Collecting Case Orchard Tractors

By Bill Vossler
Published on April 1, 2007
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 A 1951 Case DV vineyard special. Designed specifically for vineyard work, the DV is 9 inches narrower than the Case DO, which is designed for orchard grove applications.
 A 1951 Case DV vineyard special. Designed specifically for vineyard work, the DV is 9 inches narrower than the Case DO, which is designed for orchard grove applications.
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Three of the Buckerts' five Case orchard tractors (front to back): 1951 Case DV vineyard special, 1942 Case SO and 1947 VAO.
Three of the Buckerts' five Case orchard tractors (front to back): 1951 Case DV vineyard special, 1942 Case SO and 1947 VAO.
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 A 1947 Case VAO. The VAO is wider than its companion Case SO.
 A 1947 Case VAO. The VAO is wider than its companion Case SO.
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 A 1942 Case SO.
 A 1942 Case SO.
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 Fred Buckert with a couple of orchard tractors, a 1947 VAO on the left, and a 1942 Case SO on the right.
 Fred Buckert with a couple of orchard tractors, a 1947 VAO on the left, and a 1942 Case SO on the right.
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 A 1947 Case VAO. “That one is my favorite orchard tractor,” says Danny Buckert, “because I found it, and because it was our first one.” Case produced just 5,254 VAO tractors.
 A 1947 Case VAO. “That one is my favorite orchard tractor,” says Danny Buckert, “because I found it, and because it was our first one.” Case produced just 5,254 VAO tractors.
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 Danny Buckert.
 Danny Buckert.
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 Alan Buckert with another rare item from the Buckley antique collection, a Case mounted corn picker.
 Alan Buckert with another rare item from the Buckley antique collection, a Case mounted corn picker.

The Buckert family of Hamilton, Ill., collects Case orchard tractors for three reasons. 

First, as a family, they’ve collected tractors for more than 40 years. Second, the Case orchard tractors they favor are different from most tractors found in Illinois, where they live. And third, Case orchard tractors were built in small numbers.

“My dad, Fred Buckert, has been collecting tractors forever,” says Danny Buckert. “All of us kids just grew up around all these old tractors.” The clan includes Danny’s brothers Kenny and Alan; Kenny’s son, Kyle; and Danny’s sons Jared and Jeremy.

Fred was president of the J.I. Case Collectors’ Association for many years. During that time, the association published production numbers for Case VA and Case SO tractors. “(VA and SO) were low production and ‘oddball’ in this part of the country, and we tend to go that way,” Danny says of the family’s collection of more than 100 tractors.

For Midwesterners, orchard tractors have special appeal. “The orchards are something different, a specialty tractor used in Florida or California or Michigan. You don’t see a lot of them in the Midwest,” Danny says. “Not a lot of them were built, and few are left today, because they had a tough life, getting pretty well beat up.”

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