[AT] TMCOTKU tractor count is down by one.

[Al Jones]

Ok, I had forgotten Snow.  I think that they are mostly New Holland now.

Wouldn't the IH dealer in Washington have been Mitchell?  Mills is in Kinston.

Al

-----Original Message-----
>From: charliehill <charliehill at embarqmail.com>
>Sent: Oct 20, 2009 10:08 AM
>To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>Subject: Re: [AT] TMCOTKU tractor count is down by one.
>
>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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