Brian wrote on Friday, December 01, 2000 (PST): Chris what a great article! I thought it was only me that walked down the rows of old scrap tractors in the Junk Yard or behind buildings on farms and got that terrific surge of "wanting to get that thing running and working". Thank you for putting that feeling into words. Steve W wrote on Friday, December 01, 2000 (PST): I agree with your article on restoration. I recently restored an old Ford 2N to like new condition, and to be honest, it has tempoarily lost it's "Soul". Almost 60 years of battle scars had given it the look of a veteran warrior, and now it is of an adolescent boy, eager for experience. There was a small dent in the hood, and it was the last thing to be repaired. It looked as it had been there a long time, and I can only imagine the sense of frustration I am sure the prideful owner of this well kept machine must have felt when whatever caused it happenned. It felt like history that shouldn't be erased. I left it. Thanks for relating. Dave wrote on Friday, December 01, 2000 (PST): Great story. I have an old 9n. Sometimes I think about painting it but I don't want to ruin it. pete wrote on Saturday, December 02, 2000 (PST): GREAT job! This is why YT is on my favorites! Keep up the good work. Jeremy wrote on Saturday, December 02, 2000 (PST): Nice article!!! I often wonder, as I am working one of my old Cases, about how many times the tractor has done the same job before. I always think about how many pairs of coveralls were wore off on the old steel seats. I don't really want to repaint my tractors because then I will be afraid to use them. I would rather just keep them working and let them tell their own history. TMAC wrote on Saturday, December 02, 2000 (PST): When I'm driving my '37 F30, I look across the hood and imagine the first owner looking across the hood at a time well into the depression, the threat of Hitler not yet realized, and so much history yet to come. Long ago but yet I can somewhat experience it by sitting in that seat. Scott wrote on Monday, December 04, 2000 (PST): Great article! A lot of people think its crazy for a tractor to have a soul. I'm not one of them. Many is the time I've seen an old tractor, maybe one of my own and thought "of inly this old girl could talk." Scott wrote on Monday, December 04, 2000 (PST): Great article! A lot of people think its crazy for a tractor to have a soul. I'm not one of them. Many is the time I've seen an old tractor, maybe one of my own and thought "of only this old girl could talk." Rick in NC wrote on Monday, December 04, 2000 (PST): A really touching article written by someone who obviously cares as much about the people associated with old tractors as he does about the tractors themselves. I have an old 1950 A-C Model B that I know the complete history of from date of purcase. It was purchased new in 1950 by a disabled gentleman who wanted to tend a large garden because he loved to garden. He gave away most of his produce, but he enjoyed watching it grow. When he died in 1964, his wife sold the tractor to a strawberry farmer near Greensboro, NC. He used it for over 30 years until he retired and sold it to me. It has been brush painted several times with various colors of orange and has been modified to meet the needs of the previous owners over the past 50 years (i.e. a Monroe seat was added because the bench seat rusted and rotted away. It was converted to 12 volts and a 3-point hitch was added so that it would start better and be more compatible with the strawberry farmer's other implements). It leaks motor oil around the front and rear seals and the hydraulics won't hold a load very well, but it runs great and pulls strong. It is far from perfect, but I feel that I have been entrusted with a piece of NC agricultural history, no matter how small. I will continue to apply new coats of brushed orange paint as required until it is passed along to the next guardian of the little jewel. Most importantly, I will continue to use it as intended on my little farm because it seems to be much happier and I know that I am much happier watching it work just as it has done for 50 years. Yes, a perfectly restored tractor is a pleasure to look at, but little "Alice" as my wife and I call her is perfect enough for me. Steve Baker wrote on Monday, December 04, 2000 (PST): Thanks for a very touching story. I just points out how machines are just a catalist for the people it draws. John Ne. wrote on Tuesday, December 05, 2000 (PST): As a veteran of a nebraska farm, and a few dozen threshing bees/tractor shows, I like the tractor brought in with the faded paint as a counterpoint to the shiny polished restorations. The ones with the field modifications, and welding scars, of nights out by the shed getting it ready for another day. A JI Case steamer at a show was huffing at the belt of a thresher, nearby were two meticulously painted steamers waiting, somebody asked the engineer afterwards when he was gonna paint his. He looked up at the awning, the engine,flywheels and boiler, traces of red and green, with faint gilt still evident of long ago pinstripes, and replied; "Son, its wearing its work clothes, why would I put it in a suit?" old cars, old trucks, and OldTractors do have soul, they speak if you can listen. Scott Battersby wrote on Friday, December 08, 2000 (PST): Great story, Chris. In fact, it made me teary eyed at the end. I, too, sometimes wonder, when I see scrap, about the history of THAT scrap, and why it is in the junk in first place. Our JD 420 has been in the family since new, and isn't restored either. I don't know if I can restore it now, after reading this. I had never thought of it like that before because even if it is restored, all the history will still be there for me, anyway. I would like to see how it looked new because that was before my time.. Tom wrote on Sunday, December 17, 2000 (PST): Great article Chris. I have restored a 9N and when I look at her in my barn I wonder what stories it would tell if it could talk. The first time they brought her home to the farm how every body came out of the house to see her and how Dad was so happy to have such a machine for his farm. Then I think when did they start to leave her out and didn't bother to check the oil any more and then just not used that old thing any more.Maybe when that new big machine came it signaled the end.Well Henry Ford would be proud of this old girl now she can stand next to any new machine and still do the work it was made for so many years ago. Thanks again. Tom Maritha wrote on Friday, December 22, 2000 (PST): This is a real beauty. You should write for www.themestream.com and make a few dollors. Your talent brings tears to my eyes; your heart will warm others' souls. Carleton wrote on Monday, December 25, 2000 (PST): I pressure washed it,I primed ,sanded,and painted it.Show it of to a friend.And he said. You did all that,but why didn`t you take the dents out. And I respond, Icouldn`t bring myself to it. Thanks for your story. Larry wrote on Friday, December 29, 2000 (PST): I just purchased a '52 Farmall and it's just like the one I drove for the first time. I was getting ready to break it down to do a complete retro. Well this story is making me think about that. I just may want the history to follow the tractor. Thanks,great story. Paul Houston wrote on Friday, December 29, 2000 (PST): whew,What a story but yet Been ther done that and your never the same afterwards ron belzer wrote on Saturday, December 30, 2000 (PST): Thanks . Urban people need to read this. It might foster a little understanding of rural people and our culture. God knows they need it. Neal VanderWaal wrote on Saturday, December 30, 2000 (PST): What a beautiful article. We just lost my Dad on December 2, and I'm having a hard time seeing through the tears. We spent many years looking at and restoring tractors. The highlight of the year was the Rock Valley Thresheree where we spent many hours looking at the rows of tractors - remenising about his life on the farm and the progress he had seen in his lifetime. Those days are gone now but every time I see an old tractor, my Dad is standing there with me. Thank you, Chris! Dan Sullivan wrote on Thursday, April 11, 2002 (PDT): Great story Chris. This is why when I get a tractor, I try to get some of the history of the people that owned it and make a poster of the tractors history to display with it. Han Dingerink, Zwolle The Netherlands wrote on Tuesday, May 21, 2002 (PDT): Fully agree with your story, every tractor tells you a story of its own. Alan wrote on Wednesday, March 05, 2003 (PST): Here, here, Chris! You are right, every tractor tells a story and the perfect restoration may be no restoration at all. Great story. Alan Tim Malin wrote on Wednesday, March 05, 2003 (PST): I often walk through salvage yards and junk yards, and look at the equipment. Although I am a red fan, I have equal RESPECT for the green. I look at abandoned equipment, pickers, pull type combines, old planters, tractors, and many more, and wonder, if it could talk, what stories would it tell? This equipment was ACTUALLY used!!! It was someone's pride and joy, some used every single day, and probably could tell some amazing stories. Imagine the picker abandoned because its owner caught his fingers in the machine. Imagine the feelings a pull type has because it was replaced simply for a new machine, and never to be used again? Old equipment does not die a repectable death, a very sad story that i think feeds all of us equipment restorers to renew life to awesome machines. Marty Stange wrote on Wednesday, March 05, 2003 (PST): I have recently became involved with the restoration of a family owned tractor. This hobby was "encouraged" (actually forced) upon by my wife and doctor. I was encouraged to get a hobby to help me relax. I am so thankful for their thoughtfulness. I hope everyone could have a wife like mine. I have only recently started restoration on a Farmall C purchased in 1948 by my Grandfather Henry "Bus" Stange. I was having a hard time trying to decide how to restore the "C" until I read your article. I could not bring myself to change any of the parts out because each dent and patch told a story about the family who used it. Thank you. I now know how to restore the "C". I am going to try preserve the family story. Shaggy wrote on Sunday, July 27, 2003 (PDT): Your story really hit home and made me think back a little to when my Dad and I used to take off in the morning and go Yard hopping looking for parts or just looking to see what we could find that was different. Thanks. Shaggy jeb2n wrote on Sunday, July 27, 2003 (PDT): Wow! I have felt exactly the same way on many, many occaisions. You have eloquently and accurately expressed feelings I have had for a long time but could not quite put into the proper form. A truly stirring and moving article. I salute you on this one. Thank you. Fred Martin wrote on Tuesday, October 07, 2003 (PDT): Well, your story is very touching and the standard that some of us should file away in the back of our minds for future tractor restoring...but about that rain gutter downspout exhaust pipe, cousin Richard and I just had to do this to uncle Bill's M Farmall...it supposedly gave it more power and she would really talk to you...(age 12 and 14). Then at sge 14 and 16 when we traded the Whizzer motorbike for the 30 model A coupe that we could run out in the country (no drivers license) and the city boys couldn't run in town (underage too)...we put a well pipe exhaust on it and had her out in the roadway in the wheat field seeing what she'd do and you remember those old mechanical brakes...they wouldn't let us stop in time for that nice wooden gate that we hit. We smeared some mud on it and put the A model up for a while and when the farm owner was out looking over the wheat crop and told uncle Bill he had found this pipe out in the field and did he know where it came from? Cousin Richard and I were there and were holding our breath at the outcome of this...when uncle Bill said...I don't know...but I heard an airplane going over the other day and it was doing a lot of rattling. Downspout exhaust...it bought back a great big grin from me...reminded me also of the well pipe. Fred OH ken wrote on Tuesday, October 07, 2003 (PDT): Very nice story. Thanks Will Sick wrote on Tuesday, October 07, 2003 (PDT): IEnjoyed reading this. It brings back so many memories for me about some of the people I knew and the tractors they had.I would like to see some of those people and their machines again but they are etched in my memory and there those perfect restorations remain. Burt Compton wrote on Thursday, December 18, 2003 (PST): Wonderfully written. Pulled me into the story. I was right there - thinkin' of my Dad on our Farmall Cub. Well done. Thank you. Craig Thoricht wrote on Saturday, January 15, 2005 (PST): As I read your story I was reminded of why I am so deeply interested in this hobby. Every single piece of this equipment was used to help a family get through to the next year. If these old tractors could talk the history and stories they could tell would astonish all of us. Last September I bought a Farmall M that is slowly coming back to its former glory. Yes, IH made hundreds of thousands of these but this tractor came to my house because of its history. I never met the man that farmed with it,but I met his widow and one of his daughters. This tractor, to me, embodies all That made our country what it is. This "M" helped raise a family of 4 children and helped keep 40 acres of Medina County, Ohio land some of the most productive land anywhere. I'm grateful for the opportunity to help preserve a piece of that history for my children and theirs. Your article was really great in that we can't lose sight of the people that used these things the way they were supposed to. Craig jim wrote on Thursday, February 15, 2007 (PST): That was a very poignant story. Thanks for shareing, we all can relate. My grampa would come over when he was in his 70s and drive my new 1066 and marvel how big it was and could get so much done. I ll never get rid of it. Keith Donetta wrote on Friday, August 17, 2007 (PDT): A very moving, thought provoking story. And, oh so true. Thank you, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Joe Ruley wrote on Monday, February 15, 2010 (PST): You know what....you bring up a very interesting point...seen it like that alot and its true...some times original is perfect...with every story intact. Jim Vaden wrote on Friday, August 12, 2011 (PDT): GREAT article. Very well written . It reflects a keen sense of what the hobby is all about--history. Like Mr. Pratt, I wonder about the family or families who have owned my tractors, what happened to their farming operations, children, etc. I wish our old machines could talk. And yes, each old tractor could write a nonfiction novel. Thank you Mr. Pratt for a very well written treatise. Jim V Bill(Wis) wrote on Monday, February 15, 2021 (PST): Beautifully done. Thank you!

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