newer tractor

[dangerdoc]

I have a ford 851.

This year, I have fixed a broken spindle. Then fixed it again when the bushing failed.

I"ve broken two hydrolic hoses.

The power steering hydrolic cylinder came loose and then bent. After getting it repaired, I broke the hydrolic line going to the cylinder trying to straighten it out.

I have a diesel line leak that I can"t quite get stopped.

The tractor mows fine but requires ether to start and I just found oil in the radiator.

I"m not sure I am up to owning an antique tractor.

I don"t make any money from my tractor, I"m just trying to keep 60 acres of grass and trees at bay. I can"t justify spending alot of money on a tractor but on the other hand, I"m spending a lot of money keeping my old tractor running.

I"ve been watching the paper for tractors but any thing that looks like it would fit the bill is too expensive or to far to actually go look at.

I"m not much of a mechanic, fixing up the old tractor would be expensive but much less than another tractor. I"m just afraid that no matter how much I spend, there will be another part that will break.

Where does one find decent iron? Auctions seem to be a way of replacing your problem with someone else"s. The local dealers don"t have much of a selection and the prices are very high.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I know the feeling! I have work on my stuff everytime I think about using it. I guess we all have hard times every once in a while. A guy told me theres a auction in oklahoma where he got his. He got a good deal for 10,000.00.

 

[suptscottyb]

Reminds me of how I ended up buying my first new truck. After 10 yrs of driving whatever old pickup I could find and afford (which wasn't much on carpenter's wages), I realized that I had bought a battery on Sunday to get ready to go work, a starter on Wednesday (guess it wasn't the battery!), and when the week was done I had alittle money to start the brake job or whatever. I figured that by the time I restored my rolling jaloppy I could be making smaller payments on a new one...I never looked back. And while I do miss the old MF tractor, I love my 2003 4wd beast.

 

[Haywood]

(quoted from post at 18:36:51 10/08/07)
I have a ford 851.

I"m not sure I am up to owning an antique tractor.
I"ve been watching the paper for tractors but any thing that looks like it would fit the bill is too expensive or to far to actually go look at.
I"m not much of a mechanic, fixing up the old tractor would be expensive but much less than another tractor. I"m just afraid that no matter how much I spend, there will be another part that will break.
Where does one find decent iron?

These are age old Questions I used to be faced with all the time.
I used to Spend up to 3 hours for $75 fee to give a old ford tractor
an evaluation and cost to make repairs needed to make it a decent operating tractor. Generally I would rate it poor, average or good.
condition. and quote parts and labor.

For instance: A Ford 851/with loader..evaluation.
Poor condition @ $5000 minimum for repairs. [i:997352ec9b][b:997352ec9b]Not worth fixing[/b:997352ec9b][/i:997352ec9b]

Average condition @$2500 [i:997352ec9b][b:997352ec9b]would bring it to good working order.[/b:997352ec9b][/i:997352ec9b]
Good condition @ $1000 [i:997352ec9b][b:997352ec9b]for needed repairs[/b:997352ec9b][/i:997352ec9b]

If you have tire or wheel issues this can ad many more dollars.

A good avaluation and estimate might be worth a few bucks to help you make that decision.

 

[MH]

I see your problem, you are trying to do this with one old tractor, you need a couple of spares so when you have problems with one, you just hook up the other one.

Actually, I would look at what the payments on a new 40+hp tractor would be & look at what you would have to put into yours to get it into top notch shape. Betcha you will end up spending a lot more on a new one, but you would also have a higher resale value. Guess it depends on what you want & what you can afford.

I personally like the older stuff. Can do most of the work on it myself & you can still get parts for it...also it is not made of plastic & sensors like most of the newer tractors.

Matthew

 

[rrlund]

What brand of dealer do you have nearest to you. If it's a major brand,I mean not one of those made in India,I'd go with that brand. A Ford 3000,MF 135,something along that line.

 

[Walt Davies]

I know just what you mean, I have a lot old equipment and one fairly new MacDon Mower, believe it or not I seem to spend just about as much time repairing the old stuff as I do the newer Macdon mower. Just picked up an old pull behind cycle bar mower for $25 looks to be in good shape but you never know until you get it working.
Of course I have been working on this stuff for more than 40 years so I have the experience and the tools to get the job done. Although sometime when you have to put out several Hundred Bucks for a part a hurt real bad.
I think it all depends on the person if you love the old stuff like I do then its more of a working relationship than a job. If you just want a tractor that starts right up an goes to work for you then I would get a newer one with low hours or new one the cost is about the same sometimes but if you have to take it to the shop for repair then I would think a good new tractor with a good warrante would be better for you.
Walt

 

[dangerdoc]

I have two tractors.

The other is a farmall 340.

TA overhall last year.

This year.
Blown hydrolic line, not hose, and deep inside the frame to boot.
Dead battery.
glazed brakes.
Bad ignition that I haven"t gotten to yet.
lost fast hitch adapter, bought a spare at an auction.

In general, I don"t like to turn over the second tractor without fixing the first. It seems like the second will alway break if the first is down.

Last year, I had the farmall down in the barn, I was mowing with the Ford when the spindle broke. I didn"t want to work on it in the tall grass so I fired up an old backhoe I used to have, I made it about half way to the barn when the backhoe broke down. About this time, my wife came driving up the drive way. She asked me if anything was wrong. All I could say was no, everything seems to be working as usual.

 

[rrlund]

I wish everybody that has dreams of a simple life on a place in the country would read this. Everybody has this vision of an idelic setting where it's always warm,the sun's always shining! HAHA welcome to the real world.