Loss of tractors due to scrapping

GeneMO

Well-known Member
Location
Pilot Grove, Mo.
Iknow we have lost a lot of tractors and farm implements due to high scrap metal prices over the last 5-7 years

But on our farm we still have the old binders and cultivators of my grandpas. Lots of stuff survived the scrap metal drives of WWII.

I was just wondering what sort of rare treasures disappeared during this last scrap craze.

Gene
 
I've seen 4 row planters, and numerous other farm implements every time I go to the scrap yard. I say to my self I can make that look new again. But I can understand people getting rid of it now. Their parents pass away and the family really has no use for it in their daily lives. I have run ads in our local newspaper stating what old implement I would like to buy and you'd be surprised of the responses I have gotten.
 
We have been at two huge auctions the past couple of years where the biggest buyer was a scrapper. So I know tons of tractors and a bunch of plows have been scrapped for sure.

One scrapper last year was nice and let us buy some parts off of an F20. He said, "take anything you want and just find me and pay me" - which we did. That F20 had the best condition shutter system I've seen... but we did not have decent tools with us to remove it. Also scrapped, were several tractors with good condition rear or front steel wheels. That guy bought countless tractors, old trucks and plows (there were about 250 plows on this auction)...ALL GOING TO SCRAP.

It made me sad that we could not save more parts. But as I said, my husband did not bring along much for tools and it was late in the day and we had a long drive home.
 
what we lose would depend on just who is doing the scrapping , us tractor fans realize we cant save them all, and our scrap mainly consists of left over parts and damaged pieces just too far gone to be of any value for another tractor or machine, youngsters today that inherit dads or grandpa's old place seem to be ready to haul anything they can load to the scrapper so they can buy more china made yuppie toys, they scrap anything, including running tractors and machinery, they didnt get raised up on these old machines nor does the "me" generations have much interest in them, there are of course exceptions to this, but there not enough to help a whole lot
 
ive run scrappers off the place here several times, they didnt believe me when i told them i dont have a scrap pile, i have a spare parts and recycled material mound
 
Yeah we've lost a lot but we still have lots left too.

You act as if every last old truck, tractor and piece of equipment has been gleaned from this land, cut up, and shipped off to China. That's not even close to the truth.

How much of this is equipment that was realistically beyond repair?

I also see a lot of people complaining, then putting their hands in their pockets making excuses like no room, no money, no time, etc.. Frankly if you're not willing to step up and do something, you really have nothing to complain about.

Lots of stuff goes to scrap because the owner has tried and tried and tried to sell it to someone who would make use of it, but nobody will buy it at any price.

If you expect others to respect your personal property rights, don't try to infringe on theirs. People should be able to do whatever they want with their own personal property, even if you don't agree with it.
 
common tractors like H/M Farmall and a/bjd will get more plentiful and less valuable as more and more collections owned by people in their 60's and 70's get dispersed
 
No, No, No, you missed the tone of my post.

I was just wondering. I am not disrepsecting anyones property rights. I didn't stick my hands in my pockets. I am not complaining.

I was just wondering.

I hauled off 5 trucks loads of junk off of my property when scrap was high. Wanted to clean the place up some.

I even tied to give away any parts anyone wanted off of some old 2ME, mounted corn pickers.

No, dangit, I wasn't complaining. Just wondering and trying to post something tractor related.

If I am gonna get slammed for it, I'll just just shut up and let people go back to talking about the Grammy awards or movies.

Gene
 
This is all I have left of Grandpa's. His potato digger. I've got Dad's Oliver mounted two row corn planter and cultivator,but most everything else is long gone.
I've been buying and collecting horse drawn walking plows,but nothing that was used here.
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I got a industrial 2135 Massey of my sons I have been trying to get running for the last 4 days. I'm about ready to load that darn thing up and haul to the scrape yard.
 
It's easy for someone to read your post, and completely turn it around, and mean something is wasen't intended to be. This happened to me a while back. Don't let it bother you. I think some things were lost during the war years, but I believe most people didn't have a lot to toss out, and kept most usefull things. Probably a lot of Model Tee's were turned into tanks, and jeeps. Stan
 
Gene,
Keep your thoughts and ideas coming. I think you sound like a decent fellow. You never know, maybe guys with negative thoughts might be having a bad day...or a week...or a month...or??

Friend of mine said "It takes all kinds of people in this world, and they are all here".
LA in WI
 
I went to quite a few sales in 2012 and saw lots of old tractors go for scrap..The worst was at Pomona,KS in Oct 2012 when 36 of 100 old tractors sold for scrap..

Here are the ones I hated going for scrap..

1--Nice GVI MM LPG for $600
2--Decent GVI MM LPG for $275 missing some minor parts
3--Nice GVI MM Diesel for $575
4--Decent Case 900 LPG for 600

I did come to my senses and the scrap man let me have the GVI MM diesel for $700...It had been overhauled years ago and never used...Got it home,checked it over,and it was running after pulling it one foot..
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There was not one thing in your post that was negative or intrusive or suggest that you wish to impose your thought on anyone. There are a few negative members on here that can construe a simple observation into a negative rant like you see here. I found your post to be thought provoking and inspired me to get working on my SuperC project...until I read the bomb from out of the blue.
 
GeneMO, it wasn't directed at you.

These scrap threads usually end up as wailing/moaning/gnashing-of-teeth sessions about how much of our history has been sold to China as scrap metal, and how evil the people are that sell the scrap.

To me it feels like they are implying that people should be FORCED to hang on to what they consider garbage

It's unfair, uncalled for, and I simply wished to nip it in the bud before it even got started.
 
Yeah, I'm sorry to have snapped at ya as well. I was just setting here wonder how things survive. I think the stuff of my grandpas survived cause they had been using it up till WWII and it was still good usable stuff in their eyes.

It is all in the eyes of the beholder.

I was just wonderering why some stuff goes, good stuff, and other stuff survives.

The typed word is not a good way to communicate. Too much is lost. Hard to know what the other guy is thinking.

Nite gene
 
Hi
I think with the internet going strong not much rare stuff heads that way if guys know what it is and where it is. It seems that guys will pay good money for that stuff and save it.
Most I see heading to the scrappers is the common tractors and machines that there are thousands of around
I can see in a few more years it will be a problem. when the older guys are gone and no body comes up to replace them buying this rare stuff. Or the museums start closing due to low support or lack of government funding, it seems like this will start to happen up here in Canada very soon if our government don't stop wasting money on stupid un needed things.

I collect Fordson Majors, I was selling a few for acreages to. Now the market has tanked and nobody wants them. I have a full set here now so will keep those, strip the good parts from the others I can't sell to help restore mine, or to help other guys out. Then send the rest to china as I don't want piles of stuff laying around in the bush.
I did my preservation bit though before Christmas,I saved a very nice 52/3 straight gas new major from the junk, only 7500 of those where made and a good few have already been scrapped !.
Regards Robert
 

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