And The Slaughter Continues......

Ford made short of a million classic N model tractors. A bunch are still earning their keep, quite a few are semi-retired with parade and show duty only, and several more were beaten and abused until there wasn't enough left to be useful anymore. Parts tractors. And while that's a shame, it's just the nature of machinery and man. At least they still have value as long as there is a demand for spare parts.

Enter eBay. Now there is a convenient, easy to access forum for trading and finding what we need. Grand as that may be, it's breeding what I think might be the beginning of the end of our hobby. You've all been there and looked around. And you've seen what's going on. It seems that we've got quite a few individuals who have taken to dismantling tractors for profit.

Not just the worn out and damaged-beyond-repair units, either. They're even chopping up perfectly good tractors, too. They'll tell you that right in their cute little ads. And the number of these hacks is growing. Why, it's even reached the point where some hang out here and brag about it. How nice for them. These tractors still hold their value well enough that the total value of their parts is less or only equivalent to the value of the complete, running unit. The only way it may be worth more as parts is if it had a mechanical issue or some other factor that drove the initial purchase price way down. But even then, it would be much less time consuming and a whole lot more satisfying to a true enthusiast to repair the problem and resell the entire tractor for the same or more profit than that of its parts. The single, solitary reason I can come up with for this behavior is a combination of the same love and admiration for these tractors that we all have and a complete lack of skill, talent, creativity, and patience to actually repair and maintain them. Translation: "I sure doo likes to play with dese here tractors. They is jus' like the one my paw useta have. But I tain't smart enuff to put em back togeder afters I takes 'em apart! Wanna buy a piece?" Whatever. I just wish they would take up needlepoint or crochet to occupy their time and get a real job to keep the lights turned on. Then maybe they'd quit interfering with our little bit of history and leave us alone.

So in my sheltered little world, I see a sharper decline in the number of viable tractors on the market due the increase in the number of units slaughtered for there mechanisms and pieces. Eventually, this will drive up the price of a complete, running tractor and drive the cost of spare parts down. When will it reach the point where only the serious collectors can afford to own one? And what will the rest of us do then? Start a Yanmar or Kubota enthusiasts club?!? Maybe my views are a little extreme, but this new form of profiteering WILL at some point have a negative effect on our culture and community. But that's OK, isn't it? At least somebody made a buck the easy way, right?

It would be foolish to think that every tractor out there can and should be restored. The demand for WORKING tractors far outweighs the demand for trailer queens. It's tough to get much mowing, plowing, or whatever else done when you're all ate up about getting the equipment dirty. Nor is it logical to think that every unit that has spent 10 years out in the weather behind the barn is a viable candidate for much besides dismantling, either. My issue lies strictly with those who specifically "shop" for a good running tractor in decent shape with lots of choice parts on it just to tear down. Where exactly is the sport in that? Several of you admit that there is an abundance of iron out there that while somewhat serviceable, will cost far more than it will be worth after reconditioning to mess with. Not to mention the units with cracked blocks, worn out transmissions, totaled sheet metal, or any of several other single, major defects that are more expensive to repair than the results will be worth. There is hardly a shortage of tractors that NEED to be scrapped that would warrant seeking out the ones that need very little or nothing.

I've parted distressed tractors out before. Nothing at all wrong with it. But for every one I've parted out, I've tuned up, painted, changed a clutch, overhauled a carb or some other simple thing on several others and resold them for a decent profit. Is it making me rich? Uh, no. If you're trying to get paid for your labor, you're definitely in the wrong line of work - and you're missing the point. Tearing them down pays just the same. But I'd never part out a tight, solid machine just because I know I can sell a few of the parts. The aftermarket already supplies nearly everything that could break or wear out on an "N" but the major castings. And most of those rarely break.

Even by the thin logic presented in several of the replies, we will at some point find that most of those left are the ones that will cost a mint to screw back together. And then what? The pricetag goes through the roof. But I get the impression that's what a few of you really want. The bottom line is that the dismantlers have every right to dispose of their property however they see fit. By the same token, I've got just as much right to think that sometimes it's destructive and a waste. And I've got the right to say so.

I personally would not part out a tractor that is in good shape, but if someone else decides to do so, who are we to criticize? Its a judgement call every time. Sometimes we may disagree on the call that is made.

Keep on writing, its interesting to hear everybody's opinions.

The balancing factor that is the only redeeming fact is that the parts tractors become next years restoration candidates. Granted, you can only reuse parts so many times and they eventually break, but the aftermarket industry has addressed most of those (pistons, pumps, rims, etc). I'm not really taking any sides, but as stated before, I would rather see a good decent tractor restored. If the restorer doesn't want to put in the effort to restore, why not sell it to someone else willing to put in the time and effort?

At the same time, I'm investing $5000 into my 2N in parts alone and have the recipts to prove it. Yes, it will be a trailer queen as i don't have a garden and i think it's worked enough over it's lifespan. Several tractors will be work tractors, several will be "show only" tractors and that's good because they will be preserved in original condition for others to see them as they were when new.

I think that all in all, we each have different feelings on preservation, restoration, and utilitarian usage of our tractors and that's what makes this board great. Please don't get upset over differing opinions and try to offer your viewpoint as objectively and neutral as possible. We are all friends here!

Jeb

sometimes it gets to a point where , you say it is easier parting them out and not having to deal with the public who wants something for nothing,, had it happen a few months ago, I had picked up a tractor with a loader for a decent price,, put some money into it made it a good runner and decent looker, figured I would put a smaller price tag on it than it was worth, but still make money on it,, 6 people looked at it,, offered me way less than it was worth,, even tho I had a good price on it to begin with , I figured I would give a deal to someone who could use it,,,I decided then and there to part it,,still happy with my decision,,will be doing it again soon because i have a great running tractor again ,, here there is no market for it,so I will save some good parts for my 6 N series tractors I may need at some time , the rest will get sold to other collectors who can use the pieces and be happy to get the parts with out the hassle of having a whole tractor sitting in their yard,driveway,garage,front porch, where ever, some people dont have lots of space for extra tractors, me I have lots of room for plenty of them but not much need for many more,, business is business, it is the supply and demand that entitles us all to make a dollar here and there to keep us able to enjoy our hobbies, even sometimes pay a bill or two,, some of us see a need and an area to make a dollar, there is not that much wrong with it,,, parts are needed, so are whole tractors,, we do as we see fit, as circumstances present themselves,,,,,I believe there will be tractors and parts around for a long time,, dont sweat the small stuff,, ok there was my 2 cents,,,

Dan

a) I could restore it for 3000 and then only get an offer (what it's actually worth) where I would profit nill for my restoration labor. b)Or..... .. part it out for about 2000 so that I would profit about a 1000 and others would save on their restorations costs???

Hmmmm..... tough questions.

I know, Redline, I could just sell my tractor to you for 2000 and all problems are solved. Or...I could sell you my tractor for 1000, you restore it for 3000 and sell it back to me for 3000! We all need more friends like you!!! (I'll be a waitin' by da maobox fer de check. Tanks buddy!!!) :-) LOL.

Imagine the tractors that John Smith restored for the St. Jude charity auctions....almost perfect sheetmetal, not butchered, not all welded on, requireing the bare minium of parts to restore and make like new. Then someone takes that "Jewel in the rough" and proceeds to dismantle it just to hock the parts off on eBay. It was a perfectly good tractor to begin with! And usually, these people don't just do one or two tractors, but entire yards of tractors that could easily be restored. Tractor parts by the dozen!

Of course, the other side of the coin is, would you really want to see that same pristine N continue to sit out in the field/woods/windrow until it eventually rusted away into nothing? It's a tough call, but unless something prohibitively expensive happened to the tractor, i would much rather see the unit sold as a whole and put back into service. There's plenty of Basket Cases out there to get parts from without chopping up good ones.

Just my opinion; hope i didn't step on any toes.

Jeb

If you are right, it will stop when we reach equilibrium and a whole tractor is worth more than its collective parts.

I don't believe it when you say that these persons are chopping up perfectly good tractor(s) and selling the parts for less than the original tractor was worth. Thats not logical.

If the rest of our tractors were all in perfect condition there would be little market for those parts. The loss of a few units to keep the rest of the fleet healthy might be an OK thing.

If you are that concerned about it, start buying all the tractors you can find so you can preserve them. (Just kidding) (Grin).