Tonight's Feature Requested by Buckeye is Orchard Tractors.

John B. · Feb 22, 2013

I'll have to find one to post.

Larry NEIL · Feb 22, 2013

Here's my 77...needs a little cosmetic work though! Runs like a top!

Buckeye · Feb 22, 2013

1934 GPO with CC orchard cultivator and 1953 AO. Thanks John B. I do like those orchard tractors!

John B. · Feb 22, 2013

I love the GPO and then the Cultivator. You have some nice looking equipment.

Randysouthmississippi · Feb 22, 2013

My dad had a JD 620 that i always thought might have been an orchard the exhaust was out the bottom from the factory, it was a propane burner. I had never seen a tractor set up quiet like this one. It was veeery heavy, had a wide front end and the front axle was like none i had ever seen as a farm boy.

If it was an orchard someone had stripped all the sheet metal from it.

I tried to find it a few years ago but the guy that last owned it, that i knew, was dead and all three of his sons had passed also, so a dead end.

Leon R · Feb 22, 2013

Here is my 1955 JD60 Orchard without the optional sheet metal shielding. Before and after pics.

Randysouthmississippi · Feb 22, 2013

After looking at these pics i dont believe it was an orchard it didnt have the low slung seat, you sat on top like the row crop models. Could it have been a utility model?

JRB · Feb 22, 2013

Here are a couple... '31 GPO and '38 AOS

EJ70 · Feb 22, 2013

Love to see the old orchard models. Apples pay the bills around here.

JRB · Feb 22, 2013

Best shot I could find on this computer, And I know I took hundreds of pictures while restoring them. Consecutive numbered unstyled '35 AO's.

aarolar · Feb 22, 2013

So explain to me the design application of these orchard tractors, I have no experience in apple orchards but my family has worked 70 acres of pecans for about 50 years now and can't apply it to any of our purposes...

Cliff Nelson · Feb 22, 2013

I don't think they were used much in apple orchards. Most I have seen were used in citrus groves. The low design and shielding prevents damage to the trees and fruit when mowing or cultivating around the trees. Others may have more info.

Cue P. · Feb 22, 2013

Not sure what it is your wondering about but in general the old standard apple trees were pruned similar to a big umbrella. The low hanging branches when loaded with fruit came down to tractor height and would get knocked around thereby damaging or dropping the apples if you drove by with a sprayer or mower. The orchard models were generally built with more sheet metal to brush aside branches, underslung exhaust so as not to catch branches with a muffler, the seat would be lower to keep the operator from bumping branches too. With todays dwarf and semi dwarf trees, high density planting on trellis wires, the old style orhcard tractor is generally not needed. However, newer narrow width tractors are designed for todays planting methods.

aarolar · Feb 22, 2013

(quoted from post at 14:56:28 02/22/13) Not sure what it is your wondering about but in general the old standard apple trees were pruned similar to a big umbrella. The low hanging branches when loaded with fruit came down to tractor height and would get knocked around thereby damaging or dropping the apples if you drove by with a sprayer or mower. The orchard models were generally built with more sheet metal to brush aside branches, underslung exhaust so as not to catch branches with a muffler, the seat would be lower to keep the operator from bumping branches too. With todays dwarf and semi dwarf trees, high density planting on trellis wires, the old style orhcard tractor is generally not needed. However, newer narrow width tractors are designed for todays planting methods.

That's what I was wondering.

Zachary Hoyt · Feb 22, 2013

A heavy wide front would suggest an industrial model, though it seems like often they had the exhaust out the top.
Zach

smallercrawler · Feb 22, 2013

Go to left side of this page, click on "tractor photos"; on that page click "search", enter "orchard". On first page up, click on Case 600-excellent visual of the genre. HTH!

Randysouthmississippi · Feb 22, 2013

I thought industral models were painted yellow, this one was green with the usual yellow trim,and it was original paint. The hood wasn't patched, i know the exhaust was factory. I always hated it cause any work behind it left you breathing those propane exhaust fumes. lol

samn40 · Feb 22, 2013

I live in orchard county and Massey Ferguson has always been to the fore with orchard tractors here. These were built in England, France and italy. Nowadays with all the health and stupidity laws the tractors have to be fitted with 'spraysafe' cabs and the trees pruned to suit.
Sam

John B. · Feb 22, 2013

I wouldn't think orchard model tractors were used in apple orchards either. Pecan and Apple trees are much taller than other fruit trees.

MI AC Parsons · Feb 22, 2013

Haven't learned to 'photo', but I have a '39 LOVE that was used in western Mich orchards.

Mathias NY · Feb 22, 2013

I wanted to show some more tractors that aren"t green.

The first tractor in the orchard is my 1949 Case DO. A looks a little rough, but runs well.

The second picture is from a neighbor"s lineup of Case DO"s.

For anyone who is not familiar with apple farming, the wooden apparatus on the front is used to collect trimmings from the trees in spring. Nearly every farmer has at least one and they are almost always homemade.

EJ70 · Feb 22, 2013

Are you guys switching over to or already have switched to high-density tree planting?

rrlund · Feb 22, 2013

Look something like this?

EJ70 · Feb 22, 2013

Hey Sam,
Just wondering if the growers in your area are doing high-density orchard/planting management?
Thanks

BANDITFARMER · Feb 22, 2013

This is a friend on mines MM Jet Star Orchard tractor that he had at the show last year. Its is diffrent thats for sure and its the first one I have ever seen. Use to be a lot of orchards around us but only a hand full are left now. Bandit

AB · Feb 22, 2013

Oliver

MSD · Feb 22, 2013

One of my BO Lindeman crawlers. Not a tractor but they were first designed for use in the orchards in WA.

Buckeye · Feb 22, 2013

Here is my 1937 Love with Model A Ford engine. I guess they originally had Model B truck engines in them. I think this one was made in Benton Harbor and the later ones made at Eau Claire, MI. Does your '39 look like this, or is it one of those with the big bird cage grilles similar to the Silver Kings?

Ken Macfarlane · Feb 22, 2013

My good friends orchard, picking rocks in a new planting. This is his mowing tractor, a Landini 8680 or something like that. Its narrow, has a tiny loud cab, 90 hp engine and big radial tires. The newer Landini Rex's are much nicer. They have another TN95 narrow for spraying with a much nicer cab and chemical filters.

ss55 · Feb 22, 2013

Does the "38 AOS have electric start? It looks difficult to reach the flywheel to spin it underneath that extended fender.

Rick Kr · Feb 23, 2013

Neighbor runs a large apple orchard. He has 6 orchard tractors and a couple normal MF231s etc with 3 point pallet forks on the back. The orchard tractors are newer high HP, like NH, Landini and a McCormick.

He bought this Kubota in 2011, I wonder what track life is going to be.

Rick

JRB · Feb 23, 2013

No, it's hand started. It's really not bad to get to the flywheel. Pic may be a little deceiving.

Tonight's Feature Requested by Buckeye is Orchard Tractors.

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