Amie Haass, Finalist, 2009 Delo Tractor Restoration Competition

Before you start looking for a vintage or any pre-owned tractor for use on your farm, there are some factors it is advisable to remember. First, do not get carried away by nostalgia. Acquiring and restoring a classic tractor can be a marvelous gratifying pastime. Nonetheless it also can become a really expensive one.

Since 1995, the Delo Tractor Restoration Competition (www.chevrondelotrc.com) has rewarded the determination, mechanical skills and business savvy of high school aged FFA members from around the country. Through the restoration of an antique tractor, participants develop skills applicable to the modern business world. The skills needed for success in the program - equipment maintenance, teamwork, project management, budgeting, planning and marketing - help develop the participants into future leaders in the agriculture community. For more on Delo lubricants go to www.deloperformance.com

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Before you start searching for your tractor, be sure that you know what you really want. This might appear overly basic, however it is easy to get side tracked and acquire something which you didn't start out to purchase. Only after you are able to prepare a complete listing of your requirements should you commence your search. Don't forget to include your technical and performance requirements in your list. If you do not know precisely what you will be hunting for, how are you going to decide where and how to search?

If you are sincerely looking for an antique tractor, be careful and not allow enthusiasm run away with you. If you do, you may well be in difficulty before beginning the project. Restoring an antique tractor or other old farm implement is satisfying. But it is not an overnight project plus it is able to get costly quite swiftly. Parts for lots of old tractors are available but some are tough to locate and can be on the spendy side. Factory original tires might be difficult to buy and replica tires can cost more than the tractor. You may well discover that rather than buying a project tractor, it would be just as gratifying to purchase one that someone else has previously put all of the effort, expense and time into. Chances are favorable that you could acquire it for a lesser amount of money than the owner put into it, to say nothing about all of his labor.

Test the tractor before you acquire it. Is it simple to get started and look, solid and feel right? Are the tires in good shape? Is there any hydraulic leakage evident? Can you observe any missing parts or accessories? Be sure and give equally close an inspection to any attachments. Last but not least, be sure that an antique tractor actually fits the requirements of the task you want it for. It's difficult to go wrong with an antique tractor like a John Deere if you shop carefully.