Is the 1542 still available? I would be interested.
CoFarmer,
Tuckers were typically bought by three different types of purchasers; governmental agencies, utility companies and by various organizations for use as groomers.
Of those three, utility company machines generally see the least use and are the best maintained. Machines used as groomers can be characterized by the phrase "rode hard, and put away wet". They got lots of hard usage, repairs were often somewhat makeshift, and maintenance practices were sketchy.
There's a lesson many of us learn the hard way: "The cheapest machine may not be the best value". Parts add up fast. With a groomer you'll likely find a lot of worn parts and probably some cracks in the frame, carriers, etc. Lets take idler wheels... a 1542 will have 20, and new ones are $250+ each.
I personally have learned to avoid machines that were groomers, and I recommend that policy to others.