I’ve been compiling sale price data on Tractors for 34+ years now. Seen LOTS of Tractors. All sizes. All manner of condition. Shiny. Rusty. New. Old. Prized possessions. Piles of junk.
Yes, Tractors are assets on the farm.
But they often become SO much more…
Which has lead to the countless amazing family history Tractor stories I’ve been privileged to hear from so many of you over the years. Thank You for sharing your own personal Tractor Tales with me.
Heard a powerful Tractor story today. Thought I’d share with you. Perhaps someone out there in position to help. This Tractor story starts 43 years ago on a New York farm in 1981.
From Facebook Follower Ed Blodgett: “Machinery Pete, I’ve been a long-time fan and follower of all your media and services, but I’m probably reaching with this one I’m about to share. Considering your large-scale knowledge and network of the tractor and equipment world, I figured I’d run this by you. Back in the winter of 2008 I encouraged my father to sell his 1981 IHC 1086, he bought new from Saxby Implement in Mendon, NY.”
“The day it arrived in my parents driveway, 1981, I was two sitting in the cab.”
"I sorely regret it, but at the time I thought the only colors that mattered were JD green & yellow. However, as I’ve aged, that opinion has very much changed. This is the day it left our farm in winter ‘08
16 Years Ago. Beautiful Red Tractor Leaving The Farm.
“So this winter I was determined to find it; I started by looking through our business records from way back then and found the contact info for the guy who bought it. He was from Salisbury, VT and the poor guy is a quadriplegic. When he came to our farm in Lima, NY back in 2008, he fell in love with the tractor and bought it. I figured he’d own it for years and treasure it, but much to my surprise this winter in tracing it down, circumstances in his life changed, forcing him (& family) to sell their farm and move to TN, so he sold the tractor to a neighbor.”
“I won’t bore you with all the details, but after about a month of tracing it down, through three more owners, I found it. I had fully intended buying it, that is until a friend of mine (retired JD dealer owner of Henrietta, NY) and myself drove five hours to Middlebury, VT to look at it. Currently an almost 86 year old cattle dealer owns it. He bought it from a consignment sale last spring and it’s sat since.”
“The tractor is much further gone than I had imagined; hence, it will take a lot more money than my farm can afford to put into it…especially considering it’ll mostly sit and not be used. Why I’m writing you, is because it still haunts me that the tractor will eventually end up in the graveyard. After following you for years, I’ve come to learn the vast amount of collectors (of all colors) who are out there and just thought I’d have nothing to lose by sharing my story with you, with the possibility of you knowing a collector of classic IH who’d be interested in buying it for a restoration project for their collection.”
Son of the original farmer owner, found it 16 years after it left the farm on a bright sunny winter day, just wanting it to receive the Love and Care and restoration to bring it back to what it once was…even if for money/budget reasons it can’t return to the original family farm.
Ed Still Cares About the 1981 IHC 1086 He Sat in As a 2-Year Old Boy.
Like I said, Tractors are Assets. But Often So Much More.
“Positives of the way it currently sits are it fired right up on a cold start. The engine ran very strong. Shifted out great (for an IH 86 series) and T/A worked. I’ll attach a video that’ll do more describing than words. The current owner says if I don’t want it, he’s going to be putting it in a consignment sale at the end of the month.”
“*I don’t want anything out of this situation, other than if it all possible, facilitate finding it a good home, instead of the graveyard. I’d welcome your thoughts. *
Thank you - Ed”
I thanked Ed for reaching out to me with his IHC 1086 family tractor story. So cool that he found it. Tracking down tractors sold 16 Years ago no easy task. Even cooler I think that Ed sees beyond the thought of bringing it home to his farm at any and all costs…restoration costs included. Ed is balancing the future of his farm operation against powerful memories of the past. Dollars are precious, especially these days. And he is looking, as hard as it is, with clear eyes.
He Found It. Now Hoping To See It Avoid The Tractor Graveyard.
Anyone out there see Ed’s vision for a different possible future for this 1981 IHC 1086? Here is Ed’s email if you’d like more info: blodgettfarms@yahoo.com
Pete
Machinery Pete