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What's wrong with F20s? Neat tractor gonna get parted!

rockyridgefarm

rockyridgefarm

Well-known Member
Hey all,

Why doesn't anyone want and F20? I called on this tractor last night, & he can't get any interest at $750. He said the cab was custom built by a cabinet maker and has ducting off the manifold for heat. I'd buy it, but my bed is much more comfortable than that cab, I'm sure!



http://cedarrapids.craigslist.org/grd/5917086512.html

43211.jpg
 
Tractor looks nice. I guess no one wants it because if they pulled it out of the building the roof would fall in by the looks of those
trusses. Looks like the tractor is holding them up.
 
The F20, F30 were popular for plowing but there was little adjustment for wheel width. That's what made the F-12 very popular. Rear
wheels could be adjusted by sliding on the axles which the F20, F30 tractors didn't have. I personally was never attracted to the F-20 or
F30 tractors but I did have an F14 and loved it. The Farmall A & B also had limited rear wheel width adjustment but the Farmall C had the
same as the F12. This option opened up a whole new door for what these tractors could accomplish.
 
First off he needs to try places other than Craigslist. You've seen the threads on this forum about Craigslist... Most here seem to despise it, and the people here are the types of people you want to advertise this tractor to.

Second off interest will be low anyway. Those pre-1939 Farmalls have never been real valuable or popular, and as time goes on the interest is only going to drop off even more. That was "grampa's tractor" to guys who are in their 70's and 80's now.

The same thing's going to happen to the H's and M's in the next 10 years or so, I'd imagine. These days, "grampa's tractor" is a 4020 or 856.
 
The A and B had adjustments to move rear tread from narrow to wide by 20 in and in their day that was plenty for farming in those days.
 
Man, I like that! I'd be in my truck and headed his way if he wasn't 600 miles away. Can't find
them in that nice of shape at that price here in Northern MI
 
Nothing wring with F20s, tractor market for
commonly found stuff is in the toilet. Was
watching a Mecam auction on RFD last night
and they sold a collection of pretty nice
letter series Dwere that bary brought the
price of the tires. I felt sorry for the guy
that sold them.
 
Rear wheels will fit an Allis Chalmers WC that's the biggest selling point I can see.Not a lot of folks dream snow pusher is a F-20.Back in the 70's I turned down some of them and similar tractors for free but when scrap went high I wished I had picked them up.
 
Reason why no interest in old tractors is the younger generation is not interested in old tractors. The people that do like the old
tractors and collect are get old and getting so they can't work on them and are dieing off.
 
Dad had a 2ME picker mounted on a F20. Actually owned with uncle, thry picked 80 acres of corn a year with it, for over a decade, maybe
close to two decades. I was the hitch pinning expert on that deal for a long time, as well as operated it a few times before it left.

It would be a fun tractor to restore, it's so simple.

It is not really fun to use, it is so simple.... Not enough gears, not live anything, not much power.......

As others mention, we all want to restore grandpas tractor. That is getting to be the 4020 and 806 these days.

Paul
 
For the time they were built they were as common as dirt so there is no shortage for those who want to buy them. F30's are a different story. They are not as nice as H's and M's plus the H and M were made during what was generally more prosperous times so the memories behind those models are a little more pleasant. As stated by others the generation that would have the most interest in the F series is pretty well out the door where the guys who like the classic 1960's tractors have scraped the money up to buy their favorite.
 
F12s,F20s,Oliver 70s,there were just so many of them made and so many that survived,they're as common and cheap as dirt.
I saw a nice F12 with a DuPont restoration on an auction sell for $600.
 
They are a real common tractor..The people that grew up with them are getting
old and lots are now gone..There are very few young collectors that even want an
entry level tractor like an F-20...Even the H and M prices are getting soft..
 
It would be an interesting tractor to take to tractor shows the way it is set up. Any more if a person has a plain common collector tractor it has to have something special added to it to get attention. This one has electric start and evidently hydraulics too besides the cab. That's a plus in my book. I would hate to see it be parted out. I always wondered why the F-20's never did catch on as a collector tractor. They were a good old horse, as dependable as the rest of them. We had a lot of them in this neck of the woods back in the day. One thing going against them I suppose was the inflexibility of wheel width adjustments, and they were kind of clunky to operate. Deeres and Olivers from the mid-late 30's were easier to get on and off of and were more nimble. I've always had an affection for F-20's. They have a kind of a mean look to them.
 
I grew up around a M and a C, but if it wasnt 1200 miles away id take that tractor, out west there just arnt any of them, it would make a fun play thing, or maybe a feed trailer puller, we have cold and snow, but not like you mid west and eastern guys get, so the cab isnt a problem
 
Taking a closer look at pictures that tractor has been well taken care of.If I lived close I would buy it. A lot of guys stay away from the
F20s because they take a 102" wide trailer to haul without having tires hang over edge of trailer.
 
(quoted from post at 07:04:51 12/14/16) Reason why no interest in old tractors is the younger generation is not interested in old tractors. The people that do like the old
tractors and collect are get old and getting so they can't work on them and are dieing off.
Click to expand...

It's not that they're not interested in old tractors. The younger generations are just as interested in old tractors as any, if not more.

The problem is that with each passing generation there are fewer and fewer younger people with farming backgrounds, to be interested in old tractors.
 
There is nothing wrong with it. And it is incorrect to take the doom and gloom attitude and say young people are not interested in tractors. A lot of them are. It's just that there are so many of them that sellers need to realize they are not going to get the prices they want anymore. Parting out is not always a solution either. Unless it has a rare option, then you are just selling a lot of common rusty pieces. Not always worth the work of tearing it apart and marketing it. And that is a lot of work and headaches. If it has a rare option, it probably will sell as a whole tractor. If it is worth $500 as scrap and you know someone who will give you $500 and will work on it, then sell it to them and feel good about the fact that it will survive another decade because of your generosity. But asking a premium and then criticizing people for not paying it is like complaining about elections. Seems like nine times out of ten anymore I go to look at something for sale and end up walking away shaking my head with the words "if I can't get that then it will just sit there" ringing in my ears.
 
If it wasn't a whole day drive and then some one way I'd have bought it already! Hard to find any in such good condition for that price here in Connecticut and New
England. Some people want in the area of $3000-4000 for running and driving ones in that condition, though usually you don't see them pop up for sale over here either
since they were much more common out west. I'm just lucky I was able to find my F-20 widefront that I'm rebuilding the engine on for a decent price since the guy wanted
all 8 gone so he could move.

~FarmallCT
 
The bottom line is Depression era tractors just do not have much appeal to the young guys in their 20's, 30's, and 40's. They might if the younger generations had more spending money on the hobby and got their heart's desire bought and done. Most young people around here are stuck in jobs that no more than pay the basics of life leaving nothing left for hobbies such as collecting tractors.
 
Looks just like the one my father had (minus the cab), he sold it in 1975 for $500 (engine got water in it). The guy who bought it flat towed it for 75 miles, repainted it, and put it out in-front of his BBQ restaurant.
 
I would be all over that one if it was closer to me. Here in Mn , guys seem to think they are worth 2-3 times what that
guy is asking. Electric start even, nice.
 
the trusses are actually about 2 feet above the tractor , it's a slanted roof machine shed so with the camera angel and the slanted roof it may appear that way but it's not even close
 
Exactly,Location matters but if that F20 was a bargain at the asking price this discussion would not be happening right now as it would be sold. People can ask whatever they want and from time to time people who dont know or have too much money in their pockets will pay it but that doesn't determine the over all market. Fact is that there are a great many of the commonly found tractors from the 20s to the 50s for sale in conditions from parts to totally restored and none of them are bringing anything close to what they sold for a few years ago. The market is flat flooded as many old collectors are passing and collections are being sold and add to that people are realizing that the peak has passed and they are also trying to unload. Like I posted earlier I feel sorry for the guys who spent countless hours and dollars doing a real nice restoration and now they sell for the price of the new tires and spit.
 
If I had the time I would go get
that. In the dee south you don't see
many of those. (never with snow
blade! Lol) could easy double your
money. Hmmmmm. May not be worth the
drive. Oh well. I would have to keep
it!
 
That setup looks like it should stay together as is and sit in a museum somewhere.
That said, I have an F-20 and a Regular I'd sell for 500 choice or 450 each if you take the pair.
I'd also consider taking Case machinery in trade. NE SD. I'll deliver within a 100 miles. Any takers???
 
Have one my 43 year old son is restoring. I am glad he took such interest it. He loves working on it. I would by that one if closer.
 
Bring the F20 down when you and Ryan come after the Case 150. I have a VAC/one row mounted Ford cornpicker to trade.
 
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