Unlike many collectors of antiques, antique tractor collectors and users don't have clubs that give classic answers as to what vintage, classic, or antique means. The word antique is a catchall word for any tractor that seems to be satisfactorily old. Some folks reserve the terms such as classic or vintage for more recent models, but there is no agreement as to precisely when each term applies. The majority of people appear to agree the 1960s models of most makes represent the cusp of antique tractors. Regularly models that were produced in the 1960s began their production years in the 1950s and therefore share design similarities with older tractors. Many tractors from the 1960s , however , such as John Deere's New Generation tractors, represent a step up in technology and an exit from older designs. While tractors like the New Generation are covered in this book and are quickly becoming collectible, they aren't yet considered antique.
This article generally uses the term antique to explain any tractor designed before the early 1960s, before the influences of the'Space Race' and modern electronics. At about this time, modern metals, alloys, and plastics, as well as automated producing strategies, started to change the appearance and the performance of tractors. Don't despair if your fave'antique' is a 1968 Ford. This book will continue to be relevant, valuable, and important reading. If your favorites antique is a 1917 Moline Universal, you will also find this book an important part of your library, though i suggest you think hard and long before putting the tractor to work on chores i suggest and explain later on in the book.
Tractors this old can be unseemly and dangerous for many modern jobs. Whether an antique tractor is safe depends basically on the operator, and on the answer to many questions : Is the operator educated about the tractor and implement? Yet any tractor can be dangerous and even deadly if the operator fails to make safety his or her number-one priority. The operator must make sure that the tractor is in proper running condition and must operate it conscientiously and suitably to reduce hazards. They own antique tractors for sentimental reasons, investment potential, and a raft of other reasons unrelated to agriculture. Antique tractors keep their price as working machines. In addition, individual parts that are much in demand can command premium prices. As an example, a total and working carburetor for many models can fetch over $100. Even if you do make a little money, the rate of return would make any good financial planner giggle. The rare or unusual tractor that makes its owner a handsome profit is more legend that fact, and being lucky enough to own one is a highly not likely probability.
