Cost of transporting to Tractor Shows and Pulls

How big is the cost to you; to get your prized toys to a tractor show/tractor pull, operate them there, and then get them back home? My son and I attend two local shows. We have been invited to many more shows to display our Case Tractors, but it costs us a couple hundred to attend the local shows which are with in a few miles from us. I may have started this series of posts about pulling with my pics. of a local "garden tractor /mini mod tractor pull, and an other poster chimed in about antique tractors competing in pulls. My question is this! How does anyone justify the cost, and investment in equipment, in this day and age? There was a husband and wife pulling team at the Sharon pull that I posted pics. of, a page or more back now. Three Supper modified ,Minies, Navistar Hauler/motor home, with a double deck enclosed trailer/shop, and a prize pot of a few hundred bucks at this club sponsored pull.I guess I'm missing something. I still have to work everyday to pay the bills, and enjoy the toys I have. They also have to do some real work to justify my having them.

I am not trying to belittle but a very simple principal applies. Some have money and some do not and often those who do not cannot understand how those who do can do as they see fit.

Touche' Todays life.

....and then there are the ones who don't pay their house payment , car payment and their kids wear rags (dirty ones) don't get to attend school functions (obvious reasons) are made to sit in the pits and shut up while parents play and smoke and drink away money that should go towards kids needs and bills. There are some who can rightfully afford it but many more who just make you think they can. And then you have the (blue collar) drug dealers who seem to have the latest and greatest and never hold down a job and move around a lot. Got a guy in town who works in a used car re-con shop and runs late model dirt cars. Every two yrs gets a new turn key Howe built w/spare engine. Probably $45,000 package min. Races locally. $1,000 to win feature is big. Blind man could figure this one out. More prevelant than you think.

toys don't have to be justified only enjoyed and life is to short to not have some fun. what you bring and how many pulls or shows you go to is just a matter of what ones entertainment fund is . for some it's larger others smaller but have some fun.

Just my personal feelings or outlook Case guy.It cost me appox.$200.00 each pull time(fuel-Pull Fees).I have 6 I can pull with(can haul up to 4)and they are or can be used to farm with.The trucks and trailers are used to farm with and I don't smoke-drink or party and this has been my Rec.and like my dad always said,if you have to worry about cost and it isn't wasteful you should not be doing it.Been doing over 50 yrs.and 30 to 50 pulls a yr.last 20.Hope this made a little sense or reasoning.

There's a lot of ways to look at this, but tractors are my primary hobby. It's what I look forward to all week. My business takes a lot of my time and is stressful, so if I didn't have something to occupy my mind other than work, I'd be a grouchy unhappy person. As far as the money issue goes, I buy carefully and wait for the right deal, and sell stuff at a profit if I want to buy something else. I try to buy and sell a few items to finance my expenses. I also know if I have to sell all my stuff, I'll walk away with at least as much as I have in it. I don't mind spending money, I just don't like to waste it. Hauling heavy tractors around is expensive, and so are the hook fees, especially if you take two or three tractors and pull several classes. I usually take drinks and food to save a few bucks (sorry to the local food stands) and I drive carefully to save a little fuel. There's been plenty of times I considered not going to an event, but at 52, how many more years can I load and unload, lift tractor weights, etc etc? You only go around once, so I'd like to live a little while I'm here. I won't jeopardize my family or business for a hobby, but if I can scratch up the funds to go, I'll be there. I'm just thankfull that I can.

Depends on what you have to haul & what you have for other reasons. I need a pick-up for the farm, don't restore anything I can't haul on my 16' flat bed trailer & pull with my 1/2 ton truck. Not much invested and cost to haul to shows within 100 miles isn't much. I probably spend more feeding my face than I do hauling.

i understand what you thinking, i am having a hardtime justifing it now. a pickup that i paid 34000 for that i drive 2 a year, 7000dollar trailer, 2500 in extras on trailer, that i pull twice a year. let a friend of mine use it all the time just so it gets pulled an doesnt go to heck from just sitting. i used to go to alot of shows, was at 17 in one summer but for the last 3 years its only been 2 a year. like i said i am having a hard time justifing keeping them.
johndeeregene

It's easy... my wife has horses.

I could double what I spend on tractors/shows and still not even be close to what those critters cost!

You should have a lot more years you will go to shows with your tractor. I'm close to 70 and my brother in law is 81 and we both still go and enjoy

Why does it cost you a couple hundred to go to a local show?Anybody should be able to take 2-3-4 tractors to a local(few miles)show for under $20.00 and still have money to eat on.My other post numbers were for 150-200 mi.or more away pulls.

There are shows where $20 would only cover the admission.

I know a guy that has a Case steam tractor. He was asked to show it at an annual show. He said he didn't have a way to transport it. The show paid to have it hauled on a lowboy.

As far as pulling. Its allot like racing. You do it because you enjoy it, not because you expect to make money.

Agree with the others that consider it a hobby rather try and justify the expense. Personally I've got the tractors, trailer and heavy duty truck, but haven't gone to a show in probably ten years, Not much to do at a show, except an occasional 40 second tractor pull, or parade. Rarely they might also have plowing, but then you probably need to make a couple of hauling trips, first with tractors then the plows. Just became too much of a hassle, for so little of a return. If only a few miles travel and could reasonably road the machines, might reconsider. Also would feel a different if this was the only "farming" I could do.

AMEN!

And then the fight started.....