donna's blog

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

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.

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.

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.

Another year is almost over and I can hardly wait to see the entries for the next edition of the Iron Memories storybook.

As you may already know every year we gather information from our antique tractor friends and put them together a full color book filled with pictures and 45-50 tractor restoration stories to mail out in the spring.

Antique tractors and Equipment is a Valuable Commodity...and growing.

Antique tractors and combines are currently in high demand at auctions. An un-restored 1961 International Harvester Farmall 460 brought $2,800 at a September 11 retirement sale in Texas. Earlier in the year another 460 of the same year sold for $1,400. Also at the Texas sale a 1975 John Deere 4240 was sold for $12,600, nearly $1,000 over the average auction price for this model. Once again confirming that good used equipment is a valuable commodity.

Antique Tractors are a good investment

Is it better than your 401K? Well maybe not but then again an antique tractor can be a sound investment.

When I see a well restored antique tractor I tend to get all warm and fuzzy inside thinking its restorer did so to preserve part of his/her familys history. While that may be true in some instances, it isn't always the case. Many times it is simply for the love of making the old new again. But on the flip side of the coin it may have been to preserve the future income of its owner.

During an earlier time when the tractor was considered a frivilous passion many things were done differently. This story has nothing to do with the antique tractor except that is takes place at the same point in history.

While the farmer of this time transistioned from mules and horses to the tractor the lady of the house did things quite differently as well.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kubota Calls for Renewed Focus on Equipment Safety during
Harvest Season, National Farm Safety and Health Week

TORRANCE, Calif. (Sept. 24, 2008) – With the busy harvest season upon us, Kubota Tractor Corporation encourages all equipment users to renew their focus on safety in commemoration of the National Safety Council’s (NSC) 64th anniversary of National Farm Safety and Health Week, September 21-27, 2008.

With scrap iron prices being what they are it is very tempting to send the old fencerow tractor to the recycling yard. But before doing so you may want to rethink the process. Many an old rust bucket is lined with gold, well maybe not gold but a considerable bit of green backs.