Antique Tractors

Antique Tractors

By June Carr

I live in the country down a quiet two-lane road that is sometimes blocked by tractors. While I had ample opportunity to pass the tractor, in fact, the man driving pulled to the right and motioned for me to pass, instead I drove along doing barely 10 miles an hour, admiring this piece of farming history.

The tractor he owned were truly antique tractors; I never found out if he kept his for economic or nostalgic reasons, but he took care of her like a favorite child.

If you're considering purchasing antique tractors for work, you'd do well to consider the type of work you'll be doing; since owning an antique tractor is often times a labor of love, rather than a tractor that gets a labor done. On the other hand, if you're a collector, someone who appreciates tractor history and machinery built to last, an antique tractor might be the perfect piece of memorabilia.

If you're in the market for antique tractors, and you know how to tinker with engines, this might be the perfect weekend project. However, if you're like me, you'll want to bring a long a good mechanic, someone familiar with farm equipment, and preferably someone familiar with the antique tractors you're considering purchasing. Here's exactly what the rep did to ensure the antique tractor with mechanically sound.

Number one, he climbed up on the seat to see if she'd start up. He'd already said this would be the first test on the battery, compression and fuel lines, if she stated then test number one would be passed.

Next thing was to ask the current owner if it was okay to take her for a spin. The old farmer nodded his head, smiling to himself probably remembering the fields he plowed and the years that had past. I learned more lately over coffee and eggs, what he was actually doing was testing the brakes (if they had been mushy it would have indicated a brake job was due), in this case the brakes tested out perfect.

Here's a small piece of advice, if you're considering antique tractors, be certain to check the oil. If it's clear, that good; foamy you might have problems; dirty and it speaks to wear and tear, water might indicate a leaking head gasket.

Purchasing antique tractors requires someone who knows machinery what you need to find out is this; have these antique tractors been treated with loving care, or is it headed for the scrap yard?