Two Cylinder Magazine

Restoration by Uken

It’s Your Money

With today’s economy, money is very important to all of us, and we all want to make sure we get what we pay for. When I buy a part or have some work done by another person, I expect to get what I am paying for: good parts and quality workmanship.

Running a restoration business for close to twenty years, I have noticed that customers are continually wanting higher standards when the product rolls out the door, and I am trying to keep up with their expectations. What used to take a few months to do now often requires more than twice the work and money. The tractors most of us are restoring are extremely worn, and we want them to be better than new when delivery is made. I have written about restorations, given seminars about different repairs, and passed on my personal thoughts of what a restoration should be.

There are many businesses that advertise in this magazine and several others, and each person has a different idea and way of conducting business. Good communication absolutely has to be the key element to getting the results you, the customer, are after. I have covered some of this information and ideas in the past, and feel it is important to cover it again.

We have all heard restoration horror stories, and I recently heard one from a customer and another from a fellow restorer. The one from a customer involves a tractor he took to a person who advertises that they professionally restore tractors. The customer was dissatisfied with the work that was done after having the restorer work on it seven different times. He brought the tractor to me to repair the problems that still haunted the tractor. Quite frankly, it was a mess. The sad part is that all of these problems could have been easily fixed if a Repair Manual and Parts Catalog had been used.

The customer had even given the restorer a list of items to do, but most were not done or were performed improperly. I feel the customer should receive the repairs he is charged for, and have some proof of what was done. For proof of the repairs that I do, I take many photos and retain the used and worn parts that I removed for replacement. Also, I furnish a spot-on-accurate itemized statement of the repairs that were done, as well as an itemized list of all parts that were used. When the customer leaves with his tractors, he has proof of all repairs with the statement, photos, and old parts. I also keep copies of the statement and photos for my reference if there is ever a question or a problem in the future. If a restorer is unwilling to do this, perhaps he doesn’t deserve your business.

When a customer decides to sell the tractor, the repair bill and photos should help the sale as there is proof of all the work. We have all looked at tractors at auctions and classified ads and wondered if the tractor is truly restored, or if it was just painted and many problems were simply covered up, like sweeping dirt under the rug. The other is somewhat the flip side of the first… I visited with a fellow restorer who is dealing with an unhappy customer. The customer and restorer visited about the tractor to be worked on, and made a list of repairs to be done. The restorer performed the work the customer said he would like done, and during the process the customer was questioned if he would like to have other areas in need repaired. He insisted that he only wanted what was talked about to be done because he wanted to keep costs down. After the tractor was returned to the customer, those few noted problems still existed with the tractor, and now the customer is very unhappy that the restoration isn’t what he thought it would be. The restorer did what he was instructed to do, and should not be held responsible for work the customer wouldn’t let him do.

Hiring someone to do a restoration is a large investment, and before I would give someone my money to spend, I’d want to know what I could expect and what the return was going to be. It’s a lot like purchasing a car or truck. Most of us do some shopping around, comparing different models and prices. It gets difficult, as no two are exactly alike, especially with a used truck. No two restorations are exactly alike, either. The cost will vary with what work needs to be done and how far the customer wants to go with the job. Labor costs vary from shop to shop, and adding accessories or options to the tractor make the price go up fast.

Customers need to ask lots of questions so they understand what is being done, and why, and also understand what to expect if they choose not to have repairs done to certain items. Oil leaks, for example, are not especially appealing on a freshly painted tractor.

If a tractor owner doesn’t have the financial means it takes to hire a restoration, or simply wants the uplift and satisfaction of doing the work himself, it’s not a bad direction to go. It isn’t really that difficult, if they are willing to read a manual and they have some mechanical skills. The things they are unable to do can usually be hired by someone who has the skills and machinery to do the job. Many restorations have been done in the family garage, and it can be a truly relaxing endeavor.

The two-cylinder tractors were designed for simplicity so farmers could do many repairs themselves, and many did. The one problem most faced in years past was not having their own Repair Manual and Parts Catalog. Today, all of these manuals are readily available through many suppliers; new copies or used originals from several advertisers in this magazine. I personally use several I & T Repair and Service Manuals along with some John Deere manuals. The I & T manuals do cover several models in one manual, but also give specific information when it is needed for that model of tractor. I have compared the I & T with the Deere manuals, and the description and process to do the repairs are almost word for word of what is in the Deere manuals. The pictures that are in the manuals are right out of the Deere Service Manuals and Parts Catalogs. The Parts Catalog also helps when assembly times comes and you are unsure of how things go together.

I use Service Manuals and Parts Catalogs during each restoration every day. Referring to the manuals guarantees that the repair is done properly and the parts installed are correct. I might do the same job on several tractors that I am working on, but still refer to the service manual each time I do the job. It is a minute or two of insurance instead of guesswork that the work is done correctly, and when the tractor is started for the first time it will work. For less than $150 in almost all cases, the Service Manual and Parts Catalog can be purchased. This will be the best money spent on the restoration, and will yield outstanding results. However, it seems that the majority of do-it-yourself restorers decide not to spend the money. This ultimately costs them hundreds, if not a thousand or more dollars, and many hours lost to frustration and anger.

During the restoration process, it is virtually guaranteed that you will need to purchase some parts. I purchase about half of the parts I use from my local Deere dealer. The other parts needed come from the many advertisers in this magazine. Every year seems to yield more reproduction parts to help make our restorations better, although some of the reproduction parts do fall short on fit and quality. Asking other people what they have used helps you to avoid buying a poor quality part and then having to go purchase a good one.

Many of the parts needed are still available from Deere, and often times are less expensive than poor reproduction parts. Check with your dealer for availability. If they can’t get the part, call another dealer. Some parts personnel are not prone to pursue a search for the parts you need. I am fortunate to have a great parts department here at Titonka, Iowa, and they do everything they can to get me what I need.

If you are one of the many people who feel you were taken advantage of on a restoration, try working out a solution with the restorer. Tell them what is wrong, and see what they can do to correct the problem. This doesn’t always work, and you may have to pursue a different avenue. The customer who brought me the tractor that he had restored by someone else was unhappy with the workmanship and, after seven return visits, was told by the restorer that he had never had anyone with that high of standards before! I was amazed and could hardly believe it. What kind of standards does this shop have? I repaired the customer’s tractor easily by referring to a Repair Manual and doing the work as instructed. I repaired several items that the restorer said he did, but were without a doubt never done. There needs to be some accountability for such actions. The tractor collector group is a small world, and most everyone knows each other or has friends that do. Word travels fast among friends when somebody has a bad experience. Some places are great if all you want is a quick cheap paint job, but remember that a paint job is just that, a paint job, and nothing more!

If we can all communicate, work together, understand each other, and do the work and provide the parts and service we are hired to do, everyone should be happy. Do some ground work before hiring someone or purchasing parts. It’s your money; spend and invest it wisely. S

You Chose Tractors!

A brilliant move? We’d like to think so, because they’re so darn much fun when compared to papers in a desk drawer or printouts from the Internet. Especially when those papers and printouts have to do with stocks and the entire Wall Street mess. All this time, vintage John Deere Tractors sit there quietly, thousands of them ready to go at a moment’s notice, and ready to bring pleasure and satisfaction to their owners.

Nobody gets to fool around with your investment. No inept board of directors; no greedy home mortgage lenders. Nobody else is investing your hard-earned money for their gain. The tractors are your doings, and you did it right. No other brand even comes close to the long-term investment potential of John Deere. Whether you prefer the Two-Cylinder Era or the New Generation, or you like ’em both, doesn’t matter. Take a deep breath, let the world tick by for a year or two, stay on track with your hobby, and continue to enjoy it for many years to come.