Good Article

[DPittman]

Just reread Mr. Pratts article about “ The Perfect Restoration“ and how much I can relate to it when I wander up and down the rows of tractors that are at the shows that I go to.
As much as I appreciate the time and resources that go into a nice restoration of any antique tractor or whatever with an engine on it, I do find myself lingering at the one that has been left untouched and see where the farmer did this or did that for “temporary” just to get a crop in or out or any of the other work that tractors are required to do.
Too often I’ve been in the “original“ or restored conversation and have always leaned towards the “originally they had paint on em” mindset but to each his own.
Good article Chris,Thank you DP

 

[wjytexas]

I guess a lot depends on the condition of the tractor when you get it. If it's a classic rather than an antique and beat to pieces and barely runs I'm not so much for originality. I bought a '54 Fergie To 30 from a former schoolmate that had good sheet metal and fairly good original paint. I did the repair work necessary to get it running good. The hydraulics worked,, clutch was fine. Left it as is. The '54 Ford NAA and '57 MF 50 were beat to hlll. I put a lot of work and a good deal of $$ in them and brought them back "like new". I inherited my son's all original '58 MH 65 which ran and worked well, good sheet metal except for 1 bullet hole, and had an even patina of surface rust. It is all natural. My point, depends on the tractor and the owner.

 

[Texasmark]

There is a lot to that "temporary" fix to get things back up and running. I find myself doing it a lot and personally not ashamed of it nor worried about it. Sometimes after the fact I buy replacement parts and install them. Sometimes I leave the fixes as is.

 

[joeysmith]

All those scratches an dings were put there by my family so those tractors stay in running condition not restored as long as I have them.
Next generation can do what they want with them

 

[Tgrasher]

In a parade the "unknowing" people along the route seem to like the shine of a restored and painted tractor. At home, I like using my dirty tractors, the grime doesn't affect their ability to do what I ask of them. The previous owner alterations sometimes make me scratch my head, a few I've continued with such as this extra back rest on this seat.

 

[RBnWA]

I get a lot of good comments at shows on my tractors in their work clothes. They are not all beat up. RB

 

[pomester]

Just reread Mr. Pratts article about “ The Perfect Restoration“ and how much I can relate to it when I wander up and down the rows of tractors that are at the shows that I go to.
As much as I appreciate the time and resources that go into a nice restoration of any antique tractor or whatever with an engine on it, I do find myself lingering at the one that has been left untouched and see where the farmer did this or did that for “temporary” just to get a crop in or out or any of the other work that tractors are required to do.
Too often I’ve been in the “original“ or restored conversation and have always leaned towards the “originally they had paint on em” mindset but to each his own.
Good article Chris,Thank you DP

In my mind there is a difference between honest scars acquired during a long life of service and display of abuse/half-azz by ignorant owners. Almost every tractor I own came to me as a basket case. They would have been parted out/scrapped except for me. Lots of abuse in evidence. I still use these antiques as working tractors on a working farm and I return them to solid working condition which may involve sandblasted sheet metal and a new coat of paint or not. It certainly involves repairing mangled hitches and neutral safety switches.

I've spent my shop time on two different TO30 Fergusons this winter. One is a relatively unmolested original I saved from a scrapper last year. I've tidied it up, added a original horseshoe hitch to make it more useful to me, rebuilt the original generator, got the original light system repaired and working, etc. It would potentially be more useful converted to 12v, but in its case it's more pleasing to me to have original features and I'll just use it to drag wagons and trailers around. Kinda a vanity project I guess, it's really superfluous to my operation. I'll leave the paint as it is altho there's a light second coat over much of the machine.

The other 30 is on the shop floor right now. I got it in 2009. It's led a hard life and shows it. I've rebuilt the engine and added a sherman combo transmission. It was already inelegantly converted to 12v. It drags a herbicide rig around the orchard. I'm adding lights back to it (LED's) and rewiring, new alternator w/tachometer drive and a tachometer and addressing a myriad of small issues such as the spring holding the shift lever down (PITA) and returning a safety feature to the starter which required removing the dash to close up the switch hole to mount an original style switch, also a PITA, but not as much as that spring. It's going to be displaying its dented grill and mangled fenders and patina surface. The only reasonable alternative would be to acquire new/different sheet metal and as its a working tractor I don't feel vanity comes into play. It is returned to solid working condition with little regard to cosmetics.

I don't mind scars, but hate half-azzed. These type of tractors are cheap enough to play with however it pleases you.

 

[Mcrafty1]

There is a lot to that "temporary" fix to get things back up and running. I find myself doing it a lot and personally not ashamed of it nor worried about it. Sometimes after the fact I buy replacement parts and install them. Sometimes I leave the fixes as is.

It's only temporary unless it works

 

[Fixingfarmer]

I will admit I prefer function to originality. It’s my opinion they were meant to be used. I would say restored over original as well. All depends what the goal is. None of mine are perfectly original. If they have a battery it’s 12 volt but the creative wiring that some (it seems to me like ALL previous owners) had done previous is the quickest way to get me to spend money on making it better with some real harnesses. Weather it’s Correct or not is in the eye of the beholder. And they are mine.

 

[Texasmark]

In a parade the "unknowing" people along the route seem to like the shine of a restored and painted tractor. At home, I like using my dirty tractors, the grime doesn't affect their ability to do what I ask of them. The previous owner alterations sometimes make me scratch my head, a few I've continued with such as this extra back rest on this seat.

I don't wash my tractors but they get greased frequently and the grease isn't competing with water. Additionally, they are all (7) shedded to compliment that process.