Tractor Story Winners


	Danny Raddatz - Plainfield, Illinois "Allie"
My story starts back 30 years ago when my father and I would attend the antique tractor pull together in Elkhorn, Wisconsin at the county fair. My love for tractors only grew over the years, then our family needed more room and my wife and I moved our family to Plainfield, Illinois. My wife's grandmother passed away in 2009 and she said, "you have waited too long for your dream of owning a tractor to come true". We bought our tractor in New Lenox, Illinois on February 15, 2009 from a woman that was selling off her husband’s tractor after he too had passed away. On the way home my two children and wife named her “Allie”, she is a 1954 Allis Chalmers WD45 that is in working cloths. Our tractor needed lots of attention; she leaked and dripped all over the place. My goal was to get here ready for our church’s fall outreach day to give members and guests a chance for hay rack rides. Allie made the day and moved over 300 attendees on that fall day and gave many their first hay rack rides ever. Christmas was approaching and I told my wife my gift is in the garage take care of Jenny and Matt. Christmas morning my children open their gifts and my wife and I exchange as well, all of a sudden my two children pull me towards these boxes under our tree. They say to me Daddy these are for you; it was the radiator and all the parts need for my tractors cooling system. I can’t explain how touched I was by my families’ actions that day. In the summer of 2010 we tore down Allie to install a new clutch and bearings, repacked the front end bearings and installed engine gaskets with two of my best friends Owen Davis and Joe Minasola. Along the way I have had a lot of people give me advice on tractor repairs. I would also like to thank a friend Don Bradley for the knowledge he has given to me during the repairs to Allie. Allie had over 200 miles put on her in the summer and fall of 2010. Over 1400 people rode on hay rack rides pulled by Allie for our church, local schools, neighborhood events and local shows. 2011 already has started out great with Allie participating in the Plainfield St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

	Tony S - Amherstburg, Ontario "D17 Diesel"
Here is my D 17 diesel that I restored this past winter with a lot of parts from Steiner. I found this tractor only a few miles from home it was in a shipping container for over 30 years. The sheet metal looked good but as it turned out all the parts inside the castings were solid rust. I rebuilt everything from the engine, both clutches, brakes, radiator, starter, and generator. Some of the parts from Steiner were steering wheel, voltage regulator, new fenders, chrome pipe, complete seat, side panels, all new gauges, and the tool box. One more lucky thing, I got the first D17 tachometer for a diesel that Steiner sold. There are also many more parts from Steiner used. As you can see the tractor turned out pretty good since I did all the mechanical and paint by myself. I'm just an old farmer. The one pic of me pulling the plane to the road was fun, he had landed in my field with engine problems, when he got it repaired he needed a tow. What a good pair, vintage plane and tractor! I would love the show this tractor in the 2012 book. Thanks again!

	Doug Urich - Ickesburg, Pennsylvania "Old Smokey"
Well my love of tractors goes back a long way, I guess I was riding along with my grandfather on his Allis C before I could walk, so orange is the color that I bleed. I had restored an Allis C of my own back in the summer of 1997 and then restored what had been my paps Allis C right after that, finished it up the evening before our show here in Ickesburg. Actually my aunt demanded that we get it done because we were featuring Allis Chalmers that year and there was NO way this tractor was gonna miss this show. So of course there aren't many folks in the club that I belonged to at the time that were AC nuts and that kinda put me in charge of getting as many of my fellow orange fans to come out to our show. One of the fellows that I did get into contact with had been the owner of an AC dealership for many years and I was told that he had quite an extensive collection or the Persian Orange beauties, one phone call later and he said he was bringing a whole trailer load down for us to enjoy. When he got to our show grounds he called and ask me to help him unload, so I did and that was when I got the opportunity to first drive an Allis Chalmers WD-45 Diesel. Let me tell you it was love at first sight, in fact I made the comment right then and there that I was gonna own one of these powerhouses. Two weeks later I did, and I only had to drive 10 miles to get it. Old Smokey, as she became known around home, wasn't a beauty queen for sure, the fenders were rotted, the battery box was a home made thing of some sort, the tires were completely shot, and a previous owner had brushed a coat of Rust-oleum on the hood and grill. WHAT A MESS!!! I got started tearing her down right away so I could figure out what else might be wrong with the old girl, surprisingly though she was in good mechanical shape, just needed some new make-up. As anybody who has ever done a major project like this knows it's a matter of time and money, when you have one, you're usually missing the other, and that's how it was here. I took me seven years to get done with everything, new tires all around, 2 sets of wheel weights, new repro fenders, battery box, new gaskets and seals in motor, filters replaced, bearings repacked, new precleaner and a big chrome stack so we could hear that Buda diesel bark. What a rush it was to take her for that first drive around the farm, give her a fist full of throttle and you'd better be holding on tight or you just might roll of the back of the seat, gobbs and gobbs of power, didn't steer very nice but then the old WDs weren't know for easy stearing, especially the wide fronts. The first few shows we went to we only paraded her around, and that's how she got the name of Old Smokey, I gave her a rip on the throttle in front of an old fella that was announcing the parade at Shermans Valley Heritage Days and she belched out a big cloud of black smoke, which of course everybody thought was just about the coolest thing they'd ever seen, and so he started calling her Old Smokey, everytime he saw me he'd ask how she was doing. (I think he had the hots for her) It was after that we started using the old girl on different pieces of equipment, threshing machine, husker shredder, feed grinder, and eventually my antique Fordson Sawmill. Now let me tell ya folks, that was where she'd shine, I'd haul on the stick and shove a big old log into the blade and that diesel would just come to life, the black smoke would roll and we'd be off to work, we always had a crowd by the mill when the 45 Diesel was running. I did a lot of work with that tractor from plowing, pulling a twelve foot harrow, planting my sweet corn, to pulling in loads of hay and grain on the farm. That old tractor was mine and my sons favorite tractor, but a few years ago I ran into some hard times and had to part with a few of my toys, the sad part is she was one of the pieces that had to go. It broke my heart to get rid of her but I knew it was time to let someone else enjoy her. I sold the tractor to a fella in Nebraska in the spring of 2010 and delivered it to him. I could tell right off the bat that I'd made the right decision, it was love at first sight, I could see it in his eyes, Old Smokey had found a new and permenant home. I miss that tractor but have already made up my mind when things get better I WILL have another one. My grandfather taught me well, GOING ORANGE IS GOING GREAT!

	Kevin Geltmaker - Jeffersonville, Indiana "Case 1200 Traction King Story"
It all started back in 1993 when my Grandpa and I were driving up the road where I grew up, and looked up at the neighbors farm which is on a hill and we saw what I thought was the cab of a big Case tractor. I knew these colors because our family has been around the Case farm equipment and more so the Case construction equipment. As time went on we got curious about what model it was and we went on the adventure of finding this out. We went up to the farm and Mr. Hentrup (the owner of the big tractor) started telling us how he acquired this tractor. He went to Stilesville, Indiana to look at some equipment at the auction, and he came across this Case 1200 Traction King setting in the (dead row) of tractors. He knew something was wrong with it to be setting there so he just kinda overlooked it and went on looking at other equipment. On the way back home he told his son that if the 1200 is still setting there he would ask around to see what’s wrong with it. A year passed and they went back to the auction and low and behold there it still sat. He found somebody with the answer he was looking for. They said it had a broken crankshaft. Mr. Hentrup knew where there was a spare engine with a good crankshaft so he bought the Case 1200TK and had it hauled to the farm to put in the new crankshaft. It wasn’t long after this I saw it in the field pulling a big field cultivator and it was doing great. I went down and spoke to Mr. Hentrup and he asked me if I wanted a job helping him getting the fields ready. I jumped at the opportunity and said yes. He purchased a 10 shank pull type chisel plow and I started out doing this. I ran this tractor and also a 1967 930CK doing the farm work. In 1996 I asked Mr. Hentrup if I could take his 1200 to our local tractor show. He agreed and we painted the Desert Sunset (The Yellow) and cleaned the wheels and it was off to the show in September. At the same time Mr. Hentrup was talking of getting another tractor to take the 1200s place, but this didn’t happen so after the show the tractor continued to work in the fields each spring until the spring of 1998. This was the year of my 21st birthday in June, so my Grandpa asked Mr. Hentrup if he would sell the 1200 to him for my birthday present. Mr. Hentrup agreed since he was downsizing the farming operation and didn’t think he would need it anymore. After all this took place my Dad and I restored it according to our customizations knowing that its long hard days in the field were over. We added 28.1-26 tires and lots of chrome items to stand out from just the normal restored 1200s. The tractor’s cab was made by the Egging Company which was specially built for this tractor with the model number being C-1200. Since 1998 we have been to many shows and have made alot of good friends along the way. The picture of my tractor was taken at the same show that I first showed the tractor at in 1996. My special thanks to my family, Mr. Hentrup and a very special thanks to my Grandpa for the best 21st birthday present ever! I am 33 now and Grandpa has gone on, so this story is very dear to my heart and the tractor still roars to life when the tractor shows come calling. Now you have heard my Case 1200TK story.

	Scott Croom - Kilgore, Texas "Scott Croom"
I bought this 1949 Case DC-3 tractor in 2009 from a guy who got it out of Victoria TX. Engine was stuck, clutch was out, tires were shot and head was shot. Completely restored back to front.

	Richard Armitage - Ottawa Valley, Quebec "My First Ride"
This Cockshutt 35 was purchased new in 1958 from a local dealer, by a close friend of my parents. He was so proud of the new additonal to his farm, and used to drive it into town for supplies when I was just a child. Each trip, he would arrive at our family home for visit, and I remember so patiently waiting for this old character to check his watch, and head for home. It was then I would run outside, and wait beside the new machine. Once comfortably seated, the owner would hold his hand down to assist me in climbing up onto his lap. He would then head for home with me steering what any 4 year old would think was a huge tractor! How I loved the trip up to the end of our street, where he would bring it to a halt, and allow me to dismount and walk back home. Every visit, I waited for my chance to ride on the Cockshutt! It was the first tractor I ever sat on. A few years passed, and so did the owner of the Cockshutt 35, leaving farm and tractor to his son, who used it to plant grain each spring, cut and rake hay, and general around the farm duties. Always maintained, and never once left otuside at night, the tractor was still performing duties when this gentleman passed away in the late 90's. It was then I discovered, the Cockshutt 35 had been left to me and I am still using it to this day for light farm work. The first tractor I was ever seated on, as a child, is now on my farm doing its share of light field duties, and grinding grain. Yes it still has the original paper pulley, and it still never spends a night outside. Thank you.

	Tim Brown - St. Francis, Minnesota "From Junk to Jewel"
1947 Cockshutt 30 restored by Tim Brown of St. Francis Minnesota. I had been looking for a tractor to restore for several years. I found and bought this 30 on eBay in August of 2007. It came from Sebeca, Minnesota. I have always liked the round-nose style. It had been rode hard and put up wet for most of its life, and was prety much junk when I got it. But there was a jewel in there somewhere all I had to do was find it. The restoration took a little over two years to complete and cost more than twice of what the budget was set at. Despite the normal setbacks and the major setbacks the project nearly failed several times. But due to family, friends, and Gordy Lefebvre, president of the Minnesotans Go-Pher Cockshutt club, they wouldn't let me give up on it. Being a machinist by trade, I am fascinated by old machinery and have learned to appreciate its engineering and quality. The best part about the restoration was hearing it fire up for the first time. All the new Steiner tractor parts also helped make it the jewel it is now, and always will be.

	Lori Wood - Westlock, Alberta "E4 and E5 Co-op Tractors"
During the winter of 2010 and 2011 my husband, Ken Wood, and his father, Garry Wood restored these two CO-OP tractors. The E5 was purchased locally in 2009 and the E4 was purchased on a farm sale in Southern Alberta in 2008. Both tractors were is rough condition when they were purchased. Ken and Garry now have an E3, E4, E5, Cockshutt 30, Cockshutt 40 and a Cockshutt 50, all restored to show room condition.

	Richard Gray - Carmel Valley, California "1950 8N Tractor - Best Little Tractor in Carmel Valley, CA"
I have wanted one of these ever since sitting on my grandfather’s lap helping him steer his 8N as we navigated the grove and field roads around his SW Minnesota Lake Lillian farm in the late 40’s. Compared to his other tractors (a 1938 McCormick Deering, “the ‘38” and a brutish, 1928 Nash phaeton-derived, homebuilt conversion), the 8N was downright cool looking. Smaller than the others, its maneuverability made it ideal for chores like haying operations, and cultivating. Relatively affordable and available, the 8N with its 3-point hitch helped to transform farming. To this day, the art deco influenced, hunkered-down design is eye catching. Originally from southern Minnesota where it had been lightly “restored” but we did a complete and comprehensive restoration with all new authentic sheet metal and detailing. We don’t have the usual tractor and farm shows here in Carmel Valley, but the 8N has been a huge hit at an invitational car show held on Ocean Avenue in Carmel-By-the Sea. Most everyone had one or had seen one but no one had seen a totally restored 8 N. It was also exhibited in the showroom of Tiffany Ford in Hollister as part of a display of working Ford in Hollister as part of a display of working Ford vehicles during their 100th year anniversary celebration. And most importantly, we were assigned the duty of pulling Santa's sleigh at the annual Santa Fly-in at Carmel Valley Village. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

	Sean Motszko - Leaf River, Illinois "Four Generations - One Tractor"
My grandpa Pete (1st generation) bought this 1944 Farmall M brand new at Scheidegger Implement in Arcadia Wisconsin. He told me many times of how he was driving through town and saw a pair of M's being delivered to the dealership. They were some of the first he had seen with rubber tires. So he knew he had to have one and proceeded to buy it before it was unloaded from the truck. From there it spent most of it's life on his 300 acre dairy farm 8 miles outside Arcadia. He told of how it was the only tractor "in the country" and how the neighbors would line up along the hill sides to watch him plow. Of course, most of them were still using horses at that time so seeing how efficiently and quickly the M could plow was quite a spectacle. That Farmall M did everything on the farm for 12 years from plowing, to chopping hay, to grinding feed and on and on. By this time it was getting tired and so he gave it an overhaul replacing the original cast iron pistons with aluminum which made it a lot more "peppy". This being an all-fuel tractor, it was normally started and warmed up with gasoline and then switched over to kerosene or "power fuel". He said it never had much "pep" with those other fuels and eventually just started running it on gas only. Sometime before dad took over, it got a second overhaul with raised dome pistons. The all fuel manifold was replaced with an aftermarket gas manifold, and the magneto was replaced with a distributor. The head that had cracked from overheating it on the feed grinder was welded. When my dad (2nd generation) took over the farm in 1980, the good ol' Farmall M was still being used to do quite a bit of work from spreading manure to hauling loads and running the silage blower. However, over time the M gradually became too worn out to do much useful work and was eventually replaced with a Farmall 706. By the time I went to college, grandpa had put a buzz saw on the M for occasionally sawing firewood, otherwise the M just sat. Eventually Grandpa stopped using it altogether and the M was left to sit in the machine shed for about 15 years with no use at all. Then I (3rd generation) acquired a small "Farmette" outside Rockford, IL which had about 8 acres of hay field. I asked Grandpa if I could have the old M to use on my Farmette and so started the M's resurrection. At Thanksgiving time in 2004 I trailered the old M from Arcadia down to my place. We had to push it onto my trailer with Dad's loader tractor. When I got it to my place I didn't have a means to get it off the trailer. I thought, if I could just get it some fuel and spark, I bet it will go. After spending an hour or two cleaning the carburetor bowl, rigging up a temporary fuel tank, adding a battery, and giving the points a quick file - sure enough the old M roared back to life and I drove it off the trailer and into my shed. In the spring of 2005 I put a new set of tires on it and a few other miscellaneous things and then used it for making hay for two years. Then I decided that it was time to give it a complete restoration. I overhauled it and gave it a new gas head and gas carburetor. I went through all the bearings and seals in the transmission and painted it. I just barely got it finished by October of 2007 and then loaded it on the trailer and hauled it back to Arcadia to surprise Grandpa for his 90th birthday party. He complemented me by saying that he saw it look like that one other time - the day he bought it. After the party, I brought the tractor back to my place and continue to use it for all sorts of tasks to this day without so much as a hick-up. My 5 year old son (4th generation) loves to go on tractor rides with me on the old M and he has a peddle tractor and several toy tractors just like it. One day the M will become his and will hopefully live on for generations to come.

	Cheyann Fletcher - New Richmond, Ohio "A Part of Me Forever"
“Chey, This is from Papa and Mama. I want you to know I love you very much and I am very proud of you. Go get your tractor. When you get on it remember me & your Mama. We love you. Good Luck.” This was the letter my grandpa gave to me, along with $1,500 to get a tractor for my upcoming fourteenth birthday two years ago. This letter and the money really meant a lot to me, and I was really excited to finally get my own tractor. It especially meant a lot because my papa was suffering from brain cancer, and I knew my tractor would be one of the last gifts from him. As soon as my grandparents gave me the money, I couldn’t wait to get a tractor. I had been looking at all the different kinds of tractors at the tractor shows during the summers, and searching online for what kind I wanted. I eventually narrowed it down to a 1957 Farmall 230. I liked the size of them, and I like how they’re rarely see. I hadn’t seen one at any of the tractors shows we’d been to. I also wanted it to be a 1957 so its white grill could match my brother’s ’57 cub. My family kept searching day after day on the computer and looking everywhere for my dream tractor. We found a few, but they were out of our price range, or clear across the country. One day we ran across one for sale on the border of Ohio and West Virginia that we thought might be worth going and looking at. There wasn’t a picture of it, and we knew there was a risk we would travel for nothing. But, we had to have hope. So my mom, dad, brother, grandma, and grandpa, and I piled into my dad’s truck with a trailer hooked to the back, and took a weekend trip through the hills of Ohio and West Virginia. But, when we finally saw the tractor we had traveled so far to seen, it wasn’t worth the trip. The poor tractor was useless. They had left it outside and every single part of it was rusted. I was very disappointed and upset, and felt like I would never get a tractor. I also felt bad because we had traveled all that way for nothing. But, my family stayed optimistic. We spent a whole day searching and driving for the slim possibility of finding a 230 for sale in the hills of practically nowhere. When we weren’t having any luck, we decided to come back home. I’ll never forget how disappointed I was. I really thought I would never find my tractor. On our way home, only about a half hour from my house, my mom and I thought we had seen a 230 by a barn in someone’s yard. My dad didn’t believe us at first, but we all finally convinced him to turn the truck around. We knew that the owners probably weren’t looking to sell it, but there was still a chance. We pulled into the people’s driveway, and sure enough, there was a Farmall 230 with a white grill sitting there. It was going to need work before showing it off at the tractor shows, but I knew by dad could restore it. My dad found the owner, and asked if he was willing to sell it. The man called his father, the original buyer, and said yes, they would sell it. I couldn’t believe it, and neither could my family! But, we had to negotiate a price. We had seen time and time again a 230 for around $1,500, or even more. But, we were shocked when the man told us the price he was willing to sell it to us for. It was far from what we expected. Because of the really good price, and because that was the exact tractor I wanted, we bought my tractor! I was extremely excited when we loaded my tractor onto the trailer, and brought it home. Those last few hours had gone by really fast, and I couldn’t believe what had just happened. What were the chances of us finding my tractor so close to home, after traveling for hours so far away? I’ll never forget taking pictures of my new tractor, with my papa. He was so happy for me, but he was worn out from the trip. I couldn’t wait for him to see it finished, and I prayed he would see it at the shows over the summers. The next day, my dad and I started cleaning off the tractor, and making lists of what needed to be done, and what we had to buy. This continued into the winter, and into the spring. With every part we ordered, I knew we were one step closer to finishing my tractor. I couldn’t wait for my shiny red and white 230 to be finished. But, while my tractor kept being worked on, my papa kept getting sicker. Unfortunately, last May, my papa passed away due to his cancer, and it broke my heart. I had lost my best friend. But I had my tractor, and I knew I would always have my memories of him. He never got to see my tractor finished, but I know he would love it. My tractor now goes to various tractor shows over the summer, and is the only Farmall 230 we see. For the back of my seat, I had a sticker made that says, “In memory of my Papa” because that’s truly what my tractor is, a memory of my papa. If it wasn’t for my papa, I wouldn’t have my tractor. There will always be a place in my heart for my papa, and my tractor.

	John Fife - Goulburn, New South Wales Australia "Life Long Dream"
I have entered this for my Dad, John Fife. Having caught the tractor restoring bug many years ago and restored a few tractors along the way I've always kept my eye out for a Farmall AMD(australian model M diesel). Not easy to find! I've always wanted this model since I was a little boy, my parents bought me a model red farmall to play with while I was in hospital when I was 9, they made me leave it there for the other kids that were sick to play with. Ever since I had always wanted that model Farmall. This tractor was advertised in our local international harvester club magazine for sale at Cowell on the Australian Eyre Peninsula in South Australia which is half way across Australia from where I live at Goulburn New South Wales. The tractor was for sale by an Eyre Peninsular Machinery dealer, Colin Butcher. The tractor had previously been used for some time to tow oyster barges out of the sea at port Franklin and therefore was in a very rusty state. The engine must have been rebuilt at some stage as it was in excellent condition. It turned out to be a super AMD. My wife and I where happy to make a mini holiday out of the 5000km round trip with our semi and drop deck trailer. Restorations began immediately as I was keen to have it finished for our local club rally that was in 3 months time. The tractor needed new front hubs, rims and wheel bearings. The steering box needed an overhaul, new radiator belts, hoses and water pump all needed replacing along with the seat, battery box, brakes, rear wheel seals, lights and light bar and numerous other bits and pieces. Hydraulics were added as well as 3pl and rear mud guards. The parts that were purchased from Steiner were the steering wheel, the seat (in Aussie black) gauges, radiator cap, fuel tank cap, mud guards, belts, hoses, and brake linings. The tractor was sandblasted and primed and considerable panel beating was needed then painted in 2pac red. New tyres were fitted just in time for the rally and national tractor trek!

	Melissa Thompson - Lewisport, Kentucky "Grandpa's Dream"
When I was a little girl, my Grandpa, Estil Cartwright, always had me on his tractor to ride around the farm just to look at the family property. During our rides he would teach me lessons of life, family, fishing, and tractors. Anyone who knew my Grandpa would know that at least one, if not all, of these four subjects would be discussed during their visit to the farm. Last spring my Grandpa became very ill and during one of my visits he had a talk with me about tractors, especially one tractor on his property, a 1958 Farmall 350. It was his dream to see the tractor used and running like new again. He told me stories about how he purchased the tractor and how much he wanted someone to refinish it someday. You could tell that in his mind, it was beautiful just like it was, but when I looked at it I saw a rusted pile of metal that would take years to make it look like new. In November 2010 my Grandpa passed away. The story of that tractor kept running through my mind. I knew that he wanted to see it used and for it to be good as new. In February 2011 I received a phone call from my grandmother and she wanted to sell the tractor because she had no use for it. I knew that my Grandpa told me what he did for a reason, I didn’t know why at the time, but I purchased the tractor to have it restored. I didn’t know much about tractors when I purchased it, but I certainly learned fast when I started looking for parts for it. My husband has restored tractors before and I could tell when he looked at the tractor that he saw the same thing that my Grandpa did…a dream tractor. My husband, Darryl, worked day and night from February 2011 to April 2011 to refinish it. One day, to my surprise Darryl finished it while I was at work. When I come home and opened the garage door, there it was, the dream that my Grandpa saw for years, a beautiful new tractor. I was amazed that I could see my reflection in the paint, that all of the shiny new emblems were all in place, and every little detail was complete. I know that my Grandpa wanted the tractor to be used so this winter it will be in a parade in our home town and it will be pulling a wagon that was also restored by my father with all of his grandchildren riding in it in his memory. I know my Grandpa would be proud of his dream tractor and I am thankful to my husband who worked so hard to finish it in such a short time. To my Grandpa…here is your dream tractor!

	Dusti Snider - Princeton, West Virginia "Second Chance..."
Several years ago I spotted this old “M” sitting on a vacant lot just off a major four lane highway near our home. I stopped and looked at it there surrounded by other discarded machinery. It wasn’t near any houses or buildings, so I had no clue to whom it belonged. Every so often I would stop by and check on the ol’ tractor give the crankshaft pulley a tug and admire it for a few minutes. While the sheetmetal was relatively straight it was missing some parts; lights, PTO shield, and the seat tool box. The fuel system and the wiring were almost non-existent. It was plain that it hadn’t been running for along time, but it wasn’t stuck either. Then one rainy, cold Sunday in January of 2008 we left church headed out to eat, and I drove out that four lane highway near the old M. I made a quick turn, pulled the car off the road and walked over there looking it over yet again, while my lovely wife waited patiently in the car. This time I took a digital camera and took a few quick pictures. While I was standing there a young lady pulled up at a paper box across the road, She walked over and asked me if I’d like to talk to her father-in-law, about “that ol’ thing” and she gave me his number. A few days later I called the man and he priced it to me. I wanted it terribly, in spite of the fact that it hadn’t ran in years, and I really couldn’t afford it. The price was a little more than I had in mind, but I figured it was worth something not having to drive a couple hundred miles to get it. Nine months passed. Finally I made my mind up and called the man once again. He wasn’t as eager to sell this time, but finally agreed. He offered a little more information about the tractors history. The tractor came from a farm in Bland County, Virginia. He had tried unsuccessfully to purchase the tractor at an auction and man aged to keep up with its location. A few years later he was able to purchase the tractor from the man who had outbid him years before. We made arrangements to meet the next Saturday morning, September 20th 2008. Saturday morning finally arrived and I met him there at the tractor and paid for the tractor, with the understanding that I may have to leave it sit there for another couple weeks until I could get a trailer over there to get it. My lovely wife told me I’d never be able to wait that long and she was right. By noon on Monday I hired a local wrecker service to haul her the six miles to her new home. I tinkered around a few evenings and on September 30, 2008 she came to life for the first time in years… Over the next few months I replaced the missing lights and pto shield, serviced the engine, transmission, and radiator. I read everything I could about these tractors on line, and ordered a reproduction Owners Manual and Service Manual, as well. During the summer of 2009 I gave the engine a light overhaul, serviced the rear brakes, replaced the front wheel bearings and put a new seal in the lift-all pump. Finally on January 15, 2010 the restoration process began. The tractor was dismantled, leaving the engine, transmission and rear end intact. Thoroughly cleaned and meticulously reassembled over a period of 7 months, the project involved over 200 labor hours. I did all the work myself, with the help of my wife and my daughter, right in my own shop. While I did purchase several new parts, including new Rochester gauges, I spent a lot of extra time locating and refurbishing good original parts wherever I possibly could. I would be remiss not to acknowledge some people in my life whose help with this project was priceless….my great friend Ray Smith for all the parts, advice, and encouragement…my Dad for teaching me to work with my hands and instilling in me an appreciation for all things mechanical…my daughter Beth for tagging along to shows and trying to understand my fascination with heavy, rusty, smelly pieces of iron…my wonderful wife Sherri, for making room in the family budget for tractors and whose hard work at my side has only been exceeded by her patience with me. Of course I must thank The Master Restorer for the skill He gives me to work with my hands, and for seeing enough potential in me to give me a second chance, just as I seen the potential in this ol’ tractor enough to give it a second chance…

	Dr. Laban Bontrager DMD - Bristol, Florida "John Deere 1952 Model B"
A friend of mine bought this tractor at an auction in fair running condition and had it out sitting in the weather. I asked him why he didn’t keep it under cover, he replied “why don’t you buy it and park it wherever you want”. So I did. I began “completely” disassembling it and restoring it. Each evening I would tell my wife “I’m going to the barn with my girlfriend; I’ll be back after a while”. She knew it was the tractor but it still made her mad. Over the two years time of restoration many of my patients watched the progress and gave helpful advice and suggestions. My barn is located just behind my dental office, so, it was easy for them to keep tabs on the progress. They felt like they were part of the project. In 2007 the project was completed and the tractor has been in demand every year since for the high school homecoming parade and numerous other events. It is a 1952 Model B, serial # B-306947, which to my knowledge is the very latest serial # Model B still known to be in existence. Although it is not the last serial # Model B made by John Deere, I have been unable to locate a later serial # still in existence. It has every improvement that John Deere ever put on a “B”; water pump, lights, hydraulic lift, generator, electric starter, points and condenser ignition, roll-a-matic front end, etc. Steiner Tractor was an invaluable resource for parts in this restoration. It was nice to have them available for advice as well as parts. Without them this would surely still be an unfulfilled dream.

	Tim Southerland - Drakesboro, Kentucky "A Family Affair"
In mid 1947 John Deere performed a complete design overhaul of the model A. My 47 model is near the end of the original design that was used from 1939 to mid 1947. I bought this diamond in the rough 11 years ago and spent several years going through every part of it as the money was available. I had several family members and friends contribute to getting it to where it is now. My original intentions were to get it in solid mechanical shape and use it as a cheap source to mow 17 acres a couple of times a year, but that all changed when I was bitten by the tractor showing bug. I used the A for 3-4 years in the hayfield and mowing the fields with a 5' pull type rotary cutter. Then in 2009, she finally received a much needed face lift with new shiny green and yellow paint. The old girl is now retired from farming and lives its life traveling from show to show and to local parades throughout the year. It has won several best of show awards and parade awards. But, winning awards doesn't compare to the memories I have of my Dad and myself working on it together. The tractor show hobby has become a family affair for us over the past 4-5 years. My dad, brother in law, and myself now have 4 tractors (Mostly John Deere) between us restored that we show throughout the year when we aren't working in the fields. Steiner Tractor Parts have helped us along the way with replacement parts for each of them. Don't worry about losing our business Steiner's, we have 2 more tractor restoration projects to go. The last photo is of the A and 520. The 520 has been in my family since before I was born. Four generations of Southerland's have ridden it and it is still used around the farm today for small jobs.

	Dave Miller - North Canton, Ohio "Grandpa's Tractor"
When I was little I remember Grandpa still farming. I don’t remember him using horses but his 1957 John Deere 520 stuck with me. My dad was a chemist by trade but still found time to help grandpa around the farm when he needed a hand. Finally, grandpa though it was time to retire. We had a friend of the family continue to farm but then the John Deere just sat in its shed. When I was in High school I used it mainly to keep the weeds down in the field by pulling a brush hog around. I went to college, started a job and moved into my own home, but it was still nice going back and mowing and hearing the two cylinder pop, pop, pop. Unfortunately it was different now because in the meantime Grandpa passed away. The 520 didn’t have a lot of hours on her and her sheet metal was in good shape. I thought about giving her a face lift but before I could our barn burned. The tractor was in an attached shed and didn’t take the brunt of the heat but still ended up in pretty bad shape. Dad said if I didn’t want her I could let her go with the rest of metal when the remainder of the barn was salvaged. Somehow I couldn’t do that. It just didn’t seem right. Grandpa bought her new at a local John Deere dealership which had closed its doors long ago. I had the original purchase slip and operators manual as well. So, I had her hauled to the farm of the man who still continued to farm our farm so she wouldn’t disappear in the confusion. We did build a new pole barn. It didn’t hold the same memories and history as the prior one but in the end we turned a page in the book and moved on. I did bring the 520 back to the new barn with all intentions of restoring her. I kept my eyes open and purchased two other 520s to use for parts to assist in the renovation. I had taken her apart and had the bulk of her parts sandblasted and painted. A few years went by and somehow I didn’t find the time to bring her back to her original beauty. In talking around I did find a local person who had a small collection of the 20 series two cylinders. He agreed to do the restoration for me. We loaded her up with all of her parts and additional parts from the other tractors. A normal restoration is an undertaking in itself but going through a fire complicates everything. I wasn’t in a rush but he felt he could have her done over the winter. I would repeatedly stop by to check on the progress and see if anything was needed. The engine had worked fine but everything else was taken apart bolt by bolt. We came to a point where a variety of parts were needed. We made up a parts list. I had one of the Steiner Parts Books handy and began doing further research on what was available. I ended up needing a couple pages of parts. Everything from bushings, to gaskets, to a steering wheel, to weights. The list seemed to go on and on. But to do it right everything on the list was needed. It was a pleasant experience to speak with one of the knowledgeable staff to assist in the process. Over the span I made several orders and didn’t break the bank doing it. She slowly took shape and bolt by bolt she started to look like her old self again. When grandpa bought her she had the basics but no hydraulic outlets, three point hitch or fenders. We made a few changes to upgrade her so we added all of these. Now she’s finished and looks better than ever. I was hoping to have her done so my dad could also appreciate her but unfortunately he passed away before she was finished. Even though she looks great now I’ve had her out to plow and disc. She’s been to a “plow day” with a variety of tractors of her area who appreciate a hard day’s work in the field.

	Eric Repaal - Grand Haven "Rusty Finds A Home"
My Grand Father a man by the name of Frank Dean, owned a dairy farm in Bainbridge NY, I didn't go there a lot, we lived in Ohio, but I remember riding a Ferguson Tractor, in the corn fields and all over the farm, the first picture is me with my Grand Father, I always had such fond memories, I remember the cows being so big. As it turned out this Ferguson Tractor, actually caused his death, it had a fuel leak and caused a grass fire and as he went out to put out the fire, he had a heart attack. As I got older, I always wanted one of those tractors, so a couple of years ago, I found one, picture #2, I call it Rusty Tractor. After a lot of hard work and getting the name of a really good painter, picture 3 shows the end result. Now that Rusty has been restored, I have been trying to get in touch with the people that own the farm, so that I may bring Rusty, and take that exact same picture, with Adam. Adam is my 4 year old Grandson, who unfortunately suffers from Leukemia so getting him there will prove to be a challenge.

	J. Davis - Greenville, South Carolina "Ferguson Family Fun"
In late 1959 my grandfather purchased a new 1960 Ferguson TO-35 from the local dealership. He and his three sons used this tractor exclusively ever since to maintain and improve his farm in Covington, Tn. I remember how excited my brother and I as little boys would get when we would see Papa returning from the fields driving his tractor and smelling of hay. Since his passing I, with the help of my kids, have been restoring this well used machine back to its former glory and Steiner Tractor Parts has been with us all the way. We can always find what we need from fender rivets to steering column bearings. It gives me confidence to have a partner we can rely on in this undertaking, the same feeling I suspect my grandfather had in this Ferguson 35.

	William E. Schultz - Grand Island, New York "Grand Island Gold"
My Son, Bill Schultz Jr., who's currently 31 has been working summers with a local farmer ( George Deglopper ) since he was in High School. I've also enjoyed working during the summer, helping as needed to bring in the hay, or any other chore that George may need help with. My Son truly loves working on the farm and driving any one of the number of International Tractors that George owns. He has a fabulous collection that he's rebuilt and uses in working the farm. Back in 2002, my Son drove home one of George's tractors. He said, Dad, let's drag that rusted old Minneapolis-Moline out from the junk pile ( picture 1 ) in back of our home and re-build it. I've known of this tractor for many years and remember seeing it used years ago, when I was a teenager. To my knowledge the tractor has been rusting in the field for over 30 years. The tractor use to belong to my neighbor. We dragged it up from the field ( see pictures 2,3 and 4). As you can see from the pictures the tractor was missing many parts from the engine and was truly a rust bucket. My Son began taking it apart with my help. We removed every part, and made a list of parts that were needed. It was missing all the key parts needed to make it a runnable tractor. I searched the internet and was lucky to find a local guy who collected Moline tractors to part out. I had to purchase complete cylinder jugs, block for the cam and crank, rocker arms, radiator, gas tank, intake and exhaust manifolds etc.. I was unable to come up with a good set of pistons. I had a piston manufacter duplicate the pistons to near as orginal,but out of aluminum ( this company made racing pistions ). The reason I choose to have the pistons made of alumnium, was to prevent the typical problem that this tractor had with the steel pistions rusting in the cylinder. The machine shop that I worked with had to bore the best set of cylinder jugs I found, and fit the new pistions. The valves and guides were replaced with Chevys. I found a good set of rocker arms that weren't bent or damaged. As we worked on the sandblasting and painting the cost increased beyond what I wanted to spend, but as it started to go together it really was well worth it. My Son and wife got involved as needed. Bill did most of the sandblasting and I did all the painting . Many of the parts that I could not purchase or find I managed to modifiy to adapt to newer styles, such as crank seals and bushings. I used my metal lathe to make new bushings and parts as needed. The good used rear rims were split and widened about 4 inches so that the tire walls sat straight ( I got that suggestion form George Deglopper ). This project took 1-1/2 years of spare time to complete. The first time I tried to fire it up it, it started without any issues. I currently use it to mow a large field at our Church. I have also used it to ted, rake and bale hay.

	Frank M. Walko II - Lima, Ohio "Pile-o-parts"
Who knew you could have so much fun for an initial price of $500? My tractor project began with a search for an Oliver 70 like grandpa once owned, but ended up with me running across a 1949 Oliver 77 on the online classified adds. After aranging to meet the guy, who had recieved the tractor from his grandpa, I put some money down and promised to come back in a couple weeks and pick it up. He had intended to restore the tractor and had the front end completely disassembled. We loaded engine parts, hood, and other misc. parts in my pickup and fought to get the rusty hulk with junk rear tires onto my trailer, which turned out was about 2" too narrow between the fenders. This was back in July 2010 and I remember an hour or so of intense sweating trying to figure out how to load this thing. Eventually we got it done. Over the next couple months, I sorted, cleaned, and ordered the parts it would take to get it working. I hoped to get it running in time for the LaGrange Engine Show in September, but knew it would be close. I had never touched an Oliver before, so it was a real learning experience. I was able to get a lot of help over the phone and online from those who had many years of experience with these brutes. I'd say one of the biggest hurdles was figuring out the shimmed bearings on that engine, what a chore. After many nights working on it from six to midnight after a day of work at the tractor dealership, it came down to the week before the tractor show. I took that Thursday and Friday off in order to try and meet my deadline. That Friday, I still hadn't even started the engine for the first time. I couldn't get the starter to turn fast enough, so I knew I would have to pull start the thing. Fortunately my neighbor, who is in his 80's was on his daily walk. I flagged him down and we pulled that thing around my circle driveway with my Farmall F-20 until she roared to life. After a fan shroud adjustment and belt tightening, I loaded her up, thanked my neighbor, and took off with my fingers crossed for the two and a half hour trip to the show. I made it to the show, was able to show grandpa, and even had it running on the dyno for a bit. A few thousand dollars later, it still needs a few things, but boy did I have fun and ended up with a pretty good story to tell.

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