the machine due for maint?????...........

Would be nice to have a wench and some lights but that can come.........GO FOR IT.........God bless........Dennis

Hi Majsmith. I have the 900 RTV 2011 model and love it. I can't comment on the 1100 but do remember that even when I bought my first 900 in 2005, I sat in one- it looked fancier than my 94 Toyota truck. I think that it listed for about a 1/3 more than I paid for the 900 which was 10,600 back then in Feb of 2005 and 12,700 in August of 2011.
I think the valves are preferably adjusted at 800 hrs on the 900's- Having the records of service is fantastic Is is ready to go , I mean, is a service just ahead or has it just been done? Also remember that if buying from an individual and if not titled in AL, you will save sales tax.. Good Luck ! collie

The machine has 600hrs on it.

Do not yet know when the last time it was in for service. I will review the
records to see if it's due or has just been serviced.

I found it on Craigslist. And it is being sold by an individual, but I don't know if it was titled. I sorta
doubt that it was but you never know.

Don't think I'll need a wench...mine has already approved the purchase ;-O

LED lights are definately on the goodies list to add. I'd love to have me a clone of Pa Jeep's overhead
switch console !! Then window tint, wheels, plastic bed liner...has sprayed in now.

Now the REAL fun is about to get started...I've got it bad already.

Pictures to follow after purchase...hopefully Saturday.

Mike

Sounds like a great deal. If it drives out right don't hesitate to buy. you'll save a few bucks and be getting a machine that is barely broke it. Win Win.

Love my 2010 1100! Strong, reliable, easy on fuel and comfortable in hot or cold weather.
Would do it again in a second. That being said, I'd check for rust under the floor mat and below.

Buyer BEWARE

Well, I guess I can now ADD to list of thinigs to watch out for when buying a used machine.

I purchased the above 2013 1100...during the pre-buy inspection and test drive I noticed a
clunk coming from the front end...sounded to me like a cv joint going (prior experiece with a Honda Accord ). Other than that the machine was very clean, with the usual hay and such debris in the usual tight places. No caved in skid plates or banged up a arms or anything.

I negotiated the price to allow for the dealer to do the cv joint replacement instead of doing it myself, since I was going to be out of town for a week or so, and it would be ready to go when
I returned home....WRONG !!

Dropped it off at the dealer and told them about the noise, and to change ALL fluids, filters, and to clean spark arrestor and adjust valves. ( Let them break the bolts loose in the muffler, and risk breaking them off ).

2 days later the phone rings. Its the mechanic asking "when was this thing on fire ? " Evidently,
there was a small fire that melted the oil sending unit, the water temp sensor, and one other wires insulation off, and completely thru one wire. " We may have to install a whole new wiring harness". $$$$$$ Later he calls back and says it's not that bad and he can repair the damage
without having to do the whole harness. I figure it was probably from some debris or hay catching fire, otherwise there would have been a LOT more damage.

One day later..phone rings again, guess who." Mr. Smith, I've got some real bad news for you."
We were trying to get the drain plug out of the front differential case to change the fluid and we couldn't get it to budge. So we took the skid plate off to get a better look at it and we found the source for your clunk sound. The front diff. case is cracked badly and dented fairly deeply. There wasn't a leak there because there wasn't any fluid left in the case, and it had been cleaned up so as
not to show any fluid. $$$$$$$$

I still don't know if the differential will have to be replaced or if I need only the case. The mechanic is going to check everything very closely. I figure replace it all since I have no idea
how long these idiots drove it around with no fluid. And I don't want to have to go into it that deep again.

This thing was advertised as "absolutely no issues or problems, perfect and ready for work or play'. I've called the seller who claimed no knowledge, "I was selling it for a friend, and he
has told me nothing of this, and he's a great guy, I go to church with him every Sunday".
After a little talking he says he will pay half the cost of the repair. I don't know that I'm satisfied with that but it sure beats eating the whole repair cost.

The person that did this, knowingly committed fraud. They cleaned up all the fluid after it all leaked out, and changed the skid plate because it was undamaged. They knew that they were
going to cheat some one.

Short of putting this thing up on a lift, and going over it part by part, no one would have caught
this.

Buyer BEWARE...some folks just aren't as good, honest and friendly as the good people
here.

Mike...the dummy

Mike, It sounds like time for small claims court .. courts cost and legal fees added on to the repairs. If it was advertised as perfect, and since it obviously isn't ,I think it wouldn't be a question as to who would win. It is great you had a shop that can write a statement declaring what they say... the fact it had been cleaned up to hid this is dastardly.
The guy told you that the seller went to church with him... there are some pew warmers out there who have a wolves heart and you must be wary.. They are fake for sure.
I'd give the seller another call, and send them a bill.. tell them court is next with the added fees. That is just plain unethical ... collie
Good Luck !

edit: my Mama and Daddy would have skinned me if I did somebody like that.

damn. So sorry to hear this. Half the cost of repair is better than nothing but I agree, I'm not sure that is good enough. Especially if the repairs is in the thousands. This was out and out fraud. The RTV sold for over 5k so I'd assume it would not be small claims court, this would be a felony. I'm not sure what I'd do but I'd be tempted to ask for all my money back and let them take care of the RTV ...or at least sue for cost to bring it back to A-1 shape as it was advertised. Keep a copy of the ad ..if you go to court that will be important. Good luck and best wishes for a positive outcome. And you are not a dummy. it could have happened to any of us. We trust others and most of the time it works out. We can believe what they are telling us. Unfortunately you ran into just the opposite.

Raining buckets here.. just came back in to get dry... Agreed Doc.. I wasn't thinking about overall cost of the machine.. just repairs. Good call Doc.
I bet those those records of Kubota done maintenance would be interesting .... now that would be something to see and question now that the cat is out of the bag... collie

I agreed with Doc about a lawyer until I reread the posts and noted the "Purchased from a wealthy family" comment. Before you go the recover the price of the machine route, think about how much you want to spend on legal fees. If the family is spiteful, they may just give the whole thing to their lawyer and say "Screw with Him". You may win in the end but the frustration and costs associated with it may drive you crazy.

I like the small claims court thought because that leaves the lawyers out of it and you can hire a collection agency if necessary. I'd check with the dealer on the repair records and any other paper work I could find. Remember that the burden of proof is on you so be sure you have enough evidence to prove that the area was cleaned prior to sale. Don't speculate bring evidence as you will only get one shot. I've never been to small claims court but I've threated to go on a couple of occasions. I discussed what I was prepared to bring to court and tell the judge with the other folks and interestingly, the settlement was agreed to in that meeting. One was a local new car dealer who's shop messed up my wifes car.

If indeed they are religious folks, it might be interesting to talk to the church pastor about moderating a discussion between you and the seller and see what happens.

Lastly, remember, Don't get mad, get even!! Bob

Sorry this has happened to YOU...........Truly is a pain in the tail for this to happen to ANYONE.......Karma tends to take care of paybacks so that, from my point of veiw is taken care of for you............

Is the guy local???

How much is the repair??

What other costs are involved......hauling the machine....your travels??

Keep the machine.........let the guy know how much the repair is and simply tell the guy that you expect him to take care of it. My question is.....if he is selling it for someone else, why isn't that someone else involved in the sale??? and responsibility..... Or is this just part of the "story"????

In the conversation with whoever it is, it is very simple to remain calm, advise them of what the mechanic has given you for the proof of being ripped off that you WILL be using in court..........By the way, you can take an attorney to small claims with you...............No problem even saying........."my attorney says, open and shut"""""......

Anyway.........am glad that you are gonna have a fine machine that will have been totally gone through...........Yes, it's a total pain with what you are having to put up with; but it's taken care of by HIM..........God bless........Dennis

I don't usually buy used vehicles. They have often been neglected, abused, damaged, and the problems may have been quick-fixed but will show up not long after the purchase. I treat my vehicles, both road vehicles and ATV's, religiously, changing the oil more often than required, and making sure that maintenance is kept up. But how do I know how "the old lady who only drove it to church on Sunday" treated the vehicle she now wants to sell? Even in my immediate family there exists one individual (my wife) who believes that all that a vehicle needs is fuel when the tank is almost empty. Never checks the oil, tire pressure, radiator fluid, ecc. She is the one who got into my 1948 Jeep truck (traded in a long time ago) and treated the choke knob as if it had been an outboard motor starter. She came in and said, "There is something wrong with the choke." I ran out, already tearing my hair out well knowing that she had abused the poor thing, and found the choke cable coiled around the stick shift. "Well, you told me to pull the choke when it's cold!" she snapped when I complained about it...

I didn't see this thread until today.

My first takeaway from this is to check all fluid levels. Every. Single. One. If any are below acceptable or totally off the dipstick, pass on the machine.

Second, jack it up and check the wheels and drive train for looseness and noises by moving them by hand. If there is anything wrong, or suspected, pass on it.

Third, park it on the level with the engine off and the transmission in neutral. Put the parking brake on hard, then release it, and see if you can push it. If the brakes are sticking, look for a different one.

If you can't do the above, take it to a dealer that the owner doesn't frequent and pay them to do a complete inspection of it.

Fitch

Majsmith, sure hate that you are having issues with the rig you bought. Hope you get things worked out and end up with a machine you can use and enjoy.

avantiguy said:

If indeed they are religious folks, it might be interesting to talk to the church pastor about moderating a discussion between you and the seller and see what happens.

Click to expand...

Advanti guy, That sounds like Arnold Murray's beliefs - I respected him very much and love listening to his videos.
That would work if parties deciding were truly neutral and not influenced by anything. collie

At least you got one with a complete cooling system. I will always have to wonder how long and why mine was ran with low/no water due to a missing part of the bypass hose system. And the bad water pump would not pump water into or out of the block. Seems to run ok now but how long??
Bryce

shinnery said:

Seems to run ok now but how long??
Bryce

Click to expand...

Hey great that you got it running and seems to be fine............Actually, if it isn't blowing smoke, drinking water, or very low on power...........I would bet that you got yourself a good one......

End to a story like the one above that comes out well is so fantastic to hear.........PICS?????............God bless.......Dennis

I'm sure I will end up with a great machine...I will just have almost the cost of a new one sunk into a 2 year old machine with 600hrs on it. I sure would have liked to spend that extra cash on accessories like LED work lights, a HID kit for the headlights, alloy wheels and some window tint.

Is the hand throttle supposed to stay where you leave it or is it spring loaded to return to idle ?
Mine is spring loaded to idle...I would like to be able to set it for WOT and then use the pedal as the HST control only. Sort of the way my JD 4310 tractors HST pedal works. You set the throttle for engine speed, and use the foot pedal to control forward speed. Makes going up grades easier.

I think I will get the mechanic to check the neutral setting with his pressure gauges as long as the machine is already in the shop. Any HST adjustments I need to prod him about to ensure top performance other than making sure HST linkage hits .040" from wide open just after throttle makes it ti WOT ?

Make sure brakes aren't sticking ? Some one must have installed a coast valve on this machine, as the engine braking is no where close to as strong as my brothers '05 900s.

http://www.nettractortalk.com/forums/images/smilies/g1/noevil.gif

My 2009 1100 had a spring return on the Hand Throttle so I used a clothespin on the bare shaft to hold it open. Never used it much other than to check wheel movement when in neutral and trying to get the HST rod adjusted.

If you are having him do the Neutral Adjustment, I would include checking Forward/Reverse relief pressures. Max suggested is 3700-3840 with suggestions of going to 4000 as a way to get better performance. Kubota mechanic who suggested this to me said he had done a few with no issues. But warned to not go any higher.

The coast valve update issue is one of those LOVE/HATE issues. Factory settings gives you lots of engine braking, people with lead feet hate it and install coast valves, people with good foot feel love the factory setup. One man's joy is another man's pain. ha ha

On the buying used issue. I always recommend people have a mechanic take a look. Or at least a very knowledgeable owner/mechanic type person. It's easy to get the raw end of the stick, but having someone look that has some prior knowledge of the item you are purchasing can be a huge help.

I disagree with your 'no-one would have caught this' statement. Anyone familiar with any four wheel system would investigate a noise in the drive train. It is just a fact that any noise is directly related to dollars and how soon you have to spend them.

Sorry to hear of your issues.