Dating a JD 540 ?

[Satamax]

Hi everybody. 

Just a quick question. A guy is trying to sell a JD 540 on Leboncoin.  And tells me that it is a 1980. 

From what i see, the manual for the square nosed ones is from july 1977. 

So there is a  discrepancy in what he's saying. 

Any opinion ? 

Here's the pic. 



Thanks a lot guys. 

[Grandpa]

I don't know much about the 540 but if it was a 440 I would date it from the early 70's from looking at the canopy. The 440 changed from that style to the square nose in 1976. I think the 540 followed the same timeline but not 100% sure.

[240b]

pre '76 
 is frame broke? 
all the 540s that vintage around here have broken front frames 

[Satamax]

Ok, thanks a lot guys.

[BargeMonkey]

That's a straight 540 or 540A. Pre -77. Called a "Banana nose" around here. 6cyl. Would have to be priced right. 

[Satamax]

That's a straight 540 or 540A. Pre -77. Called a "Banana nose" around here. 6cyl. Would have to be priced right.

The guy says it's a powershift model. And wants 8000€ 8860$ or thereabouts. Broken dual winch. main shaft and worm or gear of the winch to replaced. Remote control. 

About 2000 dolls to ship it to southern France, where i live. 

[BargeMonkey]

 The price of iron has taken a BEATING here and only getting worse. If you wanted to hobby cut wood and chase some hard to find parts maybe. 10k bucks and then winch parts, all the rest, I wouldn't do it. I know of 3x CLEAN cable skidders around, new enough for parts, could even probably find a parts machine and put it in the container at the same time, how I would go about it. The covid madness on iron pricing is over, the deals are coming around on nice go to work iron over here. 

[Satamax]

Thanks a lot BargeMonkey.

On this side of the Atlantic, it hasn't gone down. They're all bonkers! For example, i'm looking at Fendt Xylon.  Last ones  i've seen selling, one near me, a bit beat up, 7770 hours. from 1995 16000 euros. one at auction in the Netherlands unknown hours, from 1996, 19438€

The Germans, on agriaffaires / macdhinerytrader ask up to 60000 for a machine which has 12000 hours!

One 440D on leboncoin, 21000 euros, for a 1985 machine. Sounds all right, but the machine has 25000 hours.

Here it is. https://www.leboncoin.fr/ad/materiel_agricole/2835335237

Massey Ferguson tractors, from the eighties, or even seventies, they're asking sometimes for more than 20000 euros.

Mind you, i understand the high prices. Food shopping wise, it's gone nuts. For half a shopping trolley, with about the same food in it. pre covid, i was paying around 140/160 euros. Now, it is more like 180/200.

Edit: I just popped around that French classified site again.

A 440A for 19000, the guy must be high!

https://www.leboncoin.fr/ad/materiel_agricole/2839755731

And lying about the age of the machine. This can't be from 1982.

[BargeMonkey]

I'm watching it swing HARD, woods moving but not like it was. High interest, fighting the weather, another bigger logger north of me LOST IT ALL a few months ago, I'm talking right down to the saws in the back of the truck. There's a decent 640D 1hr east of me, guys losing his shirt, needs a clutch, I'm betting 13k bucks in a bag loads it on a trailer. There's a nice shape 240C 1hr west of me, the stuffs around, I'm game to stuff a machine in a box. 

[Satamax]

Barge, buying overseas for a weekend warrior. Is not possible, or at least not sensible at all.  

[BargeMonkey]

I wasn't sure how much wood you planned to cut. Over here some of those machines are hard for parts or boneyard items, I can only imagine what your going to pay over there. 

[Satamax]

Some good deals can be had. When someone gets back to their senses. I missed a 440b in need of  a new radiator, with the radiator provided, for 3000€. 

[teakwood]

That looks exactly like my 540A which is 1971, the canopy looks modified. Nice how they europized the back with a lowerable blade, double winch and remote..

Wouldn't touch this skidder with a 10 foot pole, i baby my skidder like no body else everytime i use it (1 day a month) and I'm fully aware that if the powershift goes or something else important that i will have a 7.5to lawn ornament at home. But the skidder doesn't own me a penny! It has been excellent to me

[teakwood]

"The Germans, on agriaffaires / macdhinerytrader ask up to 60000 for a machine which has 12000 hours!"

Yeah, like in Switzerland,  10 year old welte or hsm, 8000h, still wanting 150k for them