74 or 75 C160. What’s it worth?

[AHS 1,594]

Not mine… yet!! The man described it as running, needs work. C160 8 speed. It was obviously set up as a plow tractor. W/o the PTO clutch the mower lever, and chains and weights. Loud muffler!! Just the tractor, no attachments. It’s 1.5 hours away from home. Honestly, it looks in pretty good shape for being 50 y/o. Ive got an idea what it’s worth, but I don’t wanna over pay. What’s it worth? 

[pfrederi 19,938]

"Needs Work"  may mean any thing from oil change and a bath to engine overhaul needed.....

[ri702bill 11,320]

4 hours ago, AHS said:

It was obviously set up as a plow tractor.

OK, there's a few flags..... You need so inspect the 4 Unidrive mounting holes on the "F" plate for cracking. On the later tractors, the plate material is thinner than the earlier ones and ribs were added. Get a look at the plow that was used. If the moldboard is all distorted like a prize fighters nose, it has seen hard use... Time consuming to fix properly.

Also look at the ears on the lower steering block - one or both may be broken off due to the twisting action on the frame in use. Common part.

Pull both dipsticks to check the condition & level of the fluids. Water in the Unidrive is a milky mess on the dipstick.

Check the four seals on the Unidrive for leakage.

Get an honest explaination on "needs work" Any or all of the things I mentioned are repairable, with your time & money, and all affect the price.

Low end with issues that are not showstoppers - $200. High end for "clean" tractor - $425. MY ballpark figure.

Edited 3 hours ago by ri702bill

[ineedanother 1,895]

Hubs would be hard to check with weights on. Definitely check the "F" bracket before anything if was actually a plow tractor. Value would be nearly impossible to know without putting eyes and hands on it.

[ebinmaine 77,464]

Engine. $250 minimum 

8 speed transmission. $100 minimum 

Chains. $50

Other various parts..??    Couple hundred or more.  

 

You could pay anything under $500 and not lose.  

[Ed Kennell 44,971]

For me, rollers are worth $150.  If it runs and drives with no engine or tranny noise add $100.

[squonk 45,581]

 Seat looks to bedecent. Worth $100 at least.

 

Check the frame/hoodstand area directly under the lift lever. I've run across several with it cracked there.

 

Edited 6 hours ago by squonk

[ri702bill 11,320]

1 hour ago, ineedanother said:

Hubs would be hard to check with weights on. Definitely check the "F" bracket before anything if was actually a plow tractor. Value would be nearly impossible to know without putting eyes and hands on it.

Weights are on the outside, glance inboard at the four shafts where they protrude from the housing for seepage. Heavy axle seepage may indicate bad axle bearings - removal & disassembly required to fix.

[Lee1977 7,560]

It's 1974 or 75 over 50 years old not likely you'll find two tight hubs.

[ri702bill 11,320]

32 minutes ago, Lee1977 said:

It's 1974 or 75 over 50 years old not likely you'll find two tight hubs.

But yet I had to cut one off on the C81 I purchased from Sparky..... Sometimes, the red weld wins. This one had walked inward & rotated the key...

[AHS 1,594]

6 hours ago, ineedanother said:

Hubs would be hard to check with weights on. Definitely check the "F" bracket before anything if was actually a plow tractor. Value would be nearly impossible to know without putting eyes and hands on it.

Ok, what is the “F” bracket? I would really like to see behind the tractor, and see if it has the plow bracket on there! I bet 100% the shift boot is barely on there, that’s  one thing i always check! I’ll check the fan/steering and the frame. Now, the guys just gotta get back to me!!

[ineedanother 1,895]

2 hours ago, ri702bill said:

This one had walked inward & rotated the key...

That was my point for @AHS earlier regarding the weights. I should have looked closer at my first c-160. Hubs, axles, and F-bracket had been mistreated over the years before I got it. Dozer blades and chains have been a red flag for me ever since, not that those are ever dealbreakers. 

[ineedanother 1,895]

1 minute ago, AHS said:

Ok, what is the “F” bracket? I would really like to see behind the tractor, and see if it has the plow bracket on there! I bet 100% the shift boot is barely on there, that’s  one thing i always check! I’ll check the fan/steering and the frame. Now, the guys just gotta get back to me!!

That's what @ri702bill and I both referenced. It's what the UniDrive bolts to. A dozer blade attached to the axle bracket can twist and stress the frame enough to cause considerable damage. Lots of discussion over the years here about it.