It Can't Be Done!
A Tractor Story
by Neil Campbell
I'll never forget the time back when I was a boy baling hay on our Farm in Big
Rapid, Michigan. The most memorable event that took place was a trip up the
steepest incline on the farm pulling an old New-Idea baler with a pony-motor for
power and a haywagon. I had just talked my Dad into buying an old John Deere B
with 6-speeds ahead and I was real proud of it, except it was a little smaller
than the Case tractor that we normally used for pulling the heavy baler and
wagon. On the steepest hill on the farm we always had to unhook the hay wagon
from the baler because it was just too much to pull it all up at once. One hot
Summer day when we arrived at that point I suggested to my brothers there that
my old B could do the job where the Case couldn't. I was met with a round of
guffaws and laughs where I was informed that the B certainly could not pull the
baler with a full load of hay up the incline. This defeat without a trial was
more than I could bear and I argued with them for a bit. I determined to show
them that the B COULD do it. The problem was, was I wasn't all that sure
myself.
After lunch I got on the old John Deere B and hooked on to the heavy old New
Idea baler with the pony-motor engine on it with the fully loaded hay wagon
behind it. We started the gas engine on the baler and headed towards the steep
hill. Joining the windrow once again I put the B into low gear and started up
the hill. My brother and sister were riding on the haywagon behind just for the
amusement to see me fail in my attempt to surmount the steepest incline on our
farm with this new tractor. As incline increased the John Deere's tires dug
ever deeper into the ground and the rhythmic cadence of the engine grew ever
louder. As the engine began to slow, I saw the smiles begin to appear on my
spectator's faces on the wagon behind me. I knew they were getting ready for me
to stop and unhook the wagon so I could continue. I could feel the tractor
hunker even lower and deeper in back as I reached forward and advanced the
throttle to give her all she had. The tractor groaned as we approached the
steepest part of the hill and it looked like the old girl wouldn't make it after
all as the engine banged ever louder and slower. I tightened my grip on the
steering wheel and spoke to he, urging her on: "Come on girl, you can do it!
Show'em you can do it! Just this time!" For a while I couldn't tell if the
engine sound was my heart thumping or the tractor's exhaust. I looked back and
the smiles on the haywagon had turned into slack-jawed faces as if they were
expecting something to come apart. With the tires clawing the ground like a
cat on a tin roof and the front wheels nearly weightless, we continued up the
steep incline inch by inch. Baler, wagon, disbelievers and all until we neared
the top. Cheers broke out as we mounted the summit and the John Deere almost
seemed to stand up taller as if it was proud of it's accomplishment. I'll never
forget that day and when I put the B away for the night, I patted her hood as I
smelled the heat coming off her radiator and said, "You're a good tractor" and
then headed in for dinner.
[Comment On This Article] - [View Other Comments]
Home
| Forums
Today's Featured Article -
Earthmaster Project Progress Just a little update on my Earthmaster......it's back from the dead! I pulled the head, and soaked the stuck valves with mystery oil overnight, re-installed the head, and bingo, the compression returned. But alas, my carb foiled me again, it would fire a second then flood out. After numerous dead ends for a replacement carb, I went to work fixing mine.I soldered new floats on the float arm, they came from an old motorcycle carb, replaced the packing on the throttle shaft with o-rings, cut new ga
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
John Deere 60 head ,checked for cracks.
[More Ads]
Copyright © 1997-2023 Yesterday's Tractor Co. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V. Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor HeadquartersWebsite Accessibility Policy |
|