2001 518xi Reliability and Value

[John1957 5]

I am considering buying a 2001 518xi with 750 hours in average condition.  Are these machines reliable and if what is a reasonable value for it?  Thanks, John1957 

[JackC 617]

As far as I know everyone likes their 5xi tractors. The 518xi does not have cruise control or power steering.  It has a smaller diameter steering wheel and mid back seat instead of a high back.  When I decided to get a 5xi tractor I decided I wanted power steering and the liquid cooled Kawasaki engine so I held out for a 520Lxi.  Now that I have used the power steering with my single stage blower I would not want one without it especially when I put my heavy 2 stage blower on it.  The 520xi has cruise control but no power steering.  The 522xi, 520Lxi, and 523Dxi have cruise control and power steering.   I have not had my 5xi very long but they appear to be very well built and they should be reliable. They are harder to find attachments for.  Price depends on condition and what comes with it.  If no attachments then $800 or less.  I personally would not buy a 518xi because I wanted a 5xi with power steering and the ability to run a 60" deck.

[Rick_in_CT 156]

John,

 

I have had two 522xi tractors, a '98 and a '04 and reliability on both was excellent.  The 98 had about 440 hours on it when I sold it, and it never had a breakdown.  That's 17 years of service with only preventative maintenance.

 

Price is dependent on condition, both physical and operational, and what if any attachments are included.  I would want to give it a good test drive from a cold start.  I would check the engine oil and transmission oil to see how clean they are (transmission dipstick is under the seat).  The condition of the fluids gives you a hint on how well maintained it is, so does the condition of the air filter.  Make sure the engine is cold when you start it, so that the owner has not warmed it up before you get there.  When started from a cold start, do you get any smoke?  Does it start right up?  You typically will need to use the choke when starting up cold.  Does it idle smooth?  Accelerate the engine, does it stay smooth or does it develop a miss?  You are going to want to run it long enough for it to get good and hot, watching the temp gauge.  If the tractor has been used to do a lot of grass cutting, the air spaces behind the engine shrouds can become clogged with grass and cause the engine to run quite hot.  If this is the case, the engine typically has to be pulled to remove all the tins and get the grass out.

 

Run the tractor around at different speeds and listen to and feel the transmission for any strange noises.  Test both high and low ranges.

Test the implement clutch to make sure it engages.  Test the headlights.  Look for leaks.  Look to see if the front wheel bearings show evidence of being routinely greased.  Does the tractor come to a stop when you release the drive pedal?  If it doesn't, there are adjustments for this.  Check the steering.  Does it feel tight, or is it loose.  Tie rods can wear or become bent.

 

If there are any attachments, go over them as well.  From what I have seen and experienced, most parts are still available for the tractors and the attachments.  All of the operator manuals and parts books are available on toro.com for no charge, or on this site.

 

JackC is correct that the 518xi does not have all the bells and whistles that the 520xi and 522xi models have, but it will be dependent on what your needs and budget are.  If you are going to just cut grass, it is probably fine for that.  If you intend to use a snow blower, then the lack of power steering can make the weight of the blower on the front wheels pretty heavy, and you could be in for quite a work out.  The two stage blower is very heavy.  A snow blade would probably be fine.

 

Keep in mind that the 5xi series of tractors only accept attachments that were made to fit the series, they do not accept attachments from any other Wheel Horse series.

 

If looking for attachments, you can also search for attachments for the New Holland GT series, as these are the same tractors only painted blue and black by Wheel Horse.

 

These are not big box store tractors, they were built to last.  In 2001 that tractor was probably around $5000+.  522xi's were up around 7-8K.

 

Good luck, and if you have any questions post them here.

 

Rick

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

John,

 

I have three 5xi and all were bought used. My latest is the 523Dxi which does have power steering but also carries an additional 100 lbs up front due to the engine. For the Kohler, it is a nice-to-have option but not essential. You will also find more 518xi on the market as more were sold due to the high initial cost.

 

My first was a 518xi that I bought five years a go. Other than normal maintenance, I have not had a breakdown or needed a repair. I use a 48" deck for the grass, and pull a Cyclone Rake XL in the fall for leaves with it. My property has a number of trees so it is fun driving with a unit that is 13' long pivoting in the middle! In the winter, I use a 48" snow blade. There isn't a problem with manual steering (except with maybe the two-stage snowblower) as you have the hydraulic lift and the tractor is pretty well balanced. It actually has the same power as a 520xi as the Mfrs. were fudging on horsepower back then.

 

The second I bought was a 520xi which does some of the plowing now. The 518xi rested this winter. The 520xi has 1" larger steering wheel which surprisingly does make the steering a little easier. It would be a nice upgrade on a 518xi if you find a used one. My bottom doesn't mind which seat it sits on.

 

As far as prices go, a 518xi with those hours would be in my area $1500-$2000 with a deck. A tractor alone would be $1000-$1200. The 2001 tractors had Kenda tires supplied which in my opinion were better that the Titans. Even though the dimensional size was the same, the tire itself is a bit larger.

 

Follow Rick's advice on checking it out. Even if there are some issues, it is still a good tractor. If you do buy it, you probably should look behind the shrouds with that many hours. It all depends on how it was used - and maintained. Being heavy-duty, it will take quite a bit of usage - but like anything else not abuse. It seriously is as good as a JD 400-series for less money.

 

John

[Forest Road 594]

I have a 522xi which has power steering and cruise. With 1100 hours she's going strong. I purchased it 2-3 years ago. Put about 100 hours on it mostly giving the kids rides.

From what u can tell it was used and abused on a daily basis. It came w a Kwik way loader, beat up 2 stage snow blower and cab, mower deck & bagger, and one of the most abused snow plows I've ever seen on a WH. Seriously the tractor and all attachments looked like they'd been used by a prison labor camp.

Took it home with the loader and left everything else. It ran fine. All linkage for steering and motion control was so loose I still can't believe it was operational. In the end it works extremely well. Plenty of power in high and low ranges.

From what I can tell they're as reliable or even more so than our old tried and true lil red tractors. Overall I'm impressed every time I take it for a spin.

And on rare occasion I have to remind myself it's NOT a 4x4 Kubota BX. For the $$$ I don't complain.

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