970 is a good, basic, dependable tractor.
When my FIL was looking for a little tractor, he was looking for something used. Everything we found that was nice they wanted what I thought he could almost buy a new one for. Checked in with our local dealer and they had 3 970's that had been on the lot a while (they have been made quite a few years) and he bought it brand new with loader for hardly more than the asking price of anything decent used.
They are a Yanmar tractor. Full gear dirve (not hydrostat) so not quite as nice for loader work as a hydrostat but still completely usable. They are made in 2wd and 4wd. The 4wd will do four times as much loader work as the 2wd. 2wd on a small tractor is almost helpless for loader work of any significance.
All that said, the front end 4wd on all these little tractors is kind of the weakest part. Under hard use they will start leaking at the pivot point. We have serviced my FIL's twice, but in fairness his eyesight is almost gone and he spins the front tires in cow manure with baler twine and wraps twine around the front spindle. Don't do that. Plastic baler twine will destroy the front wheel seals pronto.
Dry clutch so if you are a clutch rider that likes to slip it a lot, the clutch will be a weak point on loader work with a mechanical transmission. That said, FIL has not had to put a clutch in yet, so they must be pretty tough.
970 is a very good little old technology tractor that can be bought reasonable. I think they still sell basically the same tractor but under a later model number also. I don't know that number.
If you are thinking used, be sure to check new prices. It costs as much per hour to work on these little tractors as our big 450 hp 4wd and track tractors. Some not too major repairs and you will have more in a used one than if you had bought new with warrantee. Extended warrantee is not a bad idea if you are hard on stuff.
Last edited by snrub; 03/04/15 09:23 PM.
