Restoring Antique Tractors: A Hobby Gaining in Popularity

Restoring antique tractors as a hobby has grown in popularity in the last few years. Some people get into restoring classic tractors because they like to work on the engines. Others may just enjoy giving the beauty of yesteryear back to their tractor. There are probably lots of other reasons people might choose to restore antique tractors as their hobby, one of which would be that it's a great way to make some extra money!

The first thing you need to do if you are interested in restoring antique tractors is to do your research and find out which types of tractors will be worth the time to restore. Discovering what the demand is for the different types of tractors is critical or you may waste your time on one that will end up being hard to sell or won't sell for enough to be worth the time. Some good places to do your research would include:

Antique tractor message boards

Antique tractor publications

Blogs

It might be helpful for you specialize in one or two types of tractors. By doing this you will cut down the amount of research you have to do. With every restoration you do, you will get better at spotting the problems and that should help you cut down on repair time too.

Where can you find old tractors and parts to use in your restoration project? Some people have good luck with:

Junk yards

Local newspaper ads (be sure to check for a 'free' section in your paper)

Craigslist might be another online possibililty if there's a page for your area

Freecycle is another great website where people give away things they no longer want

Look for ads in your areas penny newspapers as well

Farm auctions

Garage sales

Word of mouth - let people know what you're looking for and they can help you look

It may take quite a bit of time and some effort on your part, but eventually you should be able to find a great tractor to restore and refit to its former usefulness and beauty. Then again, some people will 'luck out' and easily find what they are looking for. The search can be a fun challenge in itself!