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neil

Tractor & machinery magazine , how disappointing

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I was flicking through this months tractor & Machinery mag and though how disappointing it was .

Out of 180 pages there was over 80 full pages of advertisements trying to sell you something , there seems to be very little content on vintage equipment & to me is seems like they are pointing it towards more modern tractors.

Now that the horticultural section has now been removed the magazine has taken a real nose dive in my opinion .

Would be interested in what other think .

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I think that there are just too many tractor mags ; all competing for contributors,advertisers and readers. The market place is not big enough to make them all commercially viable without lots of advertising revenue, and that will only last so long until the advertisers do their sums.

In my opinion, one of the best was Old Tractor when edited by Stuart Gibbard's but that went down hill when he left. He took over the editor's chair at Vintage Tractor & Countryside Heritage and turned it into a very good mag, but here again, the figures didn't stack up.

Dependant on your point of view, for better or worse, Kelsey seem to have a viable commercial formula for their dummed down offering of tractor and plant machinery magazines . For my money the best tractor mag at present is Classic Tractor from Sundial Magazines, but its content is possibly too modern for some tastes.

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I was wondering if tractor enthusiasts were using forums like this as a way to discuss their projects as it is more of an immediate response that some of the mags & that more & more people are turning to the internet for information .

I just found that with this months edition it felt like that all I bought was an advertising brochure for something that I really didn't need or could afford.

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I used to have the local newsagents keep a copy of this magazine behind the counter for me every month, however I only brought it for one main reason.... 'Horticultural section' ki used to like the hedgerow finds and the for sale section also... I used to just flick through the rest, restorations etc.. Have a quick read, however I thought it's gone downhill now, and don't purchase it anymore... :(

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I've never subscribed to the mag, more of "bought a copy if I remembered while in a shop that sells it" :)

Your all right, it's not anywhere near as good as it used to be.. I don't mind reading about big tractors if they are "interesting/something different", but these days they all seam to be the same makes and models.. To much newer stuff as well :(

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Slightly off topic but from the same stable as Kelsey Publication, I subscribe to Classic Van and Pickup every month. It's a great read and amusingly written. I have bought the odd tractor magazine when it appeals to me. The last copy of Tractor and Machinery didn't float my boat at all. I will be buying the American Garden Tractors Magazine shortly.

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I've got mine It's only one page but it's a start and it has Wheelhorse , John Deeres and Cub Cadets let's send some stories and builds lads !

 

I like your thinking James :thumbs:

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tractor and machinery has turned into a workshop manual for people that dont know how to look after their tractors and machinery farming heritage mag is good as it covers restorations and old stuff but like all mags you send in an event to be placed in whats on and get it totally wrong even though you entered it on line         dave k

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