Factory part vs. something you made yourself

[Matt Kirsch]

Years ago I bought a fast hitch for my Cub that was missing the depth control handle. I made one myself patterned after the crank style.

Fast Forward to last summer. I bought a $5 pallet lot at an auction that had a genuine Cub crank style depth control on it! It was the only IH thing at the entire auction.

I keep starting to put the factory crank on the tractor, then I stop and reconsider... I am kind of proud of the one I made myself. It looks okay. It works. It's unique...

So if you fabbed up something to stand in for a factory part, then later found the factory part, would you replace it?

[mcwinter]

No, keep your fabbed handle on the tractor to remind you of your personal connection to the machine.

[Slim140]

If you made it and it works as good or better than an original, I say leave it. The pride, the sweat, the knowing you made something and it works says a lot.

[Don McCombs]

But, hang on to the OEM one.

[Jim Becker]

If it is a handle style Fast-Hitch, the crank-style control won't fit anyway.

[Slim140]

If it is a handle style Fast-Hitch, the crank-style control won't fit anyway.

I didn't think about this but Jim is correct. The bail bar bracket is different where the depth controls mount.

Here's the difference

[Matt Kirsch]

Jim probably has it somewhere in the back of his mind that mine is the lever style, but I have steel and a torch and a welder. Not a huge challenge to build an adapter block and a whole lot less work than swapping out the bail.

Of course if I end up keeping my homemade depth control, no changes need to be made at all.

[coppersmythe]

i think i would just use it as-is ( its a bit of pride when you use something you have made with your own two hands ) , and let the new owner decide should you ever sell it . coppersmythe................................

[Waif]

If it ain't broke......

[Slim140]

If it ain't broke......

Break it so you can fix it better?

[Waif]

If it ain't broke......

Break it so you can fix it better?

Pretty much.
If it ain't broke , I ain't fixed it yet....

[outdoors4evr]

If ya Farmer Fix it so it works, was that fixed right or wrong?

[Gary Dotson]

There have been times I've made items that I was pretty proud of, other times, not so much. If you're proud of the one you made, keep it, otherwise....

[jsfarmall]

Buy another tractor for the factory part. That way neither money or effort is wasted.