I did the best I could to account for costs. I do not think adding these up is legit (I go into an analysis at the bottom) but to support that claim I broke things down into these categories:
- Initial purchase
- Repair (non-recurring costs to get the machine to a workable, reliable state - some of this stuff is going to be common, other stuff is unique to this specific machine and its individual history)
- Tune-up items (potentially recurring costs, some annually, some less often but at a minimum the belts do wear out)
- Modifications/accessory items (these items improve the function of the machine and should be non-recurring as well)
- Tools (tools I purchased but that will live in my toolbox after use)
The categories break down like this:
Initial purchase: $150
Repair: $211.67 (less than half was truly mandatory; I clearly did more than the bare minimum)
Tune-up: $81
Mod/accessories: $185
Tools: $54
Grand total? $681 including machine purchase. Looking at the list, the bare minimum I could have spent to get it up and running is $274 (including machine purchase). I mean the wheel weights and Terra-Grips alone are $180.
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Deutz-Allis 613H w/ 42" thrower, 42" deck and parts machine $150 Purchase
Carb kit $16.01 Repair
Coil $43.97 Repair
Gas cap $20.85 Repair
Plugs $5 Tuneup
Air filter $23 Tuneup
Fuel filter $8.50 Tuneup
Fuel shutoff $10 Repair
Lift lever grip $11.87 Repair
80" drive belt $18 Repair
79" drive belt $18 Repair
78" drive belt $18 Tuneup
Spare 120" deck/blower belt $26 Tuneup
1/4-20 threaded rod and nuts for battery hold down $5 Repair
Ring terminals for battery $5 Repair
Briggs flywheel puller and keys $18 Tool
3/4" drive sockets and adapter $36 Tool
Terra-Grip chains $107 Mod/accessory
Husqvarna wheel weights $72.71 Mod/accessory
Belt guide $18 Repair
Thrower shoe/skid $26.50 Repair
PTO rod set screw $10.47 Repair
Rubber flap hardware for blower $5 Mod/accessory
Tire slime $8 Repair
Looking at it another way, if I could have found a machine with 42" blower with wheel weights for under $400 that needed less work than this one, that would have been the better deal. Odds of that are about zero, because the 42" blower by itself is worth like $300. Or under $325 if I still had to buy my own wheel weights. That's even more unlikely.
Rationale:
A used machine in better condition than what I bought may not require the following items:
- Coil
- Gas cap
- Lift lever grip
- 80" drive belt
- 79" drive belt
- 78" drive belt
- Spare 120" deck/blower belt
- 1/4-20 threaded rod and nuts for battery hold down
- Ring terminals for battery
- Briggs flywheel puller and keys
- 3/4" drive sockets and adapter
- Belt guide
- PTO rod set screw
Which means I spent $250 on extra stuff that may not have been required on a machine in better condition. $250 + $150 = $400.
As for stuff I would have had to purchase anyway for any theoretical used machine purchase (assume it comes with weights because I've certainly seen that, but never saw the Terra-Grips):
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Carb kit $16.01
Plugs $5
Air filter $23
Fuel filter $8.50
Fuel shutoff $10
Terra-Grip chains $107
Thrower shoe/skid $26.50
Rubber flap hardware for blower $5
Tire slime $8
$209.01. If it doesn't have weights add another $72.71 = $281.72 on top of a non-existent <$400 machine. That comes to $681. I guess the conclusion is, this is still the least I could have spent given my options unless there was some 100% turn key snow machine for under $681 that didn't even need a single tune-up item, came with Terra-Grips, etc. Not happening either, for basically anything over 1 year old.
The cheapest thing I could have done was just bolt the thrower and hitch frame onto my Simplicity. In addition to the $150 for what I bought, I would have had to add:
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Lift lever grip $11.87
Spare 120" deck/blower belt $26
Terra-Grip chains $107
Husqvarna wheel weights $72.71
Thrower shoe/skid $26.50
Rubber flap hardware for blower $5
Or $249. In other words, I would have been at $400 just to put the thrower on my Simplicity. For an additional $281 (which would have been more expensive without the parts machine), I basically enabled what should be a reliable 2nd machine which I think we all can agree is probably the better idea. Now, if I could have found a "turn-key" machine of this architecture that needed absolutely nothing, not even a single tune-up item, for under $281 (no snow stuff, just the tractor), then I would have been better off to literally throw away the Deutz (or hold onto it for parts but that's it), as that would have been the better deal. That is not possible because that's not what the market provides in these price ranges.
I dunno, please check my math...