Anyone gotta T*O*O*T?

[color=darkblue:9bede2b180][/color:9bede2b180]T*O*O*T = Tale Of Old Tractor
Don't hold back, let's hear one.

Good grief, I posted this yesterday and peeked late last evening hoping for something to read...why would this go POOF! ???

I'll shoot one off first: I recall back in the mid '60's my uncle would stop at the bottom of the farm yard; shift his little - but not to me at the time - Ford 8N, into low and head up the steep gravel lane and swing a sharp right to go past the windmill and pull into the haymow with the load of bales. Not always, but often, the front end of the 'red belly' Ford would bobble up and down - both front tires - before reaching the top of the knoll. Grandma always said I needed to get off the tractor at the bottom as she didn't want me to get hurt. Decades later I realize if that little tractor stalled out, it could have been disastrous. My uncles 'big' tractor was an 860 Ford which was left in the field with the baler attached. Two tractors; by an old platbook - 227.5 acres; never a barn cleaner, silo unloader, step-saver or pipe-line. It was the two Surge bucket milkers poured into the stainless steel pail, then to the cans. Very late a bulk tank.

OOPPPSS...I got ripping off a lot.

Sorry for the non tractor info there, once I got going, I guess I couldn't hold it in. :lol:

Yea, I though we tooted the other day.
Maybe "T*O*O*T" has another meaning that we don't know about.

When I was young my fathers uncle had an 8n , He had an old horse drawn cultivator that he would tow with the 8n,I would sit on the seat of the cutivator and there were pedals that would steer each side wheel,It really worked good,but he needed room at the ends to turn it around,He did all lot of stuff with the 8n, That is why I bought this 8n ,his had thin tires on the front too,it reminded me of his tractor and some of the memorys.

Larry, did you buy that from Lyle?

No ,dont you remember,rusted used to have an 8n,but he sold it!

Growing up, we lived on a 141 acre farm. Our 2 tractors were a Farmall H and F-12. Had brothers 1 and 2 years younger than I. We would work the ground with the H and disc and harrow. We planted corn and soybeans with the F-12 and converted John Deere 2 row horse drawn planter. Some one had to ride on the seat of the planter to lower and raise the planter at the ends of the rows. Many times the one riding would set the planter down and then walk to the other end of the field and wait for the planter to get there and jump on and raise the planter and let it down again to start the new row. When we had the ground worked ahead, that tractor driver would wait at one end of the field and the other would wait at the other end. Saves a lot of walking and hard riding on the steel seat.

Gene

Since you're talking Fords, it reminds me of Grandpa's 860 I have
in the shed. My Grandparents took over the farm in 1959, and in
the early 1960's when they started a dairy herd they needed
more than the RC Allis Chalmers and the horse machinery that
had the hitches shortened to pull with the tractor. Grandma and
Grandpa bought brand new a Ford sickle mower, a Nixon 5
wheel rake, and a Ferguson square baler. They also needed a
better tractor, and the dealer had two slightly used Fords, a 600
and an 860. Grandpa opted for the 600 due to the lesser cost of
the tractor. After having his new machinery home a couple of
weeks, grandma could tell grandpa just wasn't happy. He finally
admitted he had made a mistake and really wished they had
spent the extra money and bought the 860 wit the live pto and
more horsepower, especially for the baler. Grandpa was a very
quiet person, and grandma knew he would just "live" with the
600 and always wish he had the 860. Unbeknown to him, she
called the dealer and explained the situation. They still had the
860, and said they would be happy to give a full refund on the
600 and bring the 860 out if Grandma would pay the difference
in price between the two tractors, When the 860 arrived,
grandpa couldn't believe what Grandma had accomplished. He
loved that 860, and it was his "big" tractor from 1960 until 1990,
and he could move mountains with that machine. After using the
Ford to move large round bales from 1983 until 1990, grandma
finally bought him a 170 Allis Chalmers with a cab and an all
hydraulic loader. He swore he had no need for such a machine,
and grandma literally drove to the dealer, bought the tractor,
and had it delivered. Grandpa never saw it until it arrived in the
yard. Just like the 860 30 years before, he thought grandma was
pretty amazing for what she accomplished. Grandpa retired the
Ford to chore tractor at that time and used the Allis for the heavy
work. He only got to enjoy that tractor until 1993. He had a heart
attack while cutting hay with the 170 and haybine. He made it to
the hospital, but doctors determined he also had a bad heart
valve. They said he had to have a replacement, but the
replacement valve was defective and he died unexpectedly in the
hospital the day grandma was supposed to bring him home. He
was 67 years young. The RC, the 860, and the 170 are all still
here on the farm, and the 170 is still used almost daily for
feeding the beef herd.

I can remember doing similar things with an 8N. If the front end would get light I would throw the sand tubes from the back of the pickup across the hood to keep it down. It's amazing that tractor kept ticking all those years.

We had a Farmall H that was always hooked to the mixer grinder. It was only used for that, rolling electric fence wire with a homemade belt pulley attachment, and pulling the grain cart. I loved grinding day because that old tractor just purred and seemed to have a personality. The only thing better was running it in road gear back to the wheat field.

It never had a battery in it that I remember. We always just hooked onto it and pulled it. It was always running before the hood left the shed. I laugh now because for all those years I didn't know that a muffler was an option on them. We were just too tight to have such nonsense.

I was so sad when we retired the H because it kept overheating. Looking back now I am sure it just needed a head gasket. One day it was just gone. When I asked where it went I was told the junk man came and got it. He was the same one who got our green 5 window Chev pickup. I was so sad I felt like a dog had died.

I bought an M of my own to use as a loader tractor. It doesn't hold the same hook that old H did, but I still flash back every single time I get on it.

When I was growing up the N series Fords and H farmalls were the work horses that paid for farms and sent the kids to school in my neighborhood. They plowed and planted the land, cut and baled the hay, then harvested the crops in the fall.

For those that think those tractors were too small to do any worthwhile work, you have never had to do those jobs with a team of mules. People then were happy just to make a living for their families, now they try to farm the entire county. Joe

Yep,every farm around here had an 8N,9N or 2N. All summer you'd see them hooked to hay wagons with the wheels set out for cultivating.

Setting the wheels out.That's how I got my first stitches when the jack handle slipped and I bumped My head on Grandpa's 8N. It was a pretty good cut on My forehead and Dad took me up on grandma's front porch and hollered through the screen door for some help and my Aunt came and looked at me and said "Purce get him off the porch he is getting blood everywhere". I have to say that did not make Me feel much better.
Ron

"Rusty" My brother's 3020 bought from a construction co. that used it to power a pto pump. Dam broke and tractor ended up under water. Mechanic messed up motor fixing it. My brother bought it after years of sitting to use it as a garden tractor. Rebuilt motor, new tires and used it for a couple of years around his house no problem. We carried it the farm 50 miles away where the big tractors stay. We used it to pull the corn picker. I have never seen a happier tractor always cranked right up never missed a beat. Till we tried to take it home then it would not start or had a flat tire or both. Every time we could not get it home My brother would borrow My Ford. Finally we gave up and I sold him my Ford and the 3020 is still at the farm runs great and not had a flat tire since.
Ron

Oh, I guess I"m a bit confused. I thought Lyle had an 8N that had rusted and he sold it to you to be restored. LOL

Even my 8N would look good sitting there, Larry. Very nice picture.

my grampa and dad owned a ford tractor dealership, i grew up on and love fords. my grandma took a picture of me at 1 yr old standing
beside front whhel of 8000 ford dad brought home to use on farm,dads brother bought a 8000 new still has it on the farm with over 15000 hrs on it. always loved these 8000s and last year i found 1 built in 72 also year i was born and bought it and have on my farm and my boys love it too.

I too remember doing some things with too small tractorsthat tested the limits of sanity. I was about 14 when Dad sent me to the local elevator with two wagon loads of corn to get shelled. I had his old Allis B and alol went well until I got the corn shelled and loaded on the wagons and headed for home. I decided to get a cold pop at the local drive-in as it was a pretty hot day. I could have driven about two blocks out of my way and crossed the railroad at a crossing, but I decided to save a little time and go over a bridge. I has the Allis in second gear but ran out of power about half-way up. I knew I'd never back two wagons back down so I hooked it in low, let out the clutch and contemplated on what I'd tell Dad when he showed up. Fortunately the Allis was on her best behavior, never missd a beat and pulled everything over the top. BUT I STILL REMEMBER LOOKING DOWN, SEEING THE TIRES STARTING TO SLIP IN THE HOT TAR OF THE ROAD!! And that was over 50 years ago.

Larry; prior to my viewing the sound-backs to my T*O*O*T, I read and posted regarding Ben; read about your smart offspring and admire your great calendar image 8N.

And how I remember now, thanks to you T*O*O*T ers, who brought it back to me...how W..I..D..E my uncles 8N was set for cultivating. Dad had to explain that to this youngster-at-the-time.

My uncle swapped one 8N for another, either trading off or acquiring one with the overdrive. Decades have passed and I can't recall which now. I also remember the large 'buzz saw', belt driven off the pulley for cutting firewood mounted to the three-point.

Again, grandma would be warning me to stay clear of the large blade and belt. Ahhh, that wonderful aroma of sawdust and fresh winter air.

Thanks for sharing...and it didn't get POOFED or cause a stink. :lol: