There are many deals to be had when purchasing a nonrunning or broken-down piece of equipment, and the same holds true for tractors. Having the knowledge and resources to repair a tractor is half the battle; finding one worth getting your hands dirty over is the other half. The best place to find a tractor that needs a bit of work will be out in the country. Old farms with lots of acreage are a good place to consider, so plan on a bit of travel if you are a city dweller.

Local Papers

Begin your search by scouring the "For Sale" pages of local papers. By local papers, I mean collecting papers from the smaller towns or outlying counties in your area. Plan on making a day of it, because the more local papers you pick up, the greater the chance of success. The farther out you travel, the more likely you will find a listing for an old tractor that might be taking up space in a barn or a shed, and a willing farmer who just wants to get rid of it to free up space. You can stop at a wayside or a restaurant for a bite to eat, scour the sales ads, and if something strikes your fancy, call and make an appointment to see it.

Searching Online

In these days of the Internet, there are many places to find used tractor listings online. Try using Craigslist.org. Go to any state listed, and you will find virtually every major city within that state. In the "For Sale" column will be a farm and garden category; click on that and search the ads that come up. Ebay motors is another source of online possibilities. Punch in eBay motors on your browser, then type in "tractor" on the eBay search engine, and a number of entries will come up. If you have a general idea of the tractor you are interested in, like a John Deere or an Allis Chalmers, punch in your specific brand of interest on the eBay search engine, and those types as well as parts and supplies will be shown. You can also use your regular search engine, Google, Yahoo, AOL, and just punch in the words "farm tractor." Classified ads from all over the country will come up. Use this as a general guide to what is available and the prices they are selling for.

Auctions

Farm auctions are another good way to find a tractor that needs work. There are usually auction columns in newspapers giving a time and place, as well as items to be auctioned, and auction houses and auctioneers are listed in phone books where general and contact information can be found. Punching in "tractor auctions" and your home state into a search engine will reveal several hits that can be investigated for the types and kinds of tractors that are being presented. These are auctions with the specific purpose of selling tractors--new, used and ones that need work--and many deals can be found at these venues.

Source:

Craigslist farm and Garden

E-Bay Motors--Tractor

Tractor auctions