TIME IS MONEY, BUT SOMETIMES TRACTORS ARE A THERAPY NEEDED MORE THAN MONEY!

Posted by Ken McWilliams on March 27, 2001 at 05:01:01 from (38.232.245.103):

Erol, sparked an interesting discussion below. In the business world, "Time IS money". Success of a business is almost always measured by the bottom line.

If I could venture a guess of the interests represented by the posters of YT, it is that the majority of tractor enthusiasts here are either hobbiests, or wannabe farmers on farmettes.

The hobbiest has found an old tractor that he wants restored. Perhaps it's the one that dad or grandfather had or one similar. This object sparks those feelings of the good ole days when life seemed simpler, and when we were at an age that wasn't burdened with life's obligations. It a time that when a passing sound, smell, or sight instantly and mentally transports us back to that image of those "happy days."

I am in that category. I've passed on my dad's John Deere LA to my son. It was the first vehicle outside my little red wagon and Schwinn that I ever drove. I remember it was such a large tractor back then. I would sit on the drive shaft housing and hold onto the air cleaner stack as my dad drove it. Later, when I was allowed to drive it, I would have to sit on the front edge of the seat in order to use the clutch and brakes. Today, that tractor is a lot smaller. It's hardly any larger than my Cub Cadet which has 50% more horsepower.

As a gift, I'm planning to restore the John Deere LA for my son so he can present it to his son.

I have a '64 Galaxie that I restored in '83-85 at a cost of twice its value. My dad bought it new. I was a teen-ager working in a Sohio gas station at the time. I remember the day when he brought it by the station. It was beautiful! All shiny black, 300HP/390, 3-speed stick with overdrive. Dad asked if I wanted to test drive it - he didn't have to ask twice. I left the other guy in charge of the gas station, and I took it around the block. What a thrill!

It's these feelings, I think, that we're trying to recapture in our minds when we so laboriously bring an old machine back to life.

I've seen these old machines go up for auction. Each year a local tractor club will have a consignment auction at their annual meet. There will be at least one of these machines for whatever reason (usually lost interest) in the auction. It will rarely go for more than the cost of the new set of tires that's on it.

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

Value generally is a perceived concept by the seller and owner- when they agree, a deal is struck.

Sometimes, we have to be reminded that the intrinsic value of one of these old machines is the scrap metal value - or at least our wives frequently do, along with complaining about tracking into the house the dirt and smells.

These are the reasons that we will spend more than what the machine is worth. And, also, the reason why there is a growing parts market for tractor restorations.

Likewise, particulary with baby-boomers, we've gone back to those days just after high school when we got our first good paying job and bought our first car. Thus, the market growth for restored muscle cars and parts for such cars as GTO's, SS-396's, 428 Cobras, 440 Super-Bee's, 455 Grand Ams, an so forth. How many times have many of us wished we had a certain car back? I let a 51 Chevy convertible, two 428 Cobras and a 427 Galaxie go through my hands. These cars have very little practical value except for nostalgic reasons.

The other category of tractor enthusiast on these YT pages is the wannabe farmer on his farmette. He, like I, must purchase older equipment for justification. I don't buy older equipment because it's old, I buy it because I can't justify the price of a new 40-50 HP JD, NH, MF, Case-IH etc. Thus I have a JD 1020, MF 165 and CASE 420B to do chores, to put up hay, and to keep me busy otherwise.

This second category is the one that keeps me busy and the parts suppliers in business. For, several years I've been moving up to bigger/better tractors. I will usually find one at auction or in the paper that is in need of repair that fits my needs. I will purchase it, repair it, use it and sell it when a better one that fits my needs comes along.

Although I've probably been able to do better than break-even with my costs while up-grading my equipment, I'm not ready to give up my day job.

"Time is money" when it comes to my day job and the essentials of life, but playing on old equipment is PURE PLEASURE AND THERAPY!

Ken McWilliams
Dayton, OH

Follow Ups:

• Re: TIME IS MONEY, BUT SOMETIMES TRACTORS ARE A THERAPY NEEDED MORE THAN MONEY! stevie_alc 20:11:24 03/27/01 (0)
• Re: TIME IS MONEY, BUT SOMETIMES TRACTORS ARE A THERAPY NEEDED MORE THAN MONEY! Charlie 12:14:46 03/27/01 (0)
• Re: TIME IS MONEY, BUT SOMETIMES TRACTORS ARE A THERAPY NEEDED MORE THAN MONEY! Lyle 11:36:03 03/27/01 (0)
• Re: TIME IS MONEY, BUT SOMETIMES TRACTORS ARE A THERAPY NEEDED MORE THAN MONEY! G Taylor Right on Ken the rest of you as well 09:15:59 03/27/01 (0)
• Re: TIME IS MONEY, BUT SOMETIMES TRACTORS ARE A THERAPY NEEDED MORE THAN MONEY! Bama Red 07:31:04 03/27/01 (0)
• Re: TIME IS MONEY, BUT SOMETIMES TRACTORS ARE A THERAPY NEEDED MORE THAN MONEY! big fred 07:08:35 03/27/01 (1)
  • Re: Re: TIME IS MONEY, BUT SOMETIMES TRACTORS ARE A THERAPY NEEDED MORE THAN MONEY! Stan 13:02:54 03/27/01 (0)
• Re: TIME IS MONEY, BUT SOMETIMES TRACTORS ARE A THERAPY NEEDED MORE THAN MONEY! Dave 2N 06:59:23 03/27/01 (0)
• Re: TIME IS MONEY, BUT SOMETIMES TRACTORS ARE A THERAPY NEEDED MORE THAN MONEY! Dan in western Canada 06:22:11 03/27/01 (0)
• Re: TIME IS MONEY, BUT SOMETIMES TRACTORS ARE A THERAPY NEEDED MORE THAN MONEY! Chip 06:09:06 03/27/01 (0)
• Re: TIME IS MONEY, BUT SOMETIMES TRACTORS ARE A THERAPY NEEDED MORE THAN MONEY! The Red 05:33:29 03/27/01 (1)
  • Re: Re: TIME IS MONEY, BUT SOMETIMES TRACTORS ARE A THERAPY NEEDED MORE THAN MONEY! Bil D 07:47:47 03/27/01 (0)

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