I have been looking for a tractor for a while- I have looked mostly at Ford Ns, because there are so many of them around. Today, however, I ran across a pretty nice 1950 TO 20, that seems to be priced well, and am thinking about it rather than one of the Ns.
I don't 'NEED' a tractor- But I want one. I intend to use it, probably about once a month, to smooth out my driveway. Other than that, it's going to be a toy. I enjoy old things, and have a 'collection' that includes boats, a car, a truck, and a few other vintage playthings. I am mechanically inclined- I work on everything I own and LOVE to get dirty and repair/restore things. I've always liked tractors, and thought that since I could kind of justify owning one because I DO occasionally have some work for it I might as well buy one, and amazingly enough the wife agreed!
So- Would the TO 20 be a good option? I've done some research, and it seems that parts are available, though perhaps not quite as cheaply or easily as the 'N' parts. Is there anything in particular that I should look for wrong with the tractor?
We fired it up (Started RIGHT up, with a fresh battery, after having sat for over a month), and she ran well with no indication of smoking. Everything seemed to operate as it should- The only thing that I didn't test out other than just activating it was the Hydraulic system, as I wasn't familiar with the controls.
I took it for a spin, and everything seemed good- But I lack tractor experience.
Sheet metal appeared to all be there, and in decent shape. A few dings here and there but nothing too bad. I'm pretty good at body work, though- so there is nothing that would intimidate me.
So- Would this be a good option for a first timer? I think she could follow me home for about $1500 or so.
I don't 'NEED' a tractor- But I want one. I intend to use it, probably about once a month, to smooth out my driveway. Other than that, it's going to be a toy. I enjoy old things, and have a 'collection' that includes boats, a car, a truck, and a few other vintage playthings. I am mechanically inclined- I work on everything I own and LOVE to get dirty and repair/restore things. I've always liked tractors, and thought that since I could kind of justify owning one because I DO occasionally have some work for it I might as well buy one, and amazingly enough the wife agreed!
So- Would the TO 20 be a good option? I've done some research, and it seems that parts are available, though perhaps not quite as cheaply or easily as the 'N' parts. Is there anything in particular that I should look for wrong with the tractor?
We fired it up (Started RIGHT up, with a fresh battery, after having sat for over a month), and she ran well with no indication of smoking. Everything seemed to operate as it should- The only thing that I didn't test out other than just activating it was the Hydraulic system, as I wasn't familiar with the controls.
I took it for a spin, and everything seemed good- But I lack tractor experience.
Sheet metal appeared to all be there, and in decent shape. A few dings here and there but nothing too bad. I'm pretty good at body work, though- so there is nothing that would intimidate me.
So- Would this be a good option for a first timer? I think she could follow me home for about $1500 or so.