[J94]John Deere Vintage Tractor

If you are reading this article, then you must have an interest in vintage tractors. Collecting, refurbishing and maintaining vintage tractors from years ago has become extremely popular over the last few years. There are many reasons for this; firstly they are relatively inexpensive to purchase, and look after and in some places they cost less than the road tax on a newer tractor. In addition, while they are a great antique to have they can still be used to do work. They are simple and understandable. They even have a history and can be restored to become a major source of pride and enjoyment to who ever has taken the time and effort to restore it. But how do you know what to buy and how do you make the right investment?

Antique tractors come in many shapes and sizes. , your needs have a lot to do with what you should look for. You first need to know your needs you then need to convert this into a list of requirements that will give you a clear picture of what you are looking for.

Depending on whether you need an for your land or you are planning to set about restoring for pleasure you will obviously choose different machines. Certainly some of the most sought after vintage tractors make very poor work tractors because of their age or maintenance requirements and on the other-side elaborate restoration of an very common machine may not be worth the effort (not to mention the cost of that perfect original paint mix).

Detailed research should always be the first thing you start with when looking to buy an antique tractor. Many research books are available that have this information providing every detail you need to know about a particular tractor model.

While collectability, horsepower, PTO, etc make up the evaluation criteria for determining the type, engine size, brand, or model of antique tractor you are looking for, a more basic list of factors will be used for selecting the exact tractor you will invest in. As we discussed earlier, reconditioning an vintage collectible tractor will have a completely different list of criteria.

Vintage Tractors Bought for Working

Those that need a machine for working their farm are in a better position to get what they need quickly but it is amazing how many people buy the wrong type of tractor and become disillusioned with old machines. The very first thing you should consider is the topology of your land, how hilly is it and finally what type of machinery will you be using with the tractor. If you plan on using the tractor for tillage, such as barley or corn, then you should consider a Nuffield 4/25, a Massey Furguson T20 because other machines may be too low to the ground and cause damage to your crop. On the other hand if you have fields which are hilly, you may need to consider something like a Massey Ferguson 40 or a Layland 154 . If you are going to use machinery, you should look at the horsepower requirements of this implement and make sure the tractor model you select has the right weight and power to do the job. If you have the need for a 10 foot disk harrow, then you will need more power than a Fordson Model F Thorough research should ensure you don't make any of these basic mistakes.

Once you have selected your tractor the first thing which gets your attention should be the mechanics of the tractor not how its looks. Many good working tractors haven't seen paint in years and will have been patched up and mended with a range of strange materials.

Its very important they you test all the basic mechanics of the tractor, so take time to test the steering, gears, forward and reverse, PTO, lift, lights, indicators and hydraulics. Even if you plan to work on it right away, you may not be interested in a complete renovation for sometime and need to reduce the number of initial maintenance tasks. Your check list should included at a minimum the following: does it start easily from cold, run well when hot, all the electrical components work well, does it have good traction If possible you should go to your test armed with a toolbox containing a compression tester, expensive Fluke digital multimeter, hydrometer, and other specialty tools. or bring somebody with you who has these tools.. If you are not lucky enough to have access to these tools, as many don't then don't panic. You should in this case rely on your own common sense and your own observation skills.

However, having said this, you should still be armed with the a basic knowledge on the operation of the tractor you are previewing. You should, at a minimum beg, borrow or steal a copy of the owners manual for the particular model of tractor you are planning to look at so you are familiar with its operation and basic specs and what to look out for.

Here is a partial checklist for a simplistic preview of a working tractor:

?Does it start easily from cold? - A tractor that starts easily may rule out several particular problems in one shot Good Battery, compression, ignition wiring / magneto, tune up, fuel flow, Carburetor can be assured (not guaranteed) by this. If it doesn't start quickly from cold, it still may be a good tractor but you will have to spend some time and money on it. One key thing to watch out for is if the tractor is out and warmed up prior to your arrival, you lose an important checklist item, namely the cold start, because as we all know a warm engine starts much more easily then a cold one..

?How well does it run when warm - Getting it hot is a must if you want to find out how it will work after you plowed the first row. A number of issues can cause the tractor to run poorly after it warms up. Make sure to run it for at least half an hour. After running look for leaks, antifreeze and both oil. Lastly after warm up, shut it down and see if it will start.

?Do the brakes work well - Although the brakes are inexpensive to replace, they are inaccessible on many tractors and will require a lot of work to replace. You can check the brakes by locking one wheel and cranking the steering to that side. The tractor should spin and the wheel should not rotate, do this for both wheels.

?Does it smoke - like rings, pistons, or valve guides. Black or white smoke can oftentimes be fixed with carburetion or ignition changes but still involves your time and also money.

?Does it make clunking noises from inside the engine - A simple ticking from the top of the engine may be a simple valve readjustment but a deep thunk from the bottom or middle of the engine would point to very serious and expensive repairs. The clunk should be more pronounced under load. This may be a sign of trouble with the bearings, crankshaft or piston rods. And mean a very expensive repair job.

?What colour is the oil - After you have run it for a little while, turn off the engine and check the oil for foaming or presence of water. This is a show stopper.
?Is there head seepage - look for signs that oil are leaking out the head gasket. If the tractor is drenched with grease and dirt, it may cover obvious signs of seepage.

?Is the clutch in good working order - a clutch is not that costly to replace but splitting the tractor in half is beyond what most collectors want to do.
?Check the Dynamo - There should be a small charge indicated on the ammeter when the engine is turning over and a change in the charging level when the lights are turned on (this means that the regulator or resistor switch and cutout is operating). At running speed, no discharge should be shown. #
?Use the hydraulics - Check the full range of the power rams by extending them with a load. Let the load stand in the hold situation for a while to be sure that there is no leakdown. Chattering noises from the pump while lifting indicate the pump is getting insufficient flow of hydraulic fluid. The pump will have experienced excessive wear when run this way for long periods of time and may be about to fail.

?Look for cracks in the structure - If you don't do this you may live to regret it. Look for hairline cracks in all the steel components. Again, this is not expensive to correct but extremely time consuming to fix, also it would be unsafe to use a tractor with such flaws.
IF initially the tractor fails some of these areas, you may still find that the seller is willing to move on price (since you discovered the problems). At this point you must decide if you have the time to fix what you discovered... and make some savings in the process. If your tractor needs are time-critical, don't have anything to do with this tractor.

The best option for investing a day to day tractor is either to purchase one that is still in use (but the owner needs to upgrade) or from a known dealer. The first is usually someone like you who needs a tractor on a day to day basis. These dealings are normally pleasurable and can even spark a long term friendship that goes beyond the buyer/seller aspect. This type of individual will in all probability even let you try the machine with on your farm and tell you all those things they would repair if they were keeping the tractor.

Buying from dealers can also be positive but even at a dealer you should be equipped with your rating criteria rather than depending on "the warranty". Even if your dealer offers warranties, transporting a tractor back for even free repairs will list you a lot of time and effort. Also remember that the dealer is there to make a profit and may not have your best interests at heart. So buyer beware!

While many of the above experiences may sound a bit negative, you should do your background research make sure you are aware of the specific issues the model of tractor you are looking at before you invest.