I generally have loved the tunes that go with the old ballads. But, I have made up some tunes as well, that seem to work with the texts. No one has yet to throw their hands up in horror when I have sung them. Frogprince is right in that you should expect some people to like the old tune better. But as Mary Humphreys said, quite often, there weren't tunes collected for the ballads.

Ewan MacColl said in a sing out interview years ago, that the traditional ballads singers often adapted the tunes and words till it was comfortable in their mouths.