Buying a used lawn tractor

Listen to this radio show (MP3 download) or read below.

Radio interview source: Greg Peterson, publisher, F.A.C.T's Report

We've bought a lot of used machinery and equipment over the years. Our first compact tractor was used, and most of our baling equipment is pre-owned, too. If you're just starting out in the country, sometimes buying used is the most economical way.

Some machines, like used lawn tractors, hold their value well, so your investment doesn't need to be all that large to purchase quality equipment.

Greg Peterson is an equipment specialist and writes the Machinery Pete column in Living the Country Life magazine. He says there are three major considerations for deciding on used lawn tractors.

"Capacity would be the number one thing folks should look at; trying to find the right fit for their property," Peterson says. "Then, you start getting into things in terms of age of equipment, if you're looking for a one-year-old lawn tractor, versus a three-year-old, versus a 10-year-old model. See if you can narrow it down, like you need a 54-inch deck or 20 horsepower. Then, you can start asking yourself 'Well, how's my budget looking? Do I want to spend $2,000, $3,000, or what?'"