Repair or Replace

TunaSquat · Apr 13, 2017

Hey guys, I'm in a situation where I could use a farm tractor, something around 50 hp or so should be able to do everything I need. My dad has an old Ford Commander 6000 that I would love to make use of for nostalgic reasons. It hasn't been run in 10+ years but my dad thought it was running fine before that point. Is it worth trying to get this tractor up and running again or should I just look for a newer used tractor to buy.

Thanks.

luke1782178 · Apr 13, 2017

It really depends on how much money you are willing to spend and if you have the mechanical abilities to do it yourself. It is an awesome feeling making an old piece of machinery run again and fixing it up. Let me ask you this, would you repair or replace this John Deere 3020?

bcp · Apr 13, 2017

I would certainly try to get it running. It's much better than one that was parked due to a breakdown, now unknown.

Bruce

TunaSquat · Apr 13, 2017

Did it catch on fire? Looks like a lot of work.

I've never worked on tractors and honestly probably don't have the time. I'd most likely take it to someone. I guess it's less about the money and more about making use of my dad's first tractor. I don't really know the tractor market but I was think 5-10k would buy a decent used 50 hp tractor. I'm just not sure if I'd even end up with a reliable tractor after getting it up and running.

luke1782178 · Apr 13, 2017

Here she is now, 10 months later

arrow · Apr 13, 2017

If we can forget about the emotional attachments for a moment (not to discount them by any means) I'd base a decision on what will be the use criteria. Just pulling stuff with the 3 pt. is one thing but if it does not have a fel and you need one, do you want to chase one down? Will you need 4wd? The other criteria is how fast do you need a working machine? Restoration, depending on the level, can take a lot of time. Does it need tires? Engine stuff? Fuel or hydraulic lines? Brakes? Seat? One cannot go by pictures. One has to assess mechanicals first such as does the engine turn over? Was it inside or outside? What is in the budget to fix? These were simple machines meant to go the distance a lot better than todays home owner stuff. It all depends on how much you're driven to get this one running.

TunaSquat · Apr 13, 2017

It doesn't have a FEL, and honestly, I'm not sure if I'll need one or not. I'm pretty new to farm life. We use tractors for hay purposes, but always lived in town. Possible uses would be tilling/plowing a garden, grading the lane, or maintaining a couple of acres of fenced off "yard". I'm not in a big hurry, but I guess if this one takes more than it's worth to"restore", I should just start fresh?

arrow · Apr 13, 2017

TunaSquat said:
It doesn't have a FEL, and honestly, I'm not sure if I'll need one or not. I'm pretty new to farm life. We use tractors for hay purposes, but always lived in town. Possible uses would be tilling/plowing a garden, grading the lane, or maintaining a couple of acres of fenced off "yard". I'm not in a big hurry, but I guess if this one takes more than it's worth to"restore", I should just start fresh?

It's simply an unknown Tuna. the biggest criteria for what I'm hearing is you not having the time to get involved with the old iron. That does take some mechanical knowledge and dedication. If you are in no hurry, is anyone around you that gets into this stuff? Perhaps you can pay them to hobby out your machine. I'm thinking 10K will go a long way in fixing up this one.

TunaSquat · Apr 13, 2017

arrow said:
It's simply an unknown Tuna. the biggest criteria for what I'm hearing is you not having the time to get involved with the old iron. That does take some mechanical knowledge and dedication. If you are in no hurry, is anyone around you that gets into this stuff? Perhaps you can pay them to hobby out your machine. I'm thinking 10K will go a long way in fixing up this one.

Thanks so much for the info.

Coyote machine · Apr 13, 2017

BTW, Welcome to TBN! Your question is a good one for a newcomer to the site. There are a LOT of knowledgeable people here to help you....
And, to get perspective shop around for a used tractor in the 50HP range and see what they bring in your area. The thinking is with tractors they don't depreciate like cars do, so they're actually more expensive to buy used than an equivalent car might be. Why? Because tractors last a LONG time- assuming they are maintained, and they go hours, not miles, which is less wear over time, to some extent. And they're usually built like tanks, so they can and ought to last a very long time, in most instances.
By looking at what the used tractor market is you will gain knowledge you don't currently have, and may decide to buy used, and possibly restore the old tractor too, but for different reasons, and for possibly different uses.

Having someone else do a restoration for you can work, but you still need to know what to expect from it and what it's going to cost, UP FRONT. This is where lack of experience on your part could get you in deeper than you thought you'd want to go - time/money.
Talk to lots of people in your local area. Chances are you can find some good info and make your decisions based on what you find.