Talk tractors

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John Hasler
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Location: Elmwood, Wisconsin

Re: Talk tractors

Post by John Hasler »

Rusty busted knuckles from fixing busted rusty tractors.
spro
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Re: Talk tractors

Post by spro »

The author explains the title as John said. The pictures and references to tractor models are not lost on me. Most of my brothers and sister live in areas where tractors are still working farms or some acres. Tractor shows and swap meets, flea markets of the vintage machinery type, was a cross interest of engines, tools and tractors. There were at least 3 crawlers and 3 farm tractors I would help with. Good heavy stuff but things happen and things are stolen. The Case 300 series was flat stolen as was the Dexta Perkins diesel. The crawlers were sold at a loss or parted out. Trailers and machine tools stolen. Overextension wasn't considered during that time of passion but time and heath catch up.
Great tractors. Every one of them.
b4autodark
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Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2016 9:06 am

Re: Talk tractors

Post by b4autodark »

I've been playing with tractors since I bought a Farmall B in 1978, Still have it. Along the way I've owned Oliver 880 diesel, Allis B, Allis D-19 diesel, Case 530, Farmall 300, Mpls Moline Z and 2 Moline U's, Ford 4500, Ford 2600, Ford 2000, Ford 8N, White 2-62, Cockshutt 30, and a International 706.

I just enjoy them and would rather work on them than a car or truck. Once a friend of my wifes asked her " why do you let him have all those tractors?" my wifes reply was "I never have to call the bar or casino, I always know he's either in the shop or in the field".

I learned early on that you could buy a tractor for 5 or 6 hundred and put a couple hundred hours labor and a couple thousand in parts and have a good running machine worth maybe 12 or 15 hundred if you're lucky.
spro
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Re: Talk tractors

Post by spro »

b4autodark. I hope you don't mind me responding so soon. That is a very varied list of different tractors. Each one is a different ride and required a lot of knowledge of different mechanical ways they operated. I can only imagine your knowledge and experience with those. I have to be careful sometimes because it looks like I'm being overly ( I forgot the word) . There is appreciation by some association with this machinery. I mean when you pull the cover off an Oliver Cletrac AG6 and clean the inside of that transaxle.. See that remarkable gearing.. You are staring right into the industrial past and it is beautiful. Lube and adjust things and button that baby up. Awesome machinery. The McCormic Deering T20 had a beautiful transmission from the inside. It used separate final clutches to the tracks' drive. It just looks like a frumpy crawler from the outside and most were beat to oblivion but there was massive work to make those. It is ALL good and something else.
Being that we were not like other countries with one or two enormous producers of tractors, there was continual competition. This allowed so many newer ways of accomplishing the same tasks. The different manufacturers and models are examples of the steps.
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neanderman
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Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Re: Talk tractors

Post by neanderman »

I appreciate the stories; keep them coming.

One of my favorite memories is both climbing on and riding my dad's brother's Allis-Chalmers.

A-C had a couple of plants in Springfield, IL, where I grew up. My uncle worked there off and on. I know they made big earthmovers at one of the plants; I don't know if the ever made farm tractors in town.
Ed

LeBlond Dual Drive, 15x30
US-Burke Millrite MVI
Atlas 618
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Proud denizen of the former "Machine Tool Capitol of the World"
spro
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Re: Talk tractors

Post by spro »

By golly Springfield IL made lots of things. That doesn't mean they assembled the entire tractors there. Can't say they didn't either. Some more obscure lawn tractors do say Springfield IL. For some reason it comes back to a weathered photo. A neighbor in her late 80's or 90's died and somebody else took over the estate. They sold whatever furniture and valuables they didn't take and the rest was thrown into a dumpster.
I've mentioned this before yet it made an impression. This sweet lady had albums of photos dating back to when she was a child and through her marriage and afterwards.
I only knew this by some dumpster diving in the pouring rain. The albums were falling apart and the photos were mostly destroyed. Deep into some pages were earlier times of her as child around the earlier tractors. I kept the few and will remember the callousness and disrespect forever.
Downwindtracker2
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Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 9:34 pm
Location: B.C.

Re: Talk tractors

Post by Downwindtracker2 »

In BC, larger scale homesteading and land clearing happened right into the '30s in the Peace block. The Peace block is in north east BC,on the other side of the Rockies. At the sawmill I worked at we would hire on a couple of extra millwrights during the summer shutdown, Robbi was one of them. His father had homesteaded. Second best millwright I have ever worked with. He told me a story of when they got their first tractor. He was excited, but his older brother wised him up. " We quit when the horses are tired, now with that tractor dad will have us working all day and night."
A man of foolish pursuits, '91 BusyBee DF1224g lathe,'01 Advance RF-45 mill/drill,'68 Delta Toolmaker surface grinder,Miller250 mig,'83 8" Baldor grinder, plus sawdustmakers
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Talk tractors

Post by SteveHGraham »

A buddy of mine was telling me to go find an old American tractor sitting in someone's yard and buy it for $1500. He said they last forever. Kind of glad I did not do that.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
b4autodark
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Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2016 9:06 am

Re: Talk tractors

Post by b4autodark »

Spro,
There has to be a special place in heaven for those that will dumpster dive in a deluge for the sake of posterity. Kudos to you friend. My wife saw my post and said "you forgot the Cub, the Pony, and the Massey 44 diesel" I had no idea she was paying that close of attention.
curtis cutter
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Location: Curtis, WA

Re: Talk tractors

Post by curtis cutter »

Downwindtracker2 wrote:In BC, larger scale homesteading and land clearing happened right into the '30s in the Peace block. The Peace block is in north east BC,on the other side of the Rockies. At the sawmill I worked at we would hire on a couple of extra millwrights during the summer shutdown, Robbi was one of them. His father had homesteaded. Second best millwright I have ever worked with. He told me a story of when they got their first tractor. He was excited, but his older brother wised him up. " We quit when the horses are tired, now with that tractor dad will have us working all day and night."
You around the fires up there? We have been getting the smoke from BC lately.
Gregg
Just let go of it, it will eventually unplug itself.
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ALCOSTEAM
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Location: illinois

Re: Talk tractors

Post by ALCOSTEAM »

neanderman wrote:
A-C had a couple of plants in Springfield, IL, where I grew up. My uncle worked there off and on. I know they made big earthmovers at one of the plants; I don't know if the ever made farm tractors in town.
As far as i know AC only made heavy equipment at Springfield. Fiat unfortunately bought into AllisChalmers construction equipment and things went downhill from there.

Today there is nothing of the AC plant at springfield left. A large FBI building occupies the northern part of the old plant property.
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neanderman
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Re: Talk tractors

Post by neanderman »

AlcoSteam:

Yeah, I get back there every couple of years. It's sad to see all that has vanished in my home town.

Dad worked at Sangamo Electric until Schlumberger bought them and moved to Atlanta. Now the state owns the buildings.
Ed

LeBlond Dual Drive, 15x30
US-Burke Millrite MVI
Atlas 618
Files, snips and cold chisels

Proud denizen of the former "Machine Tool Capitol of the World"
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