July 17, 2023
Tools & Technology
The changing role of hydraulics Hydraulics is all about moving large things with a small object using a simple principle. In agriculture, hydraulic pumps and cylinders appeared as a special […]
June 2, 2023
Steiger Tiger III
Large four-wheel drive articulated tractors typically have been common in the Great Plains states of America and the western prairie provinces of Canada. Several tractor manufacturers were born in these […]
April 13, 2023
Back Down the Line
It is always great to hear from readers. I received a letter in the mail from Mr. John Russel of Indiana concerning the November/December installment of “Back down the line.” […]
April 5, 2023
Got One?
Seems like today, the person who gets 10 years of trouble free operation from a refrigerator should count themselves amongst the lucky. However, if you bought an International, a half […]
March 29, 2023
Milk: From the dairy to your door. Our changing Americana
For many years, this sign (below) would greet those who entered Minneapolis, Minnesota on one of the main thoroughfares. The sign’s three dimensional Guernsey heads are still fresh on the […]
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March 22, 2023
Crops
Fertilizer starts with an “M” Well, something like that. OK, at our place it did. I was accused of being a poor speller by my teachers in school. It made […]
March 15, 2023
Prestige Case IH 7150
The Ertl Prestige series of miniatures has been around for about 15 years now and seems to continue to gain in popularity. The models have a relatively high level of […]
March 8, 2023
Short line: Ronning Ensilage Harvester
In many ways, Adolph Ronning was a typical Minnesota farm boy. One of nine children, he grew up on a farm near Boyd, in Lac qui Parle County, and graduated […]
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 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 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 […]
IH 1190 mower conditioner
With hay and forage season in full swing now, it’s time to look at a highly successful IH mower conditioner model, the 1190. The 1190 mower was made by IH […]
August 26, 2022
Memorabilia Randy Bodine and his Farmall collectibles
Randy Bodine and his Farmall collectibles Many collect International Harvester memorabilia, but some of the coolest IH collectibles I have seen were in Randy Bodine’s collection. Randy owns Bodine’s Landscape […]
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Through the years, silage methods CHANGE
I recently found a book called American Farm Implements and Antiques by C.H. Wendel. It reveals the background information on many old pieces of farm equipment dating back beyond the […]
Farm ads from 1977
I have way too much “stuff” around the house and I am reminded of it regularly. Recently I was going through a box of old papers that had been stored […]
August 22, 2022
Rugg Carpet Kutt
Advertising said this mower would make a lawn look like a carpet While picking up a transmission for my 1956 Studebaker pickup at my favorite transmission shop, Booker’s in Enid, […]
June 24, 2022
Triumph and Tragedy
Horsepower, horsepower and more horsepower! This was the cry of big acreage American and Canadian farmers of the middle 1970s. Rising fuel prices, increased costs for seed and fertilizer, falling […]
Shortline
It always amazed me all the different products Southern Plow Company (SPCO) sold. In the 15 years I was there, we had in our catalog somewhere between 22 to 26 […]
June 2, 2022
My part of the world
Fall road trip This past October found me out on the road again. You know it is my favorite time of the year. I was going to head out towards […]
