Our Tractor Story

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August to September, 1999

August

Carolyn and I have traveled like the wind this summer.

We started our travels August 8th at the Wisconsin State Fair.  There are no antique tractors on display, but we go for the draft horses.  Draft hose pulls are a lot like tractor pulls, using a dynamometer on an old flat bed truck.  It is neat, the horses have to lift a weight, then when the weight lifts, an oil valve is opened, and a pump connected to the drive shaft circulates oil through a small orifice as the truck is pulled down the track.  A full pull is 27 1/2 feet.  The horses max out when a team pulls a little over one and a half times their body weight.  A pair of Belgian horses weighing in at 3000 pounds can pull about 4500 on the weights and still move the truck.

We went to the Iowa State fair on Friday, August 13th, and had a great time.  I strongly recommend this fair if you can make it.  Good food ( the pork producers pork chop dinner is GREAT!), plus lots to see, lots to do, and lots of antique tractors, as well as new tractors and other equipment.  We spent the whole day, from opening until after dark, and did not get all of it in.  The Hilkins' tractor was on display at the 4-H building, and looked very nice.

Click here to see photos of the Hilkins' tractor.

Saturday the 14th , we drove to Dubuque via Waterloo to visit with Jim's family.  We got to meet Jim's wife Pam, and the four of us sat around most of the day, chatting up a storm.  Jim had an old scrap hand start B behind the barn with a breather cover on it.  We swapped covers, giving him the offset breather from ours.

Click here to see photos of the Waterloo John Deere Works

Sunday, August 15th Dan and I went to the Sycamore Threshing Bee at Sycamore, Illinois.  Lots of old steam equipment as well as some very old gas tractors.  We got to see a 65 HP Avery, which is one huge tractor.  All of the equipment got to parade in front of a grand stand, including lawn tractors and one and two wheel garden tractors.  We got to see the oldest John Deere tractor, and one of only three "Dain" tractors known to exist.

Click here to see photos of the Dain tractor.

Saturday, August 21st, we drove down to Kentucky to Carolyn's mom's house, then Sunday on down to Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, where we met up with Curtis Peters of the Cross Road of Dixie Tractor Club.  His club has a real good antique tractor show there every year, and it is I think, the best we got to see all year. Curtis Peters introduced us to Mr. J. R. Hobbs of Green Magazine, and Mr. & Mrs. H. A. Threet, who were displaying 20 John Deere tractors in the show.  Mr. Threet asked if I could help him out by driving one of his tractors in the parade.  He let me take my pick, so I hopped on a 630S.

Click here to see photos of the Lawrenceburg tractor show.

We went with Carolyn's mom and brother's family to the Kentucky State fair on Tuesday, August 24th.  They had a good display of old iron there, including a wide front John Deere model G.  Lots of new equipment to see, also.  This fair is air conditioned, and under one huge roof, including the livestock!

On to Portland, Indiana on Friday, August 27th.  There were thousands of one cylinder engines and about 300 tractors, from "choremasters" to 100 HP steam tractors.  This was the largest show of the year, and you need two or more days to see it all.  I met up with some of the ATIS guys, and watched a couple of tractors work a dynamometer with them.

Click here to see photos of a Farmall tractor with a Ford engine.

We went to the Will County fair on the 29th, just for fun.  They do not have any antique tractors there, but did have a kiddy tractor pull.  This is our county fair, and I am trying to get them to let me bring ours.  So far, no luck.

September

We went to Pontiac, Illinois on September 4th for the Midwestern Threshermen's Reunion.  This was also one of the best I have seen, as we got to watch a Case 65 HP steam tractor work a 6 bottom plow.

Click here to see photo of the Case 65 tractor

They had a good parade, and we got to see some unusual Fords there.  One fellow had a road grader front end on his, and there were Ford V8 and Lincoln V12 powered tractors too.  I got to see a Chevrolet 350 engine in a Farmall F-20!

Click here to see photo of the F-20/Chevy tractor

Wednesday, September 8th, was opening day at the Sandwich fair, and we had to go then, as we were going south over the weekend.  We could not get the tractor there on Tuesday, due to it still being apart.  I took the black face temp and oil pressure gauges out, hoping to get white face replacements by now, but haven't done so.  This is a good fair, too, lots of old tractors, and complete collections of Sandwich Engine Company engines.

Friday, September 10th, we drove to Louisville, Kentucky, as we were going to the Lanesville, Indiana Heritage Festival over the weekend.  We all went over on Saturday the 11th, and Sunday the 12th. I bet there were 250 tractors of all colors there, and a half dozen steam engines, too.

Click here to see the wide front John Deeres at Lanesville

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