on these older tractors they made a lot of them and there's only so many people that wanted them. I do believe those people are getting scarce so it would seem the old small tractors are heading for rock bottom prices. I like to mess with them but not for the money just way to pass the time to keep me busy during retirement. I have had 3 8n tractors. luckily I got my money back out of them. learned lot though about them. wont own another. I have seen 3 in the last month that looked good and supposed to run good for 750 or less. several later fords for under 2000. see a lot of adds where they don't sell cause they price them like 3/4 years ago prices. so it seems the sign of the times has caught up with these old tractors.
- Thread starter pinball
- Start date
Richard G.
Well-known Member
I wish I could find one that ran good around here for $750 or less. I would put my 5 foot finish mower on it and leave it.
That would allow me to free up my 52 8N to do all the other jobs like pulling wood wagon and trailer and brush hogging without having to put the finish mower back on every week.
Richard in NW SC
That would allow me to free up my 52 8N to do all the other jobs like pulling wood wagon and trailer and brush hogging without having to put the finish mower back on every week.
Richard in NW SC
grandpa Love
Well-known Member
I will keep my eyes open for one,for you,then I will have an excuse to come up and visit!! Lol.
johnofnewhaven
Well-known Member
I am in NE Indiana. I don't see the old N's that cheap but they have gone down in price. I think the folks that put in deer food plots have kept the price up some. I go to several auctions throughout the year. If an N is running, not all cobbled up and operates as it should they still seem to be about $1500 and up.
Stephen Newell
Well-known Member
Probably a lot of people like me that like the idea of having an old tractor but sick of having to play Mr. Goodwrench all the time. I mainly just need a tractor to use and I tried a new one and it was built so bad I sent it back.
greenmech
Well-known Member
- Location
- Lakeville MN
Yes it's getting hard to sell older tractors any more. Got one in the adds now and no calls. Ron MN
Adirondack case guy
Well-known Member
It is easier for the current generation to sign a 60 month interest free contract than to come up with $1000 cash for an old tractor that is far from the envy of all the neighbors.
Loren
Loren
steve19438
Well-known Member
well I am 70 and sold all but two of my Fergusons. I will keep one for old time sake.
James Howell
Well-known Member
We listed one on Craigslist a couple of months ago and got no calls.
Was neither surprised or disappointed that it did not sell.
Was neither surprised or disappointed that it did not sell.
I am only middle age so probably to my advantage as I can't afford to lay big money out for a show tractor. I guess the downside is going forward the shows will decrease in attendance due to declining interest. In the end I will be the oddball that will still collect when the money is there and not worry that I am a part of a fading hobby. My friend who is into pre-1980 vehicles is seeing the same thing going on there along with ham radio.
I remember calling Tom Armstrong at N Complete almost 20 years ago to inquire about a refurbished 860 or 861. He asked me: "What, you don't want an N?" I yelled "NO" into the phone and he laughed. He told me about picking up Ns for around $550 way back then. He had his scouts out looking for them and some of the places he was finding them. As far away as Canada and Michigan and the east coast, as I remember. We then started discussing a tractor for me and he said: "I guess you'll want one with Select-O-Speed?" I again yelled "NO". He laughed and asked why not. We had a great conversation and he struck me as a real nice guy. He eventually sold out and the subsequent company went belly up. He was getting around $10k for a fully refurbished 860/861 at that time. I think Ns were about 8k.
Traditional Farmer
Well-known Member
- Location
- Virginia
8N tractors are one thing tractors in the 60's and 70's are a whole 'nother thing.I like and buy older tractors to use but to be useful to me they have to have decent hydraulics,some sort of live
or independent PTO and some sort of range selector in addition to regular gearing.If I had to keep and use it you couldn't give me an N Ford.
or independent PTO and some sort of range selector in addition to regular gearing.If I had to keep and use it you couldn't give me an N Ford.
I have used, restored, shown, collected old tractors in the past AND LOVED DOING IT but now after a bunch of years in the hobby I'm completely out.
I see it as an aging dying hobby because in years past many of the tractors restored or collected etc WERE THE ONES DAD OR GRANDPA OR THE COLLECTOR HIMSELF OWNED. But those days are over as people age and there's fewer small family and mom n pop farms anymore. In addition the days of finding them in an old barn or fence row or a farm sale are pretty much over.
That's not to say I don't love them and enjoy attending antique shows all over the USA. Even though I no longer walk the walk I can still talk the talk lol
John T Kind of an old traditional conservative fuddy duddy and enjoy it that way
I see it as an aging dying hobby because in years past many of the tractors restored or collected etc WERE THE ONES DAD OR GRANDPA OR THE COLLECTOR HIMSELF OWNED. But those days are over as people age and there's fewer small family and mom n pop farms anymore. In addition the days of finding them in an old barn or fence row or a farm sale are pretty much over.
That's not to say I don't love them and enjoy attending antique shows all over the USA. Even though I no longer walk the walk I can still talk the talk lol
John T Kind of an old traditional conservative fuddy duddy and enjoy it that way
In the area where I live the 8N and even 9N haven't come down that much. I am in Central Washington state and we get lots of retired people from the west(wet) side of the state moving here. They get a few acres and a horse and think they need a tractor to drive around. Most don't even use the PTO and don't know what "live hydraulics" means. They are still listed in the $2000 range and a $1500 one probably has issues. I agree that the younger generation rembers Grampa's tractor as a 4020 or something similar and are more interested in the newer models.
Smalltowner
Member
The n?s that need a lot of work don?t sell around here but the ones to watch for are ones somebody has already fixed everything but are moving up to more modern. I bought this 49 with Mohawk 5? mower and back blade and the trailer for $2750 10 years ago. Sold to BIL and he still uses it. . It was like new restored by PO and has run trouble free.
Bruce from Can.
Well-known Member
- Location
- Woodville, Ontario, Canada
The folks that want a small tractor now, don?t want one that they will have to fool around with to make it work when they need it. When I was at the Kubota dealership yesterday, there was a brand new 50hp two wheel drive diesel Kubota tractor, with dry clutch, 3pth two remote outlets and live pto, and power steering, $25,000.00 or 0% for 72 months. No fooling around to make it run, just hop on and go.
I agree. Around here a good looking /running 8N will still bring $2000+. The same thing will eventually happen with the 60's & 70's muscle cars. They will fade into low demand when my generation of baby boomers are gone. In most cases a person's collector interest is what they grew up with but their working/driving interest is the new and improved whether it be a tractor or vehicle.
I do see the deal fading some, a combination of less farmers, less tractor interest, less folk of the right age to remember dad/ grandpa owning one of these machines.
And the new homesteader on 10 acres being less mechanically trained, wanting a suburban compact ?new? tractor.
In some ways I don?t blame them for that last part, a live pto, power steering and good hydraulics for a good hyd loader..... that makes it kimda fun to go work on your 10 acres.
On the other hand, for shows and restorers, while there might be fewer in the future, those old American made simple tractors will always be the most popular, we won?t be restoring computerized, plastic tractors much.
Paul
And the new homesteader on 10 acres being less mechanically trained, wanting a suburban compact ?new? tractor.
In some ways I don?t blame them for that last part, a live pto, power steering and good hydraulics for a good hyd loader..... that makes it kimda fun to go work on your 10 acres.
On the other hand, for shows and restorers, while there might be fewer in the future, those old American made simple tractors will always be the most popular, we won?t be restoring computerized, plastic tractors much.
Paul
bradley martin
Well-known Member
Bruce is talking CDN $ likely, so that $50,000. Would convert to roughly U.S$37,500.
Kansas4010
Well-known Member
I'd sure like to know where you guys are finding these cheap tractors. None around that I know of. I admit the prices are down and for many of the reasons mentioned. I also believe many "collectors" ruined their own hobby.
Adirondack case guy
Well-known Member
I am really impressed with the way that tractor is secured to the trailer.
Loren
Loren
buickanddeere
Well-known Member
People collect what they have an emotional attachment to. How many people in society now are aged 30-60 with spare cash , a workshop and grew up on a tractor ?
With Big Time Operator s , the Internet and men in that 30-60 age group having been raised in town by single Mothers. There is little interest in tractors , sports , hunting, fishing , camping etc .
The rows at shows are full of tractors with a few tottering old geezers on Walkers or golf carts. Talking about their Father or Grand Father used the displayed tractors .
wilson ind
Well-known Member
Hey it's just setting in the garage!!
Bruce from Can.
Well-known Member
- Location
- Woodville, Ontario, Canada
It is a better deal for the guy that moved from the city to his horses farm. And wants to cut a bit of hay, make a few small squares, do some bush hogging that sort of thing. And doesn?t have time or talent to fix some old tractor. And you can buy a back hoe attachment that will fit on this little tractor too. Between where I live and the City of Toronto, there are hundreds of folks with too much money that will and do buy these small tractors. Can?t really say I could find much for a tractor this size to do either, but there is a market. And they don?t want a old antique tractor, that the view as unsafe and unreliable.
SodBuster87
Member
I aggree. Many collectors priced themselves out of the market. Especially on the N Fords, Letter Series Farmalls etc. About the most common tractors made. 50-60 even 70 years old. But hey lets try to get 1/3 (or more) the price of a new CUT tractor.
Tom in Mo.
Well-known Member
Agree with just about all this conversation. I've had probably 50 tractors of every color (except AC) live here for awhile. I think I lost money on every one of them or broke even, which is fine because I loved having them here for awhile. I still have a few old Fords and a Case to enjoy.
When the boomers die off (and I'm one of them) so will the antique tractors.
When the boomers die off (and I'm one of them) so will the antique tractors.
Some of you wanna blame the younger folks. Really the blame falls on the 80's farm crisis. Prior to 1980 there was about 35 million farmers. Figure 2 kids each so 70 million kids who grew up around tractors.
Today there are about 3.5 million farmers.
So there was the loss of about 90% of prospective tractor people. And those kids were going to want tractors they grew up with. So if dad farmed with 06/56/66 series IH, 20/30/40 JD's ECT then that's what they want. The guys who grew up with H's and M's, 8Ns, A or B Deere's. WD's and VAC's? They are dropping like flies. Moving into assisted living. ECT. So most of the under 50 crowd, even if they want a tractor don't want your old tractor.
As far as younger people buying new compacts? Why would they buy and old tractor that has questionable hydraulics, no power steering and are not that great for loader work? [b:d65912d13f]Plus through no fault of their own they don't know how to work on them[/b:d65912d13f]. If dad was never taught then they had nothing to pass on. I grew up in the burbs in NJ in the 60's. I was the only kid in the neighborhood who learned how to work on things, lay bricks or do framing. So every time there is a problem it's 80 an hour plus parts. So why would you want an old tractor? Besides, these younger people want to do what they have to do and then spend time recreating. They don't think of spending hours on a tractor mowing, then spend hours tinkering cause there was a problem.
Rick
Today there are about 3.5 million farmers.
So there was the loss of about 90% of prospective tractor people. And those kids were going to want tractors they grew up with. So if dad farmed with 06/56/66 series IH, 20/30/40 JD's ECT then that's what they want. The guys who grew up with H's and M's, 8Ns, A or B Deere's. WD's and VAC's? They are dropping like flies. Moving into assisted living. ECT. So most of the under 50 crowd, even if they want a tractor don't want your old tractor.
As far as younger people buying new compacts? Why would they buy and old tractor that has questionable hydraulics, no power steering and are not that great for loader work? [b:d65912d13f]Plus through no fault of their own they don't know how to work on them[/b:d65912d13f]. If dad was never taught then they had nothing to pass on. I grew up in the burbs in NJ in the 60's. I was the only kid in the neighborhood who learned how to work on things, lay bricks or do framing. So every time there is a problem it's 80 an hour plus parts. So why would you want an old tractor? Besides, these younger people want to do what they have to do and then spend time recreating. They don't think of spending hours on a tractor mowing, then spend hours tinkering cause there was a problem.
Rick
Similar threads
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.
Copyright © 1997-2024 Yesterday's Tractor Co.
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters
Website Accessibility Policy