Two Words: No Electronics. A battery was used to crank it, if that didn't work, park on a hill and roll start it. Tractors then were used to work hard and long and the engineers knew the owners were going to plow to hell and back. Also, Farmers then would also OWN their own tractors. Not like today where the new tractors are intended to be leased by a big farmer for 3 years to work out bugs and get serviced. My friend has an 70s Farmall I think 1026. Its the oldest piece of equipment they use. They have a 2 year old Case (I think, could be a Massey, I've actually never seen the new tractor, its in the shop everytime I am out at his farm) The Case has been in the shop more in the last 2 years than the Farmall has been in the past 15. Pitiful. But its always electronic crap breaking down.