Re: Old work horse 60痴 , 70痴
Those old tractors came with a wide variety of upgrades and options. It was possible in the late 1950's to about the 1970s to buy a tractor with more features and of course they were way more reliable and featured more serviceable construction than anything built today. So much so that they are still easy to restore to full working condition.
The good old ones tend to have engines/transmission/running gear/hydraulics that are all on good shape. What they tend to need is rubber parts, electrical, and cleaning out the fuel system. And brakes...
So I'd say that the person who finds a good old machine and doesn't mind the work to return it to good shape is likely to save himself some serious money and end up with a better machine. Parts seem to be available for about everything. However, factory options and upgrades are hard to find - so I'd recommend buying a "loaded" tractor if you can.
Our old JD makes a good example.
This 1958 JD530 has the last incarnation of the two cylinder "B" engine. It's hard to imagine a nicer motor. Starts right up, idles at 200 RPM, pulls like a truck, and has modern hydraulics with a hight flow rate and multiple remotes for accessories. The seat has suspension, springs, and damping. Power steering is very smooth.
The wide front axle can be widened or narrowed. Same for the tire width on the rear - which has a gear drive system for adjusting tire width! It also has the optional single front wheel for row crop work.
The Factory Loader is a quick-attach type that removes with 3 bolts & will easily lift a round bale. It comes with several interchangeable buckets and front tines for different loader jobs.
The three point is pure joy. Smooth operation. Category I and II, telescoping adjustment, variable draft control, and will lift heavy implements up high and hold them there all day. The PTO has it's own lever for engagement as well as its own clutch completely independent of the rest of the tractor. That heavy PTO shaft with it's oversized bushings coupled with the engine's huge radiator and oil reservoir means that this tractor is happy being used as a stationary engine for water pumping and other chores. When we got it the farmer had been using the tractor as an irrigation pump for a corn field. For years....
It doesn't have a cab, but JD makes a clever heavy duty canvas umbrella that mounts right in a socket on the side. I had my doubts about that umbrella, but it turns out to be wonderful - as well as a conversation piece.
We've had the JD530 in constant use for about 30 years now. It had about 12,000 hours on it when we got it and no telling how many since. It hasn't asked for much...a new gas line, carb cleaned, seat cushion, brakes, clutch cleaned out...that kind of stuff. Oh...and a new combination tach&hour meter. I opened the old one to see why the needle was drooping, and found a beautiful clockwork mechanism of gears and springs, but with bronze needle bushings that had completely worn out. The hole in the bushing was worn oval instead of round. I guess I could have sent it to a watchmaker for repair, but a brand new combination gear drive tach/hour meter only cost $120.00 and was in stock at my local dealer! I kept the old one just to admire the beauty of the mechanism. The tach drive and cable are still original.
The brakes and clutch are very accessible. Instead of being hidden within the body of the tractor, but the brakes and clutch are geared to the transmission countershaft so they can be mounted on the side of the tractor. So the brakes and clutch can be serviced with hand tools while standing next to the tractor. Of course mounting systems accessible like this is a much more expensive way to build a tractor; it was done that way because owner convenience was a major selling point at the time.
There's a lot of reasons to like those old tractors. They don't cost much, are easy to keep going, and they'll certainly do the work.
rScotty
