[AT] Spam> Re: Fuel prices and old tractor activities.

[Ralph Goff]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Francis Robinson" <robinson at svs.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Monday, July 09, 2007 6:33 AM
Subject: [AT] Fuel prices and old tractor activities.


>    I find my old tractor activities to have been greatly curtailed by high
> fuel prices. Since I retired from grain farming all I do with them is bale
> some hay and do mowing of barn lots, around fences etc. but while I used 
> to
> just climb on and do it I now look long and hard at just how badly it 
> needs
> mowing. I also do more mowing with the lawn tractors since they generally
> use less fuel and leave it more finished. Even using them is painful at 
> the
> pump.

Very true, fuel costs do take the fun out of it. I had to do some 
calculations to see just what we are paying. I know its over a dollar a 
litre at the pump but I still relate better to gallons. I know a dollar a 
litre is $4.54 a Cdn gallon but beyond that I need a calculator.
The last farm gas I bought was $4.27 a gallon. Diesel was $3.25 so I tend to 
use the diesels when I need a tractor. The Massey Super 90 and Case 730 
diesels are seeing more use than the old Cockshutt 40 and 50 gas tractors.
I do burn up the odd gallon of gas in the JD 111 lawn tractor keeping the 
farm yard trimmed but don't look on that as work , more like an amusement 
park ride.
I suspect our old gas powered tractors will eventually be relegated to the 
sidelines in museums and collections as fuel costs become prohibitive.
I did spend a few hours cutting hay with the gas powered IH swather last 
week but didn't go to the trouble of figuring the fuel costs. Its still the 
cheapest method I have to cut hay since its a once over operation compared 
to two separate operations of cutting and raking with the tractors. Less hay 
wasted too as the side delivery rake always seemed to miss some hay.
Hay crops are good here this year with the excess moisture we have had and 
its nice cutting. Even managed to get it baled over the weekend without any 
rain on the swaths.

Ralph in Sask.