Why I became a Case Collector

Thought I would share a pic/story about why I collect mainly Case stuff.
I grew up on a small tobacco farm in western KY.When I was younger we had cattle and raised some wheat and beans.
Our tractor herd consisted of the following : an 8n Ford, Model 55 Massey Harris Diesel Standard, a 130 Farmall and my favorite the Case 311b.
Like most farm kids I started driving tractors at a very young age.The triple range 311b was great for a young driver picking up hay or tobacco.In low range at idle it would creep along and with the foot throttle you could gas it on the ends or thin spots.With the hand clutch if I had to stop I could just pull it back until they hollered "GO!".It also has a foot clutch
For hauling out manure,transplanting tobacco,baling hay,combining wheat or beans,hauling in hay or tobacco and cultivating beans with the factory front mount cultivators it was the best choice we had.
Nick
Here is a pic of me on the 311b in the spring of 1972 at age 9.The tractor has a Case loader.Dad still has this tractor and it still runs like a top.



Here is my 311b I bought last year in Irvington,KY in non running condition for $700.The temporary snapper comet tank and aftermarket seat are no longer on the tractor.


And here's why I collect VA series Case tractors.
I was given this VAC pedal tractor by the local Case dealer when I was very young.It had the front wheel broken off and the steering wheel was missing also.Dad bent a piece of strap iron into a U and welded it on,then mounted a wheel from a radio flyer wagon onto it.He also made the steering wheel.I had always planned on restoring it but I think I'll leave it like dad fixed it,since I have kind of specialized in collecting single front end Case tractors.I'll bet it is the only single front VAC pedal tractor around!!!
The VAC-14 single front tractor behind the pedal tractor is pretty rare.I have a copy of the factory build sheet and it came with this front end.Most VAC-14's were built with adjustable wide front ends.This one also has a double acting remote hydraulic valve with couplers for remote cylinder operation.Mr Harry Kline told me that the VAC-14's with single front ends were built for Sugar Beet farmers in the Northwest.He said since it is a low profile tractor that sugar beets and onions would be about the only crops it would have enough clearance for.The tractor came from Yakima Washington.Me and a friend drove out to get it.It was quite a trip!

Nick, great story!!! thanks for posting, sounds like we are the same vintage too cnt

Nice Story Nik Thanx ,, Here is Mine ,, My Dads Uncles Always Swore buy CASE tractors ,, And sometimes SWORE at Them .. LOL ,,. They Were a Rowdy Bunch ,, Maybe they were not Perfect Men ,, BUT they Were GOOD men , Willing to HONORABLY servve and Earn Their KEEP , And ALWAYS WORKED together ,, There Were 9 boys in a family of 14,, Dad Was older than his Youngest Uncle by 3 YRS ..LOL .. great Uncle Joe and his father bought a CASE steamer around 1900 ,They threshed all Over in a 30 mile radius,..There is a framed Pix at my aunts house that shows 7 of them in front of the thresher Greasey , dirty and GRINNIN !,in 1937 a strawstack cauht fire when one of the helpers lost his pitchfork in the thresher , everthing was dry as tender that HOT summer, and word Wrongly Got Around that the Case Steamer caused the fire,.The Bischof Brothers Quikly traded the Ol case Steam engine for a IHC(w-6??) and a model L CASE ..and tripled their threshing ability by running 2 crews ..They Loved the Letter series VAC and DC ,,Refered to the DC as The GENTLEMAN. i recall one tellin DAD when he bought a slick SC , JOONEY?dam-it!! , for another 100 dollars you coulda had a DC and been DONE ,,. that sc just aint got no azz to pull a plow on these clay hills,...When DAD bought a Diesel 430 CASE demonstrator in 1966 ,, One by one ALL his Uncles Come over to drool over it.. LOL ..They were perfectly content with their orange gasser tractors ,, Uncle Louis had a 930 and a few had a big 400 , 700 and 800 diesel, , but as i recall Uncle Gus Sayin as he hopped off the 430 " This TRACTOR is the CATZAZ !!" But Any way when You Grow up around good hearted guys that are willing to share ideas and thoughts of how to do a better job farming ,,and you can chukle of the memory of them sippin their beer,chewing their CHAW or Cigar on a Sunday afternoon down at the machine shed , Uncle Joes Caddy sitting there with the trunk open full of beer and cokes iced down , they All showin one another .... And This is How You Adjust this, That and the Other and ...Then The rambuctous boastin lafter " AWHH HALE , BOOTZ ,"I Bet I can pull That Chopper with my DC,sell that 630 an get you a ol 800 ,than YOU will have a TRACTOR ".. Yes ..they were a WORKING COG of THE GREAtest Generation . The Late 1990s took a heavy toll on them .They Are ALL gone now . POP joined them in 2008 (,read Your Stories,,UELOGY for DAD ) i occassionally Say a Prayer for their Salvation While working with the Case Tractors ,, asking GodsMercy ,, For ,We All knew they Were Not perfect MEN ,, But They were Goood MEN ,, Willing To Earn ,and generous in giving serveing and Protecting for their own keepsake and their Neighbors too ,, WHO , Loved them just as they are..

Strange as this may seem I had no dealings with Case growing up. In fact Case was kinda a bad word to me, Farmall and IH were the only tractor's we had. I know there was a VC or VAC that was in the family, I don't remember much about it except mainly used for post hole digger tractor. Later my uncle purchased a 1030 Case but don't think I had ever seen it.

I think it was in 98 I started tractor pulling with our old Farmall M. Seemed like it was either Red or Green were always the conversation. For some reason I went to a farm auction and it had a 400 and a 800 with a loader on it. I went to the auction and it turned out the 400 had the loader and the 800 didn't. Story on the 800 was it had a blown head gasket.Tractor was straight and had excellent rear tires so I bought it for 650.00.

Overhauled the engine, bought some books on Case tractors and then bought a Case D, turned out it had a cylinder rusted out. Well it all started after that.Now have almost 40 Case tractors and a dozen IH tractors, plus some plows and other case treasures.
caseman-d

Great farm stories,that is why we are what we are and proud of it.Hardwork,help your neigbors and draw lines in the soil as to why we loved are cases and not others. So with said thanks again for the pic's -n-stories. God Bless

Thanks again for the story Nick, I enjoyed our conversation, and will keep in touch as I have more questions for you. As I told you, my Father bought a 41' SC on steel, changed it to cutoff's on rubber and that was what I learned to first drive. We had many over the years, VAC, SC, DC, 400, 930,1030, and a 2470. Always loved the VAC's because of their size, but my favorite growing up was the 400, easy to operate, lots of power. May not have quite the collection as some of you, but Flambeau Red runs in my veins.

Well, I’am a Case collector by inheritance. By that I mean My Dad was so Case you couldn’t mention any other brand to him. And here’s why. In the Twenty’s when he was a kid his Dad ran Hart-Parrs and than also a Cross Mount Case. In the fall of 28 he bought his new 1929 L. My Dad and his brother mostly run it with my Dad doing the most. Dad took over(bought ) the L in the mid thirty’s. and I still have it. This L has never been back to a commercial shop since new; my Dad did all the overhauling on it . Until 1960 he, every two years put in new sleeves, pistons and rings. He replaced one clutch (and he said it realy did not need it) That tractor out lived many of red, green and gold tractors around here. It also was the best salesman Case ever had. As many bought Cases because of how good that L was. In 1960 I wanted to buy a 830 JD Deere. Dad would have none of it so I have been Case ever since. Here is a list.
1929 L,1947 LA, 1947 VAI, 1948 LA, 1949 LA, 1957 big 600, 1959 900, 1960 930, 1966 930CK, 1974 1470, 1979 2390, 1982 2590, 1995 9230. Off color- 1980 555 Versatile, 1982 JD 410 Backhoe, Dad also had a Farmall F20, and a JD GP. And I just bought a compact NH tractor. Underlined I still have.
All the new big tractor well never come up to the old to us old duffers. The new generation is going to miss out on a lot.

Thanks for the story. Always enjoyable. I grew up on green, but one old neighbor, who helped dad plant in the spring and pick corn in the fall, had an SC that he brought over to help out with. Dad put the SC on the planter. It was real handy for him because it was easy to get on and off of at each end of the rows to re-attach the check wire. When we picked corn Bill, the neighbor would haul loads of corn in with the SC. Again, it was a tractor that was easy to get on and off for wagon tongue hooking, and the hand clutch meant not having to shift in and out of gear every time he got off and on.

In 1970 when dad needed another tractor to do odd jobs around the farm he bought an SC and today it's still puttering around the farm earning it's keep. It's one of the tractors I will NOT give up. Jim

Thanks everyone for the replies and Keep the stories coming!!!!!!!!!
I had no idea that I would get all of these stories from my post!!!
I have been going through some old albums and scanning pics.I will post some more stories from my early days when I get a chance.
Thanks again,
Nick

Is your dad's 300B a propane tractor? Looks like a propane fuel tank?

Yes it is propane,but it is not factory.The tractor was converted to lp by the local gas company for use in a dairy.
Nick

Nick
Have you ever had issues with the dual range popping out of gear. Mine does in spite of replacing the detent spring and new woodruff key on shifter arm. The forks and spacer ring show some wear (see photo) but cannot believe that is the problem?-
DZ in NC