Taylor Osterberg, Entrant, 2009 Delo Tractor Restoration Competition

As you start trying to find a classic or just about any pre-owned tractor for your farm, there are one or two points it is advisable to remember. To begin with, do not become carried away by nostalgia. Buying and rejuvenating an old tractor can be a great gratifying hobby. However it can also develop into 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 starting to search for your tractor, make certain you understand what you genuinely would like. This might appear overly basic, nevertheless it is easy to become side tracked and purchase something which you did not start out to purchase. Only if you are able to prepare an itemized list of the requirements should you start the hunt. Don't forget to add the technical and performance needs in the list. If you do not know precisely what you're hunting for, how are you going to decide where and how to search?

If you are sincerely hunting for a vintage tractor, be careful and not allow enthusiasm run away with you. If you do, you might well be in difficulty before beginning the project. Rebuilding an antique tractor or other old farm implement is gratifying. However it is not an overnight project furthermore it is able to become expensive quite rapidly. Parts for a lot of aged tractors are available but some are tough to find and may be on the spendy side. Original tires could be difficult to find and reproduction tires may cost more than the tractor. You might find that instead of buying a project tractor, it would be just as fulfilling to purchase one that someone else has previously put all of the effort, expense and time into. Chances are good that you could acquire it for less money than the owner put into it, to say nothing about all of his labor.

Try out the tractor prior to deciding to purchase it. Is it simple to start and look, sound and feel right? Are the tires in good shape? Is there any kind of hydraulic leakage evident? Do you notice any missing pieces or accessories? Make sure and give just as close an examination to any attachments. Last but not least, make sure that an antique tractor genuinely fulfills the needs of the task you want it for. It truly is tough to go wrong with an antique tractor like a John Deere if you shop cautiously.