December 28, 2022
IH 781 / 881 Forage Harvesters
In 1981, IH replaced its 720 and 830 forage harvesters with newer, updated models, the 781 and 881. These new forage harvesters were very similar to their older counterparts. Both […]
December 7, 2022
Ford Tractor
Hello, readers! I do hope your summer and fall have been good to you. I am sorry about taking longer to write about Ford tractors than I intended, but farm […]
Partnerships and mergers – John Deere
Partnerships and mergers Most everyone knows that John Deere, after losing his father at an early age and through his mother’s encouragement to learn a trade, became an apprentice blacksmith. […]
October 17, 2022
Nine Goats and a 2640
The house I live in was built in 1907 by my great grandparents, Blanche Sheffield and Clarence Burrell. The Sheffield and Burrell families had been neighbors in Boone, Iowa before […]
October 14, 2022
Take a look-farm toy sets
My farm toy collecting interests have changed over time and I’m sure that’s true for most people in this hobby. I started receiving farm toys when I was quite young, […]
October 12, 2022
Shortline
Pig Iron Peddler and déjà vu Okay, hope 2019 has started well for our readers. Down here in Texas, we are still wet from fall and early winter rains. It’s […]
October 10, 2022
Memorabilia
Bottle openers Part of the fun of collecting is seeing the vast array of different types of literature and memorabilia that is out there in the farm world. Recently we […]
October 8, 2022
Truck Pages-Snow Plows
Yep, just about done. Only a few scoops left. You’ve been out here shoveling for hours to clear the driveway. You stand up and stretch—it feels like your back will […]
October 7, 2022
The life of an EMT in small town America
EMT means emergency medical technician. It is a level of training that is above first responder and lower than EMTI (an intermediate level EMT and below a paramedic). In small […]
October 3, 2022
Industry
I am sort of doubling up with this article. What we’re going to be looking at is the bicentennial edition of John Deere’s Furrow magazine. The Furrow is a Deere […]
September 30, 2022
John Deere art
There have been many very good artists over time and their art has become a large boost to JD nostalgia. Most early advertising was paintings and that continued, along with […]
September 28, 2022
Back down the line
I am looking forward to this visit. This picture is really interesting and has a lot of small detail in it. If I remember correctly, when I bought the picture, […]
September 22, 2022
Ann Arbor Machine Co. History
The history of Ann Arbor Machine Company goes back to 1882. The company began in a small way building hay presses and other machines. Their heavy duty Columbia hay press […]
American Seeding Machine Company History
American Seeding Machine Company was organized in 1903. This merger brought together several competing companies. Ostensibly, the plan was to achieve the benefits of mass production by eliminating a great […]
September 21, 2022
A note about the Huber gas tractor records
The existing Huber records are handwritten documents in two separate books, a sales register & a build records book. Neither book is complete. Between both books we can often provide […]
A note on Huber during the depression
We know from survivors and family members of Huber employees that during the depths of the depression Huber employees worked without getting paid. The company did not have the funds. […]
Huber Model 20-36
On January 25, 1929, Huber completed tractor # 9414. This was the first production 20-36. Probably owing to the success of the Huber “Light Four” cross motor tractor the 20-36 […]
Nichols & Shepard Company History
John Nichols opened a blacksmith shop at Battle Creek, Michigan in 1848. Little is known of Nichols’ early life, nor does anything but the most scant history of the early […]
Minneapolis-Moline Company History
As with the Cockshutt line, the Minneapolis- Moline line had no connection with Oliver Corporation in the strictest sense. The commonality lies in the acquisition of Minneapolis-Moline, Cockshutt, and Oliver […]
Hart-Parr Company History
In 1872, Charles Walter Hart was born at Charles City, Iowa. The Hart family had arrived on the Massachusetts shore in 1632…this particular scion of the family came to Iowa […]
September 19, 2022
International Harvester Company History
Before Cyrus Hall McCormick’s death in 1884, he and William Deering spoke of amalgamation, but nothing came of these conversations. Records of the following years indicate that a number of […]
Deering Harvester Co. History
Deering Harvester Company formed another major root of International Harvester Company. When William Deering became involved in the harvester business, Cyrus Hall McCormick had been at it for about forty […]
September 16, 2022
McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. History
The year 1981 marks the 150th Anniversary of the McCormick reaper. From this crude machine of 1831 the McCormick empire was built, and through it International Harvester Company gained its […]
American Tractor Company History
Although J. I. Case was actively engaged in the construction machinery business, particularly in the 1912-1920 period, it is curious indeed that they made no overt move into the crawler […]
Rock Island Plow Company History
Of all the companies acquired by J. I. Case, the Rock Island Plow Company remains as one of the most significant. Curiously though, Case closed out the Rock Island tractor […]
Emerson-Brantingham Company History
In 1852 John H. Manny Company was organized to build the Manny reaper. Two years later, in 1854, Manny built nearly 1,000 reapers. His small factory at Waddam’s Grove, Stephenson […]
September 15, 2022
J.I. Case History
Everything in life has its challenges. The history of mechanized agriculture is certainly no exception. Although the history of J. I. Case Company is seen here through the product lines, […]
September 14, 2022
My part of the world
An itch gets scratched In our last visit, I mentioned that I was hoping to go to Colorado and cut wheat. Finally this summer, a plan worked out. A few […]
John Deere story time
Writing stories when you have no idea what you are doing is fun and interesting. When this all started five years ago and I told this to Richard, he made […]
1967 industrial parts flyer
Do you see this? It is a John Deere Parts and Merchandise Adviser from 1981 (Photo 1). It is full of John Deere service parts, tools and other items that […]
Ford 6000
Maybe it is fitting that the styling of the Ford 6000 has sometimes been described as odd, because the story of the tractor can only be described the same way. […]
Versatile 700
When most people think of Versatile, they think of really big tractors, so many would be surprised to learn that it wasn’t until 1972 that the company introduced a tractor […]
September 13, 2022
Farmall 806
In the year 1963, IH released its first “clean sheet” designed tractor that was engineered at its new Hinsdale, Illinois engineering facility. This was the new model 806 tractor. The […]
How to make your toy farm complete
As I probably have mentioned in the past, the primary toys that my brother, Larry, and I played with when we were growing up were our Matchbox ® cars and […]
Not Your Everyday Truck- Caterpillar 793 Mining Truck
In this issue’s Truck Pages, we’re going to step away from the normal to look at a vehicle that leaves many of us in awe. A little background A couple […]
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John Deere 787 air cart
A few years ago, one of my customers asked me to help him sell his 1850 John Deere no till drill and 787 John Deere air cart. I took a […]
September 9, 2022
Shortline
When we had our John Deere dealership, I played many roles over the years. I first started out cleaning and helping around the place and eventually became the parts runner. […]
Oliver 1850 Impressive and commanding
Nice Day, nice field, nice tractor. What’s not to like? It wasn’t hard to spot the big Oliver 1850s when they were hunkered down and working hard. Tommy Cannon from […]
Miracles do happen
Hope you had a great 4th of July! And if you’ve had any grain crops, I hope that your harvest went well. As you know from previous articles, I am […]
My part of the world
I have to start our visit off on a down note. Some of you may remember the article I wrote about Pivonka Implement and the life of Mr. Bud Pivonka […]
September 8, 2022
Kerosene Annie – The Journey
Who is Kerosene Annie? Kerosene Annie is one of a couple of experimental Rumely Tractors and the only one remaining. They were produced by the Rumely company for testing and […]
September 7, 2022
John Deere factories
One of the many benefits of being a truck driver for John Deere dealerships was meeting all of the great people working at the equipment factories. Being there often, you […]
September 6, 2022
Summer Toy Show
In June, I attended the Summer Farm Toy Show in Dyersville, Iowa. It had been quite a number of years since I was able to go, so when the opportunity […]
7100 series Magnum
After the purchase of the IH Ag Division by Tenneco, it was merged with Case in hopes that a new company could be formed to survive the turbulent 1980s’ farm […]
Steiger trivia: What was the largest series III model?
The Steiger Panther Twin ST650 was largest series III model. In 1976, Steiger had a brief press release stating: “Currently a prototype, this giant and others like it may be […]
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August 30, 2022
A proper stance The MF 285 and 1805
One power train, two tractors When Massey Harris acquired Ferguson in late 1953, the two companies were engaged in manufacturing two different types of tractors For nearly 20 years, since […]
On The Auction Block
Most of you know I love a good farm action. I don’t know how many I have attended over the years, but 16 years ago, I started writing down what […]
Field Boss 4-150
An early entry into the big four-wheel drive lime by White Farm Equipment The last true big Oliver rolled off the Charles City, Iowa assembly line in 1976. While the […]
Off Road
First of the 4WDs Who would have ever thought that a name from a cartoon series made popular during the 1930s may have been associated with the evolution of the […]
Deere-Dain: What if?
I have been fascinated by Joseph L. Dain’s tractor and the mysteries surrounding it since the first restored one was shown and most of the world became aware of its […]
