Rust Collectors
Gearhead me gave a heads-up to this topic. He was telling me of all the people who consider themselves as collectors who have bone yards of rusting tractors. They say that their tractors are valuable to them, yet there they sit rusting in the Oregon rain.
Even on my jaunts in the country, I’ll come across a tractor rusting in someone’s field. I am always tempted to knock on the door and ask if they would like me to remove the tractor for them. The only thing stopping me is my total lack of mechanical ability and it costs over a thousand dollars to replace the tires on really big wheels.
Anyway, if you are rusting some old equipment out back you aren’t increasing its value. If you have an old back hoe or a Bob Cat you want removed from your property, send me an email.
posted by The Guy Who Writes This at 5:38 AM
10 Comments:
Trouble with restoring a tractor, you have no chance of getting your money back. We just sold a cherished old Allis WC to my cousin's son for $1,800. Cliff said there was at least $3,000 in it, not counting labor.
A tractors value is realized by its utilization.
We have a 1947 Ford 2-N tractor that we bought 20 years ago for $1000.00. What a perfect little tractor!
On the other hand, I know of a fellow that has 28 of them.
28??!!!!
Why?
I'm sure that there are 27 other country folk that could really use one of those.
Anyone collecting vehicles of any sort, should have them protected from decay. At least housed in a building that doesn't leak. Otherwise, you just have a junk yard. And I believe there are laws about how many vehicles you can have rusting away in your yard - whether you call it a collection, or not.
I have an old lamp and some bedsprings to haul away, come on down.
I totally dig seeing a rusting tractor or two in someones field. It can be like sculpture at times. If you allow yourself to look at it that way - especially the really really rusted out ones.
For some reason rusty cars dont hold that same vision for me....
A good machine is priceless, a rusting one is worthless. The Peter Iredale once had value.
Since I own and work occasionally in a vehicle/machinery restoration business, I can tell you that what may look like a treasure trove of old parts will prove to be junk more often than not due to one factor alone: sitting unprotected and rusting! Guy's right on the money saying rusty machinery is (usually) worthless. As for restoring stuff for fun, it's like the racer who won a million dollars, when asked what he'd do with it he replied, "reckon I'll just keep racing until it's all gone".
Too funny, Mike. Realism beats out romantisism again...
It's the ripped up back seat of an old Buick sitting on the front porch of the house that bothers me. Will you take those too? I could give you a few addresses.
On another note...I know you like demotivational posters so I thought of you when I posted one today.
Lori and Trish, I'm not looking for more rust, I'm looking for equipment that either digs a deep hole or scoops up mamure. Just drag your rusty items into the middle of your street, and they will be taken away. ; )
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