What is a restored tractor?

[Fritz Maurer]

Every nut and bolt or just enough to make it run....not for judging purposes, just personal opinion.

 

[used red MN]

just personal opinion

You almost got it right there, to many it is what meets their personal opinion of the definition. I do know that if you would have asked this question on here 5 - 10 years ago the opinion on it being “every nut and bolt removed and everything returned back to as it left the factory” would have been much stronger. Unfortunately by natural progression those with strong feelings and connections to that opinion are becoming a smaller number.

 

[Fritz Maurer]

You almost got it right there, to many it is what meets their personal opinion of the definition. I do know that if you would have asked this question on here 5 - 10 years ago the opinion on it being “every nut and bolt removed and everything returned back to as it left the factory” would have been much stronger. Unfortunately by natural progression those with strong feelings and connections to that opinion are becoming a smaller number.

Thats a good catch I didn't realize I answered my own question. I was trying exclude competition because the correct police would come out.

 

[Buckhammer]

a restored tractor is one in which the restoration costs more than the value of the tractor.

 

[Destroked 450]

I guess it depends if you want to cosmetically restore it or full nut and bolt restore it
I’ve never done a full nut and bolt restoration but I have refreshed a few that needed a fair amount of mechanical repair and a new paint job

 

[JohnRowehl]

From the dictionary:
Restore implies a return to an original state after depletion or loss.

Renew implies a restoration of what had become faded or disintegrated so that it seems like new

Refresh implies the supplying of something necessary to restore lost strength, animation, or power.

Rejuvenate suggests the restoration of youthful vigor, powers, or appearance.

Renovation suggests a renewing by cleansing, repairing, or rebuilding

Refurbish-to make clean, bright, or fresh again; renovate

 

[wjytexas]

Restored, refreshed, rehabilitated, got running.

 

[rrlund]

I'm not obsessive about it, but I've been to the Henry Ford Museum and seen tractors that were truly "restored". Anything less just doesn't measure up.

 

[rrlund]

a restored tractor is one in which the restoration costs more than the value of the tracto

a restored tractor is one in which the restoration costs more than the value of the tractor.

So putting four new tires on a Ford 8N make is restored.

 

[rrlund]

From the dictionary:
Restore implies a return to an original state after depletion or loss.

Renew implies a restoration of what had become faded or disintegrated so that it seems like new

Refresh implies the supplying of something necessary to restore lost strength, animation, or power.

Rejuvenate suggests the restoration of youthful vigor, powers, or appearance.

Renovation suggests a renewing by cleansing, repairing, or rebuilding

Refurbish-to make clean, bright, or fresh again; renovate

I prefer to call what I do a preservation, so it'll be around for the next owner to restore.

 

[sotxbill]

Every nut and bolt or just enough to make it run....not for judging purposes, just personal opinion.

People say that I restore tractors. I tell them, "Absolutley NOT!!!" I do NOT restore tractors. I buy them. Get every thing working again, including the charging systems and gauges, fix all leaks, Paint them, put the main decals back on.. THEN I STOP.. as going further will not bring anymore money or value to the tractor. I used to add all the lights, and blinkers, but found out it did not bring one cent more. However if you dont paint them, the city folks will not buy them. But I never restore them. Just bring them back to operational condition, with fairly good looks, ready to go to work. Usually pair the less than 60 hp tractors with a shredder (rotary cutter) for the small acreage folks. By picking them very very very carefully, 90% or more of my tractors are in very good shape. Occasionally and sadly, I sell a dog. That is, a tractor that is not up to my standards... but I try to pass it on as a bargin to the right buyer. There are... always buyers who only want to pay half of what its worth.. and they will scoop up the low priced "dogs" out there. NO,,, I dont restore tractors, but I save a hell of a lot of good tractors from going overseas or Mexico. How did it start, well bought a superdexta for the farm,, then sold it and moved to a 3000 w loader,, square baler, then started round baling... and so it goes.145 tractors later..at least the ones in my spreadsheet.

 

[grandpa Love]

People say that I restore tractors. I tell them, "Absolutley NOT!!!" I do NOT restore tractors. I buy them. Get every thing working again, including the charging systems and gauges, fix all leaks, Paint them, put the main decals back on.. THEN I STOP.. as going further will not bring anymore money or value to the tractor. I used to add all the lights, and blinkers, but found out it did not bring one cent more. However if you dont paint them, the city folks will not buy them. But I never restore them. Just bring them back to operational condition, with fairly good looks, ready to go to work. Usually pair the less than 60 hp tractors with a shredder (rotary cutter) for the small acreage folks. By picking them very very very carefully, 90% or more of my tractors are in very good shape. Occasionally and sadly, I sell a dog. That is, a tractor that is not up to my standards... but I try to pass it on as a bargin to the right buyer. There are... always buyers who only want to pay half of what its worth.. and they will scoop up the low priced "dogs" out there. NO,,, I dont restore tractors, but I save a hell of a lot of good tractors from going overseas or Mexico. How did it start, well bought a superdexta for the farm,, then sold it and moved to a 3000 w loader,, square baler, then started round baling... and so it goes.145 tractors later..at least the ones in my spreadsheet.

Sounds like what we do

 

[Texasmark]

People say that I restore tractors. I tell them, "Absolutley NOT!!!" I do NOT restore tractors. I buy them. Get every thing working again, including the charging systems and gauges, fix all leaks, Paint them, put the main decals back on.. THEN I STOP.. as going further will not bring anymore money or value to the tractor. I used to add all the lights, and blinkers, but found out it did not bring one cent more. However if you dont paint them, the city folks will not buy them. But I never restore them. Just bring them back to operational condition, with fairly good looks, ready to go to work. Usually pair the less than 60 hp tractors with a shredder (rotary cutter) for the small acreage folks. By picking them very very very carefully, 90% or more of my tractors are in very good shape. Occasionally and sadly, I sell a dog. That is, a tractor that is not up to my standards... but I try to pass it on as a bargin to the right buyer. There are... always buyers who only want to pay half of what its worth.. and they will scoop up the low priced "dogs" out there. NO,,, I dont restore tractors, but I save a hell of a lot of good tractors from going overseas or Mexico. How did it start, well bought a superdexta for the farm,, then sold it and moved to a 3000 w loader,, square baler, then started round baling... and so it goes.145 tractors later..at least the ones in my spreadsheet.

Sounds like what I do too....but I don't sell them, I keep them. I buy them needing what you do and I do what you do for use on my farm. Over time I will upgrade which includes a sale or trade in. Over the 40+ years I have tried to learn how to farm, I only bought 2 new tractors, 65 fully decked out in 2007, and a little 25 open station with loader in 2021 for my assistant. Working alone as I have always done, at my advanced age, it is a real helper doing what chores need to be done around here.

 

[Goose]

It's kind of a loose definition. Some people are meticulous and basically disassemble the tractor and start over from scratch
Others run a tractor through a car wash, squirt some paint at it, and call it restored.

 

[Rich'sToys]

Some people are meticulous and basically disassemble the tractor and start over from scratch

That would be my definition of a restored tractor.

Mine are not like that. They are fixed up enough so that they run decent, and most of them have amateur paint jobs, done by me. If they can make it through a parade without breaking down, and look good to the people who are watching, that's good enough for me. The next person can re-do them if he wants.

 

[Ray,IN]

I'm not obsessive about it, but I've been to the Henry Ford Museum and seen tractors that were truly "restored". Anything less just doesn't measure up.

Yup, that is restored to original condition, some even go so far as to locate and install original brand, size and tread design tires.

 

[Dick L]

From the dictionary:
Restore implies a return to an original state after depletion or loss.

Renew implies a restoration of what had become faded or disintegrated so that it seems like new

Refresh implies the supplying of something necessary to restore lost strength, animation, or power.

Rejuvenate suggests the restoration of youthful vigor, powers, or appearance.

Renovation suggests a renewing by cleansing, repairing, or rebuilding

Refurbish-to make clean, bright, or fresh again; renovate

I like your definitions and agree except you must have missed one.

I have attempted to restore many tractors and everyone had what I thought had an engineering flaw which I just had to correct. Then next one I would start on I would tell myself this one I will stick to the real restoration, but I would go astray and make chances. At 87 I have given up on me doing an actual restoration. I will welcome and accept any definition you place on my projects.

All posted in fun ^D

My picture site

 

[NoDakInMN]

I think that if you pull a tractor out of the weeds or some other area of lengthy repose and make it functional again, you can claim to have restored it to running condition.

Bringing a tractor back to "as it left the factory" condition looks nice, but often that is a misnomer as the paint is often superior to when it left the factory. And truthfully, "as it left the factory" represents an exceedingly small portion of the tractor's life. Working on a farm quickly led to scuffs and scratches in the paint, fluid leaks and spills soon attracted some dirt and there
would be some repairs. So, to my way of thinking, a tractor put back in working condition is more of a true restoration as it better
represents how the tractor looked most of its life.

 

[mdm1]

I have learned to remove the word restored from my vocabulary. I would love to do one but don't have the knowledge required.

 

[jwal10]

Restored to me is everything in working order and new paint. I have done 3. 2520 JD, 544 IH hydro and a 454/2400 utility in Cub Cadet colors. If the engine runs great and doesn't leak oil, it is good enough. Same with transmission, everything works great I am not tearing it down. I like my tractors in original paint and excellent mechanical condition. I would have to do the restoration my self or know the person doing it to believe it was a nut and bolt restoration. Takes a lot of time and money for something that will never be worth what it cost, 99% of the time. I want something I can use, not a trailer queen. These days, muscle tractors are all the rage, huge tires and slick shiny paint. Big money. I ain't in to that. Now if you are talking Concours d'Elegance restoration? I like to look, but not for me....James