Before you start searching for a classic or virtually any pre-owned tractor for your farm, there are a few things it is advisable to take into account. First of all, don't become carried away by nostalgia. Purchasing and restoring an antique tractor can be a great gratifying hobby. However it may turn out to be a pricey one.

Hollin farmers Tom and Matthew Davenport show how they use a 1970 International Model 82 combine to harvest an eight acre field of oats at Sky Meadows State Park. This small combine was manufactured for farmers when farms raised diversified crops which included grain. The combine is powered by the power takeoff from the tractor. Matt's grandfather had a combine just like this, but it was sold in the 1990s. Matt found this one (which was better shape than our old one) at a farm equipment auction in 2007 and bought it for 0. Tom demonstrates mowing with a scythe, and shows how a similar tool, the "cradle" was used to cut grain fields. Photos of the cradle are by Stephen Hough from from Springfield-Greene County Library in Springfield, Missouri. The photos are of Elva Hough, who is probably the photographer's grandfather. Excellent pages on thrashing and rural life at thelibrary.springfield.missouri.org

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Before starting to look for your tractor, make sure that you know what you actually would like. This may possibly appear too basic, but it is easy to get side tracked and buy something which you did not start out to find. Only after you are able to make an itemized list of the requirements should you commence your search. Do not forget to incorporate your technical and performance requirements in your listing. Unless you understand precisely what you happen to be searching for, how are you going to decide how and where to look?

If you are sincerely hunting for a vintage tractor, be careful and not let enthusiasm run away with you. If you do, you may well be in difficulty before beginning the project. Rebuilding an antique tractor or other old farm implement is satisfying. But it's not an overnight project furthermore it might become expensive quite fast. Parts for lots of old tractors are available however some are challenging to find and may be on the spendy side. Original tires could be impossible to find and replica tires can cost more than the tractor. You might find that instead of purchasing a project tractor, it would be just as fulfilling to acquire one which somebody else has previously put all of the time, effort and expense into. Odds are good that you could acquire it for a lesser amount of money than the owner put into it, to say nothing of all of his labor.

Try out any tractor prior to deciding to purchase it. Do you find it simple to get started and appear, solid and feel right? Are the tires in good shape? Is there any kind of hydraulic seepage noticeable? Can you detect any missing parts or accessories? Be sure and give just as close an examination to any attachments. As a final point, make sure that a vintage tractor truly fits the needs of the task you desire it for. It's hard to go wrong with an antique tractor such as a John Deere if you shop cautiously.