Start of a long loving project

_RaT_ · Jul 21, 2005

Nice story Dave. You captured my imagination about what your Grandfather must have done with the tractor as well as all the trials and tribulations going on in their lives and the world back in those days.

PS the rear tires are on backwards for normal use.

yooperdave · Jul 21, 2005

That looks a dead ringer for my girlfriend's Fergusson 30 or 35 tractor?

Enclosed is a picture of her Father & myself just before collecting the hay.

Yooper Dave

DaveNay · Jul 21, 2005

The rear tires are backwards because when we went to load it on the trailer, the wheels were 1" too wide to fit between the fenders (wheels on tractor were set to widest possible). We had to unbolt the wheels (which probably hadn't been off since the 70's! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif) and turn the hubs around. Due to the fact that the tires are loaded, and we only had a single jack, we just turned them around in place instead of swapping them left to right. Wasn't easy, as it was about 95 and 85% humidity that day, with both of us leaning on the breaker bar to loosen the lugs.

Dave

Highbeam · Jul 21, 2005

You beat me to it on the rear tires. Maybe he was smarter than us.

I wish I could pick up a piece of family history like that.

DaveNay · Jul 21, 2005

( That looks a dead ringer for my girlfriend's Fergusson 30 or 35 tractor?)

Take a look at this page. There in the last paragraph you will see a (very) brief description regarding the relationship between Henry Ford and Harry Fergusson. Essentially after the 2N, Ford welched on his deal with Fergusson, and Ferggusson produced the nearly identical TO-20 and -30 tractors.

Dave

DHennet · Jul 21, 2005

What is that little Deere in the background?

gmsssi · Jul 21, 2005

Lucky!

DaveNay · Jul 21, 2005

( What is that little Deere in the background? )

That was my cousins first tractor restoration. I believe it is a 1960's model 110.

Dave

DHennet · Jul 21, 2005

Thanks. You guys have some neat stuff going on. Good luck.

Bob_Skurka · Jul 21, 2005

Dave, the only thing better than restoring the old iron machinery is restoring one with family history. Have fun, you are creating longer term memories for more of your family. That tractor, and consequently your grandparents, will live on through your kids and your nieces and nephews as more than a memory it will be tangible to them and will mean much more. I applaud you.