What’s a grown boy to do when he wants a 1/16-scale model of his favorite collectible farm tractor?

My model Huber collection.

	A box of toy tractor parts.
	Huber Roto-rack separator.
	A Huber LC and L on rubber.
	Huber HK on steel.
	Huber HK on rubber.
	Huber B.
	Huber BG grader.
	Minneapolis-Moline Twin City.

Unless you want a newer model John Deere of an IH-Case, you will look long and hard to find what you want. If you want a model of an older antique tractor or a classic tractor, you can look on eBay or go to a toy show or, maybe, find an auction with an old toy. And most times those toys are just about shot.

But what do you do if you want a Huber tractor, for instance. You will be hard pressed to find one. None are being made today.

Long ago Hubley made a few copies of Huber steam traction engines and steam road rollers. Tootsie toys made a few copies of road rollers, but not 1/16 scale. In the 1920s, a German firm made and sold Huber steam road rollers, but finding one of those is tough and expensive. Besides, those are not farm tractors.

Ertl made one Huber Model L tractor on steel wheels. Frankly, it was a rather crude production not even close to the quality toy for which Ertl is known. Later a collection of cast aluminum Huber toys was made; a Roto-rack separator, a Super Four cross-motor, an HK on steel wheels and a Model B on rubber. All of those are long out of production.

So what if you wanted a more modern HK on rubber? You are out of luck unless you are lucky enough to find one and convert it. What if you wanted a Model L on rubber? Or an LC Huber? Nothing there either.

You could do as Jim Gibbons of Canada did. He was fortunate enough to find a couple of Model L tractors. He converted on L to rubber, added head and taillights and a battery. For the LC, he made major modifications to the L to add drop axles, eliminate the wide front end, construct a steer gear and post, fabricate a Huber hitch and simply make a new tractor.

Me? I have in my collection two of the very early cast iron steam road rollers. I have a Hubley Steam Traction Engine and a Hubley Steam Road Roller. I bought a rough cast aluminum copy of a Roto-rack separator that was just parts and pieces. Although the castings were rough, they cleaned up very well, but I had to furnish all the hardware and make a few missing parts.

I was fortunate also to be able to find two HK tractors. One I kept as found. The other, I located a set of IH wheels with rubber tires and painted the tractor red (as it was painted in 1941 and 1942). One day I’ll find the round spoke F&H wheels similar to those Huber used and put those on the tractor. Perhaps wheels with rubber tires from a John Deere Model D will fill the bill.

Huber built four versions of its only styled tractor, the Model B. I would like to have one tractor of each model; a tricycle cultivating tractor, a wide front end style, an orchard tractor and the grader. So far, I have located three Model B Huber tractors. One, I kept as the original tricycle cultivating tractor. One I made serious modifications to for an early tricycle grader tractor. Currently, I am completely reworking another to make an orchard tractor: widening the front end, lowering the rear end and making a set of fenders. If I ever find another Model B, I’ll make the easiest transformation by cutting off the front axle stub and adding a wide front end.

I still keep my eyes peeled for a Super Four cross-motor. One day perhaps I can add that to my Huber collection.

Another tractor that caught my attention was the 1934-37 Minneapolis-Moline Twin City Model J. None are on the market. I found a relic painted John Deere green and yellow. With just a little work and paint, I now have a great looking Model J Twin City MM tractor.

Sam Moore

From the pages of the Rural New-Yorker...

A Snake Story, June 23, 1883
The best Jersey cow of a writer in the N.Y. Times, a very quiet, petted animal, and a remarkably steady and even milker, came home a short time ago for three afternoons consecutively with less than the usual quantity of milk. This caused inquiry and a watch was kept upon the cow. The cause was discovered by an accident. The cow was lying down in somewhat deep grass near a row of pear trees, when examining the pear blossoms and casually looking over to where the cow was lying, a large black-snake was seen quietly sucking the cow, which seemed quite oblivious of the liberty taken with her. The snake was killed, and was 49 inches long and 7-1/2 inches round at the largest part. It was perfectly gorged with milk.

How Cheap Can We Live? Oct. 31, 1857
Pretty cheap, if we please. Witness a Mr. Thoreau, of Massachusetts, who having borrowed an axe, went down to the shores of Walden Pond, where he built a hut of hewn logs, which he occupied for two years, supporting himself on fruits of the earth, raised by his own hands. During eight months of this period he kept an account of his expenses, which amounted to $60, including $29 paid for materials for his house. (About $1,370 and $660 in today’s terms, respectively. – Ed.)

Sure and Safe Remedies for Fits, May 2, 1850
For a Fit of Passion – Walk out in the open air; you may speak your mind to the winds without hurting anyone, or proclaiming yourself to be a simpleton.

For a Fit of Idleness – Count the tickings of a clock. Do this for one hour, and you will be glad to pull off your coat and go to work.

For a Fit of Extravagance and Folly – Go to the workhouse, or speak with the ragged and wretched inmates of a jail, and you will be convinced that “Who makes his bed of brier and thorn, Must be content to lie forlorn.”

For a Fit of Ambition – Go into the church-yard and read the grave stones; they will tell you the end of ambition. The grave will soon be your bedchamber, earth your pillow, corruption your father, and the worm your mother and sister.

And, on that cheerful note, I'll end this look at the wit and wisdom of the Rural New-Yorker, first published on Jan. 3, 1850.