Member of the Month: OldPilgrim
Your Name: OldPilgrim
Location: I live next town over from Plymouth, Ma. I’ve worked in Plymouth totaling nearly 35 years before retiring 2 years ago.
Post Count: 211 (#2,613 of all time)
Join Date: 04-17-2014
How long have you been a member of TractorByNet.com?
Since April of this year. I found you while searching for info on Mahindra tractors.
What do you like best about TractorByNet.com?
The variety of information available. Just about anything for someone who likes to do things for himself.
What type of tractors do you own?
I have a 1952 Harry Ferguson TO30 with a Wagner loader and a Kelley 30 backhoe and a Cub Cadet lawn tractor. I also have a newly purchased Mahindra 3016 HST with loader and hoe. Fergie is going to my son who will hopefully use her for many more.
How long have you owned or operated tractors?
About 25 years on my own, although I used to drive my uncle’s Silver King to help him with his fields back in the late 50’s/early 1960’s. So that makes about 50 years of driving tractors, I guess.
What do you enjoy most about tractors?
What’s not to like? They are just so handy to have around.
How often do you use your tractor?
Over the course of the year, probably about every other day or so. It gets used year-round with all the trees around me and the frequent snow we get here in New England.
Tell us about your property:
I have about 4 densely treed acres backed up to about 100 densely treed family owned acres.
Tell us about your vehicles:
After nearly 50 years of buying used cars and trucks, I retired and right off, bought a new Tundra. Best vehicle I ever owned. I have a Pace cargo trailer for carrying my Model T and A. and an older Tioga motor home for the occasional weekend away to the mountains.
Do you have any pets?
One man killer, 10 pound Shih Tzu.
What sort of modifications or customization have you done to your tractor?
I had to make a frame to hang the BH off the back of my tractor. It was a bit heavy for the 3-pt hitch. I also ‘re-plumbed’ the hoe into the loader hydraulics to do away with the PTO powered pump and the large hyd. storage reservoir tank on the hoe. About 10 years ago, I split the tractor and completely overhauled the Z129 Continental engine.
What sort of tools, attachments or equipment do you use with your tractor on a regular basis?
Besides the loader and hoe: chains—lots of them.
What do you mainly use your tractor for?
Dragging logs out of the woods, stacking them, hauling firewood from the split pile to the house, snow removal, stump removal, grading my long, dirt driveway. This is my normal usage now but I used it to help clear the land to build my house, trench and build a couple of septic systems.
What do you like/dislike about the area you live in?
Getting way too built up and congested. Population has more than doubled since I was a kid. I think the motto of the area is: “if there’s space to build a house, build two.”
What sort of terrain is common in your area?
Mostly flat, but many rolling hills.
What sort of trees and vegetation are common in your area?
Large white pines, up to 100 feet tall, many large oaks, maples, birches. We have sassafras growing everywhere on my property. It smells so nice when I have to uproot some. Also wild raspberries, wild blueberries, and wild rhododendrons.
What’s something most TractorByNet members don’t know about you?
I’m a direct descendant of 13 of the original Mayflower families—hence my screen name.
I served in the U.S. Army Security Agency and did most of my 4 years active duty assigned to the National Security Agency during the Vietnam War.
What are some of your other hobbies?
I’m an NRA Patron Life member, certified instructor and avid shooter and firearms collector.
I have completely restored several Model A and Model T Fords. My first car was a 1931 Model A roadster that I did an every-nut-and-bolt restoration on during high school. The black & white picture below is me in 1963. I still have the car. My other current antique is a 1914 Model T touring car. The first picture here is my wife and I driving on a dirt road in Vermont about 20 years ago.
