Fixing Old Tractors, Am I Crazy, Could Go Broke!

1370rod

Well-known Member
This 770 I acquired a year ago. I have been working on it in my spare time ever since. The first pic is before and second is after, not much difference in appearance. The trans-rearend is the only thing I did not rebuild, seriously! Everything else. engine, clutch, radiator, tires, rims hyd valves, steering, electrical, hyd pump the list goes on and on. In just parts I have spent more than the tractor would sell for. I really like the way it runs and drives now and plan on using it often, but was it wrong to fix it? I can not sell it as that would be like throwing money out the window. I hope to get some use out of it and when I am done a son or son-in-law hopefully can use it. I know I am not the only one to have done this. I hope I get over this tractor fever soon or my wife will have me committed, LOL. The 770 will not get repainted, it will be a daily driver. My next money pit is a 570 diesel, geez I hope I get cured soon. Rod.
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T
 
You can do them in your sleep. I think your next project needs to be in the 90 to 100 year old range. You need a challenge! Or maybe a Mopar???
 
Of course you're crazy. Look what you do in your "spare" time! And sorry, there's no cure.

Seriously, nobody does this for the money. You do it for the warm fuzzy. That tractor is yours in a way that can't be bought. No other being on the planet knows that machine like you do!
 
Rod,

Sounds eerily similar to my 400 Super Diesel. Everything, and I mean everything was either worn out or abused on that tractor. But the silver lining was the lights worked perfectly when I pulled the switch. I don't know if you can completely cure the tractor bug. Don You already have a Mopar, don't you?
 
Sorry Rod, but this is incurable, but on the bright side, you are mentored by all of us, as we too have this disease. By the way Rod, that "770" looks much better!
 
(reply to post at 20:41:51 12/06/18)

I think we are nuts but I like doing it
I’ve got combines that I’ve spent two or three times
What they are worth but when I get one done and take them
To the field and use them it makes it all worth while
Keep up the good work 1370
Dugger
 
what value do you put on something you wanted, gained all the knowledge of fixing it up, seeing the finish product running and being able to use it the way you want. I call that priceless. for a long time I have been buy small dozers, tractors to fix up. don't think I have made any money at all and some I know I lost money but the idea of keeping busy, gaining all the knowledge to probably make me dangerous, getting gratitude from seeing a machine running properly is a money value I cant put on it. nice looking old case you got there.
 
Darrel the Mopar is in the shed waiting, just have to kick this tractor bug first, Rod.
 
looks good, I would rather be working on tractors and saving some from the scrap yard than most other things. we have another grandson on the way and I told the wife time for another tractor, I got that look but we shall see. one of these days I would like to have a black knight, do you have one? keep up the good work.
 
I think most look at it the wrong way. It's not what you can sell it for that is important unless that's why you bought it. I always judge it by what the equipment can do for me and what it would cost to buy something newer to do the job. If you can buy a tractor that will do what that one will but more reliably, and cheaper, then you over spent. If not, you made a good bargain. Realistically what could you buy for 10k that would be better? And then we all have that one, mine is a 400d that I'm into for almost $7,000.00 and it still don't run. I did however save $300.00 by not machining the block. Lol
 
I think about my hobby from time to time. Some people have habits, some hobbies, and some addictions. I figure my addiction is no worse then some I could have and it?s legal! My high schooler is currently redoing my 80 year old Rumsey hit-n-miss in HS small engines class. I guess if my addiction is hereditary and I never make a dime on that old engine I?ll be fine with that.
 
Rod, the shape you have the 770 in right now it will outlast two brand new ones made today on FAR fewer repairs,, and run cheaper too,, I look at what a new or used current unit would cost to do the same job, not what a well abused and worn one will bring,, even if I had 10 grand in parts in it for me I would be far ahead of buying some used electronic pile they make today,, I understand many do not have the knowledge to keep these in shape and have to buy something more current but I am not one of them and never will be
 
"I really like the way it runs and drives now and plan on using it often,"

I think you answered your own question.
 
The way I look at it is like this. Sure you spent money you could never recoup. But you now have a nice useful tractor that was fun restoring and you can use. Plus I like the old tractors much better than any modern ones.
Besides it?s a tractor that you don?t see often today.
You could put your money into another hobby like golf, which could be another money pit.
Jim
 
Very good point, I have a buddy that thinks golf is the best thing in the world. Wait till I tell him I would much rather have a good operating CASE tractors than that stupid golf bag sitting in the corner that you have to carry around and pay just to use the stuff inside, LOL. Rod.
 
Rod, one thing I like about older tractors, you can work on them. I bought the 770 that sat for years with anti freeze in the oil. I overhauled it and what a nice tractor to have. My next thing is to find out why the power steering in not strong. I see you have a different seat on yours. My I ask were you found it? Jerry from OHIO
 
Plus everything you would spend on golf is not tax deductible. What you spend on your tractor is. So, depending on your tax bracket, you are saving ??% off of your tax bill. We'll use any argument to justify our vice of choice. LOL
 
So what mopars are you guys working on? One of my regrets is that I traded in my 70 Plymouth Satellite in 77. They gave me $1200 in trade and I needed all 1200 of that to make it work at the time. If I had only known.... ADB
 
71 Dodge Charger with a "slightly enhanced 440". Next project is my 66 Satellite, my high school car. 496 (stroked 383) with 4 speed and 4:10 Dana rear gear. I had a whole bunch of fun in that machine. LOL Don
 
In my mind it just depends on how you look at it:

1. Hobby, then spend what you can afford and don't look back. Ya, this is my model.
2. Tractor Repair (assuming credible job) and Resell business, Going Broke.
3. Tractor Repair (assuming you just paint the grease) and Resell business, likely won't go broke but how do you sleep at night.
4. Tractor Repair (assuming minor repairs) and Resell business, seems like a lot of guys do this. Somewhere between a Hobby and Low Margins I am thinking.
5. Use the tractor in your business, you likely can do what you did a lot cheaper than a new one. This model works for me and it seems like the model many on here use given time and talent.

This is how I have come to categorize working on old tractors. More models likely exist. My mantra is do it anyway you like but understand what your outcome will be.

Paul
 
My Satellite just had a 318 with high speed gears so there were plenty of cars that could take me up to 80, but I left a quite a few of them behind on the other side of 80.
 
Rod its really a labor of love if your able to make repairs yourself compared to the price of a new one its pretty cheap also fairly simple should be around for another 50 years where as the one that was built today will be long gone
 
PS looks great as always. Be careful friend your going to have to build another shed. What a great problem. There's worse addictions
 
Rod.that 770 will be going for decades to come once you are done with it.Just price a new model and you will smile.They just don't build them like the 70 or 30 series were made.I think we all have a piece of equipment that we have more $$$ into than we can sell it for.Use it and enjoy.
 
Rod: I've done 5 tractors over the last 30 years. Takes 6 - 7 years each. Way under water on each of them, but they are not for sale, my kids will decide what to do with them. The restorations all have to earn their keep, but I get immense pleasure on running one of these. A couple of them I've posted pictures of.
ADB-IA is absolutely correct in that we get to expense what we invest in our restorations. You are crazy, but crazy like a fox. Keep up the good work.
 
Jerry I bought that mechanical seat a year or so ago when K+M had them at a crazy low price, I knew I would find a good place to use it. Rod.
 
Rod ,i feelYour pain , Hate to say this but it is true , My Rolling stock has cost me more than i can ever hope to get out of them . Just So glad the little 188 diesel is the BEST ENGINE Case Ever built .so economical , dependable and damtuf and long life, , I have a 4020 digging in to me AGain . my Neighbor down The road told me When I bought this deer in 1988 , "Jim , You cant lose buying a 4020 , they are going up in price all the time" . The 1st year i owned it , It went up in cost to me another 2800 bucks.So i Guess that is what my neighbor meant ... starter , injector pump ,hydraulic pump ,transmission pto clutch and wet seal brakes. the 1st 2 i easily did, the others had to be done by the dealer, and i shamed him into eating half his bill because he sold me the deer and told me . "from now on my problems would never be the same". he was referring to my allegiance to Case Tractors , particularly my Love for my dads 51 DC that he watched beat his deers at the tractor pull a year earlier . He was Partly right , Keeping that DEERE up has cost me a bundle It dont cost nearly as much to keep a Case tractor delivering work year after year . especially a DC. btw, I have a little Yanmar going back under the wrenches , i think it lost a compression ring when the water system leaked down and it got hot and ceased, only took one seazure to do that .To me it seems that asian tractors are hi performance , but short life,Maybe just my bad luck i guess.
 

Of course Rod! We're all crazy in this tractor fixing up. But in the end it's so worth the reward to sit back and say you did it with your own 2 hands. I can't see any money to be made at fixing right and trying to sell for profit. When my son passed a few years ago and I bought the DC to restore in his memory I was determined to due it properly with NO corners cut! That tractor is into me for over 8K at the moment and the machine work on the engine has not even started. Just hoping and praying till the funds allow it that Mr. Livingston is still in the main and rod bearing business yet to redo my babbitt.
 
Good morning Rod, My 970 is faded the same way. We use it on the feed wagon because it's easy to get on and off either side. If your hobby was tractor pulling with the Nebraska bush pullers you could easily spend in the 6 digit figures fixing just to see what blows next! I really like watching them pull but my gosh it takes a lot of money to keep them going. For you to get to the 6 digit figure you would be able to do quite a few restores. I think if you were to have an auction you might be surprised at how much your tractors would dollar up. People would be willing to spend more because of your reputation. Keep on doing what makes you happy!Darrell
 

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