"I bought this tractor second hand in 2000 with reasonably low hours on it. The air conditioning has given me a lot trouble, but it does get a constant and hard work out in the harsh Australian summers. The electrics (mostly the wiring) are the worst system on these tractors, which is surprising as most of the components are Bosch. They must be poor quality or cheap parts. The cab linings are now starting to show their age, but overall the tractor still performs well mechanically, and is reasonably reliable for its 30-year age. Sure, it hasn't got all the bells and whistles of most of the new tractors, but it didn't cost me a lot of money and I don't have to put a lot of money into it, so it provides me with an honest and reliable tractor. Like all John Deere parts, they are expensive, but there are some aftermarket parts available and there is also the used parts market available now. Would I buy another used JD tractor? I would, but it would depend on how it has been looked after and of course its price. "

"I purchased this machine from a used tractor dealer (in New Zealand) but was silly enough to buy it without being able to drive it first and subsequently found many issues with it once delivered! I needed a 4WD machine capable of handling a large post driver on rolling country and I find it fits this bill adequately. After repairing brakes, turbo, hydraulics, and just about everything else it is nearly safe to use! I would not recommend this machine as it is over 30 years old and it is just a matter of what will go wrong next!"

"I bought this older, no frills tractor from a New Holland dealer for 12k Canadian. Certainly not cheapest for its age, but it had been well maintained and was in good working order. One of the biggest purchase factors was the sheer abundance of parts and support and even though I've had little call on that front so far, I have not been disappointed with excellent support from dealers. Its primary tasks are bush hogging, cutting & conditioning (with AGCO discbine 5212) and baling hay. Although I've only had it one season it hasn't missed a beat and I am very pleased with it. It is far more solidly built than the more recently manufactured Kubota I own, and I suspect if treated well I'll get another 30 years+ service out of it yet! :) Sure, it doesn't have features you may find on some newer tractors (e.g. 4WD, shuttle reverse, a cab etc), but I don't need these and what it does do, it does very well. This is all-around - a solid work-horse. And from what I can tell, this was a great era for JD. "