Don't be like this guy....The fate of our hobby

[Old F-14 27]

Forward: I am in my early 30's.

Recently, I've been looking for an older pre-war hand start standard tread project tractor. Pickings for such are slim here in rural Michigan - stuff is mostly post war, or row-crop. It seems what I'm looking for has been hoarded in collections, LOL.

Anyways, I follow up on a lead yesterday on a W-30. The fellow selling it is a very well known and revered tractor guy in this state. He probably had 150+ tractors, many very rare.

I get there, and it is very evident that he is a hoarder, probably aged in his 70's, but the type that says he is "saving" stuff, but leaves them outside with open exhausts and such.

He gives me the tour and starts complaining about how there's no younger people in the hobby and in 30 years its all going to be worthless. He goes on and on about how the hobby needs younger people, and how its dying.

So we finally get to the subject W-30. Its partially apart, sitting in the semi-frozen mud, with standing visible water in the open exhaust of the manifold. Parts for it are scattered all over the place in the dirt. Hes like "it will need a little TLC" almost in the tone a sleezy used car salesman would use. He had told me he wouldn't want much for it on the phone, just wanted to see it saved... HAHAHA. He shoots me a price of $1500, my jaw drops in disbelief. Literally this thing is worth not much more then iron price. I tell him thats way more then I see in it, and he tells me well to play you gotta pay. I politely tell him thats to high, and we talk about other things. This tractor was not worth much more then iron price. I could use it as a project, but it would have to be priced accordingly to how rough it is.

So I make small talk before I leave and he starts complaining again about how the tractor club hes president of is dying out and there is no young people to fill in. I almost said, well, when a parts-tractor W-30 is $1500 kinda filters out the young people wrenching on stuff. I kept my mouth shut but I had those thoughts. This is not the first time something like this has happened over the years, they complain about no young people or their hobby dying, but they can't see the correlation of their own actions.

Anyways just had to get a rant off my chest. Its his junk and he can do whatever he wants with it, but it was disturbing to me to see so much rare iron that he just has and dosen't even bother to cover the exhausts. He tried to justify it to me saying "well, they'll all need rebuilding anyways".

Also don't complain about no young people in the hobby if a young guy comes around wanting a project and you quote him $1500 for a W-30 on rotten off rims and engine full of water and parts scattered in the frozen mud!

[TP from Central PA 1,271]

One of the facts of life is very rare does not mean it's worth a million, collecting and the machines being collected change and rare or not so do the values.  He should be happy to get what he gets, because honestly the crowd who wants a W-30 is getting smaller each and every day.  Ask the 2 cylinder guys about Unstyled putt putts........they will tell you.

[TomH 881]

He isn't the only one. I remember going to look at a 39 or very early 40 H, guy said it had been sitting for awhile but was in pretty good shape. Well; sitting for awhile meant YEARS! It was rusted all over, tires shot  and stuck tight. So I talked to him for a bit thinking a couple hundred dollars and I will drag it away. Guy looks at me completely seriously he will take 1200$'s for it! So I said that was more than I wanted to spend and left. That was 25 years ago at least and I guarantee it is still sitting there. Doubt the guy is alive at this point though.... Some just figure that eventually someone who knows no better will give them what they want.

[exSW 958]

It's all just iron until someone lays their hands to it.

[Allredallday 9]

He probably gave $1000 for it back in 1985. He's just trying to see a profit on his investment.

[mmi 192]

90% of the scrappers/yards have gone the same route pay $1k for operating 1256 and want 10 x $ scrap   they will even poor mouth museum/collections and get running /restored for < $1500   strip to the bolts, leave set outside and expect $12K net profit

barn original is hard to find I have been under bid on 10 in last 18 months,front man has to making those buys in torn jeans and clapped out truck.have seen some ads "too many kids to feed need your machinery cheap/free"

similar

In the market for a portable sawmill please email if you have one you'd like to sell or give away. Thank you

https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/wan/d/san-diego-sawmill-saw-mill-band-saw/7034253479.html

[redneckhippie 410]

Old tractors out here in the west aren't worth much. I have a few I bought right and could probably break even but most of them I have way more in than they will ever be worth. When the time comes I would probably give them to the right person. 

[dale560 1,158]

You want a fixable 22/36 it is west about 8 hours.

[Old F-14 27]

29 minutes ago, dale560 said:

You want a fixable 22/36 it is west about 8 hours.

If that's a question for me, yes possibly.

[dale560 1,158]

22 minutes ago, Old F-14 said:

If that's a question for me, yes possibly.

It is about same shape . But complete. It was shedded until 87. Is on rubber would get the serial no and pictures but everything is there and right but the side curtains. Private message me if intetested I sold a f14 for 500 last year so about the same for this one

[Diesel Doctor 1,259]

Well boys and girls, that is why the Case/IH kids need to come into our fold.

Like it or not, most young farmers of today started on Case/IH.

And we are dying off way to fast.

To save the IHCC we need to let the kids in and welcome them.

I started a simple Facebook page for our chapter and have about 472 likes in a bit over a year.

Some of these are older but most are the younger crowd that want to keep up with this stuff.

Don't be afraid to use their techniques to contact the younger generation.

After all, they all have a phone.

I leave mine in the truck so no one calls.  I may be older?

 

[hillman 274]

8 hours ago, Old F-14 said:

Forward: I am in my early 30's.

Recently, I've been looking for an older pre-war hand start standard tread project tractor. Pickings for such are slim here in rural Michigan - stuff is mostly post war, or row-crop. It seems what I'm looking for has been hoarded in collections, LOL.

Anyways, I follow up on a lead yesterday on a W-30. The fellow selling it is a very well known and revered tractor guy in this state. He probably had 150+ tractors, many very rare.

I get there, and it is very evident that he is a hoarder, probably aged in his 70's, but the type that says he is "saving" stuff, but leaves them outside with open exhausts and such.

He gives me the tour and starts complaining about how there's no younger people in the hobby and in 30 years its all going to be worthless. He goes on and on about how the hobby needs younger people, and how its dying.

So we finally get to the subject W-30. Its partially apart, sitting in the semi-frozen mud, with standing visible water in the open exhaust of the manifold. Parts for it are scattered all over the place in the dirt. Hes like "it will need a little TLC" almost in the tone a sleezy used car salesman would use. He had told me he wouldn't want much for it on the phone, just wanted to see it saved... HAHAHA. He shoots me a price of $1500, my jaw drops in disbelief. Literally this thing is worth not much more then iron price. I tell him thats way more then I see in it, and he tells me well to play you gotta pay. I politely tell him thats to high, and we talk about other things. This tractor was not worth much more then iron price. I could use it as a project, but it would have to be priced accordingly to how rough it is.

So I make small talk before I leave and he starts complaining again about how the tractor club hes president of is dying out and there is no young people to fill in. I almost said, well, when a parts-tractor W-30 is $1500 kinda filters out the young people wrenching on stuff. I kept my mouth shut but I had those thoughts. This is not the first time something like this has happened over the years, they complain about no young people or their hobby dying, but they can't see the correlation of their own actions.

Anyways just had to get a rant off my chest. Its his junk and he can do whatever he wants with it, but it was disturbing to me to see so much rare iron that he just has and dosen't even bother to cover the exhausts. He tried to justify it to me saying "well, they'll all need rebuilding anyways".

Also don't complain about no young people in the hobby if a young guy comes around wanting a project and you quote him $1500 for a W-30 on rotten off rims and engine full of water and parts scattered in the frozen mud!

I never do that to you do I❔😀

I didn't know you wanted a W30. I will find one for you. 

[12_Guy 517]

The way I see it is like this. The tractor you described is worth scrap price. If he really cares and wants to see it saved then he could sell it to you for less than scrap as is where is. He can’t haul it away for nothing. I would sell cheap to help a young guy get started. Last fall I “helped” a young guy put a clutch in his B. I then proceeded to buy the belly mower off of it, that I don’t need, for too much to help him pay for the parts. That reminds me, he still owes me the drive pulley and I have a flat pulley for him. 

[Old F-14 27]

17 minutes ago, hillman said:

I never do that to you do I❔😀

I didn't know you wanted a W30. I will find one for you. 

Thats why I like dealing with you, Kevin.  Your fair.

A W-30 was on that list I emailed you a few weeks ago. You should print it out and keep it in your wallet when you go to sales. LOL

[hillman 274]

9 minutes ago, Old F-14 said:

Thats why I like dealing with you, Kevin.  Your fair.

A W-30 was on that list I emailed you a few weeks ago. You should print it out and keep it in your wallet when you go to sales. LOL

AHH, I forgot that one on that long list. I got 3 MMs lined up when a guy comes back from Florida in April

[searcyfarms 1,017]

1 hour ago, Old F-14 said:

Thats why I like dealing with you, Kevin.  Your fair.

A W-30 was on that list I emailed you a few weeks ago. You should print it out and keep it in your wallet when you go to sales. LOL

just a thot, if some of the other folks knew where you were it might help steering you towards something or someone more reasonable to work with - i know where an f12 is that is loose and complete in iowa 450.oo

[searcyfarms 1,017]

heres a runner for 1000 these are all craigslist units

[TractormanMike.mb 349]

There was an antique equipment hoarder/ collector like that in our tractor club a few years back, he had to have top dollar for everything if he was even willing to sell it. One year at our tractor show a gentleman asked some of us members of anyone was looking for a tractor. A young man showed interest so we all backed off and let them make a deal. All of a sudden the hoarder came practically running from across the show and offered the gentleman cash on the spot for the tractor. The young man backed off because he couldn't afford to pay that much, this was about ten years ago or so when everybody around here was looking for an old tractor to restore. We were furious when we found out about it and a couple members  confronted him and he just replied " it's business, I plan on making a retirement on old tractors". Well, he's passed on and his wife and son have a field full of old tractors and parts they can't hardly give away.

[Old F-14 27]

10 minutes ago, searcyfarms said:

just a thot, if some of the other folks knew where you were it might help steering you towards something or someone more reasonable to work with - i know where an f12 is that is loose and complete in iowa 450.oo

 

I am located in Central Michigan, but I do end up going to see a Lyme Specialist Doctor every 3 months in Duluth, so if I dragged a trailer along that opens WI, MN, etc to options.

 

Like I mentioned in the beginning of my original post my search has been looking for a pre-war standard tread. I''ll be real specific: ie, a 10-20, 15-30, 22-36, W-30, with preference to a W-30. Repeat, W-30.

 

[searcyfarms 1,017]

4 minutes ago, Old F-14 said:

 

I am located in Central Michigan, but I do end up going to see a Lyme Specialist Doctor every 3 months in Duluth, so if I dragged a trailer along that opens WI, MN, etc to options.

 

Like I mentioned in the beginning of my original post my search has been looking for a pre-war standard tread. I''ll be real specific: ie, a 10-20, 15-30, 22-36, W-30, with preference to a W-30. Repeat, W-30.

 

oh man well that stinks, sorry about the lyme that surely is a battle!!!! there is a great specialist down here around us that works on it wish i could remember her name, one of those tractors was in northern IA - ok so no F stuff 

[Reichow7120 714]

11 minutes ago, Old F-14 said:

28 minutes ago, searcyfarms said:

just a thot, if some of the other folks knew where you were it might help steering you towards something or someone more reasonable to work with - i know where an f12 is that is loose and complete in iowa 450.oo

 

I am located in Central Michigan,

Where about do you live. Im in the South Central part of the state and could keep my eyes open for anything like you listed and send something your way if i find something.

[Old F-14 27]

Just now, Reichow7120 said:

Where about do you live. Im in the South Central part of the state and could keep my eyes open for anything like you listed and send something your way if i find something.

Near Big Rapids, Mi. Though I'd be happy finding a W-30 within the state....or adjoining state for that matter.  Have pickup and trailer.

[Bdse25 257]

I’m 21. Those older machines just don’t have the appeal of a stylish H or M moves down the road, can still find jobs for them, parts readily available, etc etc.  I have a loose F-14 never sat out a day in its life, on rubber with the factory cast centers, with the power lift rockshaft housing, and generator /electric start.  I assume its a nice machine for that vintage but I’m not about to dump money into something with absolutely zero practical value

[Bdse25 257]

I think older individuals who grew up around that stuff have an attachment, but to me stuff from that age is just iron. I grew up Looking at MX magnums on the dealer lot so in 60 years I might collect those😂

[Old F-14 27]

3 minutes ago, Bdse25 said:

I’m 21. Those older machines just don’t have the appeal of a stylish H or M moves down the road, can still find jobs for them, parts readily available, etc etc.  I have a loose F-14 never sat out a day in its life, on rubber with the factory cast centers, with the power lift rockshaft housing, and generator /electric start.  I assume its a nice machine for that vintage but I’m not about to dump money into something with absolutely zero practical value

Now, thats an F-14 I could actually love . LOL