Used Serial Number tags

What is your opinion of selling Serial Number tags for [sometimes 'Rare'] tractors on Ebay. Doesn't the availability of such tags make it a problem to track down stolen tractors?
My opinion is that it should be illegal to remove a tag and sell it to somebody else.
I would think that law enforcement officials especially would be on board with this....

To me if feels wrong, but if you own a tractor, or a serial number and you want to sell it, who says you cant. The only time I"ve ever had someone ask me to sell only the serial number I politely declined and told them you buy the transmission tub or you dont get any(parting out a tractor) They took the tub that time.

I wonder if someone took a tag off years ago to go order parts, like I seen myself on carburetors, rear ends, trans ect... and never put it back on and it got lost. Now years later someone restores it and wants a tag. To me it's no big deal but a guy up the road from me traveled to look at a JD tractor and was Bullchit and said he wasted his time because the man did,t tell him it was missing the tag. I see on automobiles it.s a big deal to say matching numbers.

I don't see a problem with it. If you have an old tractor and need a tag and can get an original tag close to what yours is thats fine. The serial # tag is the first thing a thief will change or alter anyway.

I collect Oliver tractors and I don't like the
idea of switching serial numbers. If somebody
buys a tractor and gets a build card from the
Floyd County Museum, it might alter the description of some of the parts used in the
tractor. By the way if someone did buy a tag,
how do you put it on to look factory original?

yall really need to read up on laws...changing or altering VIN's is a federal offense...you could wind up somebody's girlfriend in the joint.

It's the identifying number for a piece of equipment. It's how you order parts for the machine. A number is associated with a particular machine.

Seems wrong to me. Legally I donno, but - just the idea of it - seems wrong to me.

--->Paul

I think you guy's are taking this to the extreme, if i owned a 50 year old $4500 tractor and could buy a missing tag like this E-bay Item number: 220505772216 to make me feel better about my tractor (Toy) replacing a missing piece, so what this isn't a Picasso is it.
Does it make your tractor with a tag worth less, and that's the real point some people don't like it.



http://www.imperialinc.com/grp125.shtml

You might want to look up that law yourself. It applies to motor vehicles. IE ones with title/registrations. Tractors have serial #s not vehicles identification numbers. They are allot different.

I d rather not have a tag as to having a tag with the wrong no. on a tractor or piece of equipment .

I don't know. I might buy one.

My Daddy bought a JD 420 new in 1956. Not long after that one of his hired hands broke the tractor in half on the bell housing. Well that's where the serial number tag was located. The serial number tag did not get transfered to the new bell housing so now 53 years later I have a tractor with no tag and no idea where the real tag is located.

FWIW

slim

"motor vehicles. IE, ones with title/registrations".

An old gent in my area found out the hard way that at least for purposes of the DUI laws in Washington, "motor vehicles" include 8N Fords. He had lost his license, so went to the tavern on the Ford- got pinched coming home. Told the cop (who he knew very well) "Guess I'll have to use the lawn mower next time." Cop replied, "If its got a motor, I'll get ya again."

I think the first reply to this post hit the nail on the head. If someone changes the part that has the tag on it, then what? In that case you've got an identical part from another machine on your machine with the only deifference being the serial number tag.
When your dealing with a machine as old as most of the tractors being discussed it usually isn't going to matter a whole lot whether it has the 'correct' tag or not. Granted there can be problems associated with finding the exact right part, if there was a serial number break or something. Even then most machines that old shared somany parts in common and unless your the origional owner or find a 'gently' used machine, most have parts from several different machines on them anyway so in the end who cares?
As for VINS, whether it's 'against the law' or not the selling of VIN plates for automotive restorers is common practice also. The same thing applies as I stated origionally with the tractors, what happens when you swap out the part with the VIN tag on it to another vehicle in the course of a repair? You've already got a repaired vehicle so the 'origional'/unrestored value is gone so who cares what the tag says. In this case it's used to register the vehicle with the gov only and as long as the vehicle with the correct VIn plate is registered and the plate stays with that vehicle as long as it is no one cares.
I think it all comes down to the value of the machine, no matter what machine your talking about. If you've swapped out enough parts then the value isn't going to be as great as if it was all origional. Then again if the parts are all the same on every tractor like it then who cares. In the end tag or no tag, origional, restored, or unrestored, a machine is only worth as much as someone is willing to give for it no matter what tag it has or doesn't have on it.

Serial numbers are always stamped some place on the frame of the vehicle with a lot of tractors that means the trans and/or engine. It is against federal law to change any serial # on anything car, tractor or toaster oven. If you have lost the replaceable tag then its not the same thing as grinding the number off and stamping a new one on. That can get you in big trouble. But as we all know unless you live in a state where your tractor is liscenced then it really doesn't matter as long as you tell the new owner what you have done. I personally would like to see someone make new blank tags that you can stamp in the correct serial number.
Walt

I don't know. I might buy one.

My Daddy bought a JD 420 new in 1956. Not long after that one of his hired hands broke the tractor in half on the bell housing. Well that's where the serial number tag was located. The serial number tag did not get transfered to the new bell housing so now 53 years later I have a tractor with no tag and no idea where the real tag is located.

FWIW

slim

DWI/DUI laws are different than serial/vin numbers laws. You are comparing apples to oranges with your story.

The issue to me is does it make the tractor more valuable? I'm generally opposed to replacement tags. There's not a thing on this earth to keep someone from making up a tag and saying they have Farmall H #501, the first one made. That, to me, is wrong. Works well until the real #501 shows up.

If someone has a tractor, like an A or B/BN for example, where the motor number matched the chassis number, and all the casting dates were in line with the motor serial number, suggesting, but only suggesting, that it's the original motor, then maybe that would justify having a plate made up with the chassis number to match the motor.

But I don't like it being done with tractors like a SuperC where the chassis and motor numbers are different. If the owner wants the plate for appearance's sake, and can do enough research to get to a range of numbers, it's my feeling that the plate should be made up with the numbers that can be confirmed and Xs stamped for those that can't.

it applies to ANYTHING with a serial number...i guess some folks need to learn stuff the hard way.

Slim, It has been possible to get a replacement serial number tag from John Deere...If you still have the original bill of sale, that may help.. From what I understand, John Deere does not simply hand out replacement serial number tags, as they have a process to verify that your request is legitimate; and the PROPER tractor is getting the new tag..

not surprisingly, the replacement tag will have a bar code on it... truthfully, this would be a proper replacement part for your tractor..

Sorry. You're right, of course. Well, kinda right. Believe you meant to say "titled vehicle" rather than "motor vehicle"- otherwise, what do we do with horse trailers and the like?

For what it's worth, Craigslist's list of banned items includes anything with the serial number missing or obliterated, assuming it's an item that should have a serial number.

Guess that would include tractors.

I can't beleive this site. All the different opinions. On farmall tractors there is serial #s on the engine and on the tag. I have a farmall C that was bought new and the engine and serial # don't match. Its about 400 numbers off. And this tractor has the same motor. You can buy tags for farmalls and have your number stamped in to make it look new. I have no problem with someone using a # from a parts tracor. What do you guys do about a AC wd45. The serial # is on the rear. If the rear breaks osr goes out and you replace the rear your going to have a different serial #. That really the same as using a different serial # on a plate. Just my opinion.

Wife inherited a tractor from her father. Sure wish the serial tag hadn"t gotten lost years ago. Would make it easier should I need replacement parts. Seems to run fine without the tag however.

No one mentioned the Fords 2N,9N,8N the only serial number I know of is on the block. I bet thousands have been swapped around ! Afterall you could buy reman engines from many places for them. So does this subject all the engine buyers and sellers to be prosecuted ?

I think tractor serial numbers only became a "BIG DEAL" with the advent of the "two-cylinder club " and their first big tractor show in 1987.