Blogs

Roger Lubiens of Fullerton, North Dakota shares the story of his 1974 International Harvester Model 500 Cyclo planter.

The Cyclo planter was the dawn of a new age in planting for 1971. A planter
using a plateless design and a flow of air, that offered precision planting of
corn, beans, and sunflowers. Available in 4,6,8, or 12 row design, planting
could be precision driven and electronically monitored.
In my 1974 Model 500 Cyclo, I am planting a food plot of field corn for wildlife
in Dickey County, North Dakota. This eight row planter conveniently spaces

Q: What are the requirements for coverage on and antique tractor?

A: It must be 30 years old or older. The tractor must be in restored or excellent condition or in the process of an active restoration. It should only be used in a manner consistent with owning a "collectible" vehicle and cannot be used for active farming. The tractor must be kept in a locked garage or other storage facility. It must have a minimum value of $3,500.

Q: What are the different kinds of insurance coverage?

A: Most companies offer 3 types of vehicle insurance.

Stay alert, slow down and stay in control—the three key elements to safe winter driving. Drive according to current road and weather conditions. Keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. Avoid situations where you may have to brake suddenly on a slippery surface.

Check weather and travel conditions before heading out. Don’t take chances if the weather is bad. Give yourself extra time for travel, or wait until conditions improve.

Collecting old tractors can lead in many different directions, said Dan Nealeigh of Greenville, Ohio. He said, I primarily deal with J.I. Case equipment, but sometime I get led astray.

Back in the 1930-40’s farmers were discovering a tractor could replace a team of horses or mules. Not every farm could justify the cost of a tractor. So farmers being the creative creatures they are built their own tractors.

By 1921, Fordson tractors represented about half of the tractors sold in the U.S. Henry Ford, however,adamantly refused to improve his tractor. Although he made more than 100,000 Fordsons during 1923 and again in 1925, the glory days of the crude little Fordson, with its iffy ignition and lack of a governor, were coming to and end in this country, signaled by the 1924 introduction of the all new Farmall row crop tractor manufactured by International Harvester Co.

Article by Dan Peterman

Obviously, it is all but impossible to give a precise quote prior to starting a restoration. There are simply too many unknown factors. At the same time, I recognize that an individual puts a great deal of thought and money into such a project, and they want to know up-front what the total cost will be.

Not everyone is reacting negatively to the current downturn in the economy. Antique tractors are selling for all time record prices at the auctions.

An Aumann Auction held in Litchfield, Illinois a rare C.O.D. 13-25 brought an amazing $150,000.00 in a little over 4 minutes. To see the actual sale of this tractor visit www.you.tube.com/watch?v=s2sldt7ocq8. According to the auctioneer this tractor is one of about 6 known to exist. If you feel it bears a resemblance to an early Avery, rightly so, since the builder left Avery to open his own company.

Tractor Hydraulic Safety

Under Pressure…Understanding your tractor’s hydraulic system

Take a U-shaped tube, fill it with water, and put a plunger in either end. Push down on one plunger, and the other goes up..that’s elementary hydraulics. It’s a simple concept, but without it, your tractor wouldn’t be much more than four wheels and an engine. So take a minute and learn more about the system that makes your tractor a workhorse.

Harvest and Weather are not cooperating. I live in Iowa, and the weather is not harvest weather. We have had rain before and during the beginning of soybean harvest, and has continued right into Corn harvest along with wind, and much colder temperatures. We even got our first snow last weekend. Like we all have heard before,"It's Iowa, wait an hour it will change." I realize all of the surrounding states are in the same boat. We still have some soybeans yet to combine, and a lot of corn.

Isn’t it amazing how quickly something you see, hear or read can trigger a response? Today as I read the thought for the day “A candle looses nothing by lighting another candle,” that is just what happened.