Young tractor collectors

Pat-CT · Dec 23, 2009

There was a topic on earlier about young tractor collector/ collectors of anything.

Im kind of intrigued on how some of you other youngins (>25)go into collecting tractors.

I for one got started by a tractor ride i went on when I was about 9. It was a farmall M named katie. I used to work at a haunted hayride and one day the female owner of the tractor let me take it for a ride in a field. From then the owner of the farm died soon to follow, the hayride. My tractor experience was forgoten untill i got into high school and came across a farmall super C that the school owned, and from the first time i drove it i knew that i needed to have one. Then came my farmall H, cub, allis wd45, and JD60

Nebraska Kirk · Dec 23, 2009

I am no longer younger than 25, but I bought my first two tractors very cheap when I was 24, Farmall M & H. I was then able to gradually fix and get them running. I am not rightly sure how I came to be interested in old tractors, but as far back as I can remember red has been my favorite color, so it is only natural that I gravitated to International Harvestor :lol:

a.rothermel · Dec 23, 2009

im 17 and have an oliver 1655. I got into tractors when my dad decided he wanted a 2nd tractor on the farm other than are small 35hp jd 830 3 cylinder. I took it as my job to find the tractor to buy. This got me intrigued in the older tractors. We ended up getting a MF 1080 and i loved driving the old iron so much i bought a 1655 of my own

caleb · Dec 24, 2009

Well Im 25 and bought my ole 41 B about three years ago. Ive always been a tractor junkie but never really thought about the old stuff til I was out of high school. I got my B dirt cheap from a middle age guy that sold it to me really cheap and even let me pay him out. We've since become great friend despite the age difference. Heres what he said about selling it to me for less than he had in it. Its so hard to young guys that are interested in these old machines that when I saw how serious you were about them Id rather have let it go and get someone into the hobby than sell it to someone for market value to add to their collection. In my own personal experiences I have found that there is a great disconnect between the older generation and the younger on things like this. Not all of us younger ones are into xbox and computer games, some of us would rather hang out in a dirty shop with some music on talking/working on machinery. Anyway Im glad that I know Russ and that he was able to recognize a silent problem with the younger getting into collecting. Maybe Im way off base on the entire nation but this is the way it is here.

Caleb

Jim SC · Dec 24, 2009

Hmmmm... I must be in the wrong place. I am 69 and grew up with "old" tractors. We had a '37 steel wheel JD A and later, when I was old enough to drive one, a '45 A and then a '49 G. The most fun was a 49 '8N' which we got from my grandfather when he retired.

I have had several "old" tractors since and still have a "9N/8N" mutt.

I don't know how/why y'all got interested, but I love ya for it. Keep 'em running, guys!

buickanddeere · Dec 24, 2009

The average collector is somebody between the ages of 35 to 65. who is feeling nostalgic for the "good old days" for something when they were 10 to 30 years old.. And have to have available cash to spend.
Pretty much rules out collectors under the age 25.

The JD Workmen · Dec 24, 2009

Dad got my brother and I interested in tractors when I was 15 now 17 and my brother was 19 now 21. Our first tractor restoration was a 1955 Massey ferguson to-35. After that we bought a 1952 JD B to restore since then we have collected 6 other tractors. We use them for everything from parades to pulling. if it wasn't for dad we would have probly never got into this hobby.

John M · Dec 24, 2009

Even into the 70s and 80s we were using the "antiques" as it was pretty mucj all we could afford, but also because it worked. Worse peice of equipment we had was a JD 45 combine. Couldnt keep it running, or something was always breaking. The bigger we got, the more it cost us and we werent making any money.Dropped back to 500 acres, and started making money again, about the time Dad retired from farming. I took over and put it all in hay, and made dang good money for someone who was 16 at the time.

Bkpigs · Dec 24, 2009

I am 23, I am not a collector by anymeans. I have one tractor (for now

) and my dad has one tractor (hobby farm). I am however an enthusiast. I love everything to do with old tractors. The ingenuity and simplicity of everything thrills me.
Don't get me wrong new tractors are all right (FIL has a darn good selection of them which I have the pleasure of running every year) but they just don't have that same feeling in the seat.

Zachary Hoyt · Dec 24, 2009

I don't really collect tractors since I can't afford to. I'm 23 and I have worked at a nonprofit organization as a full time volunteer since I was 15 and make money on the side building furniture and stringed instruments. I bought an Allis C because I was thinning a red pine plantation and wanted a tractor small enough to get in between the trees. I got it running and hauled out about 50 or 60 loads of pine and when that job was done I traded it a week ago for a Farmall H which needs some work too. I won't be needing the H till the snow melts, so that works well and gives me time to find some rear tires I can afford. I'm using the tractors for my work here, but that is fine because it gives me a chance to learn about tractors and have a place to actually use them. The farm owns a Massey 35 which has been the workhorse for years so I got started in tractors by working on and driving it.
Zach

Pat-CT · Dec 24, 2009

Wow some pretty good stories guys! keep them coming! i enjoy the storys of everyone and how the were related to old iron!

Poor Farmer 830 · Dec 24, 2009

Well Im 18 and dad farmed when i was little but has since quit, but when i was little he had a 36 John Deere D and a 51 John Deere B, but my brothers and I have really added to the collection, In the past ten years we have bought and restored a John Deere 70,620,830,R,A,unstyled A,Super M-TA, and have a 4010 and 4020 waiting in line to restore, and recently I have become interested in all the old machinery i restored a John Deere 44, 55 abh, F-670-H plows and a 290 cornplanter and leave wednesday to pick up my 227 cornpicker, i figure you cant really tell the story of the old tractors without their equipment, but im glad to see other young guys who have the passion for the old tractors like my family does, but keep up the collecting everyone, hope you all have a safe and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Cue P. · Dec 24, 2009

At 37 now, i first fell in love with old iron when i was 12. The orhcard i worked at was owned by a 75 year old and he still used all his old stuff (a 49 W4 and a 53 Super A) plus one 1970s Ford. Years passed and in 2000 was able to buy the 49 and 53 from the new owners of the place who were selling the farm to the town for open space preservation. Since i have been adding implements to the Super A but no more tractors for now...perhaps Santa will drop one off?

Anonymous-0 · Dec 24, 2009

I feel better about the future when I hear about our young men and women taking an interest in some of our older equipment and history.

in-too-deep · Dec 24, 2009

Hi there! I"m 22 and have been in love with antique tractors since my early teens I "spose. My first goal was to buy a two-cylinder John Deere and restore it. I found a basket-case 1949 JD B, but haven"t gotten to the restoration yet. I have since broadened my horizons to anything rusty, from steamers to the late 60"s. I agreed to buy a "35 Case Model C but haven"t picked it up yet. I also love old implements and IH trucks. I have a "59 3/4 ton and a "68 3/4 ton that I bought from a gent on here. I always try to explore abandoned farmyards (with permission) because I always have hope that I"ll find some forgotten gem in the brush or in a building. So far, I found an IH belt pulley corn sheller, an IH 2 bottom plow, and a MH swather. None of them are retreived yet, but someday.

Vito · Dec 24, 2009

Over the age limit but I have always loved tractors.At 7 years of age got to steer a Farmall H for the first time getting the family Xmas tree.Rode on them all the time when younger than that when my father worked on a dairy farm.Got the disease about 7 years ago.I hope I am not infecting my two sons to bad yet.It is a fun hobby.

Vito

tractorsam · Dec 24, 2009

I always had an interest in tractors and machinery and spent the first 6 years of my life in rural Wales. According to mother the only thing that would keep me quiet was to sit at the top of a field and watch the tractors working. We then moved to Canada and living in the city my interest became dormant until the summer of '99. While on holiday in the UK I happened to meet a local farmer who had about 25 vintage tractors and a steam traction engine (which was how I came to meet him in the first place as I chased it down the road on a very rickety bicycle!). Since then I've been researching and I bought a 1953 Farmall Super A in April of '01 and that, as they say, was the beginning of the end.

I now have 5.5 tractors of my own, do repairs for other people, and play at antique tractor pulling during the summer. I'm hoping that this coming year will see me buying a place of my own where I can build a shop and then things will really get moving.

Sam

LeoinMI · Dec 24, 2009

I always liked old tractors since i worked on various farms from age 11-18. I drove many makes and models,.but never owned one. I owned old trucks and a 1966 GTO of which I restored. Loved to work on them but the parts became pretty expensive. I finally have an old ford NAA. It is a great tractor and pretty easy to work on. At age 58 my Hot Rod days are over so it is tractors for now.

KL in Wi · Dec 24, 2009

Bought my first tractor when I was in fifth grade. It was a 27 D John Deere on steel . Thought my dad was going to shoot me. In the next few years, I bought a couple As. Sold all but the D after getting into an argument with some arrogant JD owners at a show because I painted the fan yellow. Bought an 18-28 Oliver Hart-Parr and a McCormick 10-20 on round spoke rubber in 71. Since then I bought an Allis B and RC. Oliver 60 and two 80s one on rubber, one on rear tip-toe and front F&H. When my dad died, I bought his 8N Ford and 880 Oliver that he bought new. I'm now 57 and have lots of work to do to finish the ones that aren't yet restored. Not brand fussy, I think they are all great old machines.

MIKE FRENCH · Dec 24, 2009

bought my first tractor at 10 years old, 38 ac wc, still have it, been going ever since, over 100 now, LOL and 32 now

Mike M · Dec 24, 2009

FWIW; I think you are on track and the rest of the nation is OFF TRACK.

1936 · Dec 24, 2009

First picture of me setting on a tractor was on the steel pan seat of a JD B. Dad must have been holding me up in the seat for the picture cause I was still on mother's milk and not able to reach the clutch handle yet. 64 years back. Have a small collection to you yungs.

I Likem All · Dec 25, 2009

Living the GOOD life,Son GRANDSONS and I own M 400 L-P 230 240 340D farmalls,420 ,720 L-P J.D. WD-45 CA G A/C, 8N 841D OHV 6 cyl 8N 400 pulls 6500/7500 farm stock, 10 and 12 year old GRANDSONS pull 720 in 7500 farm stock.THANKS to this site. ILM

NY 986 · Dec 25, 2009

I don't know if some of these kids realize how fortunate they are to be able to do this. I am sure the vast majority do. The tractor collecting I was able to do was more aimed at keeping the farm going. The only vintage tractor I have would be a Ford 860 that gets used for light chores. The IH 986 is mine along with a share in the JD 8430 we have. The other tractors I have mentioned on this site belong to Dad.
Would have loved to been active collecting when I was in my twenties but it was not in the cards for me. I'm 46 by the way. When I was growing up I would say extremely few kids would have had the means to buy any tractor around here.

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