convincing a significant other

[wantatractor]

I did a search for any threads with info on how to convince a significant other that a tractor is a neccessity but found nothing. I was wondering if anybody here could help me out. Right now she is a girlfriend but I will probably be taking the next step soon.(if she says yes to tractor!) Anyway, I inherited about 45 acres from my Grandfather that we plan to build on. It is a true paradise. Nothing but wide open fields with small areas of woods and tree lines. Not another house in site. I am struggling to convince here that the 1953 Farmall Super H that we currently are using would be better served if it could be completely restored. To be able to do this we would need another tractor. A New Holland TC35D with 16LA loader, and R4 tires would probably do the trick but I just can't convince her the value of a new tractor despite the $18,000 pricetag. Can anyone please help? Maybe if someone could tell me some uses of tractors that I haven't already told her?
I hope I am not touching a sensitive subject with anybody here but any help would be greatly appreciated.

THANKS!

 

[skipperbrown]

I suggest a huge diamond to convince her that this tractor is a necessity.

For safety's sake, keep grandpaw's property in your name ... just in case.

 

[riptides]

And after the diamond, they are forever after all,
might I suggest a new model tractor - for safe and reliable operations throughout your lives together.

-Good luck
-Mike Z.

 

[Steve_in_SEMich]

WantaTractor,

Have her review some of the threads on TBN - rural living, projects, PHOTOS, etc. should shed some light on just how useful CUTs are. Worked for me.......

Steve

 

[tractorlet]

I tried... I think we could make some money if I bought a used tractor or two to fix up and sell. When I did and tried to keep them;including the third, fourth, and fifth, she stated, "You said buy and sell, not collect" so now I buy, sell, and collect and always have a back up tractor.

 

[Tazbota]

Hey Wanta,
Where I'm from (PA) to spend $18K for 45 Acres of PARADISE AND a piece of equipment to maintain the PARADISE is a steal. And after all, Grandpa may have left the land to you because he knew he could depend on you to maintain and perhaps even beautify his PARADISE, knowing that you would do whatever it takes to keep up the breath taking views from his/your property (I hope by now you see where I'm going here). Be firm but gentle as this pre-marital decision just may set the tone for the REST OF YOUR LIFE! It's important to make the decision together BUT don't just cave in. I'll bet if granpa would've given up too easily, the 45 Acres of PARSDISE would have never been HIS or YOURS.

Diamond Ring- $500-$25,000 (depending on her taste)
Happiness- $18,000 (plus attachments)
PARADISE- PRICELESS!!!

Tazbota

 

[EarPlug]

I had a 1950 something 8N that was always in need of some little repair until I broke the arm on the loader. They way I convinced the wife we needed a new TC29D was 2 issues. First was that the 8N was always costing money for parts and or was otherwise broken. And since it lasted nearly 50 years a new tractor should last a long time. So $14,500 divided by 50 years was ONLY $290 per year. A BARGAIN!.

Second, I took her to the Dealer and had her drive the tractors with hydro. This is what really sold her. She would not drive the 8N but SHE could drive this one. Now if the paddock needs to be cleaned when I'm out of town she can do it herself.

It all worked out accept for the first time she used the tractor she forgot to watch the front while using the back blade and put the loader through the barn wall. But that's another story.

Jack in Colorado

 

[Tazbota]

Hey Wanta,
What town are you from? I looked at your Bio and see your from Northeast PA (me too). Heck we might be neighbors then we could really work on gaining approval from the "significant other". You know my wife talk to your wife to be(?), etc.
Tazbota

 

[tdenny]

wantatractor,

I had some problem convincing the Mrs. that I needed a tractor. Most of her reluctance was of the financial sort.

What you really need to do is look at your long term plans for developing your property. In my case we built a new house on only 5 acres and zero landscaping existed. My long term goals included driveway maintenance (now paved /w3tcompact/icons/clever.gif), vast lawns, rockeries, walls, revising some of the land contours including a pond later, very large flower beds (moving dirt, compost, bark, etc.) and gardens (tilling), fencing, and on and on. In my area the ground is all rocks so trying to dig fence post holes, plant things, moving dirt (if you could call it that) around is extremely labor intensive and just plain real hard work. I simply had to keep reiterating that all of this work that I was doing was major impact on my body. Although I love the exercise and would have done it anyway (I kept that part to myself /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif) it really does take it's toll and I only have 5 acres not 45. A newer tractor would really allow you to do these things more efficiently. Other uses might include dragging downed trees to your sawing/chopping area to prepare for winter heating and clearing those forested areas on your land. Additionally, when it's time to build your house you might use a tractor to backfill areas around the foundations, cleanup construction debris, etc.

Hope this helps a little but since you aren't actually married yet you might simply decide it's something you really need and a compromise is not something you must do at this point.

You might also mention that your tractor would hold it's value very well and if you found that you no longer needed it it could esasily be sold to recoup much of your initial expenses. You would always still have your backup tractor.

Best of luck - Sorry to be so long winded but my tractor is unquestionably the best tool I own and it has been truly worth every penny.

 

[Drago]

Wanta - I really like some of the other recommendations. Much like EarPlug, I had a '45 2N. It was a great tractor....but it couldn't do everything I wanted to do and I was alway fixing something on it. I did a lot of research, compared prices, and picked the best deal. I told my wife that it's an investment and sold her on the fact that the 2N was still running 57 years later.

Let me just say, I have a great wife. When we were finally working out a deal on the tractor, my wife suggested (insisted) I get a backhoe now rather than later (because we could finance it). I said no, too much money. Well, now I hate myself and wish I would have listened to her for once.

Best of luck to you.