sometimes you look back and think what if...
never having had kids, I was a little freer than most to experiment with different careers.
The one I missed, swing and a miss, for real,
was owning a John Deere dealership in this town/area.
After I had left the insurance business because its success had literally stressed me out too much,
I wanted to follow my passion. My wife was all for it.
So I did a huge business plan, and sent off a request to JD for a franchise.
I had spreadsheets and I had a powerpoint and they were impressed. But....
They came back and said they absolutely would have given me one, the location was a longstanding lawn and garden dealer who retired,
but due to a complaint by the next dealer over, I was 1.5 miles within his contracted territory. They were a terrible dealership and finally
went broke. But they screwed up my plans to have a line of green JD's lined up on the expansive front lawn. I even had the
Solebury Lawn & Garden sign drawn up.
Swing and a miss.
Mickey Mantle only hit one out of three.
so I put that folder with the beautiful dark green JD 420 garden tractor
in the center away to never come out again.
so I bought the town's tiny Radio Shack instead. An old tv repairman who got an early franchise. I think they did more tags and title
work then they did electronics. Presentation was disastrous, piles of boxes everywhere, too hard to find things. Old tv carcasses piled in
one corner. Out all that went, but New Hope Electronics is another story.
I only thought of Solebury Lawn & Garden because my brother mentioned something this morning
So no wonder I'm on my third JD garden tractor now. An LX280, diesel 7 series and now a gas 3 series.
I look at the low end JD stuff in the Home Depot parking lots and wonder how those models survive.
Likely better than most of their competitors, always believe in tech DNA filtering its way down over time.
what I have now is functional and best for me. But if I could...I'd be back on that diesel 7 series.
very fine piece of equipment. It just felt great to drive.
I also own that Gravely rider so I have something quasi-commercial to compare it with.
That thing will never wear out.
I probably would have sold the tractors up through the 5 series.
A 5 or 6 JD tractor would do all the local fields, they aren't that big.
normal rotation, wheat, soy beans and corn.
the five years I farmed in NC taught me a lot, with four different tractors including that Super A.
I almost bought a new 4720 JD, the one Roy used to lust after, but bought the Kubota 5740 instead.
Having grown up with a B, that green paint is very familiar.
got to telling stories this morning...
thinking I might go take some cukes to Paul and check out his house getting built.
assuming I survive the dentist. maybe tomorrow
just memories of tractors never met
might make good back up blade.
