AgriLand paid a visit to Co. Cork to meet the owner of a much-talked-about John Deere 7810 – an example of an iconic tractor that’s in what can only be described as exceptional condition.
We spoke to Tim Troy (from Midleton) at the recent Mogeely Vintage Club silage event; he actually found this eye-catching machine in Wales. John W Anderson produced this video (below).
Tim explained: “Two-and-a-half years ago, I bought a John Deere 3050 in Wales – in very, very good condition. The seller actually had this 7810 as well, but it wasn’t for sale…but I continued to have an interest in it.
“I looked at a number of [other] 7810s but, like all tractors out there, some were in good condition; some were not so good. This one was actually in very good condition.”
He continued: “Originally, the guy in Wales bought it five years ago from a tillage farmer in the Isle of Wight; it was a single-owner tractor up to that time.
“The man in Wales put just 50 hours on it in five years; he really looked after it. He painted the engine side panels…and the wheels; he got the bolts anodised. I didn’t have to do anything to it [when I got it]. It was ‘as is’.
They’re noted as being one of the best tractors John Deere ever made – the 10 Series in particular…and the 7810 is at the ‘top of the tree’.
He explained: “If you’re to get a good tractor, with a good pedigree, they’re very sought-after. You could easily move [one of these] on if you wanted – not that I will; I won’t. I plan to keep it.”
Tim noted that his 7810 is a 40kph (‘non-air’) tractor, with a PowrQuad transmission. He said: “There were other gearboxes available, but PowrQuad is the one I wanted because they were the most reliable.”
‘Sequential numbers’
When we spoke to Tim, he was preparing to register the tractor. He said: “A neighbour of mine has bought an 02-reg 7810 as well. We plan to bring both tractors [pictured below] to the NCT Centre in Blarney…and I’ll be pleading with the person behind the counter to try to get sequential [registration] numbers.”
He added: “Both tractors live about one mile apart.”
Since we spoke to Tim, this task has been accomplished.
He concluded: “The 7810 seems to be the tractor that everyone wants. It’s a working tractor still – to most people. They appear to be appreciating in value – if you keep an eye on all the auction houses.
“They’re making substantial money. They were considered such a good tractor at the time!”