FARM COLLECTOR Farm Life

Crosscut-Sawing Contest Proves the Importance of Well-Maintained Equipment

Travis Brown — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:49:49 CST

After coming in second the year before, Jim Coyle shows how a sharp saw makes the difference in a crosscut-sawing competition at the Illiana show in Boswell, Ind.

Finding the Family Farmall: One Nephew's Search for his Uncle's Tractor

Sam Sayeed — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:59:22 CST

Nephew's relentless search for his uncle's 1944 Farmall Model H tractor pays off.

Baling Hay in the 1940s: Hay Baler Earned Its Vicious Reputation

Dale Geise — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:35:38 CST

Dale Geise recalls the days when his family baled hay - and the inherent danger.

Super-Sized in 2009: I&I Antique Tractor & Gas Engine Club Show

Leslie C. McManus — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:59:59 CST

Things may have been downsized in '09 but Historic Farm Days was not one of them.

Collecting Authentic Pieces: Antique Farm Equipment in Original Condition

Leslie C. McManus — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:49:08 CST

Farm relics in such exceptional condition that cosmetic restoration would be a crime.

National Farm Machinery Show

Terri Keitel — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:49:38 CST

The 45th National Farm Machinery Show (NFMS) in Louisville, Ky., was held Feb. 10-13, 2010. You need your map handy when you are navigating the aisles and halls of the Kentucky Exposition Center, where the show is held.

Indoors, it covers 27 acres! I think the shoe companies have to profit from shows like this too! My strategy was to weave through the sea of visitors carrying goodies in their bags and to dodge the occasional yardsticks tapping a trail, as I made my way from one end to the other.

Letters - Website revives memories of old days on the farm

Roy Thorn — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:01:36 CST

"I'm 81 and was a town kid, but during World War II we all had to help out on the farms. ..."

Loading a John Deere Model B

Sam Moore — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:50:09 CST

Long ago, I saw an old rust-covered tractor for sale beside the road and immediately stopped.

Upon closer scrutiny, the derelict turned out to be a 1939 John Deere Model B, serial number 79014, equipped with steel rear wheels and rubber-tired fronts that still held a little air. It was love at first sight, at least on my part, and I called the number listed on the sign.

The owner and I quickly agreed on a price (actually, he quoted a price and I agreed), and I was the proud owner of the forlorn little B. All I now had to do was get a non-running tractor with steel lug wheels onto my trailer for the ride home.

Firsthand Account from a McCormick Harvester Co. Salesman

Courtesy Richard Stout and Ashley Stout — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:20:29 CST

McCormick Harvester Co. salesman Daniel B. Klopfenstein's letters home paint picture of international agriculture in the early 1900s.

Shopping at the Swap Meet

Leslie McManus — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:40:13 CST

When it comes time to procure a gift for me, the last place my husband heads is the mall. He would, as he readily admits, "rather take a beating." Instead, he does what any clear thinking man would do when shopping for his wife: He trolls the swap meets at tractor shows.