Here are the latest items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on investing in restored tractors. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)
Precious Metals:
First up, at Zero Hedge: Gold Surges To Record In Turkey and Other Emerging Markets as Currencies Collapse
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Gold & Silver Are Up On The Week But Was It Enough Or Was It Too Weak?
Forex:
Next, at Newsmax: Jim Rogers: Dollar Losing Global Status as US Debt Soars
Economy & Finance:
On to this at Zero Hedge: Futures, Dollar Surge As “Trade War Put On Hold”; But Euro, Italian Bonds, EMs Routed
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The Bond Market Just Figured Out That Central Banks Cannot Exit.
Tangibles Investing (Restored Tractors):
10 Reasons to Trust in Rust: Explanations for Collecting Old Tractors
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Tractors Are Vintage, but Ready for Dirty Work – The New York Times
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This article is a decade old, but still a good resource: Antique Tractors: A Real Investment Vehicle: NPR
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Old Tractors – Classic Tractor Market – Hagerty
Provisos:
SurvivalBlog and its Editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. So please see our Provisos page for our detailed disclaimers.
News Tips:
Please send your economics and investing news tips to JWR. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact form.) These are often especially relevant, because they come from folks who particularly watch individual markets. And due to their diligence and focus, we benefit from fresh “on target” investing news. We often “get the scoop” on economic and investing news that is probably ignored (or reported late) by mainstream American news outlets. Thanks!
I have a 1948 John Deere “A”. Very nostalgic, but not much use on my small acreage. Something like a Ford 8N would be much more handy.
Started with a Ford 9N and worked my way up to a 56 Fordson Major which always starts on the coldest winter days when it’s time to plow snow. I like a tractor you can work on
I got a 1969 Case 444 Garden Tractor last fall and tinkered all winter.
Its great to have a muscular little power source for a simple blade, harrow, rototiller, cultivator, box scraper and mower deck, and a COOL super powerful home made hydraulic wood splitter. With new oil, spark plug and some Seafoam the 14 hp Kohler 321-A still bangs away like a champ.
Simple to work on, every bolt, screw and tie rod is obvious in its function and easy to get to. Some of the parts are a challenge, like starter/alternators and hydraulic pumps, but there’s a world of vintage tractor guys out there who just love to get a new member into the fold and can lead you to any part or manual you may need.
The 444 is so old and customed by its former owner, an aircraft machinist/welder, it takes a while to figure out what odd assembly does what. But solving the puzzle is half the fun.
No its not a “real” tractor, but for maintenance and every day pushing and dragging its a huge help around the place. And I can’t help but sing the Green Acres theme when I’m on it!
I have a 1941 9N Ford tractor that has been converted to 12 volts, and valves modernized. Use it all the time and the parts are available for it and all modern 3 point hitch equipment fits. I have 2 complete set of electrical for it in a Faraday cage, the hydraulics ,fuel, governor, steering, etc, are all mechanical, and it will run on almost any gasoline, or with a carb change propane. I don’t think of it as an investment, I am to busy using it and having fun with it. A 1940’s ford tractor is still compatible with small farm equipment and its only real weakness is it is not suited for a front end loader.
My husband has had several old John deeres restored and that’s what we use to farm. I love his 4020 and 4320. The 4040 is able to handle a front end loader, which is better, but it’s a little harder for me to drive. He has an old gas burner tractor collecting rust under the barn. He hates gas burners, and doesn’t care for tractors older than a 4020. He is very knowledgable on what the different kinds are worth, all the details about the engines and why which ones are better. The 4020 is still, to this day, a thorn in John Deere’s side, and they wish they would cease to exist. They can’t sell new ones when the old ones still run. They wish they had never made an engine to run that long. The company that made the 4020 is no more. They have been replaced with a company that is all about profit and world domination. But the old 4020 is the standard in tractors. It is the one that put John Deere in the tractor business. We also have a few other brands of equipment, but all of them are from the 1980s or older. We do not like the new stuff, run by computers, made so that if you break the seal on the oil filter, you have to take it to a dealership and they get a computer code from the company and enter it and it will unlock your tractor. They also have this feature on the new cars and trucks, which is why we drive old ones. The old engines were made so they could be rebuilt. The new ones can’t be rebuilt. They are literally throw away tractors, with way, way fewer hours built into the engines. The new ones are no where near the quality of the old ones.
When you consider old tractors, you also have to consider usability. You have to consider a 3 point hitch, including the size, did they have a PTO shaft, did they have SCV hookups? Those things affect their usability. The 70s-80s models were more usable in that sense. You also have to consider which implements you can get for them. And you have to consider the condition and life left in them. And it is really helpful to know how to work in this equipment yourself, at least how to treat the rust and convert it and then put a really high quality paint on it. And also, keep in mind that you don’t necessarily know everything you’ll ever need that tractor to do when you are buying it, so it’s good to give yourself as many options as possible when choosing one.
I am extremely thankful and proud of our tractors. I am thankful to have front end loaders that can lift a heavy thing. It is awesome to have many kinds of implements to do many different kinds of work. It does seem like we are constantly fixing something, but I sure do enjoy it when something goes wrong and we have something to deal with it with. The 4020 didn’t do well with a front end loader, because it had a round front axle. The 4040 had the same engine, but with a square axle, so it can take a front end loader.
I moved off the 265 acre dairy farm I grew up on when I was 19. Lived in the city from then on until I was 59, when we moved to Idaho county outside kamiah. Bought a used 1975 case 380 construction king, 3 cly diesel and front loader. In truth it’s a David Brown 885 imported by case from the factory in England. Love this tractor, though not a vintage one yet. But having it reminds me of the 3 case tractors we had on the farm growing up. The first Dad bought to replace the team of dapple grey percherons in 1955 was a used 1946 case model s. Next in the mid 60s came a case SC with 3pt and plow and sickle bar mower. Then what seemed to be huge, Case LA model and a 12×12 disc to speed things up. Then an International Harvester TD 14 with blade and diesel of course to pull that disk even better. If I could have one vintage tractor I’d have that 46 case s back in a minute. It was low to the ground and pulled like a train. Besides learned to drive on it at 6 pulling the hay wagon while my older brothers and dad stacked the hay. Just keep it between the rows of bales, and one of my brothers made the turns until I got the hang of that.
I have 3 Fords, 8N, 3000, and 4000, 2 Super A, and a Case 311, I use 2 on one plot of land, growing
1/2 A of corn and 1/2 A of vegetables,
I use 3 here 1 for spraying the orchard and 2 for our gardens here. We have a big root cellar.
and life is good.
The newest tractor is from 1967.
The 3000 and 4000 have Front End Loaders so I can load and unload machinery from both places.
Craigslist was one of the first sites i looked at in the morning. And I found alot on it.
We spend a lot of time outdoors and in the woods, and we pick up ticks. The best way to prevent Lyme disease is to have a healthy immune system. Eat fermented food.