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am I a fool for using older tractors like these?

P

picassomcp

Member
I farm with older equipment and that has been fine as I only farmed about 50 acres of corn/beans and another 50 of hay. Now my operation has grown to 200 acres corn/beans and 100 hay. I am using a farmall 460, 756, 1256, 1456 and a 1486. The 56 series are far and away my favorite tractors to use, however, they also have the greatest value. The 1256 and 1456 are probably worth 10-15,000 each as they are in very good condition, the 12 is all painted up, has new rear rubber. The 1456 is nearly the same but still waiting for paint. These tractors are awesome and I love using them, but if I should have major engine problems, I will be in for a huge repair bill. Like $5,000 or more to repair these engines.

The 1486 on the other hand is a bit newer, but much more common tractor. I only paid $8500 for the tractor with new rear rubber and a great engine. If this engine should go to heck, I could probably repair or replace it for $2500. Much cheaper than those 56 series.

This makes me think that I should be running more common (cheaper) tractors. A 1066 or 1086 could probably replace the 1256 and 1456 and I would have much less at risk if I should have troubles, or need parts.

Now, I have just taken a look at a 1206 that I think I need, I'd love this tractor, but would be in the same boat as those 56 series, at risk of expensive breakdowns.

These older tractors seem to just be going up in value, making me think I should keep them, but boy if I should have a large breakdown, I would be underwater in a hurry. And if the values should go down on these tractors, I'd sure be a fool for hanging on to them.

Bottom line is....I love the heck out of them, but can't help but wonder if keeping them around and using them as my main tractors is a good idea, especially as my farm grows and they get used and relied upon more and more. What are your thoughts??
 
Keep them and use them. Any tractor runs the risk of major repair, and your bigger tractors were designed to do far more work than you have for them.They will last you a long time yet. Ben
 
I agree centcash, these tractors are basically in retirement on his farm compared to what they were designed for and might have done in their hayday. They will last a long time and it's probably better on them to be used than sit around in a show shop with everything drying out and leaking.
 
What's the problem? I work 300 acres more or less,keep 200 or so head of cattle around at any one time. My biggest and newest is a 1982 White 2-135. I've got a 79 2-105 for haying,planting and hauling manure,a 1966 Oliver 1850,73 1356 FWA loader tractor,63 1600 with a loader,67 1550 and a 51 77 as daily user chore tractors. It's all about getting the job done,not about what's sitting in the toolshed when you're done.
 
I farm with the same tractors. 1256;826H;706Turbo; SuperM....... And I looking into buying another 12 or even a 1456. Keep em, use enjoy em. An OH will still cost less than another/newer tractor. You know what ya got.The 'repairs' are simply cost of ownership.You get that with anything.YesOHing a 407 will cost a bit more than a 414,436,466,but not significant.Certainly not enough more to update a line of tractors to newer ones. If it makes you feel better,buy a 66 series next if you need another/bigger tractor.
 
Where is a breakdown of a 56 series any more expensive than a breakdown of a 66 series or 86 series? Maybe on the engine but those 407's are far more bulletproof than the 414s in 1066's and 1086's. Everything else is the same.
 
My old '12' has over 20,000 hrs. I OHed(inframe) it in 2000 for less than $2500. over the years I've put a clutch,TA,Hydralic pumps,Injector pump and injectors....The list goes on. I have over $20,000 in it. Over a span of 16/17 years.But,I use it. hard. I have no intention of selling.Just the luck of the draw.But,I now have a tractor that will last the rest of my life.Part of owning it and useing it. It makes my liveing.'Suck it up,buttercup'. LOL BTW,the Turbo706(310) has over 12,000 hrs. All it's needed is a TA/clutch and an injection pump.Gonna keep em and run em.;Repairs are still cheaper than tradeing for an unknown factor.
 
If you end up having to put money in one, you know what you have when you are done. You cant always get your money back out of them but at least you can get use out of them. If you find another tractor you dont know how long that will last either.
 
I do like to use my older tractors, have 660,756and 1256 wheat land models use the 1256 on a 24 foot cultivator. Compared to the newer ones they are simple and very little to go wrong, I also find they are very good on fuel compared to the new ones .
 
Dad and I don't farm with ours and in fact barely use them. He has a 1965 JD 4020 with loader with 6200 hrs ? and I have a newer 2000 JD 5105 and loader with 600 hours. The old 4020 has not let me down yet but the 5105 has ! Some old tractor can just keep on going and going like the battery bunny.
 
my experence it costs big bucks for and major repair lov those older tractors i would pick up anouther if i had a chance.
 
I don't think your a fool, they are paid form you know what you have.
Sure you can't deduct them, anything that breaks down out of extended
warranty period is Big Bucks, Too much electronics on them now & these
newer units will be made obsolete because the electronic modules won't
be produced, if they are they will have $$$$$ attached to the price. Your
& my own OLD tractors will still be running when these newer units are being
parted out.
 
It appears to me that your repair costs are off a bit. Your refrence to engine overhaul costs seem out of line on the newer tractors.
I don't know how old you are, but I would run those older tractors until you, or they die.
As said, they are probably paid for??? and maintainance should be minimal.
Go farming with the old dependables-- there is a reason they are worth more today than when they were new.
Loren
 
The 56 series is collectable, but who knows how long that will last. Back in their day, many of those 56 series tractors were traded in with low hours and in great condition for Case, JD, Allis, White or an 86 series tractor just to get a much better cab. If you're looking for a better cab and can trade for even-up or with a little extra money in your pocket, I don't see a problem going to a newer model.
 
Just like everyone else says, if you fix them you know what you have. Yes, I understand some fuel system parts for older diesels can be a bit harder to locate sometimes, but that's not usually the case with the tractors you are running. Also, a newer tractor will likely cost pretty close to the same price to rebuild the long block. But, the fuel system components on a newer tractor will not. Where on an older one, an injector might be $75-$200, and an injection pump might be $750-$1500, a newer common rail injector is probably $350-$750. Also the high pressure pumps are not cheap. The last injection pump I did on an 8300 Deere tractor, which is a fairly old tractor now days, had limited electrics on the pump and was $2400. That was the cheapest anywhere, and that was from JD. I run old IH tractors like you, I also do all my own work on them. I know what they have, and what the insides of all of then look like. I like 'em, no electronics to fail, and simple mechanics for the most part. We'll keep running them and rebuilding them
 

Shop the deal on the 1206 carefully. You will be competing against collectors because the 1206 is highly sought after. many other models will be likely to give you more for your dollar.
 
I have to disagree on the repair costs. The 56 series was the last of the dry sleeve engines. Starting with the 66 series they went to a wet sleeve block. From all I've heard, the wet sleeve engines were less "bullet proof" than the dry sleeves.

However, the only ones I have had personal experience with were an 856 I owned and an 806 and 1066 that my father-in-law owned, and none of them ever needed engine work. The 1066 had only 900 hours on it when he sold it.
 
Dad always said you have two choices Parts or Payments. I farm with the same age green tractors several 3020's,4020's,4520,4230 and several others. One always needs something done to it but I still feel I am better off than making payments on a new one. We do all our own repair work and that helps. You have some of the best red tractors there is,the 856,1256 and 1456 were my favorite red tractors. I hate the 86 series they shift terrible and ride rough and hard to see the drawbar when hooking up.Yes they have a cab and are cheap but..... Tom
 
If you're a fool, I am too. Not the same color, but same vintage. Deere 4430, 4320, and a Massey 175 are my main squeezes. It's about as new as I can afford and I like em. Win win
 
The talk between the people at my local coffee shop says that our local implement dealer has repossessed 30 tractors in the last month.
IMO, now is not the time to consider buying a newer model.
 
The tractors we actually do use for farming range from the newest, at 22 years old, to the oldest being 50 years old. The main one used are 1974 to 1994 model years. Been in deep on all but one, so we know what we have. I recall comments made about rebuilding the rear end on a 34 year old tractor back about 5 years ago. We could patch it to trade it off for about 40 percent of what it would cost to fix it right. First, I am not inclined to send my "problem" down the road to an unsuspecting buyer, and secondly, what I stuck into the rear end was going to be what it would have cost "to boot" to trade up to something a series or two newer, and I might be getting someone else's problem. In a nutshell, we have the most sound and dependable fleet of "old equipment" around. No fancy electronics and computer controls.........................which is good for us and our operation! The 1994 model was a mfwd which allowed us to "semi-retire" one of the 1974 2wd tractors. It was a good move at a time before used equipment went crazy nuts in price.
 
My newest is an 87 7120 Magnum. Got a 966, 706, 460, 400, 5488, Oliver 88. They all get worked, from hay to auger duty. 407's are bulletproof. Lots of stories of them going lots of hours with regular maintenance. Run 500 acres. If the're paid for keep them.
 
My newer ones, '07 and '16 are making me squint at my '63 and '65. Been upgrading the 65 and it's reasonable, but the '63 is passing into collectors market and I may keep it around for that.
 
(quoted from post at 11:30:30 11/21/16) I farm with older equipment and that has been fine as I only farmed about 50 acres of corn/beans and another 50 of hay. Now my operation has grown to 200 acres corn/beans and 100 hay. I am using a farmall 460, 756, 1256, 1456 and a 1486. The 56 series are far and away my favorite tractors to use, however, they also have the greatest value. The 1256 and 1456 are probably worth 10-15,000 each as they are in very good condition, the 12 is all painted up, has new rear rubber. The 1456 is nearly the same but still waiting for paint. These tractors are awesome and I love using them, but if I should have major engine problems, I will be in for a huge repair bill. Like $5,000 or more to repair these engines.

The 1486 on the other hand is a bit newer, but much more common tractor. I only paid $8500 for the tractor with new rear rubber and a great engine. If this engine should go to heck, I could probably repair or replace it for $2500. Much cheaper than those 56 series.

This makes me think that I should be running more common (cheaper) tractors. A 1066 or 1086 could probably replace the 1256 and 1456 and I would have much less at risk if I should have troubles, or need parts.

Now, I have just taken a look at a 1206 that I think I need, I'd love this tractor, but would be in the same boat as those 56 series, at risk of expensive breakdowns.

These older tractors seem to just be going up in value, making me think I should keep them, but boy if I should have a large breakdown, I would be underwater in a hurry. And if the values should go down on these tractors, I'd sure be a fool for hanging on to them.

Bottom line is....I love the heck out of them, but can't help but wonder if keeping them around and using them as my main tractors is a good idea, especially as my farm grows and they get used and relied upon more and more. What are your thoughts??
Click to expand...

If you can fix most of the problems with them you will come out ahead. I do custom tractor work with old Allis tractors, all bought with cash and all paid for themselves with a few jobs. I bought a newer JD last summer and it couldn't keep up with a tractor 40 years older, so it got sold. People may laugh at you for using the old stuff, but you can laugh back at them...all the way to the bank :)
 
Compared to my operation you are way over powered. I farmed 640 acres with a 1086 until I added a 4650 Deere to the stable four years ago. I still farm the same acres but the power is split up between the two now.
 
I'll add another perspective. You seem overly concerned with the VALUE of the tractors. Are you talking about USING them or SELLING them?? This bit about being "underwater" on them is only valid if you are intending to SELL them.

Here is the other perspective: if you do have to pay out for a big engine repair bill, is it more or less than what you can REPLACE the tractor for?? Remember, you are working these tractors and making money with them.
 
I agree with most everyone else. keep using them. I think this tractor collecting is getting abit foolish. I can see collecting the real antiques, but I feel that anything with live hyd, LPTO, power steering and possibly 3pt should be working, not sitting around just looking pretty. We run 350 crop acres and our newest is a 1987 CIH 1594 and the oldest we use on a regular basis is a 1941 farmall H with a mix of colors and sizes in between.
 
Hello everyone,
Hope you have room for one more guy using older machinery?
I still use an 1105 M.F and a 1100 MF to do all my farming for me and have very good luck. They are reliable tractors . I will seed about 70 acres and hay 300 acres and still have fun doing it. I pull out my M.F 50 and my M.H 33 and put them on hay rakes and away we go. I use a versatile 400 swather and M.F 760 combine all in in mint shape. At the end of the year the money is in my pocket not AGco's.
 
I think you may have 2 many tractors, might want to thin out the herd, keep 1 of the 14s, get a 10, and keep the 460.

I would not buy any newer for 200 acres.
 
After thinking about it some, I've decided that threads like this are really pointless, you know?

Are you thinking this because someone is giving you a hard time for farming with old equipment? How old are you? 7? As a grown adult you should be able to own a little good-natured ribbing, and if it's more than that, be able to ignore it and cut those people out of your life. Apparently you were in with the cool kids and never learned to deal with adversity in grade school.

Farm with what you like. If there are no dead bodies, and the numbers work out at the end of the season, there is nothing wrong with what you are doing.
 
The cost of an Oh will not pay the interest on a newr tractor. We are using the same tractors for about 600 acres with a few more just as old 856,806,1466,and a couple of stiegers,. The parttimers for hay and augers are 574,674,H,MD.
 
Now isn't the time. The 80's are about to hit the farmers all over again. What you have is mechanical and reliable. You can put air in those old cabs for the cost of one payment on a different tractor. I put a whole new a/c system in my 886 a year ago for less than a grand. If everything works who cares how old they are. The 56 series were darn good.

We farm 1000 acres with old green - an 8430, a 4440, and a "new" 7800 and old red - an 886, an M, and an A for augering. The '96 7800 is by far the most troublesome. Just a few electric issues every once in a while that I can't trace because of those computers. When the water pump went on the 8430 I climbed up and fixed her. She's got a dial radio and air conditioning. She's pretty stylish.

I suppose you could get rid of one of the old ones and get a nice 1086 for the more modern cab if that makes you feel better. The 886 is my go-to tractor for chores or haying or fertilizer. I love that tractor.
 
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