Best tractor you owned

[Flatlander]

What’s the best tractor you ever owned and reason. For me it’s a challenger 765. Bought by mistake in an online auction. While browsing thru auctions listing one morning at breakfast the wife asked if I was interested in buying it as I was looking over the pictures. My comment was it would be handy to have in case our challenger 855 broke down during planting it would still run the drill. she Asked wat I thought it would make and I said probably too much but if it made less than 80 thousand I’d buy it. Little did I know that after leaving to go deliver another load of grain the wife preceded to buy the tractor for 63k. once I return she said we had another tractor i laughed but quickly my heart sant and near fell out my ar55. I called the auction company and got passed around until finally I was given the story that Ohhh that the tractor that was in Iowa the one that’s not been used for three years. To say I was having an ohh feck me moment was an understatement. So I called the owner to arrange pick up and turns out he Had had a heart attack and rented out his land but intended to go back farming but never did so he was clearing his equipment. Tractor had been in a heated workshop all the time and needed only a pair of batteries. Great tractor till this day and I’ve spent nothing in repairs. Was my lucky day

 

[aidan]

MF168 still going, never needed anything beyond batteries and a few clutches, and a steering and radiator, and exhaust manifold. 7500hrs or thereabouts a lot of those at tickover.

Dont think the gearbox was ever operated on, nor the engine even though it is slow to start now, and needs to be heated, if anyone knows what to look at, before going the whole way and doing engine surgery.

 

[David.]

It's funny how wives' heads are wired...
On this occasion the lady served you well.

 

[puntabrava]

JD 8100 bought from a private seller in farmers weekly for 23k kept for 9 years and sold for 22k.

 

[AJR75]

John Deere 3050 bought in 2013, thought I had paid over the odds for it at £10K, had the obligatory Hi lo seals replaced but that was the only problem in 7 years of ownership. Sold for the same money and replaced with a 6520 on the basis of wanting something faster on the road. Wish to this day that I'd never parted company with it.

 

[7610 super q]

Ford 7810. Owned for 30 years. Approx 11,500 hours. 2x new clutches, one water pump, manifold studs. Gearbox / engine / rear end untouched. Now going up in value considerably.

 

[roscoe erf]

John Deere 2850 brought in 2002 7k still got it and looking at resale values worth 15k now

 

[Lazy Sod]

Fiat F140, it really was a winner. See what I did there?

 

[Bald Rick]

Deutz DX6.10 bought new in 1990 or Deutz DX6.61 bought off Parris Tractors via Sweden a few years ago.

All this modern electronic snizzle & screens and GPS. Pah. Real men KNOW what a 12m spacing is .........

 

[nick...]

My 7710.paid about £23 k for it 6/7 years ago must be worth a lot more now.
nick...

 

[Drillman]

We had a DB1490 once that was perfect.

Oh hang on……

 

[Spencer]

Fendt 820. Bought new and still in the fleet.. hell she goes well!

 

[thorpe]

MF168 still going, never needed anything beyond batteries and a few clutches, and a steering and radiator, and exhaust manifold. 7500hrs or thereabouts a lot of those at tickover.

Dont think the gearbox was ever operated on, nor the engine even though it is slow to start now, and needs to be heated, if anyone knows what to look at, before going the whole way and doing engine surgery.

i think youve been lucky our 168 bought new in 1973 didnt see 1974 here!

 

[Vernon]

New Holland TM165. Bought it at 5000 hours, sold it at near 15000 hours and it never failed to complete it’s day’s work in the time we owned it. Fantastic tractor and very much regret selling it

 

[Wellytrack]

MF 3120. So powerful and yet so light. It would show up it's modern equivalent today.

 

[icanshootwell]

956 did 12,000 hours, never broke down in the field, traded it in for a McCormick, what the fu#k was I thinking.

 

[Rowland]

C Reg 956 4 wheel drive. 1st 4 wheel drive tractor I ever had ploughed 600-700 acres a year with it . Never broke down. Faults no air con , steering wheel bit to far forward and would have loved a forward reverse shuttle

 

[Wellytrack]

What’s the best tractor you ever owned and reason. For me it’s a challenger 765. Bought by mistake in an online auction. While browsing thru auctions listing one morning at breakfast the wife asked if I was interested in buying it as I was looking over the pictures. My comment was it would be handy to have in case our challenger 855 broke down during planting it would still run the drill. she Asked wat I thought it would make and I said probably too much but if it made less than 80 thousand I’d buy it. Little did I know that after leaving to go deliver another load of grain the wife preceded to buy the tractor for 63k. once I return she said we had another tractor i laughed but quickly my heart sant and near fell out my ar55. I called the auction company and got passed around until finally I was given the story that Ohhh that the tractor that was in Iowa the one that’s not been used for three years. To say I was having an ohh feck me moment was an understatement. So I called the owner to arrange pick up and turns out he Had had a heart attack and rented out his land but intended to go back farming but never did so he was clearing his equipment. Tractor had been in a heated workshop all the time and needed only a pair of batteries. Great tractor till this day and I’ve spent nothing in repairs. Was my lucky day

That's a great post btw. Enjoyed that.

 

[michael N123]

We had a DB1490 once that was perfect.

Oh hang on……

Where’s DB John at now

 

[Wellytrack]

Where’s DB John at now

Tending to the rabbit compaction..