Tractor Restoration In 4-H

As you start searching for a classic or any kind of pre-owned tractor for use on your farm, there are some items you'll want to consider. To begin with, do not get captivated from nostalgia. Buying and rejuvenating an antique tractor can be a marvelous fulfilling hobby. But it can also become a really expensive one.

Tractor restoration is just one of the many 4-H programs provided every which gives several million youth opportunities to sharpen skills in vocations that will enhance their families and communities for years to come. The hobby and vocational training they receive is not only beneficial to them, most youth find it provides a basis for a life time of fun and satisfaction! Tractor restoration certainly fits in this category.

A 4-H tractor project is an opportunity for 4-H'ers to explore a broad spectrum of tractor related interests such as:

=> tractor restoration itself
=> on-going maintenance
=> repair and overhaul, and
=> gaining driving and operating skills

Tractor restoration and repair is not all you will learn in this 4-H program. You will also develop other skills that you will serve you throughout your life. By teaching and sharing with others what you learn you will develop skills in leadership and citizenship. The principles of safe tractor operation that you will learn can be transferred to safe equipment operation in general and will benefit you no matter what vocation you ultimately choose.

In the beginning you will need to decide what tractor restoration means to you. It may mean bringing a tractor up to operational status. Others may look at restoration as repairing and rebuilding your tractor with new or modified parts to create a modified tractor. Hobbyists involved in tractor pulls often modify their tractors. For still others, restoration means rebuilding and repairing the tractor to near-new condition complete with new paint and appropriate decals. True restoration means restoring your tractor to “the way it was when it left the factory, not the way we wish it was.”

Activities
There are many different types of activities that you could participate in or even organize as you grow older and gain greater skills. This is where the fun really begins! There are many antique tractor and engine shows or tractor pulls that you could attend to get lots of ideas. There are also swap meets where you could purchase the part or parts that you need, as well as gain lots of valuable information.

More information on antique tractor shows can be found in the Farm Collectors Show Directory. This directory lists shows and swap meets all over the United States. You might want to plan a traveling vacation by attending a show or swap meet. The National 4-H Headquarters website has links to local chapters and programs.

Prior to your starting to look for your tractor, be certain you know what you truly would like. This might seem too simple, nevertheless it is easy to get side tracked and purchase something that you did not start out to buy. Only after you are able to make an itemized listing of your requirements should you begin your search. Don't forget to include the technical and performance needs in your list. If you do not understand precisely what you will be searching for, how are you going to determine how and where to look?

If you are sincerely searching for a vintage tractor, be careful and not let enthusiasm get the best of you. If you do, you may well be in trouble before you begin your project. Restoring an antique tractor or other old farm implement is rewarding. Nevertheless it isn't an overnight project plus it might become costly very rapidly. Parts for lots of aged tractors are available but some are difficult to locate and can be on the spendy side. Factory original tires may be difficult to purchase and reproduction tires may cost more than your tractor. You may find that rather than buying a project tractor, it would be just as gratifying to acquire one which someone else has already put all of the time, effort and expense into. Odds are good that you could buy it for less money than the owner put into it, to say nothing of all of his labor.

Try out any tractor before you get it. Is it simple to get started and appear, sound and feel right? Are the tires in good shape? Is there any hydraulic seepage visible? Can you observe any missing pieces or equipment? Be sure and give equally close an evaluation to any attachments. Last but not least, make sure that a classic tractor actually meets the needs of the job you desire it for. It is difficult to go wrong with an antique tractor like a John Deere if you search carefully.