[Christa P]

This is just curiousity. I needed a tractor to take the spreader out when the snow got too deep for the lawn tractor I was using so I looked on Craigslist and found a 1940 Allis Chalmers B that was running. A friend of mine fixed it up really nice (still needs a little work), and I did end up spending $1000+ on rear tires and rims, but so far it is workng nicely.

Picture From Craigslist:

http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/t...psa1108d1f.jpg


After:

http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps59b02509.jpg


Christa

[ReSomething]

A buddy of my DH's has three vintage 1950's tractors and a flatbed truck. They work just about every day in his orchards. He thinks about getting a new one and then he looks at the price tag and keeps on using the old ones.

[Hippolyta]

Dad uses his 1952 Deere 40 all the time to spread manure, pull the bush hog, mow our small fields. You can pretty much fix it with a hammer, so it offers that advantage.

[Renae]

My grandpa farmed with until he retired in the late '90s, and my grandma still uses for mowing, taking care of her conservation land, and snow removal 3 Olivers. An ~1950 Oliver 66, an ~1950 Oliver 77, and a 1964 Oliver 1650. I would really like to have the 77 some day!

[leaf]

We have a 1950'ish Ford Jubilee.
DH bush hogs, scapes the driveway, and plows the garden.
She's a grand old girl, when she starts.

[goodhors]

We have a Ford 8N, who is run almost daily, and has been for over 20 years. Hardest workhorse on the place! Slightly younger than yours, 1949 I think.

Your tractor is probably ecstatic living at your house. What a nice "redo" look it has from before and after!! Hope it runs many years, trouble free, for you.

Old ones are nice because they are so much simpler to work on, though getting parts on some kinds is difficult. We are lucky to have a local repair shop that specializes in elderly Fords, has fixed our Bessie several times and always gives her a pat on the motor cover. They really like her!

[cowboymom]

Ours is a wide front Farmall, I think a '41? I forget what year...

DH uses it for everything-it's a little scary to me, no seat belt or anything and if you pop the clutch and aren't holding on you go right out the back door! LOL It's fun to drive though.

http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y25...nt=Tractor.jpg

[cowboymom]

This is just curiousity. I needed a tractor to take the spreader out when the snow got too deep for the lawn tractor I was using so I looked on Craigslist and found a 1940 Allis Chalmers B that was running. A friend of mine fixed it up really nice (still needs a little work), and I did end up spending $1000+ on rear tires and rims, but so far it is workng nicely.

Picture From Craigslist:

http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/t...psa1108d1f.jpg


After:

http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps59b02509.jpg

Christa

What a cute tractor! I love it

Love an 8N too, we used one of those for years until one of the wheels split and we couldn't find a replacement..

[lilitiger2]

In Vermont, a 1951 John Deere with custom wider axle in the front, maintained with kid gloves, runs perfectly - runs the cutter bar, spreads manure, hauls a wagon and runs down the road like a top! i learned to drive on it,but like cowboy mom said, no seat belt, so its a rodeo if you are hanging on the back and someone pops the clutch!

[horsepoor]

I saw the title and thought, heck, ours is old. Then read the responses...ours isn't as old as I thought (only about 30+ years)! But my neighbor has one from the 1930s that he uses fairly regularly. We always know as it announces itself with a whole lot of noise, kind of sputtering, banging, and sounding like it will shake itself to death at any moment. He tends to cut things (grass, brush, trees) on our property "helping out" so it is nice to have that noise to draw us down to check out what Jerry is up to this time. He also can't run it for very long at a time (I think it overheats?), so can't do too much damage before we make it down there to tell him thanks, but no thanks.

[Texarkana]

Mr. Texarkana is looking to purchase an OLD tractor- I think he's wanting an old Farmall or Ford. The main perks being affordability and the fact he can do all the maintenance on it himself.

[shea'smom]

I have the same tractor.I use it every day,when it is running.It mostly runs,spendt about $1000 on it over the years. Sometimes, you have to hold your mouth just right to get it to start and sometimes it only wants me to drive it, will thumb it's nose at anyone else.

[Robin@DHH]

Those of us who enjoy old tractors might appreciate the
website Yesterday's Tractors. My DH has gotten quite a
bit of help keeping our Ford 8N and IH 544 running from
the folks who post there.

[leaf]

Yesterday's Tractors. Thanks for that website.

[Daydream Believer]

I've got a 1947 Allis Chalmers B! Still runs great. I just sold it to a friend and he's installing a 3 pt hitch on it.

[Christa P]

I've got a 1947 Allis Chalmers B! Still runs great. I just sold it to a friend and he's installing a 3 pt hitch on it.

That's one of the things I really like about this tractor - it is generally easy to find parts for it. You can still buy new sheet metal and maintenance parts. As an example, I have a ~15-20 year old Cub Cadet that I cannot get new brake parts for, a part that is expected to wear out, I had to find a set off a tractor being parted out on ebay. The 73 yr old Allis Chalmers OTOH is easy to find brand new brake shoes (bands actually) from several suppliers.

And yes, I have seen the new 3-point hitch attachments for my tractor, they aren't even that expensive - about $400 for the entire kit. I guess that is the advantage of a tractor that was made for 20 years with about 130,000 units with mostly interchangeable parts.

Christa

[4cornersfarm]

I guess mine isn't that old! I have a 1970s era Bolens Iseki diesel. Looks like this:

http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=246895

It's a nice little tractor for our 2 acre farm. Mostly used for mowing. I really need to get it a bucket, it would be more useful that way. And a snowblower, after this winter, hoo boy.

[pony4me]

We had a 1953 John Deere 40 that we used regularly until 1990. Great little tractor! We traded it in on a John Deere 770 which we still have. Biggest reason for trading was we wanted a seat belt and ROPS.

[goodhors]

I guess mine isn't that old! I have a 1970s era Bolens Iseki diesel. Looks like this:

http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=246895

It's a nice little tractor for our 2 acre farm. Mostly used for mowing. I really need to get it a bucket, it would be more useful that way. And a snowblower, after this winter, hoo boy.

Hey, a tractor is just no fun without an array of ACCESSORIES to use with it! Spending time on your tractor , doing jobs that need doing, is very satisfying.

[TB_lover]

Early 60's Massey Ferguson here. Diesel engine, starts like a charm throughout a canadian winter if you plug it in a few hours before you need it. Loader, 3pth, PTO, so I can move large round bales, rocks, and bushmow with it. Doesn't look too fancy but gets a lot of work done!