MARK ROBKE
Well-known Member
Bill, I read your reply on the rust pic's post, but since it is 3 pages back I thought I'd re-reply here! After WWII my Dad and Uncle decided to modernize-they put electric in the barn and milkhouse, and bought a tractor and equipment. I always remember they did not care for tricycle tractors, and for what and where we used tractors for the utility style was better and much more nimble. And the the Ford 3pt hitch was more handy too. They bought everything in 1948, an 8n, a plow, disc, scraper blade, side mower. But then they bought an Allis Chalmers rake, and the IH-McCormick Deering 50t baler, and also an IH manure spreader. I think they were friendly with the IH dealer and were the first ones in northern Ky. to have a baler. So they did a lot of custom baling. The funny part is they at first borrowed a neighbor's H or M Farmall to pull the baler. But one day they decided to use the 8n and got by just fine. Later they got a second 8n, a '50, and traded the '48 for it. Then they added a '52 model 8n. Then they traded for '53 Jubilee with a Wagner loader and a side mower. But the Jubilee took too long to remove the loader and put on the side mower. So in '56 they traded the Jubilee for the '55 Ih 300u. It was the first used tractor they bought, only had 75hrs, and came with a 34u loader, fast hitch plows, a carry-all, and fast hitch 7' mower. The loader only takes about 5 minutes to remove and maybe 10 minutes to install. So the 300u became the baler tractor, but I think over all the 8n got used about twice as much as the 300u. They later added a 340u to the fleet and then it did most of the plowing,(instead of the 8n) disking, and all the mowing. I still own the 300u. Mark.