[AT] TMCOTKU tractor count is down by one.

[charliehill]

Most folks around our farm used Snow Tractor over in Ayden.  They are/were a 
relatively small dealer but gave good service.  The IH guy was Mills 
International in Washington.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Al Jones" <farmallsupera at earthlink.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 9:35 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] TMCOTKU tractor count is down by one.


> Charlie,
>
> Yes, the MF's were popular here too.  Lots and lots of 1xx and 2xx series 
> running around.  And they certainly had a price advantage over the other 
> makes.  When my dad was going to buy a new  tractor, he narrowed it down 
> to a 285 MF or a JD 2940.  By then IH had lost a lot of market in our area 
> and sadly, he didn't look at them (though I wish he had gotten a 786 as 
> they're kinda rare.) Anyhow he had several MF users that told him that he 
> could afford the JD, by all means choose it over the 285.  That is what he 
> did.
>
> Who was the MF dealer in your area?
>
> Al
>
> -----Original Message-----
>>From: charliehill <charliehill at embarqmail.com>
>>Sent: Oct 20, 2009 7:49 AM
>>To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>>Subject: Re: [AT] TMCOTKU tractor count is down by one.
>>
>>Al, I've never run any IH stuff since past the end of the letter series so 
>>I
>>can't make a direct comparison between the 424, 444 and the MF tractors 
>>but
>>I've spent a lot of seat time on 35's and a fair amount on 1xx and 2xx
>>series Masseys and most recently on a 265.  They are very easy to operate.
>>Everything seems to be where it should be.  Your hands seem to fall onto 
>>the
>>controls.  They have good power and seem to run effortlessly.  I don't 
>>think
>>they are quite as tough as the AC stuff I grew up on but unless abused I
>>can't see that would matter much.  I'd like to run a 424 or 444 sometime 
>>to
>>see for myself.  I will say this.  It was pretty easy around Craven County
>>to get seat time on a MF and there were very few of the IH tractors.
>>We had a good IH dealer about 15 miles from our farm in Washington NC so 
>>it
>>wasn't a matter of dealer support.  I'm thinking maybe the MF stuff might
>>have had a price advantage over IH.  The MF dealer that most folks used 
>>was
>>actually further away.
>>
>>Charlie
>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>From: "Steve W." <falcon at telenet.net>
>>To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" 
>><at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>>Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 11:42 PM
>>Subject: Re: [AT] TMCOTKU tractor count is down by one.
>>
>>
>>> Al Jones wrote:
>>>> Well yes, they cast a very similar shadow.  But the IH was built so 
>>>> much
>>>> better.  I believe you could drop a 424 or 444 IH off the side of the
>>>> grand
>>>> canyon, and once it hit bottom, you could crank it up and drive it out.
>>>> (Unless it landed in the river in which case you would have to dry it 
>>>> out
>>>> first!)  Then, you got an 8 speed transmission.  And better hydraulics.
>>>> Etc.
>>>
>>> If I showed you my 35 you might just think it made that trip.....
>>> It's had it's (and a few others) share of abuse.
>>> When it was on the farm it was THE tractor, anything done on the farm it
>>> did (even after he got a low hour TO-20). Not sure how many hours are on
>>> it but he bought it new and ran it until about 1998.
>>>
>>>>
>>>> What I have been trying to say is, Ford/ Ferg. might have pioneered the
>>>> small, light weight, low-bodied tractor, but IH, JD, and others 
>>>> "refined"
>>>> it and made it something way more useful. With the other choices on the
>>>> market now, similarly priced, and many now old enough to be called a
>>>> "classic," I just can't understand why somebody would spend the money 
>>>> on
>>>> the Ferd/Furg.
>>>>
>>>> But, to each his own! :)
>>>>
>>>> Al
>>>
>>> The main reason I like them is simple, I grew up with them. :-)
>>> The TO-20 was MY tractor on the farm, I used it a bunch and even skidded
>>> more than a few LARGE logs with it. (most were large enough that to
>>> steer it down out of the woods and up to the drop I never touched the
>>> steering wheel, But I did wear out 2 sets of brake shoes!!!)
>>>
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> Steve W.
>>>
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