bo dawg 477 #1 Posted April 22, 2009 I know this seems like a dumm question and I probably know the answer, but I have to ask A lot of you guy's have several tractors and/or many parts tractors. How did you manage to come about it, and afford to do it, and how long did it take? (Not to be nosey, but only to learn). I've got the building to do it...40' x 125' block barn (dirt floor though). Would like to be able to manage a growing and creative stash, so that's why ask, there has to be a trick by not investing so much to have or is it just timing and location. Just curious :drool: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coadster32 793 #2 Posted April 22, 2009 Not too sure really. I just wanted a tractor to putz around the neighborhood with. Ended up with two. Started to restore one, got another. Sold one, bought two more. Must be a bug, or good opportunuties. :omg: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldandred 15 #3 Posted April 22, 2009 how did we and were and how much Its simple go to shows look in the news paper talk to friends and spread the word were Im in va, and I go all over.All kinds of shows and yes there is a wheel horse show in PA more later how much well for free to 1800.00 if youre going to collect them youre going to need a parts tractor or ten O yea dont for get the old wheel horse dealers that are still selling other tractors as well they take tractors in for trade or new tractors Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
C-Series14 15 #4 Posted April 22, 2009 If I can fit 7 tractors, 15 attachments, spare parts, lumber, junk, furniture, and an S-10 ZR2 in a 24' x 32' pole barn, imagine what you can put in that building you got!!! To answer your question and to tell ya how I got this far, I looked in trading posts, word of mouth, classifeds, EBay, WH sites, etc. I got to my current collection and have basically stopped. Money was needed elsewhere and I have more than I need. I still look on EBay, craigslist, trading posts, classifieds, and along the road everywhere I travel but have yet to find something I really need or want. Got a WH FEL, a C-195 with 3 pt. and rear PTO, a C-161 Twin, a Mighty Mac, even a WH wrench. What else is there??? :omg: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Duff 206 #5 Posted April 22, 2009 Certainly not a dumb question, Bo Dawg - far from it! The answers are many and varied, as I'm sure will appear as this thread gets read by more of us. In my case, I started with one that a friend gave to me from his sister's estate. I quickly found out as I started rebuilding it just how incredibly well built and home-repairman-friendly these wonderful machines are. Then another good RS friend, Rideawaysenior, connected me with a second tractor he had a line on at a rally good price, and by the time we did the deal a parts tractor sort of fell into the mix. Along the way I've kept on eye on fleabay and gotten some pretty good deals on even more spare parts (being a 300-/400-series freak gives me a pretty steady stream of choices for parts and I can be very patient when I want to be!). Some other members here have also contributed to my "stash". I took a quick look around my shop before posting tonight and realized I've amassed about four tractors worth of stuff in a relatively short time, and out of pocket I'm really not in too deep. If the economy hadn't tanked I'd probably have put in a fair offer for Stevebo's 416-8, and when it does improve, I'm sure I'll be on the prowl again. For now, I've got enough stuff to keep me busy for another year or so. It's a good life! That's my story; I'll look forward to what others have to say! Duff :drool: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wh500special 2,054 #6 Posted April 22, 2009 I used to have lots of money. Now I just have lots of tractors... Actually, I think most of the guys on here who have sizeable collections like me have been doing this for a long time. Been about 20 years for me. When you spread it out over a long time it doesn't hurt much to add one to the fleet every once in a while. A lot has changed in the last 20 years and demand is higher now than it once was. And before the internet this hobby was a lot harder. Unfortunately I have been on a bit of a buying binge lately... And, some of us have been blessed with lots of opportunites to pick them up cheaply. Where I grew up nobody ever collected WH's so it was easy to pick them up for peanuts. Had I been into Deeres or Cadets the situation would have been entirely different. When I moved to the Hoosier state I found tractor values here to be much higher which has made selective selling and buying much easier. I've sold a lot of tractors in the last few years and have been fortunate enough to net a little extra on most all of them. And buying a package (tractor, deck, blade, tiller, etc), keeping what you need and selling the rest can help offset the cost as well. I'm not in this to make money or prey on people, but I'm not averse to reselling as a means to feed the addiction. There have been more than a few which I picked up cheaply locally, did some minor repairs and maintenance, and then listed on eBay. And having the resources and space to store seasonal items (tillers, snowblades, etc) can be a good idea too. Although I don't collect other brands, I have found it sensible to know the values of other makes and have bought and sold a few off brands too (Deere, Speedex, MTD, ford...). Again, I don't intend to turn a profit on this but it certainly seems reasonable to me to help fund my hobby. This doesn't have to be an especially expensive hobby, but it can be. You have to show some restraint and patience and not just buy everything that comes along with the WH name on it. It has also helped me to decide that I want a "theme" to my collection so I am generally only interested in things that fit my goals. (although I still dream of selling it all and buying a heckuva nice boat...). You may decide you want to concentrate on the real oldies, or the shortframe square hoods, or the verticals, or one of everything (good luck with that). I find that having a mission helps me maintain my focus, but it is definately not necessary. The worst thing you can do is treat your hobby like an investment. It's not. Even though these tractors will always have some worth, it is unlikely that they will appreciate as much as a real investment over time. There are certainly a few that will, but the common tractors probably will actually be worth less (on an inflationary scale) than they are now. I also find it useful to keep records of my purchases, costs, sales, etc. People marvel at how big my pile is and invariably wonder aloud how can I afford it. But I know I have less wrapped up in my old iron than some of them do in their golf clubs, gourmet kitchens, or designer shoes. But that's what makes them happy... That record might also be helpful to my wife should I happen to drop dead. Of course, it does provide motive for her to, um, make "certain" arrangements. To eliminate temptation, she's never seen said records... You certainly have a great storage area in your barn. Having somewhere to hide so much junk is certainly invaluable to most of us. My wife puts up with a lot, but I realize that she's not going to tolerate old tractors all over the yard and leaking out of the garage. Out of sight, out of mind. The biggest thing to remember is to do what YOU want since this is your hobby. Want to put mudflaps on your RJ? Go for it. Build a custom? Do it. Paint them all yellow? sounds great to me. It's a hobby, it's not supposed to make sense. Have more fun, get more done. Steve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian1045 28 #7 Posted April 22, 2009 Even though I've ridden the same one Wheel Horse since I was a toddler...I just recently (last fall) started tinkering with other ones. Since that time I have a 1045 and a good 857. I also have 2 other parts tractors. I've got only $300.00 invested in the 857, chains, snow plow and the 2 parts tractors. After awhile they just seem to show up here, or fall into your lap. :omg: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HorseFixer 2,012 #8 Posted April 23, 2009 At a young age I prolly couldn't.... But Years ago I had a good friend sit me down and a had a talking to me. It was about retirement. He explained some things like scrimp, save save till it hurts and pay off all your debt as fast as you can. So I worked 12 hours a day for many years and did side jobs. I paid off my debt like he suggested and then really started socking it away! My friend is a Millionaire, and a good friend since Jr High school. As a matter of fact the same guy who gave me that lathe that was his grandfathers. Anyways He advised me 5 years ago of all this chit that is happening now in the economy. His advice was get the heck out of the stock market and I did! Guess what? I didnt loose a dime! Thats the affordability part of my speech. As far as the tractors go Put the word out!!! tell everyone you know that your collecting them and pass the word!!! you can also sell trade swap to get what you want. I would say on the average I pay about $ 200.00 to $250.00 a tractor Ive got um for 600.00 Ive got um for nothing but I made an excell spread sheet and ran an average on the tally and thats about what I have paid from beginning to end. The biggest thing is word of mouth as others have suggested. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
