[AT] Why JD?

[STEVE ALLEN]

I thought, since I have been wrestling with 3 JDs lately, that I should respond to the reasonable question why I stick with JD.

First, just because repairs are needed after neglect, misuse, or simple wear doesn't mean the design is poor.  These machines are 70+ years old, and they have been rode hard and put away wet--when they were put away at all.  No other brand is going to come out looking any better at that point, and some won't come out at all.  (Heck, poor Cecil's MUCH newer NH isn't doing much better!)  Too many farmers/owners just didn't take as good care as they should have years ago, especially after the machines were replaced by newer/bigger/etc. tractors.  I know our '49 A was really beat up.  Still, we've put a lot of hours on it.  Whatever the spark problem is, I am certain it is at least partly a function of sitting so long.  And it's not as it other brands didn't use a magneto.  The '51 was neglected.  Although someone tried to dress it up in new clothes, the neglect under the skin is catching up with it.  It's mostly service parts, however, so we can't hold the worn out ignition parts against it, for example.  

As for the '47 B, that one is special because it was the first tractor our family owned (second one I ever used since I spent some hours on an N-series Ford when I was in grade school--and I wouldn't mind having one of those, too!).  It, to, was bought worn out, and Dad wore it out more ;-)  But we sure did a lot of work with it!  The carb we are now fussing with is a replacement that someone else buggered up--can't blame the design for mechanic's incompetence.  Not the design's fault that someone put the wrong wheels on it or the tires are so old.  

I guess the bottom line is that any machine is subject to wear, tear, and abuse.  Overcoming those problems will be troublesome no matter what brand or era.  But the fact that we're successfully overcoming them on machines that are not only so old but also still so very useful I think absolves JD from any charges of bad design or low quality.

IMHO, of course.
The "original" Steve Allen