Tractor shopping on the Cumberland Plateau

I was able to con bigger brother into driving. The rain was pretty much over with by the time we got to Monteagle, so we went by the auction first. There was absolutely nowhere to park except in a field and since it had been raining, it was a mess (I should've drove, my truck is 4wd).

Went on through Shelbyville, I'm glad the bride wasn't with me... ooooh, I like that barn, can we build one like that? No! that barn, No! that one! She's on her once every three months kick about why can't we afford to build her a new horse barn...

As we drove through, I remembered why I hate Walking horse people. As we drove past one barn, a guy was out in front showing one off to a prospective buyer I guess. My first thought was "boy he's got a pretty movement" then I saw the wedges on his front feet and bigger brother pointed out how that his back end was scrunched down as he moved. "He's hurting" was his comment. They've got a nice movement anyway, why these idiots like to cripple them to exaggerate their walk is beyond me. (yes, I know that things aren't as bad as they used to be, but it still ain't right)

We did look at the 856 and boy is it rough... It is probably one of the sorriest looking machines I've ever seen that didn't have a tree growing up through the middle of it. But! it runs and it runs GOOD. No smoke whatsoever. Absolutely the smoothest sounding six cylinder I've ever heard. I got bigger brother to test drive it.. he was ready to drag it home then.

The main thing I dislike about it is the lack of fenders... I do NOT like the idea of sitting six feet off the ground with nothing between me and a pair of 38" tires but my own death-grip on the steering wheel. But! they have an old Hiniker cab out behind the building (all the glass is still in it and the brackets were laying on top) that they'll GIVE us if we buy the silly thing.

I'm still studying this. Brother is going to try to slide over to Jasper to look at a 1086 (not a bad lookin' machine, we could see it from the interstate) that we may be able to trade the trackloader in on. I did point out to him, that for a little more money, we could get the 1486 that I was looking at(145 hp, cab and AIR).

So, do I buy something that runs good, but needs a LOT of cosmetic work (and safety work, ie. fenders & rollbar) that's cheap (in my price range) or something I can go to the field with now? Or keep huntin' a Ford, which is what I really wanted anyway?