Topic: Antique tractors (Read 3156 times)

Ned · « **on:** March 01, 2009, 02:08:07 PM »

Looks like a John Deere and an Allis Chalmers. How old?

BigLarry · « **Reply #1 on:** March 01, 2009, 09:27:48 PM »

The Allis is a WC built in 1935, Ned. My Dad worked it over about 15 years ago. The JD is a 2010 bought new in 1963 by my Grandfather in KS. He retired from farming shortly after that and used it for a garden tractor for the next 30 years. It only has 700 hours on it and has original tires, seat, and even the spark plugs. I think the tires are well past the 7 years old replacement schedule!!!! The front tires are pretty dry rotted and are getting near the end of their time. I've left them on there more of a conversation piece than anything else. I've got many more tractors and engines and am going to have to start shedding them before long. My Mother lives on our home place in Kansas and as soon as she has to leave the farm, I'm going to have to have an auction!

carson · « **Reply #2 on:** March 02, 2009, 02:59:16 AM »

Larry, neat story. Re the JD, don't drive over 55 mph and remember the seven year rule on tires.

On the Allis, I thought you were talking about me: I was born in 1935 and my initials are WC.

Regards, carson FL

Ned · « **Reply #3 on:** March 02, 2009, 08:22:15 AM »

Interesting, Larry. Both of those tractors were built in Wisconsin. My father worked for Allis Chalmers and was supervisor of main shipping. He shipped everything but tractors, those were made in a different plant, but in the same complex in West Allis. I saw lots of those orange tractors lined up for shipping when I was growing up there.

BigLarry · « **Reply #4 on:** March 02, 2009, 10:27:37 AM »

I''ve got three more Allis's, but this WC is the oldest. My son lives in Milwaukee and we're going to try to get up there this summer. I've looked on line to see if there was any museum in the Milwaukee area but haven't located one. If you know of one, let me know. Also, if you ever get over to Bryan, let me know and I'll show you a building full of junk!

Ned · « **Reply #5 on:** March 02, 2009, 11:00:42 AM »

We'll be in Milwaukee from June 1 until the end of August. There are museums in Milwaukee but I don't know of any tractor museums

I'll keep Bryan in mind. We've been through there on our way between Spring Branch and Livingston.

Maybe you should open your own museum

I split this thread off as we were cluttering up the original topic.

BigLarry · « **Reply #6 on:** March 02, 2009, 12:37:52 PM »

If I opened a museum, I'd have to clean up the mess and then I wouldn't be able to find anything!

Lowell · « **Reply #7 on:** March 02, 2009, 02:10:47 PM »

There is an antique Tractor and Engine show on March 14 & 15, 2009 in Apache Junction, AZ at the Rodeo Park on Lost Dutchman between Idaho and Tomahawk Roads. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Adults $5 (12 and under): free

John From Detroit · « **Reply #8 on:** March 02, 2009, 02:36:13 PM »

Have not been to it in many many years but there used to be a Steam Tractor show in Hastings, MI.

Plus, of course, Greenfield VIllage/Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn MI, a few miles (Perhaps 10-15) from my free parking spot in the back yard

BernieD · « **Reply #9 on:** March 02, 2009, 03:05:19 PM »

John Deere also has a very nice collection in Moline, IL

BigLarry · « **Reply #10 on:** March 02, 2009, 03:09:28 PM »

There are many many shows and museums scattered all around the country. I've been to lots of them from Kansas south, but never up in the country where the tractors and steam was first invented. It's like aircraft shows and car shows, when you start looking you find out they're everywhere. As we start traveling, I hope to get up there and spend some time. I also hope to get to Oshkosh, as I'm also an EAA member and that's the holy Grail of airshows in this country. I also mess with old airplanes and I'd sure like to make it up there.

About the tires on my John Deere, I think I may have to put new tires on it before long. They have tractor rides scattered around the country where they drive a prosession of them all day through the countryside. They've got one in Fredericksburg TX in April that's 23 miles long through the backroads. I'd have to get tires and pack the wheelbearings before I'd want to make that trip on a tractor with a nice comfortable seat and not on one of the old steel seats like my other tractors have.

Ned · « **Reply #11 on:** March 02, 2009, 03:30:37 PM »

If you get to Oshkosh, John Deere is in Horicon, WI, not too far away.

Lowell · « **Reply #12 on:** March 02, 2009, 04:39:54 PM »

Quote from: BigLarry on March 02, 2009, 03:09:28 PM

I also hope to get to Oshkosh, as I'm also an EAA member and that's the holy Grail of airshows in this country. I also mess with old airplanes and I'd sure like to make it up there.

You have to go to OshKosh! it is the most fantastic Air Show and display in the world(and in my opinion, superior to the Paris Air Show). Just do it!

BernieD · « **Reply #13 on:** March 02, 2009, 05:23:14 PM »

We spent about 10 days at the airshow last year, just sat back and watched the fabulous airshow every day with 30,000 of our closest camping buddies

marvh1 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 05, 2009, 07:53:33 PM »

Here are some pics of old farm equipt. that I took at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Indiana last July.
I think they are really neat. Marvh
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2987069280103390713rlRwDm

BigLarry · « **Reply #15 on:** April 02, 2009, 11:49:40 AM »

I just now got around to reading your post, marvh1. Those are neat pictures. I've got an International McCormick Deering model M engine identical to the one in one of your pictures. It was bought new by my Grandfather in about 1916. Be careful though, you might catch the "Old Iron" bug if you hang around old junk like that too much!!!!

Bob Flight · « **Reply #16 on:** April 02, 2009, 12:07:01 PM »

There is a "Steam Pagent" of really old tractors near Rochester, NY every year. This is a link of last years pagent, old tractors

carson · « **Reply #17 on:** April 03, 2009, 04:28:21 PM »

Larry, I wonder if you can relate to this old engine.

When I was young (1950's) I was fortunate to get a job with a prominent personality who owned a timber lodge in Northern British Columbia. I think it was one of his toys.

His story is legendary now, but I want to relate my little "engine" question to you.

There was this little engine outside one of the large buildings. It was connected by a belt mechanism to a bunch of laundry equipment inside the building. The engine was small, one cylinder, a water tank mounted on top, no radiator, just the tank. No battery required, magneto, I guess. Forget now where the fuel came from, it was gasoline.

I got it started by pulling on the belts, I think. Maybe there was a crank.

Does any of this ring a bell?

carson FL

Lowell · « **Reply #18 on:** April 03, 2009, 08:34:06 PM »

Quote from: carson on April 03, 2009, 04:28:21 PM

There was this little engine outside one of the large buildings. It was connected by a belt mechanism to a bunch of laundry equipment inside the building. The engine was small, one cylinder, a water tank mounted on top, no radiator, just the tank. No battery required, magneto, I guess. Forget now where the fuel came from, it was gasoline.

I got it started by pulling on the belts, I think. Maybe there was a crank.

Does any of this ring a bell?

carson FL

There were quite a few of those type engines around in the 40s and 50s. I know that both International Harvester (Farmall) and John Deere made them. My dad used one on a seed cleaner. It had a crank handle fitted into the fly wheel and used a magneto to fire the spark plug. I just saw a lot of those engines at the antique tractor show in Apache Junction, AZ a few weeks ago. They were good engines for static mounted applications. And you didn't need any antifreeze. When you were done running the engine, you just open a small valve and let the water drain out of the water jacket.

BigLarry · « **Reply #19 on:** April 03, 2009, 09:17:57 PM »

The engines like you are describing were used to power everything from machine shops to water pumps and washing machines. One of the engines we've got was used to power my Grandmother's washing machine. It sat under a lean-to on the outside of the house. A flat belt was used to turn a shaft that went through a hole in the wall to run the machine. The Briggs-Stratton engines started to come on line around 1930 and slowly took over. They were much lighter per horsepower and much easier to start.

I also have several single and two cylinder Maytag engines that sat on the frame below the old Maytag washing machines. They were two cycle engines that required mixing oil into the gas for lubrication. The had a kick starter much like the old Cushman Scooters. In the days before electricity on the farm, all of the well to do farm wives had a Maytag.

I also have an Antique Kohler 120 volt automatic start power plant that was built about 1927, I think.

When I get the time, Ill post some pictures. of some of the stuff.

Chet18013 · « **Reply #20 on:** April 04, 2009, 07:04:23 AM »

Here in my home town of Bangor, PA we have a very active Antique Gas, Steam, Engine and Tractor club. See HERE for this year's schedule and information.

In addition to the tractors and old farm engines, they have a large building which houses several WORKING industrial steam engines. Every year, they fire the boiler and run the steam engines during the July show.

Here's a few photos from last year's show.

If you're in the area July 16,17,18, plan to visit the show. You will not be disappointed.

Chet18013

BigLarry · « **Reply #21 on:** April 04, 2009, 08:44:54 AM »

Looks like a good show. I have always been fascinated by the steam engines. It's such a smooth, quiet source of power. I'd love to have a Stanley Steamer Automobile. It's a lot of trouble to operate, but they're neat.

gmsboss1 · « **Reply #22 on:** April 04, 2009, 05:43:00 PM »

Larry --

Here are some pictures of the big old tractor in Monticello, UT, I was trying to describe during our ride today.

Don

BigLarry · « **Reply #23 on:** April 04, 2009, 10:29:55 PM »

Thanks for posting the pictures Don. That is a heck of a tractor. I don't think I've ever seen one with a conventional engine that is that large. I looked it up on the internet and it has now up and running. Below is a link to the story of the tractor. Next time we're up that way I want to stop and see it.

http://www.sjrnews.com/pages/full_story?page_label=home&widget=full_story&content_instance_id=98055&open=&

kevin · « **Reply #24 on:** August 20, 2009, 11:04:57 AM »

Quote from: carson on April 03, 2009, 04:28:21 PM

Larry, I wonder if you can relate to this old engine.

When I was young (1950's) I was fortunate to get a job with a prominent personality who owned a timber lodge in Northern British Columbia. I think it was one of his toys.

His story is legendary now, but I want to relate my little "engine" question to you.

There was this little engine outside one of the large buildings. It was connected by a belt mechanism to a bunch of laundry equipment inside the building. The engine was small, one cylinder, a water tank mounted on top, no radiator, just the tank. No battery required, magneto, I guess. Forget now where the fuel came from, it was gasoline.

I got it started by pulling on the belts, I think. Maybe there was a crank.

Does any of this ring a bell?

carson FL

I believe they refer to those as HIT-n-Miss engines. My dad and brother are in a local club of those engines. I think at last count they have about 20 or so of them, ranging in sizes as small as a push mower, up to one that is mounted on a 16ft trailer. They have fairbanks and morris I believe, briggs,Read,Deere and so on. They run theirs off of propane, they can control the rpm buy the valve adding or removing propane to the engine.

the small ones you just get it set up on compression I believe, and turn the flywheel, some have handles built into the flywheel that fold up as it starts, the big read they have you must use your foot, and arms to start.

carson · « **Reply #25 on:** August 20, 2009, 03:46:30 PM »

Thanks for that info, Kevin..

I wish I had a picture of the engine I described. No digital cameras in the 1950's.

I believe that my old engine was from the 30's or 40's. Just a big hunk of metal, but in my late teens I was able to get it running...I was so proud of myself. I guess it pays to be mechanically inclined.

Does your local engine club have a website?

carson FL

gmsboss1 · « **Reply #26 on:** August 20, 2009, 07:40:34 PM »

Here's a link to a YouTube page with many videos of hit miss engines in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5-KzRcIhDk

Fun to watch!

Don

kevin · « **Reply #27 on:** August 20, 2009, 08:32:49 PM »

Quote from: carson on August 20, 2009, 03:46:30 PM

Thanks for that info, Kevin..

I wish I had a picture of the engine I described. No digital cameras in the 1950's.

I believe that my old engine was from the 30's or 40's. Just a big hunk of metal, but in my late teens I was able to get it running...I was so proud of myself. I guess it pays to be mechanically inclined.

Does your local engine club have a website?

carson FL

not sure if it does or not? I'll look. It's called Tired Iron of the Ozarks

tswms · « **Reply #28 on:** August 20, 2009, 10:12:27 PM »

Every year "Tired Iron of the Ozarks" has a show, I love it. The only problem is its hard to realize the tractors I drove on the farm in my youth is now antique. What does that make me??

Tony

kevin · « **Reply #29 on:** August 21, 2009, 07:24:22 AM »

They have 2 shows every year, next one is sept 11,12,13. And they do have a website too, just google it.

John From Detroit · « **Reply #30 on:** August 21, 2009, 10:58:58 AM »

There are two ways to control the speed of gasoline engine (really 3 but I'll skip the 3rd) one is by the Throttle method, restrict the air/fuel flow into the engine.

The "Hit and Miss" engines did it by a different method....

Ok, I won't skp the 3rd, Restrict the FUEL entry, let air run wide, this can cuase overheat thoug

What the hit and miss did is a governor held a valve open if the engine was running at "Speed" and then when the engine lost speed the vlave closed, compression happend and BANG it hit. kicking the very heavy flywheel back up to speed. this caused the governor to hold the valve open and it "MISSED" till the speed again droped.

I've seen several of them running at one time or another. Neat engine, actually very fuel efficent sicne it only drew fuel when it needed it. Unlike today's engines which burn gas all the time.

aka Porky · « **Reply #31 on:** August 21, 2009, 05:50:19 PM »

Quote from: John From Detroit on August 21, 2009, 10:58:58 AM

What the hit and miss did is a governor held a valve open if the engine was running at "Speed" and then when the engine lost speed the vlave closed, compression happend and BANG it hit. kicking the very heavy flywheel back up to speed. this caused the governor to hold the valve open and it "MISSED" till the speed again droped.

John, you were mostly correct. On the three engines that I have, the exhaust valve is held open by the governor to eliminate compression so the engine can free wheel on the momentum of the heavy flywheel. Ignition is prevented by interrupting the spark circuit. When the speed drops off the valve is allowed to close AND contacts close to provide spark on the next compression cycle.

kevin · « **Reply #32 on:** August 21, 2009, 08:48:39 PM »

I believe that most of the oil feild engines ran on Natural gas, since that was coming up outta the well too.

aka Porky · « **Reply #33 on:** August 21, 2009, 10:41:43 PM »

Kevin, that was the case for all the wells in southern Illinois in the '40s and '50s as I recall. We used to drain off the liquid component of the oil well gas by product (we called it "drip" gas) and burn it in my grandmothers maytag washer motor. It was a hit-&-miss engine too, but it had a very small light flywheel so it only missed about every other cycle. It had a foot pedal starter lever that you stomped on.

I mounted the maytag engine on the rear carrier of my bicycle but it was so top heavy I had many crashes. It only had one speed "too fast for conditions". Stopping was always just a controlled crash. I wrecked the bike before I mastered things like throttle controls, friction clutches, belt tensioners etc.....

56kz2slow · « **Reply #34 on:** August 21, 2009, 10:54:40 PM »

I am too young to have first hand experience with old tractors and don't know anyone running new ones to know much details about tractors. But I do love hearing/learning about them. A friend of mine does have an old Ford though.

cvrvr · « **Reply #35 on:** December 27, 2009, 03:08:42 PM »

If you want to have a great Labor Day weekend, go to "Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion" show in Rollag, MN.

It has to be one of the most impressive show of antique farm equipment, steam engines, old style living.

George

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Author Topic: Antique tractors (Read 3156 times)