breaking in a new generation

[Al Baker(pumpman)]

I was hauling manure this week using my 68 4020 powershift. Sure felt good to smell the crisp fall air and see frost on the hay fields. My daughter who is 10 came out to the barn yard and asked why I was using the 4020 and not one of the bigger, or cab tractors. I told her it felt good to feel and hear the old girl doing what she was made to do, not set in the tool shed waiting for next hay season. She then asked if she could ride. I said sure. That's how I learned to haul poop was riding with Dad. After I got it rolling out across the field I moved the seat back and had her sit in front of me so she could steer. I showed her how it shifted up or down, lift the gate, then operate the pto. That's when a thought came to my mind. I of course bought this tractor used so it has had who knows how many owners, from who knows what states, but how many young kids have sat holding that same steering wheel, with their Dad or Grandad whispering in their ear what to do? How many kids has that old girl broke in, in her life? How many has any old tractor seen? Start off young, grow up in that seat, move away. Tractor sells at an auction, or is traded in and some one else buys it. Then the cycle starts again. If only them old tractors could tell stories of who, and how many kids learned in their seats. No matter what day, or what weather, them old tractors are always willing to go to work and break in the next kid. Al

 

[jon f mn]

I often think about the stories old machinery could tell. How interesting would it be if they could speak.

 

[Northvale PA]

This is my 4010 hooked to the spreader, and the 4020 powershift in the hay field. Started all the kids out on it. Absolutely one of the reasons I bought. As soon as I test drove the powershift I was sold. Toys for boys and girls.

 

[72supr]

I remember riding with my Dad when he cultivated.He had a 3020 Diesel power shift he bought new in 1966 when I was seven years old. I sat on the fender and it seems like yesterday.

 

[Buster]

I remember standing on the platform and steering while dad did everything else. Still have the old 530 but sure miss dad

 

[matthies]

My 18 year old daughter just finished her first semester at the local college in building construction. Tuesday they had to pass a telehandler driver training. The boys and the instructor were impressed with her driving skills. 100% on the test. Had her driving tractors when she was younger, not a lot but enough to help me out at times and did a couple tractor rides. Farmall H, JD A, Dad's 630 and Dad's 4020 when doing brothers chores, and whoever's tractor I needed test drove after working on it. Like was said the 630 and 4020 have had 4 generations drive them. She hated driving them at first getting used to the clutches and shifting, but I could see the twinkle in her eyes as she told me about driving the telehandler. Mentioned it all comes from driving tractors that I made here do at times, she denied it but smiled. PROUD DAD!!

 

[Janicholson]

Three generations, and 8 people are first wheel holders on our super H, including my wife. I myself when about 4 and my brothers and several city friends! Nice thought. Jim

 

[SVcummins]

My grandpa bought my 4020 with a farm he used it on his farm my uncle and cousins used it on there farm. me and my brother used it on grandpas farm and now I use it on my farm And I’ve trained my nephew how to run it and my helper by doing exactly what you did

 

[db4600]

On the farm our little chore tractor used to rub our bigger field work tractor about how popular it was. The big guy would snip back about how handsome it was. I just know it! I’m sure yours do the same. The tractors I have now just sit around like barflies and talk about old times.

 

[504]

We had neighbors that never had kids and I spent a lot of days and nights out there. THe first tractor and plow I ran was a MF 65 4 bottom plow,setting in front of Vernon. I remember jumping up and down in a gunny sack full of wool, to get more in the sack I was around 5. I just remembered the field I plowed(well I thought I did it all back then)is the same one I first pulled a chisel plow in when I was 17 and working for wages for Gen & Vernon.We had hauled poo out there and they sent me out to plow it. Everything was fine till I worked my way back to the tracks where we ran in and out of the field. I had never had the front of a tractor come up like that 830 Case,it stopped me dead. I did plow all of it that day!

 

[Bob Bancroft]

Which is why I bought my 4020 power shift- so my wife and kids could operate it. I don't think there's another tractor that old, and that big, that is that easy to handle. Now it's retired, waiting for another family to repeat the process!

 

[Tony in SD]

A Bobcat is like a one seat airplane. You get ground instructions then you solo the first time you fly it.

My daughter was a life guard while she was in high school & college during the summers. Before the pool opened the life guards would get the pool ready. There was a pile of gravel in the parking lot that the pool manager wanted moved. The city had their Bobcat setting there so he asked who knew how to run a Bobcat? All the boys and my daughter raised their hands. He picked the girl. She got in, pulls the safety bar down, reaches up to cab roof to push her self down, starts the engine and moves the pile. Done. A little while later he has another Bobcat task for her so she gets in, pulls the safety bar down, reaches up to cab roof to push her self down, starts the engine and does the next task. Done. The manager come over to the Bobcat and asks her what is on the cab roof that she is reaching for? She told him at a little over 100 lbs she was not heavy enough to engage the seat interlock, so she had to push herself down to start the engine.

All my kids can run equipment including my PhD college professor. They learned the by riding along & watching as I did.

 

[larry@stinescorner]

One thing for sure SVs Jd is broke in!!!! It is the hardest working tractor I have ever seen!!

 

[BAnNC]

My now 22 yr old started at 8 running the Crapsman mower. He too had to keep his skinny behind on the seat to keep the switch held down. Now he runs Cat 320 excavator, D8, skidsteer, tracktruck, and Cat mini with bush hog to clear the bank at our roadfront.

 

[CH(upstate,NY)]

you're a good father Al.

 

[Kansasredneck]

My sons were about seven and eight when I got my first backhoe. I took the boys out to see it then went in the house to get some shut eye. I was working nights at a factory. About an hour later I heard the tractor running, went to check, and they were cutting trench across the lawn.

 

[ADB-Ia]

Your story made me smile thinking of my sons learning to drive the 3020 back in the 80's. Mine was a syncro range shift so that was the biggest challenge. I can still see my oldest son wide eyed as he "sped" down a gentle slope. He thought he had it in fifth but was still in neutral. Probably got up to 6 or 7 mph. He likes to tell the story. He recounted the story when he told me his Supra would top 150. He didn't tell me that till about 20 years after the fact. I was a lot more comfortable with his going 7 on the 3020.

 

[MARK ROBKE]

When I grew up, we had 3 tractors, but my favorite was the IH 300u which I now own. Dad and my uncle bought it the year I was born- it had 75hrs on it. And now it has 7700hrs. All of us(6) and my cousins(2) at least rode on our dad's laps on that tractor. My 3 younger brothers and I all ran it a lot, but I had the farming bug and ended up with it. I showed my boys how to run it and have ridden my grandsons on it, but it has almost exclusively been driven by family only. Mark.

 

[teddy52food]

I still have the Farmall B that dad got when I was little. 3 of use drove it along with others at threshing time. My 7 boys all learned on it & now my grandsons are using it.

 

[jd2cyl]

Never forget the fond memories of being 10 the first time I spent the summer on a cousins farm. Road that JD50 around any time I could. Several years ago I "restored" one of the 50's. The look on my cousins face is priceless as I pulled in to the barn lot and got it off the trailer. I bought and restored a JD60 several years ago, it had a decal on the hood from a dealership in Kansas but the SN search showed it was sold from a dealer in Southport IN. Sure would like to know where it had traveled from 1953 when sold to the early 2000's when I bought it.

 

[John in Mich]

You started a thread that has certainly awakened a lot of memories, for me, too. I'll be 78 in January.
I still have the '51 8N that my father bought used when I was 10. Many, many, many memories and stories while growing up. Also many experiences with family on that 8N as the years have gone buy.
Each of my 3 children have driven "Nellybelle", the name I gave the tractor as a 10 year old. (from the Roy Rogers TV series).
Since then, my 2 grandsons and 2 granddaughters have driven her. My one niece and her son have both driven her. One time I even had my 92 year old mother-in-law drive in a circle the back yard in first gear.
Upon my demise, my oldest son will take Nellybelle, as stated in my Will. I'm trying to delay that out as far as possible.
Happy Thanksgiving to all! Be safe.

 

[coonie minnie]

There are several "4 generation" tractors here... it gives me pause when I get one of my sons running one...

 

[Paul from MI]

I have the Allis B my dad bought new and the Farmall H my grandfather bought new. Can only guess how many of us kids, cousins, grandkids drove those old tractors sitting in front of our parents. Not the safest thing to do, but we're all alive with some wonderful memories thanks to those old tractors. I think about that a lot when I walk through the barn and look at them. God willing next summer I'll make a ride with my great-grandchild on one of them.

 

[SVcummins]

There isn’t one even close until about 20 years later some still aren’t as nice that rolled off the line last week