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John Fugit
07-07-2003 04:36:54
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My wife thought I was nuts. (Maybe she's right... but that's for another story) I hauled home an old Massey-Ferguson 50 a few weeks ago. We have several newer tractors, and don't really need any more. (Is it possible to EVER have enough tractors?) I had to tell her about where it came from. It was the first new tractor that my father ever bought. He had it delivered on the day I was born. (08-04-57) It had seen a many a hard day, but was still in good shape. I started the "restoration" that day. It needed a new exhaust system, it had a leak in the oil presuure gauge, The generator didn't work. And the wiring was in poor shape. I've got everything done, and it's ready to paint. My dad is smiling down on me, I know it. We farm about 1800 acres. Most of what I've bought over the years is John Deere. I have a 4955, a 4440, a 2440, and a 4020. We've got out of the dairy business, and just grain farm now. We started getting our wheat in, just about the time I got the old 50. Everything went well, and the crop was in the bins. We sell about 5000 bales of straw, per year, to a landscape contractor, that I went to school with. We started bailing straw. I sent the 4955 in for a needed overhaul. The 4440 then decided to go on the fritz. We had to send it to the shop, for some TLC on the injector pump. That left the job to the 2440 and the 4020. Well, the sad story just keeps getting sadder. The 4020 blew a radiator. It got parked. The 2440 then fell victim to what the John Deere dealer called "electrolisis". Rust particles in the cooling system, literally burn a hole in the cylinder sleeves, causing coolant to end up in the oil, and the engine to overheat. The dealer is just about to open a service center, on our farm. They have all 4 of my "new" tractors. The straw buyer has a truck sent to the farm, as we get the straw bailed. He has it trucked abou 75 miles to his shop. The truck was scheduled, and I had very little straw ready. The old Massey-Ferguson 50 came to the rescue! We hooked up the bailer, and had a grand time. It performed flawlessly. My dad sure would have been proud. A 46 year old, way too small, antique saved the day. And now my wife has quit harrassing me about the old rusty Massey, taking up space in the garage. In fact, now she wants to send it to a friend, that restores old tractors, for a needed paint job, for my birthday. (And the old Massey's birthday, too!)
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