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I'm sure there's a lot of dishonest sellers out there, but yet it amazes me when people buy a 50 or 60-year-old tractor and expect it to be perfect! The darn things had magneto or other igntion trouble, charging system trouble, and were hard starting and leaked oil and gas back in their heyday, yet people expect any old tractor they buy to be as perfect as an new tractor you'd buy today! We've come a long way with alternators and fuel injection! When I buy an old tractor, I will only buy it at a price that reflects the likely need for at least SOME repairs. If the seller takes your money, and at least delivers a COMPLETE machine, and it has no MAJOR cracks or breaks, and is NOT "blown up", you haven't been totally screwed, and you'll have an opportunity to learn a lot as you fix up all it's little faults! Another "pet peeve" I have is when people buy a tractor sold as "running" and they gripe when it doesn't fire right off upon delivery. A cross-country haul may loosen some electrical connections, and certainly will shake any old accumulated dirt in the gas tank and carburetor loose, and slosh gas out of the float bowl and into the carburetor air horn, causing flooding and fouled plugs. (It's a good idea to shut of the gas at the gas tank on a running tractor, and let it run out of gas, emptying the carburetor before hauling.) So, even a tractor that WAS running at the seller's may legitimately need a little cleaning and tuning upon delivery! The bottom line is, unless you're buying a fully restored "PARADE QUEEN" for an exhorbitant price, (which BETTER have a warranty), expect the need for AT LEAST some repairs when you buy an old tractor. If you're not comfortable with accepting that, you'd better buy a new, modern "YUPPIE" tractor from a reliable dealer! Before deciding to purchase an old tractor, you'd better be prepared to either learn to work on it yourself, or have someone lined up to work on it for you. It WILL need repairs. They ALL do!
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