my Deere

A little over a month ago, we decided to get serious and buy a tractor.  Prior to this we had been using our riding lawn mower for everything.  Not only did it frequently get stuck, but we were destroying it.  The tractor was the first big purchase I had made in my life where I opted to spend less than I could afford.  It has always been the opposite; just another sign of our new lifestyle.

Anyway, I bought a 1964 John Deere 1010 RUS.  Originally, it was the "budget" version of the 1010 line: it sold for $300 less because it came with a metal pan seat and no tachometer on the dash.  Ironically enough, I paid about the same amount for it in 2009 that it would have sold for in 1964 and thankfully somebody had upgraded the seat at some point. The tractor has been absolutely wonderful to have around, it is only a 36hp gas motor, but it is truly amazing what the proper gearing, some serious torque, and 5000lbs of iron and steel can accomplish.  Lifting, mowing, and pulling are now simple tasks versus the struggles we had before with the little Craftsman riding mower.

Oh, and I was told by a friend that I am now a real farmer because I "went green" and bought a Deere.  :)

As you can see, I am not the only one enjoying the new tractor.