tractor memories

[Hoofer B]

lets hear some of your Early case tractor memories. When I was 10 or so I worked for the local farmer and scrapped the cow yard every week with an 1816 B Uni loader. I hauled out the manure with either a 730 or 830. When I was 14 I worked for a different farmer who had a 2390. I loved working land with that tractor and the powershift, nice cab and radio was a joy. How about you ? Bill

 

[redih55]

When I was stationed at Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota, I worked part time for a farmer in the nearby town of Arvilla, ND. He had just bought a CASE 2590 and I got to operate it, running an eight row cultivator in sunflowers. Was really nice being in that cab with AC and a radio.

 

[Don Rudolph]

So many I don't know where to start. Here's two. My WWII tank commander neighbor Bill got stuck with his Massey 165 pulling a digger and walked over the line fence to get my help. I was disking with our 500 diesel, so I unhooked and drove over to help. Where's your chain? he asked. Don't need one. I had him unhook and pull out his 165, backed into his ruts and pulled his digger right out. Bill was upset. No.2 Our 1070 was a strong runner and I pulled it dead stock in 12,500. Usually came in 2nd or 3rd, but 1 year it just wouldn't stop and came in 1st by 18 inches. This was against turned up IH, AC, and JD machines. Thanks for asking, Bill.

 

[jon f mn]

First tractor I drove was an 830 eh com. I remember pulling the wagon while my family picked rocks. I was very small, maybe just out of diapers, because there was no chance I could reach the pedals. When the wagon was empty dad put it in a high gear so I just gave it gas to move. When the wagon got heavier he would shift it to a lower gear. I just gave it gas when told and steered it. Was great fun for me.

 

[jon f mn]

Another was also when I was small, but some older as I was driving by then. We were building a new cattle yard fence and dad had me move the 830 and hay wagon with fence stuff on it. When I stopped I shut ot off in gear as I did with other tractors. Of course being com it rolled down the hill destroying several posts of dad's new fence. He was not happy that day.

 

[jon f mn]

Another of my favorites was going with dad to town to pick up our brand new 870. I would have been 8 or 9 years old then. I was just FURIOUS because dad wouldn't let me drive it home! He let my oder brother Jeff drive it. Why I thought I could at that age is crazy, but I was so mad!

I did get even a few years later when dad traded it for a new 970 and when it showed up I quickly jumped in and drove it first. My older brother still holds a grudge for that. Lol

 

[Nedd]

First tractor I learned to drive was an 830 high tin COM diesel. My brother had me rake hay when I was about 10.

On That same tractor a few years later, I had my grandfather riding with me. Probably will make some people mad but he had one foot on the drawbar and one up on the footrest. Hand on the fender and other hand on the seat. We were going up a gradual hill in 5th or 6th gear and I hit the caseomatic. He went tumbling back off the tractor and I hit the brakes because he wasnt back there anymore. Thought he was going to chew my butt. Instead he was laughing and said Thatll teach me to hang on better. One of my fondest memories of my grandfather.

Earlier memories were my brother and I playing on two broken DC tractors next to the shed. We were maybe 5-6. We would act like we were driving and plowing just like Dad was doing in the new 1370. To this day I still like the DCs and 830s most of all.

 

[Tgrasher]

First tractor I drove at 5 yrs old was a VAC narrow front. The older brwas at school and he needed a driver to take the wheat drill up the road to a field about a half mile away. He followed in a 1950 Dodge pickup loaded with wheat to keep an eye on me. All went well till I made the turn into the field and caught the steel wheel of the drill on a hedge gate post. The wheel just sort of bounced off the post with no damage done. Scared the heck out of me and when I looked in fear back at my dad, he was laughing.

 

[RJKeith]

When I was 9 or 10 my dad brought a VAC in a junk yard. It had a jury rigged log splitter on it. He carried a can of gas, a battery, and a can of starting fluid. Tractor had been sitting a few years, but It fired right up! I stood on the drawbar while my dad drove it home. Took the log splitter off, found a donor tractor and got an eagle hitch on it. My brother still has that tractor.

 

[rgorange]

jon, Your dad filled silo for us. He drove quite a long train with the 830 diesel, chopper, 3 wagons, and blower. So when he finished filling silo for a neighbor in the afternoon he dropped the rig off at our place for the evening instead of driving it home and back. I was only about 6 (jon may not have even been born yet!), but I still remember the thrill of sitting on the almost new 830 that evening.

 

[jon f mn]

Was that in southern Minnesota or after he moved to Braham? I was born the fall before he moved in the winter in 62. He filled many silos with that 830. I was always very excited to see him head out with it all hooked together. He had a good system where he filled a silo a day, mostly 30 or 35 foot tall at the time. Fill the silo during the day and leave the wagons filled when he left in the evening. Then was the farmers job to refill the silo in the morning so when he got there he could take down the pipes and get to the next place and fill that one. He also did a lot of combining with the 830 and a case 77 pull type combine. He would sidedress nitrogen in the summers as well.

 

[rgorange]

That would have been at Lafayette and before you were born!
Mary sat in front of or behind me in our first grade class of 4 kids in country school. I was driving tractors at 7... but didn't know how to tie my shoes at 6. My shoe came untied in school and I got Mary to tie it for me while another class was in session. Teacher caught us and made me sit with her the rest of the day. I still remember she was wearing a pretty light blue dress and me thinking this was certainly not punishment! David was a couple years older. He and I used to write letters back and forth for a few years after you moved.