[AT] red belly/ fergy

[Al Jones]

Farmer, if anyone knows about what a tractor means to somebody, it's me. Every old tractor me or my family owns is there because it tugs the heartstrings in some way.  I'm not putting down anyone that chooses to own/collect the Fords or Fergusons. I'm not putting the tractors themselves down either. However, like your machines, my old tractors not only occupy a place in my collection, they must earn their keep too.  In terms of what we use a tractor of this general size for, a red belly or fergie would be borderline useless.  Just not enough brawn.  Also, even with the hard steering and delapidated seat of our 424, I personally find it more comfortable to operate than the Ford/Ferg.  May just be because I am used to it.  

Another example of what I am talking about is the Farmall Cub.  Now, I love Cub's.  I have one I wouldn't part with for anything.  Like the Ford/Ferguson, there's a mystique about them.  But in terms of work, you're limited in a lot of ways with what you can do with one--wrong size/direction PTO shaft, proprietary hitch, etc.  And like the Ford/Ferguson, they, at least in my area, are grossly overpriced.  You should be able to buy a fine Cub with some goodies all day long for less than $1000, but that is certainly not the case.

My overall point is, if someone is needing a tractor about the physical size of the N-series or MF, and they have a wide variety of tasks to perform, they are not limited to the Ford/Fergie.  Now if they want an 8N or a TO-whatever, that's their perogative and their choice should be celebrated.

Finally, I'm in the younger age bracket, so to me a 1020 JD, 404 or 424 IH, etc. would fall into the "old/collectable" category--all being late '60s vintage-- and, at least I think, are perfectly appropriate to discuss here. :)

Al

 

-----Original Message-----
>From: Indiana Robinson <robinson46176 at gmail.com>
>Sent: Jun 29, 2009 7:44 AM
>To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>Subject: Re: [AT] red belly/ fergy
>
>On Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 11:26 PM, Al Jones<farmallsupera at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> True, they are a few years newer.  But you can buy the IH or JD for about
>> the same price as a ferguson or a ford--that was the point, you can spend
>> the same money on something that is the same physical size as a Nseries or
>> a Ferguson, is a little newer, will use about the same sized implements
>> (don't think a redbelly will pull three plows--but the IH or the JD will)
>> yet will work rings and rings around them.  Plus, the IH or the JD are not
>> nearly as crude.
>>
>> I don't have anything against them per se, but they're pretty over-valued
>> in today's market for what they are capable of.
>>
>> PS The 200 series Masseys were very popular here but they are just an
>> updated MF 35. Pull off the sheetmetal, and they're the same tractor
>> underneath.  My dad looked at buying a new 285 in the early '80s. Thank
>> goodness he went with a 2940 JD instead.  The 2940 was sort of a "budget"
>> tractor for JD, but it was head and shoulders above the 285.
>>
>> Al
>>
>=============================================
>
>
>I agree that there are a lot of very highly over-priced N Fords and
>TO's out there but if you look around there are also a lot of decent
>ones at decent prices. I paid $1600 for my TO-20 with two bush-hogs
>and a grader blade. It has proven itself a solid, good running little
>tractor. Quite frankly the models you mention don't interest me at
>all. Neither do the brand new ones which is the next logical step in
>the progression to what you suggest. As long as a tractor will do the
>job I need to do I don't really care if it will do more or not. I am
>an old tractor collector... I don't consider those tractors
>collectible... I may be wrong but I sort of thought appreciating the
>old stuff was why Spencer started this list???
>-
>There is another factor here too. With a little minor fixing up and a
>nice coat of paint my old 1949 TO-20 will be worth at least a third
>more than what I will have in it. Even if all I do is maintain it, it
>will increase in value slightly. If I bought a nice brand new tractor
>today (and they are nice) in a years time it will go down in value
>"substantially".
>-
>The biggest point your missing here though is the reason most of us
>buy these old beast and labor on them is that in most cases they mean
>a lot to us.
>In my case I grew up on a 9-N, 8-N's, TO-20, NAA (Jubilee) etc. etc. I
>have a lot of other old tractors around here of all colors and I love
>them all as old tractors but even though I have used some of them for
>30 or 40 years I didn't grow up with them.
>-
>I sort of thought that was what this list was supposed to be about,
>not whether the newer stuff was more capable or not... Of course it
>is.
>-
>I guess I was wrong...
>
>
>
>-- 
>Have you hugged your horses today?
>
>Francis Robinson
>aka "farmer"
>Central Indiana USA
>robinson46176 at gmail.com
>
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