[BartSimpson]

Prof_Chomsky Prof_Chomsky:

Government didn't cause all of the other tractor manufacturers to stop competing. They may have banned old polluting tractors (unless you upgraded them so they don't pollute). But Massey Ferguson, Kubota, Fendt, Deutz-Fahr, Class and Case (to name a few) all make modern tractors that don't pollute....

checkmate

The point was to force people to give up their paid-for equipment and then force them into buying the new equipment that REQUIRES that almost all service has to go through the dealers.

[CharlesAnthony]

The climate pushers are evil.

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Prof_Chomsky Prof_Chomsky:

Funny, I'd think you'd be against any government involvement in this. I mean, free market forces and all. Who is the government to tell John Deere how to make a tractor? Some other company should just start making tractors you can fix and put them out of business, right?

Government enabled a cartel to establish an illegal trust under the masquerade of environmental legislation.

Oh, I get it!
We need more weirdoes-in-a-lab-coats telling us about glowbullwarmongeringclimbitchange and less farmers!

[llama66]

(John Deere sucks) Gimme a CASE, Cockshut, International or the Ford tractor I used growing up.

[DrCaleb]

Prof_Chomsky Prof_Chomsky:

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Prof_Chomsky Prof_Chomsky:

Funny, I'd think you'd be against any government involvement in this. I mean, free market forces and all. Who is the government to tell John Deere how to make a tractor? Some other company should just start making tractors you can fix and put them out of business, right?

Government enabled a cartel to establish an illegal trust under the masquerade of environmental legislation.

And now government will regulate to death anyone who attempts to market an 'open source' tractor in order to protect the cartel.

That really is textbook fascism.

Government didn't cause all of the other tractor manufacturers to stop competing. They may have banned old polluting tractors (unless you upgraded them so they don't pollute). But Massey Ferguson, Kubota, Fendt, Deutz-Fahr, Class and Case (to name a few) all make modern tractors that don't pollute....

checkmate

And I'll bet they are all the same as John Deere; you need a technician to come out and reflash the computer if you want to change an air filter. And circumventing that is illegal, so like Bart writes, you don't own the tractor you pay for - by law. It's a legal oligopoly.

[DrCaleb]

Robair Robair:

Who wants to set up a machinery dealer with me?

Somewhere in the mid-west (not California, can't to the smog testing).

We will be selling these: http://www.mtzequipment.com/

Russian Tractors that will run modern equipment and anybody can work on them.

Cool! But can they work with the implements that other companies produce?

If I were John Deere or New Holland, etc. I'd link them so they had to be pulled by their own tractors.

[llama66]

Usually, the hookups are universal. Unless you get into the shit that goes onto a Combine, then I don't know.

[BartSimpson]

Prof_Chomsky Prof_Chomsky:

Government didn't cause all of the other tractor manufacturers to stop competing.

No, government made it possible for them to stop competing and to start colluding as an illegal trust/cartel.

[Robair]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

Cool! But can they work with the implements that other companies produce?

If I were John Deere or New Holland, etc. I'd link them so they had to be pulled by their own tractors.

Absolutely.

Lots of companies build airseeders etc. Wouldn't make business sense for them to tie themselves to a brand of tractor.

Just don't buy JD airseeders etc.

[herbie]

Have a buddy that just WILL NOT get new shit. Got one of those quonset type buildings at an auction last November couldn't erect it until he cleared a spot with his old Case. That didn't fucking work.
Went looking at new Mahindras with him, decided to fix the old POS. Got the clutch in June. Then needed throwout bearing. Came in mid August. Still isn't together. Can't put up the building or fix his fundation until it works. Mid-September and the snow's about to fly. Pissed away $800 in parts that could've hired someone else and wasted an entire season.
He's one of those "I've still got my 286. It still works. It was a 'good' computer" types..

[Robair]

Our family farm has history with the big Kirovets (now MTZ) tractors.

Will absolutely out pull anything made in America. Just nowhere near as refined and smooth. Or quiet. Or comfortable. Or reliable.

Family is full of mechanics, machinists, welders and mechanical engineers. We just fixed the trouble spots and no more trouble.

[DrCaleb]

Robair Robair:

Family is full of mechanics, machinists, welders and mechanical engineers. We just fixed the trouble spots and no more trouble.

I make a lot of my own parts for race cars. Porsche 944s didn't originally come with a LS-1, or independent rear axles. Nor can you get a kit to put Nissan 240 wheel hubs and brakes on it.

If you want it, you have to make it.

[BartSimpson]

Once upon a time I came into ownership of a 1973 Olds Toronado that had been totalled in a rear-end collision and I had a 1973 Volvo 240 station wagon (coincidence that they were the same year).

The Volvo was missing an engine and transmission but the body was sound.

So naturally I took the 455ci V8 and transverse transmission from the Toronado and made a rear-engine Volvo.

The rear windows were replaced with sheet metal, I put an intake on the top of the car, and it was pretty much an obscenity when I got done with it.

But it was a ridiculously fast obscenity!

Drove it from 1984-1986 and then a friend bought it to get at the 455. He pulled the engine and trashed the rest.

It was fun while it lasted.

[Robair]

Pictures?

[BartSimpson]

Robair Robair:

Pictures?

You know, Lisa might have some of the POS. I'll ask!

[BartSimpson]

Just for the heck of it here's the complete list of cars I've owned over the years:

1. 1971 Dodge Colt
2. The 1973 Voldsmobile
3. 1984 Mercury Topaz
4. 1986 Mercury Topaz
5. 1965 Ford Galaxie (still have it)
6. 1966 Ford Galaxie
7. 1972 Ford LTD
8. 1993 Volvo 850 GLT
9. 2007 Volvo S80 (My current daily driver)

Vehicles that I dallied with and flipped over the years but never kept or drove for any length of time:

1. 1971 Ford Mustang fastback
2. 1975 Pontiac Catalina
3. 1966 Ford Econoline
4. 1971 Olds '98 hard top
5. 1971 Olds '98 convertible
6. 1988 Volvo 740 wagon
7. 1986 Ford Fiesta
8. 1983 Ford Thunderbird
9. 1987 Cadillac El Dorado


After 1993 I haven't been as interested in cars as I used to be. Where I used to find it fun to buy a POS and make it run now I just prefer to write a check, buy a decent car, and keep it running.