Tractor for daughter/ auction report

Went to the auction, and came up empty.

Kubota B7100- Well used, brought $3,700- it did have power steering, but just too much for what was there.

Kubota B7150- As someone said, twice the tractor of the 7100- but this was set up for mowing- turf rears, auto type tires on front, belly mount mower, no 3 point. Just wouldn't have worked for her. Didn't see it sell.

Ford 1710- more of a tractor than the Kubotas- pretty good shape, but no power steering, and it would just be too much for my poor little (5" 2", eyes of blue) girl to handle. Sold for about $2,750, and if it had PS, would have been at my place by now.

IH 244- nice little rig. I thought I might steal it, because they drive all the wheel tractors through a building for bidding, but the tracked stuff and such they have in back of the building and you walk through it for the bidding. The little IH had a flat front tire, so it was out back instead of driving through. So they started it, but didn't run it long enough to see if the smoke would stop. But I needn't have worried- it brought $4,400!

Some real bargains- a very nice JD 4630 struggled to get 8 grand. Excellent David Brown 1210 (I think- at least it was the big one) at about $2,000. But the one I really had to sit on my hands for was a Ford 3000 diesel (marked "super dexta"- what does that mean?) brought $1,200. Ran great, looked fine, but I hadn't been interested so hadn't looked at it closely. Maybe water in oil, or something, but it sure ran fine. Dunno.

All the replies I got on the original post (its about 5 pages back, now- things move fast here!) were right on target and very helpful- thanks to all.

Man, those are low prices compared to around here in southern MN.

Could have bought those little ones, shipped them here, and made something even after shipping and commissions.

Thanks for the report.

Paul

I wonder if that JD 4630 had issues. Ones I have looked at are offered at twice that price.

Super Dexter was the English built little brother of the Fordson Major and Super Major from something like late fifties to mid sixties. The Major and Super Major and 5000 sold well here because they were larger than the 100 series Fords that were available. The Dexters appear to have been well liked but competed against Ford's home built models so you don't see as many.

We had an Allis Chalmers D17 (Series III) auction off around here, with a loader, for about $2600 last weekend.

It's Dexta not Dexter but the engine is a Perkins
built under license with a different injection pump.

where was the auction located? i live in sw washington and try to get to most of them.

The Woodburn Auction, Woodburn, Oregon. They have 4 consignment sales a year- first weekend in October, February, April and June. Bought an Oliver 1550 there in '76, I think, and been going off and on ever since. Usually 30+ tractors, plus construction stuff, cars, trucks, and implements. There's usually something wrong with the cars, and many sell in the $400 range.

They're pretty good about mentioning problems with stuff (if they are told or find out from operating them), and they didn't say anything about the 4630. It sure ran nice.

For instance, they had 4 identical welder/generators from a retiring contractor- auctioneer said they tested them, center two welded fine and showed proper voltage, the one on the left ran fine but amperage control on welder appeared to have a problem, one on the right wouldn't run steady enough to get a good test. Then sold them individually, the good ones first.

When the 6X tractors came out in 65 they were called Dexta 2000, Super Dexta 3000, Major 4000 and Super Major 5000. The English Dexta and Fordson Major are totally different tractors.

Shaun Wallace is correct. The 3000 super Dexta was the pre-force Ford tractor or as he rightly says the 6X version. These are easily recognised by the louvres on the sides of the bonnet/hood.
Sam

Dextas were almost all 3 cyl Perkins diesels that were very stingy on fuel. Gasoline models are extremely rare but I have seen one.

They don't AFIK have power steering.

The perception, if not the reality, is that parts are hard to come by and this probably hurts their price. Since the latest models are about 50 years old this may have some effect on their prices.

They are very good, live pto, tractors. Back in the day the regular Ford tractors had a very poor 4 cyl diesel. People leaned toward the Dextas for diesels and the 4 cyl Fords for gas tractors. A 2000 Ford Dexta is the latest model.
Complicating things is the fact that when Ford came out with the 3 cyl 2000, 3000, and 4000, the Dextas were still being sold, briefly, with the 2000 model designation. So if someone offers a 2000 Ford for sale of that vintage a.lways ask if it is a 3 cyl or a 4 cyl.

KEH

I'm wondering if the tractor didn't go cheap because guys thought is was a Fordson. No offense to our friends across the pond, but the Fordson series has never been popular hereabouts. But I'll have to admit, the local pea cannery had a fleet of Fordson Majors to pull thier pea combines in the '60's and '70's, and everybody cussed them ("what if we can't get any of them started? How are we going to pull start all the other ones?"), but once you got 'em going, they ran forever.

Agreed. Even in draught stricken Kansas those tractors all went for about half what I would expect to pay.