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  • From: SaladG AT aol.com
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] How bad are those farmalls
  • Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:23:56 EDT

I have one of those unreliable tractors called a Super M which I restored a couple years ago and run quite often on the hay baler.  Bought this tractor in 1963 and used it for my main tractor until I bought a 180 allis Chalmers Diesel in 1974.  The old M will still start when nothing else will in the coldest day in the winter to get morning chores done.
 
Phil from Iowa
 
www.timberridgelamb.com
 
In a message dated 7/15/2011 11:37:38 A.M. Central Daylight Time, KAKerby AT aol.com writes:
I was amused by the relative's statement that "any" gas tractor is unreliable.  That's like saying any particular brand of vehicle is unreliable - there's a whole lot more that goes into the mix than merely one variable.  I think your relative just doesn't like gas tractors, and any future "advice" from that individual should be viewed in that context.
 
When we were looking for tractors, we first looked to see what was available 'round here.  Lots and lots and lots of Farmalls, lots of Ford N series, precious few John Deere's, the occasional other manufacturer (Massey Ferguson, Oliver, Case, Allis Chalmers, etc).  We also looked at who was available to fix and maintain them.  We found (not surprisingly) the same distribution - IH/Farmall tractors were readily supported, but the John Deere repair places had either closed shop or switched over to lawn tractors years ago.  The one typically goes hand in hand with the other.
 
During our search, we heard from folks who would only ever drive X brand, because all the rest were "junk".  The first few conversations along those lines always unnerved us because they had so much more experience than us.  But it boiled down to this: whatever folks were raised with is often what they stayed with.  And all the other brands were labeled "junk".  So you inherit whatever their preferences are, regardless of how well those preferences were formed.  The best mentors we ever found were those who had had multiple brands, and/or was open minded enough to see the pro's and con's of any given machine.
 
My main tractor mentor is a big fan of the International Harvester family, which includes the Farmall.  He was raised with Farmall's, still has an old M which has been retired, and his main workhorse tractors now are two IH tractors from the '70's.  He had worked with a variety of other brands, including the Ford N series and newer.  He encouraged us to get something relatively newer, say 1970's vintage, but those were priced beyond our means.  Yet the Farmalls were plentiful and affordable in this area.  Given those conditions, of the Farmall series, his favorite was the C and super C, because they were a good combination of size and horsepower, good tillage tools available, not as big and thirsty for gas as the M, but much more powerful than the Cub, the A and the H.  His first tractor was an H and he says affectionately that he loved that old machine "but it didn't have enough horsepower to pull the hat off my head".  We have settled on the C/Super C because of those "Goldilocks" just-right features, and we've found the one we'll probably buy.  We settled on that particular one because it comes with a full set of implements for cultivation, but also a sickle bar mower and a front end loader which will help us with haymaking and manure handling.  It's been maintained in field-ready condition, and the man selling it is well regarded in the area as a willing and able equipment tutor for newbie growers like us.  That's the kind of relationship which we very much wanted to find.  We're saving up the $$ for that purchase and we hope to make that purchase before the end of the year.  With that tractor and all those implements, all of our present and foreseeable future tractor needs will have been met.  There's cheaper tractors out there which we've considered, but none of them come with all those nice features.
 
Look around at what's available in your area, and why, and try to find folks who are heavily motivated not only for you to succeed, but also willing to consider that there are LOTS of good solid machines still available of various vintages out there.  You may find yourself gravitating towards a brand simply because of the people available to back it up and answer your questions; that becomes more important than the ultimate sales price because that's what you'll take with you as you bring it home.  Best of luck with your search; hopefully you'll find some good quality iron, and new mentors, of your very own.
Kathryn Kerby
frogchorusfarm.com
Snohomish, WA
ruminations - essays on the farming life at frogchorusfarm.com/weblog.html
 
In a message dated 7/15/2011 8:18:37 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, barkingcatfarm AT mindspring.com writes:
I suggest asking him what in particular he finds unreliable about gas tractors in general. I think as long as they are maintained properly, they will work just fine. Proper winterization, for instance, is a must, as well as regular oil changes, proper greasing, etc.  As an owner of two "vintage" Ford gassers from the 1950s, I must say the best advice I have received is to work them regularly to keep them in good working order. Both of our old gals run and work great well into their 60's. 

Laurie
Hi all,

I have trouble finding efficient and reliable employées for cultivation tasks so I am eyeing for an offset tractor. Since money is tight I was looking at farmall super A or Cubs. However, a relative of mine told me I should forget any gas tractor because they are not reliable at all. I am pretty sûre many of you guys own them so I would like to hear from you. How unreliable are they? I guess I would put about 8 hours a week on mine during summer and no use in winter.

What would be thé low priced alternatives?

Regards,

Lova Andriamanjay
=

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