tractor restoration business

old fashioned farmer · Feb 26, 2011

Howdy all,

Been a long time since I"ve posted on here. I wanted to pose a question here to see how much interest there is in a business that restores tractors, implements, combines, and also paints all of the previously mentioned machines. I have been thinking about starting one and am weighing all the options. How many of you would be interested in such a business or know people who would be interested in these services? I have a farm too so this would be supplemental to that. I appreciate the input. God bless.

--old fashioned farmer

ericlb · Feb 26, 2011

from time to time i see people on the individual forums looking for somebody to "restore" a tractor, usualy its somebody that either inherits one or buys one and really doesnt have the time tools or knowledge to do it themselve, id say the bigest considerations is logistics, where you are as relitive to where the person wanting the work done ie, if you live in iowa its not going to be much help to somebody in az. then before you start on a tractor, there needs to be a clear, written contract as to just exactly what is expected in reference to the word 'restore' taking a old tractor and rebuilding and repainting it to make a good looking working tractor for use is not as expensive as taking a rare model to a 100 point correct factory fresh trailer queen, the customer needs to set a price limit on just how much money he expects to spend, and what he will be able to get done to the tractor for that price

old fashioned farmer · Feb 26, 2011

Thanks for the info. Good points in there. Some I have thought of and some not. I've done restorations on both ends of the spectrum so I have good numbers on time and price to work with in the beginning. A contract is a great idea. Thanks again. God bless.

--old fashioned farmer

Anonymous-0 · Feb 26, 2011

I have three i would like restored right now ,77 row crop diesel,880 diesel,styled wc in central il

dixon boy · Feb 26, 2011

make sure you have plenty of insurance, get every deal down in writing and expect complaints more than compliments. Some in my neck of the woods doing it some been long time at it others just try to do it as a profitable sideline.usually not there long. You will find out to do it correctly it will become full time to do it. good luck. dealing with the public on daily basis is way different than farming. Been ther done that you might say. one very important aspect also is turn around time, on a project.

MSJ from MN · Feb 26, 2011

I have seen others talk about this on here. I think it would be tough to do if its your only source of income.

It appears you maybe have some free time with your farming operation? If you do and you run it as a supplememt to your farm income I bet it would work great.

John M · Feb 26, 2011

I learned mechanics from my Dad, got a better education of how things work in school. Dad taight me how to fix a probelm, school taughht me how to do it right. I learned restorations from a gentleman who had retired, I asked him if he retored them for a living, and he said no. Said he would have never made any money if he did that! Nobody is willing to fork out 7 - 8000 for a good restoration, and thats what he would have had to charge to make a living at it. With me helping, and learning, he only charged me 2500, I thought that was good! Are there engough tractors and people willing to pay that kind of money around you to keep you going for years? MAybe as a side job, you could do it, but for a living I dont think so.

Dean · Feb 26, 2011

OF:

My experience has been that most people will pay for paint but will not pay much for mechanical work unless it is strikingly visible or absolutely necessary. The exceptions are the rather unusual family hierloom situations.

I doubt that you could make a living doing this but you would probably learn a lot and perhaps supplement other sources of income.

Dean

Riverslim · Feb 26, 2011

Mayes Tractor Restoration in Raymond, IL. Not cheap but top notch. I am a customer.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 26, 2011

THANKS I'LL CHECK IT OUT

Goose · Feb 26, 2011

Since I do auto body work on the side, I've had a few guys ask me about painting a tractor, but none have ever come through. I suspect most of those are the guys that just want you to run it through the car wash, squirt some paint at it instead of doing a top-notch job, and then tell the whole county what a lousy job you did. Or they want to do the prep work, have you paint it over their half-azzed prep work, and then tell everyone what a lousy job you did.

Most of the fellows I know that have nicely restored tractors did all the work themselves, including learning to paint, simply because they enjoy doing it.

I have a cousin who has over a hundred antique tractors, some of which he's restored. He said, too, that by the time you've restored a tractor, you haven't added enough value to it to cover your time and expense.

Don't mean to sound negative, but unless there's sentimental value, very few people are going to spend $8,000 to wind up with a $5,000 tractor.

Sammy in Kansas · Feb 26, 2011

There is a top notch company in Colo. Springs that does autos. A small shop that the guy has done this for 45 years. They have half dozen 40 shipping container for storage and when a car comes in it is stripped of every nut and bolt all being labeled and stored in a container all by itself. You sign a contract with them of how much you can afford to spend each month and his wife tracks time and expense and each month when your money has ran out, it goes back into the container until next month. They take ditial pictures and then email them to you each night they have worked on your project. He said it usually takes 1-2 years depending on how much money someone can afford each month. This is one of the cleanest, nicest organized operations I have seen.

Clodbuster · Feb 26, 2011

Goose is right. Few have the money, or want to spend enough to get a great body and paint job. There are some shops that stay busy doing high priced, very straight metal, color sanded paint jobs. Their clients are those with very rare JD tractors with very deep pockets of cash. Now and then another color of tractor gets done. You will have to paint a tractor to car show quality and then go show it at some national shows and get your name out there.

There is a place for a $600 dollar paint job, but most owners can do a crappy job themselves. Good paint takes time in metal prep, and time costs money!

massey 333 · Feb 26, 2011

Isn't Roberts and the Super Store and farming plus new wife keeping you busy enough as it is now??I don't believe I would get too much tied up in start expenses until you got a feel on needs.

Rick(MN) · Feb 26, 2011

Doing complete restorations is a tough way to go. Just take the smaller, component-type jobs. It's a lot easier for people to write a $500.00 check than a $5000.00 one. It's also a lot easier to land 10 $500.00 jobs than 1 $5000.00 one and your margins will be higher.

old fashioned farmer · Feb 26, 2011

Ha ha,

I'm just farming right now. Don't work at the superstore anymore.

--old fashioned farmer

msb · Feb 26, 2011

No business for a perfectionist so that lets me out, but if you don't mind doing less than a perfect job, you might make a go of it.

1950whiteC · Feb 26, 2011

Restoring,repairing,maintaining,and using old tractors and the implements is all part of the enjoyment of it all for me. I get alot of pride out of doing it myself. I if don't know how to do something , I learn to do it.
I like the challenge and the feel of all that. I wouldn't be happy with anything I didn't have some history with.

wolfman · Feb 26, 2011

Definitely a need for such a business. A shop does restorations in our county and is always backlogged. S.W. PA

Mitch D · Feb 26, 2011

Thats what i'm attempting to do in free time to keep busy and make a few bucks, So far enough to keep my busy. Maybe not so much restoration as repair but close enough

RandyB(MI) · Feb 26, 2011

I've been in paint and body as a living for over 30 yrs. Am now into tractors and have contempleted the same as you. My opinion...since everybody is a body man and everybody is a painter and everybody else is a mechanic , I have decided to do JUST SHEETMETAL and let them do everything else. Thats the only thing they will pay a living rate for someone other than themselves to do. It's the one thing that either is perfect or a waste of time and money. It's what pops or doesn't. Not only can you charge a living wage to do it but it's a lot cleaner and you can do a lot of "tin" in one shop. Let them do all the "other" restoration. You and they will be a lot happier in the end.

kendak · Feb 26, 2011

restored tractors are a thing of the past now that the country is in the toilet & headed for worse...the way we are headed you are going to be lucky to have food to eat & a place to sleep....restored tractor prices have dropped like a rock in the past two years...look at the ads in any mag. & then wake up to the real world we live in

NY 986 · Feb 26, 2011

I would say you would need no competition within 150 miles any direction and it still would be a part time business. Also, being the only game for quite a distance lessens the chance customers will beat you down when it comes time to pay for the job. There is always somebody trying to scam by saying they were disappointed with the work or it was not what they were expecting. People that have money to pay for expensive body work got it by not writing checks.
Sorry if I sound cynical but it is what I have seen happen to others that have tried ventures like that.

630rich · Feb 26, 2011

we have done tractors, people really dont want to pay for all the work that goes into doing a restoration.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 26, 2011

Soda blasting and spray painting implements may work, restoration would be very expensive.

JDseller · Feb 27, 2011

I really doubt that you could get much business in this economy. Plus these things cycle. The Antique tractor market seems to have peaked. Unless the tractor is rare the values are way down. You can buy a restored common tractor for far less than the cost to do one right.

A real good blast and paint job would be in the $1500-2000 dollar range. Do you think that many around you would pay that?

I am doing a Ford 981 right now for myself. I have $7500 in it and I am not done. This is with the trans being good when I started. I think that I will get it done for under 10K. This is a complete strip down and build out.

So I am not sure you can make wages. You might not even do that. If these gas prices keep climbing then it really will not work. People just have so much to spend on hobbies and that is going to get smaller with the cost of gas going up.

D.B. in Mi. · Feb 27, 2011

(quoted from post at 23:09:33 02/26/11) I really doubt that you could get much business in this economy. Plus these things cycle. The Antique tractor market seems to have peaked. Unless the tractor is rare the values are way down. You can buy a restored common tractor for far less than the cost to do one right.

These guy seem to be doing ok.
http://www.skipsrepair.com/ I take my work to them when there is something I think I need help with. They are always busy. Father and son place. They have some nice tractors of thier own.

old fashioned farmer · Feb 27, 2011

Howdy,

Thanks for all the input guys. I really appreciate it. God bless.

--old fashioned farmer

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