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this post was submitted on 16 Sep 2023
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Meanwhile my 1951 tractor still runs strong. I'm a big right to repair guy (lord knows I've repaired that thing a million times) and I celebrate the victory, but these laws are a tiny step in our profit-driven, disposable world. Repairability and longevity need to be fundamental design considerations. We'll never get there with ticky tack regulations on a world where modern tractor manufacturers go out of their way to install computers on their tractor specifically so you can't repair it yourself.
Dad, I thought it was a 1954 International Harvester. Also, since when are you on Lemmy? ;)
Your dad sounds awesome. Is it the kind with a narrow front? Those 50s IH tractors are sweet, but most of the ones around here have the narrow fronts, and it's so hilly that I'm mortified of them. Mine is a Ford 800. Absolute beast of a machine, and it's older than my parents!
Tell your dad to join Lemmy so we can start an antique tractor community!
Turns out I was off by a decade. 1964 farmall 140. Front grill is white mesh that is bent in 90 degree vertical steps. Love that the grills are such an identifier. Very postwar almost brutalist modern. Not the deco modern of the 40s-50s models. EDIT: not narrow front, but I guess that’s a given for a 60’s model?
That thing sounds awesome dude. I bet your dad has tons of awesome memories on it, and tons more swearing at it. Upload a pic if you've got one!
How do you get replacement parts for your 1951 tractor?
'51 truck and '63 tractor here - you'd be surprised! For the majority of standardized things (seals, bolts, bulbs, etc) it's easy enough to find a cross reference table, and just order the part from napa or Grainger.
For more specialized things (like if you break an input shaft), eBay or any number if specialized stores online will have original parts that have just been sitting in a warehouse for the past 70 years. Here's one of my main sources for the truck: https://shop.midwestmilitary.com/product-category/m37/
Occasionally I do have to fabricate a replacement.
Ah, I see you beat me to it. Glad to see a fellow antique tractor enthusiast on lemmy. Here's a pic of mine. Your turn!
Nice, that's in great shape! Love the front loader, all I've got for hydraulics is the 3 point on the rear. I'll snap a pic tomorrow and add it to this comment.
They're widely available online or even in person at auto parts stores, which in rural places double as tractor parts store. My local NAPA is quite good at tractor parts. This seems almost a miracle to us but it's possible specifically because old tractors were designed for repair. They have shockingly few parts when compared to modern ones, and the parts that they do have are so, so much more common across different makes and models.
I usually have an easier time finding parts for my 1950s tractor than my fucking 2007 GMC Canyon, which also breaks more often than my 70+ year old tractor.