Massey Pony Restoration

Anybody near Fairview (Erie) Pa, that would be interested in finishing restoration of a Massey Pony? I tried selling it partially done, but it appears there is no interest unless it is completed. I no longer have the time, or inclination, to finish the job...
Work out a cash or trade, or cash/trade deal. I have a 1940 Allis B, and a 1976 Power King 1618 to trade....

Stan the trouble is that the tractors you have are not that valuable. The cost of finishing the restoration on them is more than they are worth. Most tractors these days are that way. You will have way more than they are worth in a total restore.

I was at an estate sale this last week. There was a beautiful MH Pony on the sale it only brought $1500. The last AC "B" I saw sell in restored condition only brought $1200. The Power King mower would only be worth $500-700 dollars.

Most of the tractors that are restored will not bring what you put in them. I have several I have done for myself that would not bring 25% of what it cost me to do them. That is just parts not counting labor.

Your best bet is to find some one that will buy them as they are. You seem to have lost the time/money/interest in finishing them. I don't think you want to have more money invested in them to just get ride of them.

I think I remember your posting when you where trying to sell them. You where way too high. The MH Pony in the disassembled condition is only worth maybe $750. The AC "B" maybe $800-900.

Put them in the ads on this site. Just state for them to make you an offer. Then you can decide if you want to let them go for that amount.

I know it sucks to realize they are not worth much or even what you have in them right now. The value of All old tractors is down now. Unless it is rare or a special model the value can be half what it was just ten years ago. The current economy makes may things that way. Many guys can't afford to have the toys they had ten years ago.

That's the problem with old equipment, cars, trucks, airplanes and now to some extent houses, they can be replaced for less than repair or restoration. Two factors- first the sum of the parts are worth more than the entire unit. If you went to your local car dealer and bought all the parts to assemble your new car a $25,000 dollar car would cost you several hundred thousand dollars. Breaking something for parts isn't the fat cow you might think it is because you won't be able to sell every part of the machine in a reasonable time frame, inversely when you purchase parts you need to acquire parts in mass and probably the most popular parts. Second with the increased standard of living in our country as well as increased taxes and liability, license and environmental costs and the increased cost of land, buildings and utilities (energy) breaking equipment, repairing and rebuilding costs more than it did years ago. That explains why this is a hobby, because it's extremely difficult to make a living reversing entropy on equipment. As a hobby the value of old tractors is dependent upon a strong economy and people having discretionary spending available to pursue hobby spending. The tractors you have are all pretty small, folks with larger tractors may have an additional outlet for their tractors if they are large enough to be useful on a commercial farm operation.

Thing is, I wouldn't mind putting more into it, just to get the darn thing done, so I could mow with it. With the Woods deck, it mowed faster than the 26HP Husqvarna I've been using, and actually left a nicer cut. I was just thinking someone close enough would want to make a decent buck for a fairly easy finish restoration. I have all the hard work done, just got lazy and lost motivation.

Here's an idea you probably don't want to hear, find some one who will finsh the Massey for the B and other thing, keep the pony for a lawn mower, sell the huskie, that way you more than broke even.... but don't buy any more projects with the profit.

Hi Wisbaker: You stated this tractor hobby with good logic and an extra dose of reality.. Well stated... True story. ..but I still hope to have a great workshop and a slow Winter so I can restore my very early '48 Farmall C someday. Deaming and logic don't always mix well but A few of my "dreams" payed off big time in the past and that's why I keep a few of the most important ones around. ag