Like FWJ says, older does not mean more work needed and more often than not, older tractors will require a lot less work to keep going. The reason is: before computer-aided design and such, machines tended to be way overbuilt and as a result, they last a lot longer than the new stuff. Also, the lemons of that era have mostly found thier way to the scrapyard by now. New tractors are basically designed to last until the warranty runs out, then every part should fail simultaneously, if the designer did his job right. Just enough material is used to carry the loads, with no extra allowance for wear and corrosion. For the last 25 years, I have ran a 1951 Ford 8n that needed a valve job when I got it (they were not designed for unleaded gas), but I have not touched it in the last 24 years, other than oil changes. All of the tractors I have bought since that one, including one that is reatively modern, have required more work in that time period. The downside of the old ones is they dont have all the modern conveniences, and tend to use significantly more fuel, especially if gas powered. Also, it is tough to do loader work without 4wd, which is tough to find on old tractors. I would be a lot more scared of buying a new tractor than an old one.