Anybody else have a thing for old tractors?

[toolmanmike]

Don't have a photo of our 1956 Oliver super 77 row crop that my grandfather bought. Have to repair fuel tank and give her a fancy paint job.
Have the plow, barrel rake and cultivator.

About 10 years ago we retired our New idea 801 uni system. The drive wheel splines were about to go. We have the corn husker and the wide pickup hay head for the forage harvester left.

We also kept our MF 275 because that's the first tractor my father bought and it's the tractor I learned to drive on. We rebuilt the engine and her main job is the blower tractor when doing silage. Other job is when we need a small agile tractor. Otherwise it's 100hp tractors and bigger now. We are a massey family because the dealer was in our town but has since closed. So the massey faith may be switch to another shade of red.

I like the earlier Olivers with the full sheet metal. And the straight 6's had a great sound. Made just up the road from me.

 

[Curiousyellow71]

Yes he did. Are you from Iowa? I am not 100% sure where hos Vista ended up. After dad died I was looking for a Vista to restore, but they are such a huge tractor.

I lived in Waukee, IA for a few years '08-'16 and drove back and forth to Nebraska A LOT. Love the IA state fair. My younger bro picked up a Vista out of Iowa. Pretty identifiable as it did not have 3 point and phone booth cab w sliding door. Something about watching hit n miss engines is mesmorizing!

About 10 years ago we retired our New idea 801 uni system. The drive wheel splines were about to go. We have the corn husker and the wide pickup hay head for the forage harvester left.

We also kept our MF 275 because that's the first tractor my father bought and it's the tractor I learned to drive on. We rebuilt the engine and her main job is the blower tractor when doing silage. Other job is when we need a small agile tractor. Otherwise it's 100hp tractors and bigger now. We are a massey family because the dealer was in our town but has since closed. So the massey faith may be switch to another shade of red.

We have a New idea 801 that has been parked 20 years. Have a combine and 839 husking bed. Might have some driveline parts from some units we parted.
We made our own harvesting system and used some highly modified New idea stuff. Still could use it. It harvests corn only... saves kernels front tank and corn cobs back tank. Last had it out 3 seasons ago. My brother and I built it in 1999. If you look you can tell the cab is off a uni. Didn't fit in our shop at that time...built it under a tree.

 

[Dave6T4]

My first memory of life on our family farm was the day a Ford tractor was delivered on a flat bed truck to the farm. This was in 1950, so I was 3 years old at the time! In 1954, Dad traded the Ford in on a new Ferguson 2025. This was the last year of the all-grey Fergusons. This little tractor served our farm well, and Dad kept it after he retired and sold the farm around 1980. He did custom hay and straw baling for neighbours, and bragged that his little Ferguson wore out two hay balers. In the mid-60's, he bought a used 1964 John Deere 1010 at an auction. This was a lot better tractor to run the baler, with its increased 35 h.p. By this time, I was doing the custom baling and remember this as a very nice and capable tractor. After I left the farm, Dad bought a David Brown tractor, but I don't remember much about it.

 

[Scott Engelhardt]

I lived in Waukee, IA for a few years '08-'16 and drove back and forth to Nebraska A LOT. Love the IA state fair. My younger bro picked up a Vista out of Iowa. Pretty identifiable as it did not have 3 point and phone booth cab w sliding door. Something about watching hit n miss engines is mesmorizing!

We have a New idea 801 that has been parked 20 years. Have a combine and 839 husking bed. Might have some driveline parts from some units we parted.
We made our own harvesting system and used some highly modified New idea stuff. Still could use it. It harvest corn only... saves kernels and corn cobs. Last had it out 3 seasons ago. My brother and I built it in 1999. If you look you can tell the cab is off a uni. Didn't fit in our shop at that time...built it under a tree.

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View attachment 1526741

I was just curious how you knew my dad worked at Oliver back in the day? My dads tractor had a factory cab and I am sure it had a 3 point

 

[toolmanmike]

I lived in Waukee, IA for a few years '08-'16 and drove back and forth to Nebraska A LOT. Love the IA state fair. My younger bro picked up a Vista out of Iowa. Pretty identifiable as it did not have 3 point and phone booth cab w sliding door. Something about watching hit n miss engines is mesmorizing!

We have a New idea 801 that has been parked 20 years. Have a combine and 839 husking bed. Might have some driveline parts from some units we parted.
We made our own harvesting system and used some highly modified New idea stuff. Still could use it. It harvest corn only... saves kernels and corn cobs. Last had it out 3 seasons ago. My brother and I built it in 1999. If you look you can tell the cab is off a uni. Didn't fit in our shop at that time...built it under a tree.

View attachment 1526739



View attachment 1526741

The seed corn companies use something similar here. Seed corn harvest is in full swing right now.

 

[Curiousyellow71]

I was just curious how you knew my dad worked at Oliver back in the day? My dads tractor had a factory cab and I am sure it had a 3 point

You mentioned your Dad working their a few years ago.
For those that have not seen a G1000vista...this is one we have. They were built from 67-69 they built just shy of 1600 diesels. They were called vista's because of the raised operators platform...gave a great view.

 

[Scott Engelhardt]

Just left of the seat my dad made a little platform for us boys to sit on. I was only six, but I remember riding with dad

 

[dodgedifferent2]

The seed corn companies use something similar here. Seed corn harvest is in full swing right now.

Byron ?

Or the oxbow?

They use the oxbow for sweet corn and seed corn around here.

The other one that cruises around here is the pea harvesters

 

[toolmanmike]

Byron ?View attachment 1526855

Or the oxbow?
View attachment 1526857

They use the oxbow for sweet corn and seed corn around here.

The other one that cruises around here is the pea harvestersView attachment 1526859

When I was on thee tool truck a customer shop in a nearby town was a Oxbo/byron dealer. I am familiar with both. We have very little food crops here but I got a chance to see a bean or pea picker a couple times.

 

[Curiousyellow71]

I shared some reverse engineering costs and worked with Oxbo ten years ago. I was up in Winsconsin where there headquarters are. Pixall merged with Byron and became Oxbo. They still have a dealership at Grundy Center, IA. I would venture a guess that is where you were.

 

[toolmanmike]

I shared some reverse engineering costs and worked with Oxbo ten years ago. I was up in Winsconsin where there headquarters are. Pixall merged with Byron and became Oxbo. They still have a dealership at Grundy Center, IA. I would venture a guess that is where you were.

Yep. Those guys spent a lot of time in Nebraska too. Great group.

 

[Detective D]

My first memory of life on our family farm was the day a Ford tractor was delivered on a flat bed truck to the farm. This was in 1950, so I was 3 years old at the time! In 1954, Dad traded the Ford in on a new Ferguson 2025. This was the last year of the all-grey Fergusons. This little tractor served our farm well, and Dad kept it after he retired and sold the farm around 1980. He did custom hay and straw baling for neighbours, and bragged that his little Ferguson wore out two hay balers. In the mid-60's, he bought a used 1964 John Deere 1010 at an auction. This was a lot better tractor to run the baler, with its increased 35 h.p. By this time, I was doing the custom baling and remember this as a very nice and capable tractor. After I left the farm, Dad bought a David Brown tractor, but I don't remember much about it.

The 1960's David Brown tractors were tanks. They were strong little tractors, 12 speed transmission, all synchro, but 4(!) ranges. Not as bad as it sounded really, with so many speeds it was easy to find the right one for the job.
We had a DB 1200 on the family farm for basically my entire life. We kept the fuel turned down, and it could run the haybine for 3 days on a tank of deisel. If you cranked the fuel up, it would give a JD 4020 or IH 966 a run for it's money on the drawbar.
When the farm sold we kept it, it was too worn out to sell in good faith, brakes were bad and we didn;t know how much longer HS range was going to last, it groaned loud. So we used it for snow duty with a big back blade and eventually Dad found a 3pt mount backhoe. Sold it about ten years back when the homestead went. Something above 9000 hours on it.
I would love to find a MFWD 1410 (four wheel drive version of a 1200 with a turbo) mostly for nostalgia reasons. The engines have a unique sound. DB was bought by Case, that is why Case went to a white paint scheme in the early 70's. It was a good pairing, Case made very powerful large tractors and DB had wonderful smaller HP tractors.

 

[Basket case]

 

[66ChargerHI-PO]

Does this answer your question? I went to a car, truck, and tractor show today. I had the tractor bug and “had a thing” for them since I was 5 years old……

 

[68-500]

Don’t see many super 99’s, lots of 88’s and 77’s. Thats a slick tractor

 

[Detective D]

Don’t see many super 99’s, lots of 88’s and 77’s. Thats a slick tractor

They only made like 2000 of them over a couple years. Local guy brings one to Symco to the pulls every year, had to get it from Ohio and spent like 15 grand restoring it. It is probably better than new, and it is a lot of fun to watch it chug with the sled.

I like the old 6cyl. Waukesha Olivers myself, they run so smooth, but there is no denying the power the 99 has.

 

[Kern Dog]

My across the street neighbor has a few restored classic tractors. I saw one and asked about it.
I had no idea that this hobby existed. He spoke of shows, auctions, guys that LIVE to find that special model that was a limited release....It sounded just like a car guy talking.
I must have looked like the guys we often run into that drive a dusty Honda and think a fart pipe is "hot rodding". I didn't have anything to contribute to the conversation because I've only seen tractors as work tools and implements.

 

[Rusty knuckles]

Don’t see many super 99’s, lots of 88’s and 77’s. Thats a slick tractor

My uncle has one. Pulls like a freight train but boy would I have hated to farm with it.

 

[Detective D]

My across the street neighbor has a few restored classic tractors. I saw one and asked about it.
I had no idea that this hobby existed. He spoke of shows, auctions, guys that LIVE to find that special model that was a limited release....It sounded just like a car guy talking.
I must have looked like the guys we often run into that drive a dusty Honda and think a fart pipe is "hot rodding". I didn't have anything to contribute to the conversation because I've only seen tractors as work tools and implements.

There is usually some type of family connection, someone they knew farmed or something like that. Pretty rare to find someone that just decided they loved old tractors without some kind of perspective on them prior. Maybe a couple JD zealot types, for a while not so long ago JD had made their brand so strong it created fans out of thin air from the urban cowboy segment. Country music played a part.

 

[Kern Dog]

I've operated a few tractors that I have rented but none of them left a lasting impression like the enthusiasts have.
However....
Here I am, 41 years after I bought my first car, a Mopar, and my love for them is stronger that ever.