Re: What's the first tractor you ever drove?

Posted by Billy NY on February 08, 2008 at 07:25:22 from (205.188.117.74):

In Reply to: What's the first tractor you ever drove? posted by Andy Motteberg on February 07, 2008 at 18:27:58:

I'm going to say the infamous JD 2010 wide front with loader, before I was old enough to go to school. It was parked next to a barn in a lower area on a slight incline, I was in the seat and knocked it out of gear, it rolled a few feet and stopped, in front of some tribal elders, their jaws hit the ground as I remember. That was my first ride I think, though I do remember being co-pilot on that one a many times, watching my father clear the neighbors driveway, took a ride along the power lines up to a hill to watch a big brush fire, and remember when the hired help put it up on the 2nd floor of the old dairy/hay barn, one side was a hay mow starting at grade, the other was a full 2nd floor, they got some speed off the hill behind the barn, not sure how they did that and how they got it down, tractor was unscathed. Eventually he got rid of the 2010, not sure why, especially having a loader on it. Then came this old D7 caterpillar, now that was really something else, nice big seat for a co-pilot, always hitched a ride on it, the sound of that low rpm 4 cyl. could be heard echoing out of the valley, start up was really cool with the pony motor, and the town was thankful for my father punching a hole through a giant drift that filled the rock cut that the state road passes through, I still have it + another that is a nice low hour tractor, I did not know whether to laugh or cry when I unloaded the 2nd one 6 years ago, before it got here I had to read up on the starting procedure and make a cheat sheet for the shift pattern, just hearing that diesel come to life brought back some great memories.

Then there was a new place to explore, my father bought a log time Ford dealership, lot full of blue tractors, huge shop and parts dept with an even older wood framed garage shop, also was Mobil gas station. Now this was cool, that older shop was kind of abandoned, unused, the old wood drawers, bench, old tools, and all the old NOS parts in the attic. 3 brothers worked there as mechanics, and I can remember the days when I was there all day, no school, summer or what might be, having lunch at the back of the shop, all the tractors being worked on, the lot full of new tractors etc. Another tantalizing fact was that I went to school directly across the street/road and until I was out of that wing, I could see across and want to be there instead of school! The best was going on out on a run with the tilt cab C series ford flatbed which they built in the shop, and being allowed to operate the winch levers, and tilt bed, flag traffic etc. I have a few artifacts with the dealership's name on it, an original ford tractors equipment pam clock that hung behind the parts counter, the canvas banner that we hung on our display at the fair, some old dealer stickers, porcelain thermometer with the dealers name on it, work bench in Ford blue and a big ole Columbia vice and many other priceless (to me) items. Town historian found a picture of the place and published in the towns history book, it had a row of new 8N's out front(maybe 9N's have to look closely) all had side sickle mowers, and the dearborn logo painted on the side of the building. 5 years ago a 640 turned up for sale that had our dealer sticker on the one armed loader, a long time friend who is like a brother bought it, if he sells it, I'm going to have to buy it, that was a cool find, my father remembers having 2 of these on the lot.

For me, I don't think it would be possible to not have an appreciation for tractors, equipment and the agriculture community, as a kid it's all most of us knew around here growing up, that changed quickly as future generations missed out on all the farming, things have changed a lot since those days.

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