What it seems like is there really is a wealth of 50's era semi-restored tractors in the 30hp +/- range that can be had for about $3500. You just have to find the one you want.
What I've found is that the parts that wear out on a lot of those old tractors have diminished the availability of parts for them.
Steering boxes seem to be one of the hardest and most expensive things to replace. You've got to find out what the weak spots on those old tractors are and then, when you check them out to make sure they're in good condition.
The steering boxes on those international 300, 330, and 350 series are known to cause problems. There's no new ones left, but a rebuilt example will cost you about $1200. That's just one example.
Three or four items like that and all of a sudden you've got $7000 in a tractor that you can get $3000 for.
On the other hand, there's a lot of parts out there for the old tractors that don't cost all that much, but you have to be set up to work on heavy equipment to maintain them. (which I'm not)
Basically, I'm looking for an old tractor that will give me 350 hours with no maintenance other than an occasional oil change here and there.
They're out there, but you have to look for them.
