Some people are fans of antique cars, others prefer antique planes, and yet there are some who prefer antique trains. However, there are some who have a rarer hobby: antique tractors.
People who love antique tractors love them because of the same reasons other people love other types of machines. First of all, because they have a sense of nostalgia, of times where things were different and, according to some, better.
Second, although antique tractors are not as complex as modern tractors, they’re still masterpieces of engineering. In fact, they are even more amazing considering that knowledge about machinery was much more rudimentary than it is now, and many materials and concepts weren’t available back then.
Finally, antique tractors provide fans with the fun challenge of learning tons of trivia about brands, years, models, parts, etc. Just like a wine lover can tell a good year from a bad one, and a car lover can tell from which year to which year a specific car model was produced, lovers of antique tractors get a kick out of discussing brands, models, spare parts, manufacturing places, and every pro and con of these. And of course, they take great pride in being able to say the name of a tractor or a part of it only by looking at it.
Just like other types of hobby that involves antique machines, there is an expensive way and a cheap way to antique tractors.
The expensive way, of course, involves buying actual antique tractors. Just like collecting antique cars, collecting antique tractors is something that is only available to the wealthy, who can dedicate money and space for their machines. While their collection will not be as impressive as an antique car collection, it’ll really astonish antique tractors lovers who get the opportunity to see it.
Also, just like antique cars, antique tractors are most impressive when they are still in working conditions. In fact, the condition of the tractor affects greatly its value. If the tractor is still in good condition, with original parts, and original non-worn paining, it’ll be much more valuable. Of course, it’s difficult to find such antique tractors, since most of them were used for many years in heavy duty, but that’s more the reason of their high value.
On the other hand, the cheap way involves what most of us do: learning, studying, memorizing and talking about antique tractors with other people who share the hobby. Some people collect tiny tractor models for amusement, but that’s not as common as they’re hard to come by.