Tractor pulling back in the day....

So now, people are starting to sink a TON of money into their tractors, all to get bragging rights and a small payout and maybe a trophy, But How many older pullers are out there that remember the old stone boat and people hopping on as the tractor pulled it progressively down the track at the local county fair, with nothing more than their STOCK new or almost new john deere G, farmall m or oliver 88 or minnie moline? Which of these tractors (in everyones own opinion) pulled the best with stock power, tires, stock wheel weights, unaltered hitch height and in first gear? This may spark some debate, but It would be interesting to know. Thanks!

not trying to shoot the post down but i wonder with even back then with the m@w stuff offered for the farmalls and the powerblocks offered for the deeres how many were stock back in the day even. Of coarse i know m@w , heisler etc built power up grades for the other brands also.

Well, lets say that you took a brand new, off the showroom floor, farmall m,md, john deere g, minnie u, oliver 88, sheppard, case,allis,or any other kind of brand, got them all up to the same weight, stock tires, stock hitch height (with no paint wore off the drawbar) say a 6000lb class or 6500.....what would pull the best? I would be led to believe that the engineers at all the manufacturing companies set the drawbar up the way it would best pull farm equipment, but what about a transfer sled?

I pulled back then(1955) and they were not stock then, as ML said. I pulled a '36 WC and I had 244ci with a 45 crank and WD 4 1/8 kit. Also made my own manifold with 2 carbs. Had the WC head which I drilled for 3 more headbolts. Had the 9 spring pressure plate, a power plant gov spring and 14.9 tires on 15" peterson wheels. It was very competive at 4000 - 5000. I was only a teenager at the time and was on a budget.

I miss the old days when the tractors were pretty much stock other than the M&W, etc kits put in them. There were no cut tires, aftermarket this and that, and properly tuned tractors and track reading lead to success. Having pulled since 1988, I went forward with some mods as time went on, but never sunk a huge investment in a engine, seeing others break or take unnecessary money away from my family. I remember a gentleman that applied and got several credit cards and maxed them all out building engines for more than one tractor, and just made the minimum payment.. lol. To each his own, but I always could not see the point in spending x amount to just obtain trophies or measly payouts. I kinda retired from it for the most part around 2001, and still pull but probably attend 6 or fewer pulls a season, because now my kids are older and require my support at sports, etc. I took home more than enough hardware thru the years beating some of these "million dollar babies" because the owners had the cash, but didnt have enough sense about reading tracks, weight balance, etc. You cant condemn people that have the means to buy/build these powerhouses of today, but in the early days, there were tons of people around here involved, all would come out have fun, some were old friends, and many new friends were made. Kinda like fellowship more than cutting each others throat. As prices to compete rose, and attitudes became crap, most went another direction and found new hobbies. Now its complaining, whining, etc, about each and everything at any pull. The days of going over a buds house and put a tractor together or help them with equipment problems at a pull itself, have turned into mostly snarly guys that show up, with no expressions, have their 45,000 pickups with color coordinated trailers, and their 20,000+ machine, jabbing at other brands, not even knowing anything about or appreciating the tractor or brand they have. there was a core of us, some my family and close friends that probably represented 40+ people and maybe 60 tractors. We for the most, part ran the circuit together, convoyed together, ate out afterwards, etc. Out of those 40+, maybe 5-10 still pull some or run the local circuit. Im really not trying to sound like Im bashing the current trend, but those were some great days in my life and a lot of fun, but you cant go back.. so I just pull when I can now, or if I want, and even my outdated stuff hangs in there still. As far as the last part of your question, in the days of non cut tires, and no stroking, Allis was tough in light classes, medium classes - Farmalls, JD's Olivers, molines were all competetive, heavy classes were ruled by slow tractors, JD A's, Cockshutts, and 60JDs that were 52 models. In those days, the tractors were seperated - 1939 and older, and 1940-1952. Anything newer? nope couldnt pull.

AL45 how did it run with two carbs been thinking about duing that myself? did it lug good below 1500 rpm our did it sputter and die

Anybody remember John Bockwitz from San Jose, Illinos? (except toolz)
He used to bring his "field" tractors to a pull and put on quite a show. After that, he got the "bug" and pulled the best (but maybe not biggest) John Deeres for a long time.
Was at a antique pull last year and "BIG JOHN" was the center of attraction!

Okayyyy, I think my first time was in 1967?? Dead weight on a stone boat, pull approx. 10 feet, front tires could not leave the ground. Don't emember weight classes, but it seems like JD 60's, Farmall M's & SM's held their own. Our big tractors at that time were 706's, 4010's and 1950-T Olivers. Olivers usually won that battle.In the middle classes, 720's & 730's were pretty strong, followed by the 400 & 800 Cases.The first dual wheeled tractor to show up was a 1256 Farmall in 1970 and we all thought that was a huge tractor. How times have changed.

Mike - Ran fine. On the dyno it would hold at 68 HP. The carbs were from a C. BTW I also had a 45 diesel pto so when they checked speed it was always OK.

We deadweighted on dirt several years as i was growing up. 15 ft for a full pull. 20 inch hitch. Any sized tire. The slower the better. Coop's and John Deere's usually were the ones to beat. Lug the engines and they were hard to beat. It was fun then until they started allowing automotive engines and second trannies to slow them down so they could compete against "real" tractors. They still have a couple pulls a year.

I started in 1955 and have seen it all evolve thru the years.As far as the M&W.&power block answers that were brought up as non stock,those parts were not made for pulling but for farming and that is what we did with them.We had some hot tractors then but we also were farming 3-4000 acres with those same tractors.As far AL and his WC at 68 HP,we had one(WD45) at 65 at stock RPM,farmed with and pulled in the 5000 to 8000 Lbs.classes because 5000 was as light as we could get it and farmed with it at 7-8500 Lbs.I have said tomuch now but have seen too many people go broke and lost most everything(wifes-Homes-Land-Etc.)But to each his own as long as I don't have to pay for it.

As for as antique tractors go around here we have 3 or 4 mile and hour speed limits up to 8MP per hpur most places so every bodie that pulls in slow class has as good a chance as the high horse power tractors.I stared pulling in about 67 when they pulled what they called plow classes and did not weight the tractors and there was souped up tractors then. In my opion things or much fairer now thin they have been. The only difference is the more money you spend the faster you go.We still all have fun and talk and go for comanship.If you dont want to get beat dont strat pulling becuse you are going to win A few and get beat a lot.

I started pulling in the late 60's. My dad and older brothers long before me. All in field stock classes. It was a lot of fun and I have great memories but I wouldn't want to go back,todays pulling has more of a level playing field. Todays pulling has advanced far above what it use to be and makes a class for just about any budget and keeps things a little more equil.I hate to bust anyone's bouble but beleve it or not people cheated back then too with fights and arguments along with great friendships made. That's pulling, it was bragging rights back then as is today. It was fun back then and its fun now.

I started pulling a U moline in 67 I think I paid $100 for it It would run but I was working for the local M M dealer so I took it to his shop and we proceded to put a GB Engine in it, the GB had burnt but not to bad, so a friend of mine and I shared it I got the engine for $500 and he got the rest for $500. So I started with a one inch stroke and a one half in bore U 6X4 3/4 Used an LP manafold with a new Aluminum Carb from a G1000 plus a little head work and 10.5 compression. 125 on the dyno Also I widened the rims and found a set of 15.5 38 FR We pulled 9000 So you see it was always this way. Also I think you could get about any moline engine you wanted from the factory, Including a turbo diesel. You just checked the box for above 7000ft. ft. & R

When tractor pulls were first organized in the early 50s for a year or 2 it was just farmers driving one out of the barn and up the road to the fair. Those were bone stock, I drove a case DC in the fields and it did pretty good at the pull. Yes they used a simple sled with guys hopping on as it moved past.