Help selling Wheel Horse

[gabe911 23]

Hi guys, I'm having an issue with selling my 520-h and can't figure out why it's not selling.  You know one of the major reasons I bought it was for its resell value.  They seemed to have a following for them and all the info out there on them.  

For the price I have it at you think someone would buy it right up. Even though I'm in Lincoln NE it can be shipped.  

I bought it for a lot more than what I'm trying to sell it and it seems that I can't even give this thing away now.   What gives? 

 

Edited December 15, 2015 by gabe911

[doc724 924]

Selling a tractor is no different than selling a car or a house.  The first point to recognize is that you do not set the price, the market sets the price.  If the local market is saturated with items you are selling, your price will need to be competitive.  Maybe you paid too much.  If your item does not show well, buyers may wonder what else may be wrong if what they can see is not in top condition.  Take the time to make the small imperfect things better so you can command your asking price.  Although you have offered to ship the unit, many will not want to do that if they cannot try it out first.  You may be selling at the wrong time-after all it is Christmas and people are distracted by other things.  Finally, 520's are sought after by many, however many also know that Onan's can be trouble if they were not maintained well.  I hope this helps.

[Tankman 3,515]

Might point out the original pricing?

 

 

[Sea-Duck51 55]

I just sold a 1980 D160 with FEL,started a little high on the price working my way down,live in a remote area and not wheel horse country out west,only got two inquiries,one wanted to trade an older model car and the other said was above his wife's pain threshold,after a week guy called and expressed interest,asked why the the price was so low($1350),long story short we settled at $1200,made five bills on it but that wasn't my intention,just too much tractor for my place and going a different direction,funny thing is got almost a foot of snow over the weekend and regret pulling the trigger so fast but my driveway is steep and narrow and without 4wd it wasn't going to work anyway,like the previous poster said its worth what someone's willing to pay or wait for spring when its value increases. I think you must realize also that folks can run down to the local big box store and buy a brand new rider for $1000-1500 with warranty and financing,we know there not built anywhere near and well but new is new.

Edited December 15, 2015 by Sea-Duck51
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[slammer302 2,154]

I went back and looked at you add. You have a pretty nice horse but it does need a few things ie. seat even sum black duck tape would help the looks and a set of decals would go a long way too and it is winter time almost X mas i have listed a few horses and bought a couple too nobody is buying or selling much right now and i don't know much about your area either you price isn't too bad i personally wouldn't spend that much but compared to what you get at a box store thats a steal but people just don't look at it that way i guess i have had a 310-8 on CL for 300$ and haven't even gotten a call on it. Its just that time of year  

[RubyCon1 62]

1 hour ago, gabe911 said:

Hi guys, I'm having an issue with selling my 520-h and can't figure out why it's not selling.  You know one of the major reasons I bought it was for its resell value.  They seemed to have a following for them and all the info out there on them.  

For the price I have it at you think someone would buy it right up. Even though I'm in Lincoln NE it can be shipped.  

I bought it for a lot more than what I'm trying to sell it and it seems that I can't even give this thing away now.   What gives? 

 

here are my initial thoughts

 

"major reasons I bought it was for its resell value."

 

major,major mistake - unless you paid under 1000 for the package

 

if it's in such great shape and is such a great find, why are you selling it?

 

raggedy seat is not expected for that price , i wonder what else will be passed on to the next buyer

 

and once buyers sense any level of desperation, the buyers will hold off until you cry

"uncle"

 

and the final nail in the coffin (for me),  unknown condition and history of the Onan.

 

 

Edited December 15, 2015 by RubyCon1

[Sea-Duck51 55]

1 hour ago, gabe911 said:

Hi guys, I'm having an issue with selling my 520-h and can't figure out why it's not selling.  You know one of the major reasons I bought it was for its resell value.  They seemed to have a following for them and all the info out there on them.  

For the price I have it at you think someone would buy it right up. Even though I'm in Lincoln NE it can be shipped.  

I bought it for a lot more than what I'm trying to sell it and it seems that I can't even give this thing away now.   What gives? 

 

I did a little investigating and found your CL posting,don't take offense but my first reaction was WOW that's pricey for a 20 year old tractor,raggedy seat,doesn't turn right and nearly 600 hrs,now I don't pretend to know what the value of WH tractors back there but here you would be lucky to get around $1500,Just my 2 cents but imo you should fix the seat,tape or replace,definitely fix steering(find the time)and mount attachments for a greater visual presence,good luck.

[C-101plowerpower 1,605]

i find it a tad(make that a big tad) pricey. as everyone else said, fix the seat. also don't ever buy a wheel horse for the resale value, price's aren't a given, if you like gambeling go for it otherwise, don't

[378Pete 237]

The average person does not see value just because its a Wheel Horse. I think your buying market is limited to mostly educated tractor folks like the guys here. Compound that with where you live and looks like you may have a hard time selling. And like others have said, for that kind of money the seat and steering have got to be addressed prior to sale. And most importantly is the fact that Christmas is 10 days away. If I just went and spent $2500 on a tractor with a ratty seat and didn't steer a week before Christmas my wife would hang my balls on the Xmas tree.

[AMC RULES 36,945]

LOL!

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,052]

35 minutes ago, 69chargerv8 said:

The average person does not see value just because its a Wheel Horse. I think your buying market is limited to mostly educated tractor folks like the guys here. Compound that with where you live and looks like you may have a hard time selling. And like others have said, for that kind of money the seat and steering have got to be addressed prior to sale. And most importantly is the fact that Christmas is 10 days away. If I just went and spent $2500 on a tractor with a ratty seat and didn't steer a week before Christmas my wife would hang my balls on the Xmas tree.

My wife would also hang something besides my balls to make a complete set.

[gabe911 23]

2 hours ago, RubyCon1 said:

2 hours ago, RubyCon1 said:

here are my initial thoughts

 

"major reasons I bought it was for its resell value."

 

major,major mistake - unless you paid under 1000 for the package

 

if it's in such great shape and is such a great find, why are you selling it?

 

raggedy seat is not expected for that price , i wonder what else will be passed on to the next buyer

 

and once buyers sense any level of desperation, the buyers will hold off until you cry

"uncle"

 

and the final nail in the coffin (for me),  unknown condition and history of the Onan.

 

 

Lesson learned on that resell value I suppose!

I posted why I was selling it in the old classifieds guess I forgot to put it in the new one.  I'm selling becuase Im moving off an acreage and just dont have the space for it in my town home. 

I was going to replace the seat before I put it up for sale. Mistake on my part.

For the Onan and unknown condition of it...if everyone thought like that there would be no 520-H ever resold in the world, right?

2 hours ago, Sea-Duck51 said:

I did a little investigating and found your CL posting,don't take offense but my first reaction was WOW that's pricey for a 20 year old tractor,raggedy seat,doesn't turn right and nearly 600 hrs,now I don't pretend to know what the value of WH tractors back there but here you would be lucky to get around $1500,Just my 2 cents but imo you should fix the seat,tape or replace,definitely fix steering(find the time)and mount attachments for a greater visual presence,good luck.

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your feedback since we really cant comment in the classified section I have no idea why this isnt selling!

The only reason I started out around 2300-2500...Is because when I first bought it and posted on here if this was a good deal, everyone was like yea great deal.  So thats the only reason why I started at that price.  I'm really not marketing this to your avg buyer just Wheel Horse buyers so just assumed they could fix the steering and seat if I lowered the price.  I'm moving out of my house this Sat and I work out of town and don't get back till Friday.  So working on the ol wheel horse these past couple of weeks just havent been on the top of my honey do list.

 

[378Pete 237]

3 minutes ago, gabe911 said:

 

I think he meant that you should include a description of the history and maintenance of the onan to make your onan more reputable.

[WH nut 553]

That's about a 1200 hundred dollar tractor all day long in my area

[gabe911 23]

Just now, WH nut said:

That's about a 1200 hundred dollar tractor all day long in my area

Id be happy to get $1200 including for the deck and blower!  

[378Pete 237]

2 hours ago, gabe911 said:

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your feedback since we really cant comment in the classified section I have no idea why this isnt selling!

The only reason I started out around 2300-2500...Is because when I first bought it and posted on here if this was a good deal, everyone was like yea great deal.  So thats the only reason why I started at that price.  I'm really not marketing this to your avg buyer just Wheel Horse buyers so just assumed they could fix the steering and seat if I lowered the price.  I'm moving out of my house this Sat and I work out of town and don't get back till Friday.  So working on the ol wheel horse these past couple of weeks just havent been on the top of my honey do list.

 

And just to be fair to the members here,you say you asked them if you got a good deal after you purchased the tractor. I think that most of these guys probably wouldn't want to hurt your feelings and tell you that your new purchase was overpriced or not worth it. But had you asked pre purchase these guys would have been more forthright and brutally honest with there opinions. Every body wants you to feel good about your purchase. I know every time I post something new all the guys always say wow what a great deal or you did great. Just my $0.02

[gabe911 23]

18 minutes ago, 69chargerv8 said:

And just to be fair to the members here,you say you asked them if you got a good deal after you purchased the tractor. I think that most of these guys probably wouldn't want to hurt your feelings and tell you that your new purchase was overpriced or not worth it. But had you asked pre purchase these guys would have been more forthright and brutally honest with there opinions. Every body wants you to feel good about your purchase. I know every time I post something new all the guys always say wow what a great deal or you did great. Just my $0.02

K thx

[arrkerr 54]

I have a 520 as well that I considered selling, but I don't want to loose my blower and who wants a 520 w/a 60" deck this time of year with out a snow implement.  I love the extra traction of the big tires, I'd prefer a snow blade but darn it all if I can't find an extension for anything near reasonable.

 

Since people might mentally be blocked on the price, if you need some cash before the holidays you might sell just the blower.  If I was any closer I'd love to pick up a tall chute.  I see them for anywhere from $100-550 around me, but I don't know what a realistic average selling point is ($300?).  Since it'd fit any decent horse, your audience is a lot wider and you might sell it quick, then subtract that from the 520 w/the 60" and sell that in the spring when people won't care about snow and want to get the grass cut fast.  A 520 w/a smaller deck has to compete with all the big-box 'tractors', but the large deck should really make it stand out - try finding anything with a 60" for anywhere near $1k in any store (or less than $5k for that matter).  Plus if you can hold out with the tractor you might find time to deal with the small issues over the winter and get a much better return.

[gabe911 23]

Thanks, those are excellent points! I'm probably just going to hold off on the horse till spring and get it ready for sale then.  Thanks guys

[arrkerr 54]

If you do decide to hold out on the tractor, I think sell that blower now.  I'm fairly sure people will pay a lot more for it separately than you'll get for the package deal.  You might also sell the wheel weights separately.  WH weights can bring you a good $50-100 on their own and I don't think people value them as much in a package w/a blower/blade.  Chains are pretty generic, so you could throw those in w/either the blower or the weights (I vote blower).

[chev0545 231]

I think the weather has something to do with selling your tractor.winter hasn't set in here in the northeast.

[AMC RULES 36,945]

Agreed... 

you'll probably do better splitting the pkg up. 

[bob's toy 32]

Don't feel to bad paying too much..After paying what I did and seeing some of the Horses for sale and the prices, at least I only had to drive a hundred miles to get it. I would never sell it as I have wanted one for many years and this one is being restored to the last bolt. Wish I could find a suburban for my next project..I would drive from Houston for the right deal..LOL

 

[857 horse 2,581]

i have a 6 hour drive for a tractor.....right after christmas.......only after looking at a dozen pics did i feel ok about pulling the trigger......but then again////

300-400 dollars isnt  1400.00 ..................i have noticed......different parts of the country demand different $$$$   for wheel horses