Cowboys and there Tractors

[redman1]

Good morning I just thought I start a thread about tractors
When I was growing up my favorite tractor was a Farmall H. When I was able to drive it I would go as fast as I could in fifth gear and try to hit small rocks in the road the the tricycle front end would jump up a little.
We also had a Massey Ferguson that grandpaw used. The Farmall H was my uncles. We also had a neighbor that had a Farmall M which I also liked but I didn't get to drive it much.
I also liked cutting wood using the Farmall H by putting the big belt on the pulley and hooking the saw to it. I was too young to do anything much but they would let me push the table arm into the saw while they helped. They always made me feel like I was 10 feet tall.
My love for tractors has carried on to this day.
Since Karen and I have been married 14 years this Feb we have had about five different ones. Now I have a Long 460 with a front end loader. Don't know what we would do without the front end loader these days.
There's a picture of my mom on one of my bigger tractors on my profile pictures.
Enjoy this thread and I would love to here your stories also
Semper Fi Redman

[GSEMarine94]

I'll be the first to admit that one title I can not claim is that of a cowboy, I can say that playing with tractors is one of the few things I still enjoy.
I worked as a heavy equipment mechanic for 12 years, and still have both of my tool boxes. My wifes grandmother lives next to us and has given me full control of her tractors, I do all of the maintenance, and a lot of playing with them. The POS of the group is an 80's T25A Belarus, this Russian junk has a 4 cylinder diesel that has as much HP as my lawn mower. The "old Faithful" of the group is a 1956 4D Allis Chalmers, this thing has a gas motor that starts no matter what. Unfortunately it does have the tricycle front end and our land is pretty rough so all we can really use it for is moving hay bales and pulling the Belarus out when it gets stuck.
My favorite of the group is a 1948 D6 Cat dozer, this bad boy has such a huge diesel motor that back in the day they couldn't build a starter big enough. So instead it has a little gas motor (called a pony motor) attached to the back of the diesel to start it. It has no hydraulics, the blade is run off of a winch motor mounted off the back of the dozer with a cable running around the cage. This thing is awesome, I haven't found a tree yet it can't push over.

[kenrobg30]

when I was a kid, we had a Farmall too. My stepdad put a loader on it, and we used it mostly to clean the chicken coop, and the pig pen. those were my jobs. I can smell it now, just thinking about it. My stepdad didn't want to be a farmer, so the only plowing or planting we did was on a four acre piece, right next to the house. The other 54 acres either sat fallow, or was harvested of the hay it grew. I drove almost every kind of tractor you can think of, except a Belarus. I never heard of that one, till I got out of the Corps. One summer, I worked for an old family friend, who owned a farm, right on the shoe of Otisco Lake. He and his brother ran the farm, The day I got there, Duke, the family friend, asked if I had my swim trunks with me. I did, and asked why. He said, the day before, his brother came home pretty well oiled, and decided he was going to plow the lot down by the creek. He took the old Allis-Chalmers tractor to do the plowing. He was plowing straight toward the creek, Now, those old A-Cs were steared with the brakes. You had a brake lever an each side, and you'd pull a lever for which ever way you wanted to turn. He grabbed the Right hand lever, the tractor started to turn, He lost his grip on the lever. He put the tractor in the creek, upside down. He was thrown clear,not hurt. We went down , and pulled the tractor out, and I spent the day, diving for the Tool box, and the tools that fell out of it. I had a great time. I'm going to like this thread, Redman1.:D S/F! Ken

[ggyoung]

I grew up farming. Our farms were out of town about a mile. We also raised turkeys about 45,000 to 50,000 a year. My favorite tractor was a 1948 or 49 Ford 8N. Our next one was a Case a small one. Then we went to a Case830. We had a David Brown that was made in England. All of the controls were back asswords.

[david43844]

I grew up in Western Md. with an Oliver 88 and a Bronco Waterloo

[kenrobg30]

I grew up in Western Md. with an Oliver 88 and a Bronco Waterloo

Haven't seen your post before Dave, glad your with us. I'm kind of new her, but I'm getting old Fast. I gotta stop trying to keep up with these young sprouts, under 60. Anyway, nice to meet you.:marine: S/F! Ken

[redman1]

Thanks for the response.
When Karen and I first bought this place we bought a old Oliver just to scrape the driveway with. After awhile we traded up to Longs, which are good tractors.
I'll try to post pictures of some of my tractors on my profile later.
Also road tractors I've owned 62 Emery-ville Int, 62 Mack, 69 Tran-star, 70 Tran-star, 72 Tran-star, and my last one was a 79 Peterbilt. After the Corps I was a owner operator for a few years and did Electrical work and while learning Electrical work I haired drivers.
Semper Fi Redman

[redman1]

Some may say why I called this Cowboys and there Tractors, well I guess I'm a Cowboy at heart and Truck Drivers are called the last of the Cowboys and I was one plus this ties in with Cowboy Up.
I also have owned a 3444 Intel backhoe and a 4500 Ford backhoe. I was the first person in Greensboro to convert a 1969 Tran-star 3/4 sleeper to a tandem dump. I got tired of trucking cross country and converted my Tran-star to a tandem dump and bought a backhoe and started delivering sand to brick masons. I also had a dump trailer that held 21 yards.
If I ever get a chance I'm going to buy a Farmall H just to drive up and down the road for fun.
Semper Fi Redman

[Rocky C]

Buddy,
I love reading Your Thread Cowboy Up but I don't have any Horses or Animals.
Now I'm gonna Love reading Your new Thread, Cowboys and Their Tractors.

I'm a Concrete Cowboy and I don't own no Horses, Animals or Tractors.

I guess I'll just have to Post once in awhile here and just be happy with reading all the Good Stories.

Semper Fi Buddy,
Concrete Cowboy Rocky :(

[redman1]

Rocky didn't you have a concrete truck years ago something to do with Jimmy Hoffa?
Semper Fi Redman

[Rocky C]

Rocky didn't you have a concrete truck years ago something to do with Jimmy Hoffa?
Semper Fi Redman

We can include Trucks and Heavy Equipment in this thread Buddy???
Yeah, My Whole Family was involved in The Teamsters Union Labor Movement from the Beginning!!!

My Grandfather moved Frieght with a Wagon and a 6 horse team before they Organized and then went the way of Tractors and Trailers.

I'm going to see if my Dad will make a copy of that picture and send it to me so I can post it.

I feel better now:thumbup:.
Semper Fi,
Rocky

[vanmac]

http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/picture.php?pictureid=9089&albumid=2177&dl=1262739299&thumb

This model did not have a running board between the clutch pedal and the muffler. I was bush-hogging bare footed once and suffered a major burn when my foot slipped off the clutch and against the muffler.

Also our tractor had a "Dog" accessory gear that helped on occasion -- it whined a little but the wheels turned faster.

[redman1]

Nice, REAL NICE
Semper Fi Redman

[GSEMarine94]

My mom and her husband (not stepdad long story) have that exact model right now. They run a 6 foot bush hog and a 4 foot finishing mower on it. It's been a good tractor other then having to teach her...

[ecfree]

Hey y'all,does a John Deere lawn tractor count ?
If not,then I'm out of here..............:banana:

[echo3oscar1833]

Do these count, haha, these are the tractors from my John Deer Collection. I actually do drive real tractors, my Dad is a Oliver guy. I grew up driving the tractors, and farm trucks for him. It was a blast, I don't own any real ones myself. Just scale stuff which is a pretty good sized collection I might add. :D

http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=2178&pictureid=9090

[redman1]

Thanks Marines even those models are interesting, Ed I guess you can include our John Deer Mower.
I also had a 9N like that one time and changed the exhaust to go overhead so the exhaust didn't go near the ground on the veggies I was plowing. Never did put a running board on that one but had one later that did. Wonder why some of those were built like that.
I also use a walk behind tractor one time it had power and was big but hard and no fun to use.
Semper Fi Redman

[redman1]

Just remembered a David Brown we had one time. I didn't like it much but it sure did pull good.
We also had a Farmall Cub we plowed the garden with and also a Farmall Super Cub which was a little bigger. I always wanted a Farmall Cub with a belly mower to mow the yard with but never did get one. I still liked the Farmall H or M the BEST as a kid it seemed very big now days it don't look so big.
I had a chance about five years ago to buy one for $1400 and I didn't. I still hope one of these day I can get my dream tractor just to ride the neighborhood with while Karen does the parade wave.
I'd rather have that tractor and a new Vet.
We also had a bob cat and Karen loved it but I traded it for the big tractor in my profile pictures that my mom is own. My son ended up with the bob cat and he still loves it. He just bought a road tractor to pull his race car trailer with. He has a 48 ft race car trailer and was pulling it with his F350 for dually like mine but kept wearing out the breaks. (No ****)
Guess I'm a true country boy and cowboy.
Semper Fi Redman

[kenrobg30]

My dad bought an International with a bucket loader on the front, and a Backhoe on the rear, right after I got home from Korea. He worked for Carrier Corporation, as a welder, so he could afford it.He bought the rig, to dig for a foundation, and a septic system, for the new house, he was building for himself, and mom. He hired me, to run the machine, and i loved every minute of it. There was a two inch hydraulic hose, that ran along the top of the rear axle, that carried oil to the front loader. that hose ran right between the drivers legs, under the seat. It got pretty hot, sitting over that sucker, in the summer, but in the winter, plowing snow, it was a life saver. I started digging everything, from cellars to swimming pools. I was working on a septic system. It was a hot day, and I was wearing cut-off jeans andno shirt. I started to pick up a load, in the front bucket, When that hydraulic line decided to blow. That hot oil came spraying up all over me, from my ankle3s to my neck. I never knew, I could get a pair of jeans off that fast! You can figure, where most of the oil hit me. Right where I was closest to the hose!. There I was, dancing around in my skivvies, looking for a water hose, with people driving by, and slowing down, to watch the show. Traffic was backed up for half a mile, but did anyone ask if I needed help? HELL NO! I loved that rig, but you gotta know, I put a steel reenforced hose on her, before I ever used that bucket again! :(
S/F! :D Ken

[GSEMarine94]

My dad bought an International with a bucket loader on the front, and a Backhoe on the rear, right after I got home from Korea. He worked for Carrier Corporation, as a welder, so he could afford it.He bought the rig, to dig for a foundation, and a septic system, for the new house, he was building for himself, and mom. He hired me, to run the machine, and i loved every minute of it. There was a two inch hydraulic hose, that ran along the top of the rear axle, that carried oil to the front loader. that hose ran right between the drivers legs, under the seat. It got pretty hot, sitting over that sucker, in the summer, but in the winter, plowing snow, it was a life saver. I started digging everything, from cellars to swimming pools. I was working on a septic system. It was a hot day, and I was wearing cut-off jeans andno shirt. I started to pick up a load, in the front bucket, When that hydraulic line decided to blow. That hot oil came spraying up all over me, from my ankle3s to my neck. I never knew, I could get a pair of jeans off that fast! You can figure, where most of the oil hit me. Right where I was closest to the hose!. There I was, dancing around in my skivvies, looking for a water hose, with people driving by, and slowing down, to watch the show. Traffic was backed up for half a mile, but did anyone ask if I needed help? HELL NO! I loved that rig, but you gotta know, I put a steel reenforced hose on her, before I ever used that bucket again! :(
S/F! :D Ken

Sorry Ken but that's pretty dang funny, I'm sure at the time it wasn't. But the thought of you doing a jig in your skivvies made me laugh. :p

[redman1]

I bought that 3444 Intel backhoe and was putting a telephone pole in the ground in 1974 and it was chained to the bucket and the chain came loose and it spun around and hit my right shoulder and broke all my ribs and puncher ed my liver. I almost dies but guess what I didn't. After I got out of the hospital and recovered I traded that backhoe for a Ford 4500 with a cage over the top. That's the only bad thing ever happened with me will all the tractors I have owned. I'm always careful and I ride the grand-kids on my lap and they love it. Safety First.
Semper Fi Redman

[redman1]

Ken did you check out the big tractor with my mom on it in my profile pictures?
Pretty cool picture.
Semper Fi Redman

[kenrobg30]

Those ford tractors, were like the JD, you couldn't kill them! Maintain them properly, and they'd last ten days after forever. Only thing was/is, you'd better have your wallet stuffede, when you go...

[redman1]

We have got to learn how to post our pictures on this site and it would be cool. I'm looking around for some pictures of my old tractors.
Thanks guys for your response
Semper Fi

[kenrobg30]

Sorry Ken but that's pretty dang funny, I'm sure at the time it wasn't. But the thought of you doing a jig in your skivvies made me laugh. :p
:evilgrin: I expected nothing less! Thank you. I try not to get too serious about the past. It's more fun to laugh.:D S/F! Ken

[redman1]

Afternoon Tractor Lovers I've just added some pictures to share on my profile under pictures to share
Semper Fi Redman

[Quinbo]

I don't know squat about tractors and that's the truth. My brother could probably recite the make, model, year, tire pressure, weight, payload, fuel capacity and everything else about any tractor that passed through our lives. It always just a tool that we used to accomplish a job to me.

The first tractor I remember was I think a chalmers but might of been a international. It had a big wheel on the side that was designed to be a PTO in a static position but also was the starter. Spend half a day out there there hand turning that wheel and dumping fuel down the exhaust pipe to get it started. Sit all winter out in the field with a coffee can over the exhuast then spring go out there and try to fire it up. You want a work out that is the one ... wurl that thing ... putt putt putt ... wurl it again putt putt putt ... finally fired and get running. It was purported to run on anything from coal oil to gasoline and cranked out a whopping 10 HP.

The first big ranch I worked on had 2 Kubotas and a Ford for haying. Both the Kubotas were bright orange and all wheel drive all the time. The ford towed the the rake winrower and then the bailer. We mowed with the Kubotas.

If you've never seen one of those old fashion rake winrowers it looks like a big row of 5 foot tall gears and the teeth gather the hay then flip it over and lay it in neat rows. Rides on one tire and it is pretty neat to watch it in action. A day later run back down through the winrows and it flips the row completely over to dry on the other side.

All three of those tractors were fairly new. I do dig old tractors but know little about them.

[ggyoung]

Bulkyker======----==-My cuzz owns the Kubota dealer ship here in Ephraim. Here is a little story. When I was working at Deer creek coal mine my boss had a big MF tractor. He was telling me that he had to buy a new alternator for it and he was all ****ed because of the price (around $800.00). I told him to Waite a day as I would ask my cuzz about it. I did and he gave me a number for a alternator at the Napa store. It was for a car. The price was about $600.00 cheaper. It did the same job. My boss was so happy he gave me a 1/2 hr. overtime a day from that time on.

[kenrobg30]

I don't know squat about tractors and that's the truth. My brother could probably recite the make, model, year, tire pressure, weight, payload, fuel capacity and everything else about any tractor that passed through our lives. It always just a tool that we used to accomplish a job to me.

The first tractor I remember was I think a chalmers but might of been a international. It had a big wheel on the side that was designed to be a PTO in a static position but also was the starter. Spend half a day out there there hand turning that wheel and dumping fuel down the exhaust pipe to get it started. Sit all winter out in the field with a coffee can over the exhuast then spring go out there and try to fire it up. You want a work out that is the one ... wurl that thing ... putt putt putt ... wurl it again putt putt putt ... finally fired and get running. It was purported to run on anything from coal oil to gasoline and cranked out a whopping 10 HP.

The first big ranch I worked on had 2 Kubotas and a Ford for haying. Both the Kubotas were bright orange and all wheel drive all the time. The ford towed the the rake winrower and then the bailer. We mowed with the Kubotas.

If you've never seen one of those old fashion rake winrowers it looks like a big row of 5 foot tall gears and the teeth gather the hay then flip it over and lay it in neat rows. Rides on one tire and it is pretty neat to watch it in action. A day later run back down through the winrows and it flips the row completely over to dry on the other side.

All three of those tractors were fairly new. I do dig old tractors but know little about them.

;) Morning Bob. If memory serves me, there were two types of rakes. The straight one was called a dump rake, and the biased one was called a side rake. The dump rake, took good ,healthy man to work it, because there were no hydraulics, to lift the tines, when the rake got full. The side rake was a piece of cake, because it didn't need to be lifted. It also did a lot better job, making windrows. Nice and neat, did less damage to the hay, and less waste. :thumbup: S/F!! Ken

[redman1]

As a farming community we all worked together.
My grandpaw would take his Massey Ferguson and rake hay, cut wheat
Me or my uncle would take the Farmall H and bale the hay
Our neighbor had a Farmall M which is bigger than a H and he would pull the combine and I would ride on the combine and bag wheat. There were two bins the wheat would come out of and we had sacks on them. When they would fill up we would tie them with bailing twine and slide them down a shoot. Later I would drive the Farmall H pulling a trailer and pick up all those heavy bags.
We also used the Farmall H to pull the corn picker and pulled a trailer with another tractor beside it to catch the corn and then deliver it to the corn bin.
My uncle had a piece of corn get lodged and stopped the chain and when he went to unstick it it pulled his arm off from the wrist down and left his fingers in his gloves We used to wear the leather gloves that had that strap with a little red ball on it to tightened around the wrist. After that I never tightened the gloves. I always took the tractor out of gear before working on anything and cut it off.
Semper Fi Redman

[kenrobg30]

We can include Trucks and Heavy Equipment in this thread Buddy???
Yeah, My Whole Family was involved in The Teamsters Union Labor Movement from the Beginning!!!

My Grandfather moved Frieght with a Wagon and a 6 horse team before they Organized and then went the way of Tractors and Trailers.

I'm going to see if my Dad will make a copy of that picture and send it to me so I can post it.

I feel better now:thumbup:.
Semper Fi,
Rocky

Have you heard from Jimmy lately, Rocky? He still owes me five bucks. He stuck me for lunch!:evilgrin: S/F11 Ken

[kenrobg30]

Hey y'all,does a John Deere lawn tractor count ?
If not,then I'm out of here..............:banana:
I had a JD 140. 48in. mower deck, PT driven 48in rototiller,with hydraulic lift, PT driven shallow trench , rotary digger, and a quarter yard, bucket loader on the front. My sons and I, pulled engines out of our cars with that loader, including big V8s. Had that one for over ten years. Finally the engine blew, and I put the the whole thing in storage for another ten. Finally, I sold it off, a piece at a time, until there's nothing left, but the memory, and one hucap.
:thumbup: S/F!! Ken

[ZSKI]

Well im no farm boy even though my dad was but as a 1345 i love my tractors from the 5k to the cranes except for the MMV that thing is a piece of ****. But my favorite has to be the old TRAM. Or to everyone not in the 1300 MOS or civillians a Front End Loader. You could beat the **** out of it, it could negotiate terrain u didn't think a wheeled vehicle could and that's with a 10k load. Then after u can switch to a bucket in 3 minutes and build a berm, level, doze, or remove random assorted ****. **** its so bad ass there is a picture of it working right on the front page of this very website.

[redman1]

There is nothing like milking cows all day and then drilling corn all night with a full moon. We used a Farmall tractor forget the number of it to drill corn. I also liked turning or breaking ground. To me there's nothing like the smell of the soil just turned over.
Semper Fi Redman

[redman1]

You know now days we are so careful with kids on tractors and in everything we do.
When I was a kid I would be on the tractor every-time my grandpaw would crank it up. I'd here it starting and I'd come running no matter where I was.
He would let me ride on the finder of that Ferguson and I better hang on. He would be plowing and in his own world. I have almost fallen off more than once. It was hard to hang on that finder especially when you were plowing a hill. Every once in awhile he would forget I was there and turn and spit tobacco juice on me. He was in his own little world.
I watched every little thing he did back then and I guess that's how I learned to do most of what I know. By the time I could reach the clutch and break I could plow, back trailers and about anything. I could never learn to back those four wheeled trailers. My uncle could back two of them at once.
Old farmer were very smart back then. We could all learn from our old timers.
God Bless Old People
Hell I'm getting to be one
Semper Fi Redman

[redman1]

Morning Everyone,
Got to go out after breakfast and see if I can crank that diesel Long tractor to fill up a couple of holes in the paddock. A little squirt of ether usually does the trick. I haven't cranked it in a week or so. It sure is good to have a tractor to help around here. I might even have to scrape the driveway if it keeps on snowing.
Semper Fi Redman

[Sgt Jim]

I had one tractor when i was very young,it was a John Deere,had the best looking green paint and the wheels were painted yellow and was in mint condition.wasn,t very fast because my little feet could not push them peddles real fast,but down hills was a blast.wish i still had it.

[redman1]

Jim that was good!!
Semper Fi Redman

[JAGarland]

My 2 cents....

[redman1]

That's what I'm talking about!!!!!
Semper Fi Redman

[ggyoung]

A cowboy never has enough guns, horses or pick-up trucks.

[redman1]

A cowboy never has enough guns, horses or pick-up trucks.

:thumbup: Semper Fi Redman

[kenrobg30]

I had one tractor when i was very young,it was a John Deere,had the best looking green paint and the wheels were painted yellow and was in mint condition.wasn,t very fast because my little feet could not push them peddles real fast,but down hills was a blast.wish i still had it.
We bought one of them for our oldest grandson for Xmass, when he was 5yrs old. Betty, my wife, had to hide all the breakables, and pad the legs on the furniture, but man, did he have fun. That tractor lasted through seven grandkids. JDs are tough! :thumbup: S/F!!! Ken

[redman1]

I still have a Farmall H metal tractor I will take a picture of it and put it on my profile later.
Growing up I never did like John Deere's because of the put put put they made but now days I wouldn't mind having one
I still hope the day will come I can buy a Farmall H just to ride the neighborhood with and Karen can do the Parade wave.
I will always have my Long 460 with the front end loader, it really helps around here.
I have taught Karen to drive it and she does really good.
A while back a neighbor can to pick up a big plow that was in our hay loft and I couldn't help so Karen took the tractor and hooked to it and lifted it out of the loft and set it into the bed of his little truck. He couldn't believe how good she was and told all the neighbor's about it. I'm proud of that girl, we do everything together.
Semper Fi Redman

[kenrobg30]

I still have a Farmall H metal tractor I will take a picture of it and put it on my profile later.
Growing up I never did like John Deere's because of the put put put they made but now days I wouldn't mind having one
I still hope the day will come I can buy a Farmall H just to ride the neighborhood with and Karen can do the Parade wave.
I will always have my Long 460 with the front end loader, it really helps around here.
I have taught Karen to drive it and she does really good.
A while back a neighbor can to pick up a big plow that was in our hay loft and I couldn't help so Karen took the tractor and hooked to it and lifted it out of the loft and set it into the bed of his little truck. He couldn't believe how good she was and told all the neighbor's about it. I'm proud of that girl, we do everything together.
Semper Fi Redman

That PUT<PUT, was the sound of that one cylinder motor JD was famous for, Buddy. They were slow, and steady, but they'd keep going through hell, or high water. You couldn't spin a wheel on one of them, anjd they'd keep going in three feet of grease mud. With those steel cleated, steel wheels, it was almost impossible to bog one down.:thumbup: S/F!!! Ken