Gauteng Smallholder December/ January 2018 | Page 40

TRACTORS
Restore an oldie & save our heritage
W
hile it is great to
own a tractor on a
smallholding, in
reality they are
often grossly under-utiliised
and are nice-to-haves rather
than necessities. For, think
about it: unless you have an
intensive farming operation
under way on a smallholding
of two to three hectares, how
much work will your tractor
actually do?
It may spend a couple of days
a year cutting grass, another
day or so raking, and baling,
a further day or so carting
bales from the field to the
barn, and in
spring, a few
days ploughing
and preparing
for planting,
with a bit of
cultivation
thrown in in
summer.
Finally, it might
help with
chipping scrub
for mulch,
mixing
concrete for
building work
Before and after pictures of a John Deere 820
and carting
how are you going to
manure, feed,
accomplish even those few
firewood and building
tasks each year?
material about.
Here's an idea: If you're in
Of the 365 days of the year,
any way mechanically
in reality, how many days'
inclined why not buy an older
work is this? Not many, and
hardly enough to warrant the ~ even a vintage ~ machine
purchase of a new tractor, or in working or not working
even heavy expenditure on a order and do it up? If you're
lucky and choose the right
working used machine.
But if you don't own a tractor, hulk to begin with the cost of
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repairs and refurbishment will
not be huge, and in any case
will be spread over some
months (or even years…) so
will ease the pain in your
pocket.
And you will have the
satisfaction of knowing that
you're contributing to the
preservation of the agricul-
tural heritage of the country.
There exists a thriving cottage
industry in the restoration of
old tractors in South Africa,
with veteran and vintage
tractor and stationary engine
clubs dotted throughout the
country, including in
Gauteng.
Some professional tractor
mechanics even make
specialisation in one brand a
workable business. Johan
Bouwer of Tractor Mech in
Pretoria North, for example,
specialises in the restoration
and repair of Ferguson
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