11 replies to this topic

[Mike Patterson]

There was an article in the local paper today about this company that makes scale hit-and-miss model engine kits, and they're only about three miles from my house.
 

 
I thought they might appeal to some of the more serious hobbyists here on Slotblog.

[Krummy]

Did it mention a website? I'm huge antique farm machinery fan.

[Cheater]

Did you click the word "company" in Mike's post?

[Gator Bob]

I'm huge antique farm machinery fan.

 
Ditto,

McCormick-Deering, Farmall, and IH tractors and tools. Upwards of 40 tractors.
Restored them for myself and others as well as hobby truck farmed with them.  
 
I'd love to talk vintage and antique.  
 
Thanks for posting the link, hit'n miss is so soothing. To think about how factories, power stations, and even washing machines used them is so very cool.

[Gator Bob]

In my 30s-40s I hunted old.
What?
 
Yup, I had a Chevy roll-back car carrier (actually three), a pocket full of 'tractor money'. My son Nick and off went to all the farm auctions, estate sales, rang a bunch of farm house doorbells. Spotting good old iron sitting like a statue in the edge of a field was always fun. Long before these picker and auction shows... we lived that with old farm equipment and cars. 
 
A couple of my favorites.


 
1940 Plymouth, 11K mile original everything including paint, I removed the 'corduroy' fabric seat covers and the Mohair seats were perfect.

The other was a very faithful 1936 dual fuel F-20. I used it to pull a two bottom 'Little Genius' plow. Wound up with a 36" free standing saw and the belt to attach to that big pulley. I was going to convert it to a front mounted but that saw was scary from day one...
 
 The history of McCormic-Deering, Farmall to IH... a great American industrial revolution story.
Most every one knows what a three-point hitch is; it took over the market due to farmers not wanting to be 'sold a bill of goods'. The International Harvester 'Fast Hitch' design was much better and way more 'user friendly'. Proprietary tools made farmers mad and the Ferguson three-point design became the industry standard but not the best design. I've messed with both and still mess with three-point.
 
From wiki:

The Ferguson system, as it was called, was not just an improved hitch but rather the hitch plus an entire line of implements purpose-built to make full use of its advantages. During the 1940s, it was so advantageous and popular that other manufacturers were compelled to come up with competing hitch improvements that could also be pitched as proprietary "systems" with at least some of the features of the Ferguson system (such as quick, easy hitching and unhitching, implement raising and lowering controlled from the tractor seat, and treating the tractor and implement as a unit rather than an articulated pair). Thus International Harvester developed its Fast Hitch and began to advertise the notion of "farming with the Farmall system", and a similar path was followed at John Deere. Some of these systems, with two-point hitching, were not well suited to lifting heavy implements. They also presented the problem of incompatibility between brands of tractors and implements, applying pressure toward vendor lock-in that many farmers resented. During the 1950s and 1960s, farmers often would have to purchase the same brand implements as their tractor to be able to hook up the implement correctly or to best effect. If a farmer needed to use a different brand of implement, an adaptation kit—which were typically clumsy, ill-fitting, or unsafe—was sometimes needed. The pressure toward vendor lock-in was a two-edged blade for the salespeople. It was an advantage in cases where it encouraged the sale of implements (e.g., a farmer decided to commit his hard-earned money to not just a tractor but also new implements to replace his old ones, betting on increased productivity to make it worth the cost), but it was a disadvantage to the extent that farmers didn't see the value in a special new hitch if they couldn't afford also to buy new implements to make full use of it or felt uneasy about buying new implements when they already had existing implements that were still usable. Ferguson often faced the latter problem in the UK and Ireland in the 1920s and 1930s, and it also applied to the competitors' proprietary hitches of the 1940s and 1950s.

[hiline2]

Your not considering running that in the next R&R race are you?  

 

I always enjoy seeing those old engines restored and running!  There is a small museum here where there are several of those things of all sizes, some still run!

 

The tractor you posted is like the one my uncle had on farm in Oklahoma, he would give us rides on it!

 

My father-in-law had some old tractors but most were no longer running sadly.

 

Up in Montana we would go to the vintage/antique tractor shows were many models were restored and running, even the old steam-powered ones!

 

Here is an old pull type combine that was on farm next to a old truck!

 

 

[JohnnySlotcar]

Back in the '70s there was a farm called Strathmore that had a huge collection of antique farm equipment. Over 100 running units including many steam threshers.

 

The owner was a country wannabe whose dad was a multimillionaire who gave his kid money to stay out of his real financial dealings. Farm was first with Harvestore auto cattle feeding system. Even the Chinese came over to see the farm and equipment. Really cool to see all them run!

 

After he died, farm is now broken up into million dollar fat cat estates.

[Gator Bob]

Good story, John, well except for the McMansion housing development ending.

 

A tractor buddy Tony Casola of Casola Farms in Homdel, NJ, has a John Deere collection of "hundreds" of machines. Some extremely rare prototypes and very highly valued near $100K.

 

IMO - even though I bleed IH red this is my favorite odd collectable tractor. Out of reach pricewise even 25 years ago.

 

The 1938 Minneapolis-Moline ULDX 'Comfortractor'... built for the farmer that could not afford both a tractor and a car with its 40+ MPH 'road gear' and jump seats. To town for groceries or church on Sunday.

 

IIRC some have sold for more than this.

[Hworth08]

They have a steam show each year in Adams, TN, about 15 miles from my house. Three days of all kinds of steam equipment used on farms. Also a 100 or so of the hit-and-miss engines.

 

For those a bit on the far-side, Adams is also home of the Bell Witch. The family she tormented are decendents of mine. A close neighbor once told me anyone kin to the family could not keep a complete book of the witch. I have a paperback version that I bought new probably 40 years ago and upon checking when I got home three or four chapters are missing!

[Cheater]

Don,

 

Glad you mentioned the Tennessee Kentucky Threshermen show in Adams. I've attended several times in the past and it is a great and fascinating show. Anyone with an interest in antique farming equipment and early power source, like hit and miss engines and steam traction engines, would have a fabulous time there. 

 

Checking my schedule now to see if I can make it this year and it looks like it will be possible. You going?

 

[JohnnySlotcar]

Bob,

 

"McMansion" is a great title, as the owner was Alex MacAurther [sp?]. His father was an insurance tycoon.

[Gator Bob]

Rough and Tumble - Threshermen's Reunion was an annual treat for us.

It seems to fall on the hottest days of the year, you could feel the heat off the steam tractors from 100ft away.

The Amish hot food served is amazing.

 

http://www.roughandtumble.org/

 

Ed Miller my tire guy from Ohio would come and by ordering in advance there was no shipping charge. He had a great inventory of NOS 'rare' Firestone and Goodyear vintage tires. Great guy .. he would show up with a beverage body truck, perfect for tires.

 

http://www.millertire.com/history/