why do you own a tractor? how does it save you $$

[PHPaul]

+1 on "Maintain my (alleged) sanity and save my marriage"

Plow/Snowblow my drive in the winter, keep it graded the rest of the year.
"Diesel wheelbarrow" I like that, and it's SO true
Till my own garden when I want it tilled, not when J. Blow the next county over can get to it.
Cleared 3 acres of alder brush, chipped the brush and dug up the stumps.
Did the drainage on that three acres.
Keeps that three acres mowed.
Put up hundreds of feet of fence.
Haul and split firewood and this year including acting as a sawbuck for tree length logs.
Haul feed to my critters, and haul the results away.
Turning, aerating and loading compost.
Can't even begin to calculate the number of trips to the ER/Chiropractor the FEL and forks have saved me.
Likewise the backhoe. If I'm moving more than a 5 gallon bucket full of dirt, the BH goes on.

 

[kevin37b]

Nice pond Fowler , any crappie in there ?

 

[Guesseral]

Why do I own a tractor? I have asked myself that very question many times, the only difference is why do I own four tractors! Well we used to truck farm between 40 and 65 acres depending on the year we had a farmall A a farmall super A, a Jubilee, a 612 w/hoe & FEL and a ford 2000 not a real large farm just large enough to keep my brother and me out of trouble.

When dad died (we didn't farm any longer) I sort of blew up the backhoe so I bought it from mom fro a buck and Rebuilt it new short block hoses paint and all. We sold the two farmalls my brother took the 2000 and I took the Jubilee. Well eventually the Jubilee engine just got tired so I bought a ford 841, man did that need some work but I used it in-lieu of the Jubilee and it had way more power. I decided to redo/restore the 841 during the winter, but I was on line one day and found my Montana brand new good price and made an offer on line never seeing it, went up that weekend to look at it and realized I just had to have this tractor (now mind you I did a lot of research before I bought this tractor I knew all or most of the +/- with Montana then 2010) so I bought it. Man I love that tractor!
All of a sudden I have 4 tractors what the he*l am I going to do with 4 tractors I only have 10 acres anymore, my brother has about 10 adjoining, and mom had about 5 adjoining left. Well I did a complete restoration on the 841 it didn't need as much as I thought mostly cosmetic although many mechanical also, like steering components, rebuilt the hydraulics, new fuel tank, gauges, differential needed bearings and bushings and new pinion gear bushing, lower 3pth arms and chains, replacement hood door, new front grill, new clutch pressure plate and throw out bearing, engine must have been done already it was very tight, repaint and decals and she was done. Well then came the Jubilee she also got restored but she got a remanufactured short block, re-did the head, rebuilt the hydraulics, new clutch pressure plate and throw out bearing, repaint and she was done dad had taken pretty good care of her over the years.

So there I am again 4 tractors 10 acres of my own, are you kidding me! I can do everything I need to do with the Montana no doubt, I d0 have 2 one mile private roads to mow along, and grade and I plow in the winter with my truck everything else is tucked in nice and tight in the garage, so again really! My wife has 6 horses at home so there is tractor work there, and we keep the arena worked up nicely, oh yea and a small garden. What do I need 4 tractors for I DO NOT, I get the 2 fords out in the spring and wash them put a little wax on them drive them once in a while but they sure do look pretty sitting there, all nice and shiny clean. I only use the backhoe once, twice, maybe even three times (oh boy) a year but it's way better than a shovel, and as I do my 15+ cords of fire wood each year I use the 841 to pull the loaded wagon, and the Jubilee to pull the hydraulic splitter, then everything just gets tucked away again for winter.

Long story but I guess I just don't have the heart to get rid on them, although the wife said if I want any more new toys I can only do it on a one for one replacement basis! :thumbdown: But I guess that's ok I am running out of garage.

 

[rekees4300]

My friends at work are telling me I should sell my tractors because I would have lots of money.

Sounds like a case of "tractor envy". Why should you do hard manual labor when your money can do it for you? One trip to the emergency room can cost as much as a tractor.

 

[TSO]

Nice pond Fowler , any crappie in there ?

Everyone knows Gary is full of Crappie :laughing:

 

[Zebrafive]

My friends at work are telling me I should sell my tractors because I would have lots of money.


Please make me feel better! Give me your reasons.

Tell your friends you do not want to die, the richest man in the graveyard, you will leave that for them.
My tractors keep me active and out of the graveyard.
It's obvious I would rather have the tractors than the money, that's why I bought them.
I keep telling my wife selling the tractors will be her problem AFTER I am dead. Then she will have a lot of money.

 

[SPYDERLK]

A tractor is an enabler for satisfaction. Some things you just do. Others you come to the realization that you can do, and sit back and figure exactly how. Keeps the mind active, aids and saves the body, allows otherwise impossible things to be fun. ... Satisfying.

I have a 7520 TLB that cost $36K new. It has 1250 hrs. Counting purchase, repair, maintenance, and fuel. I have less than $36/hr in it. I couldnt buy the work its done for that amount. Its getting cheaper by the hour. Think Ill keep it.
larry

 

[RaydaKub]

I'd rather drive my BX down to the apple trees and hoist my wife up than lug an 8 foot ladder down hill 40 feet and around it 300 feet, then balance on top of it on uneven ground.
I cleaned up a lazy tree that fell over a year before we built our house. It reclined on the hill side and started a new root system from the elbow of one of its branches. I'd have never tackled that job at all w/o a tractor.
At the fastest, I mowed my yard with the little STX38 in 45 minutes. With the BX, I installed the mower, dropped the fel off, and mowed it, all in 25. Not so impressive unless a downpour is expected. :lightningbolt: :raincloud:

 

[GolfAddict]

...

It is my replacement for golf clubs & cart:thumbsup:

Hey now, there isn't any reason to go overboard!!

 

[Gary Fowler]

Sure, got crappie, bass and bream a few grass carp and some Koi. The one behind my tractor is only about 40x40x 6 feet deep when full. I built this with my LS in about 10-12 hours of tractor time. I started it the day I got my LS delivered and finished it the following day. We have a larger pond that was on the property when we got it (at least 40+ years old from what we hear from the neighbors) that is shared between my brother in law and myself that is about 350 feet x 300 feet in size. It has catfish, bream, bass and crappie + a lot of pond turtles and the occasional snapping turtle that we find and kill. I don't mind the pond turtles but don't want any big snappers in there eating my fish. IIRC we have killed 5 snappers found making their way to the pond. We also have two other ponds on the property (4 total) all with fish in them. We take out a few small bass every now and then and lots of bream as they seem to overstock if we don't.