LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Going by a picture in the October 2003 John Deere TRADITION, page 25, my guess would be that Wolf’s planter would be a Model #99 by the style of the box lid. I would guess the Model #99 was painted the same as the Model #9. That is only my guess. I would also guess John Deere green and yellow wasn’t used until the Model #999 was produced.

From another publication, I found some colored pictures of John Deere horse-drawn equipment and what color they were new. I hope this information will be of some help.

– Martin H. Lohaus 9163 Highway 82 E. Blossom, TX 75416 (903) 982-5648

A Dain duplicate lurking in the field?

After reading and seeing the pictures of the John Deere Dain tractor in the June 2004 edition, it immediately reminded me of a very similar tractor I saw at Oscar’s Dreamland west of Billings, Mont.

This was in the spring of 1998, the first day of their three-day estate sale. Although I may have forgotten some of the details, everything I do remember about the tractor was the same as I now see in the article.

Does anyone know what may have happened to the one at Oscar’s? There may be a second tractor out there somewhere. Any information will be helpful.

– Herman Vander Vos 25971 Norris Road Bozeman, MT 59718

Editor’s note: Other Dain tractors are known to exist, but the tractor noted in the article is the only complete example to date.

Massey-Harris wear and tear

In 1949, I bought a Massey-Harris 21A combine out of a corner in a field. We pulled it home 40-plus miles with a pick up truck.

I completely went through it and used it for several years, did a lot of custom work – wheat and bean. I installed a Hesston finger auger in the platform, and that made a great difference. Later, I put power steering on it, which changed the ground drive pulley to two sets of drive speeds.

Later, I put aircraft tires on it instead of the 9-by-24s, which made a great difference. The header control was electric but sure worked okay. I sure wish I had it now. I traded it for a Super 27, which was a big machine. Then in 1958, I got a Massey 82 with a corn head and I used it for many years.

I am 86 years old and still farm 160 acres of corn and beans. I like your magazine.

– Fred Dahler R.R. 3, Box 103 Pana, IL 62557 

Hot potato topic

– Lee Davison R.R. 1, Box 128 Denton, NE 68339 (402) 797-3695

I would appreciate any possible information on the items pictured such as dates and values.

The double-bottom, one-way plow has IHC Co., P&O on one plow beam. The grist mill, which I extracted from an old-iron pile and worked on this past winter, is a Sears Model 292-14 mill. The one-row corn planter has no identification marks of any kind – the part numbers are stamped but not raised, and it’s quite old. The little pedal tractor has no markings, either.

– Clifford Foreman 1787 Fish Hatchery Road Lewistown, MT 59467 (406) 538-3587

Plow hook mystery solved

The mystery of the plow hooks is solved – at least to my satisfaction. Howard Fay, Durango, Iowa, who restored and kept about 20-plus walking plows, drew a diagram like this picture. The rod should be 1/2 inch thick. It was used to support the clevis bolt.

Thanks to all the people who wrote to me and Farm Collector for I printing the letter.

– Edward Sindt 1123 Indian Ave. Rock Rapids, IA51246

Looking for ‘uplifting’ information

I need information on a John Deere grain wagon lift. It has a winch and a cable. The cable goes through the pipes that the wagon is parked on. There is no overhead beam, and the winch is driven by PTO or other source, and has a clutch-and-brake affair. When the wagon gets high enough, a rod is tripped to cut off the winch, and the brake is set.

Any information would be helpful.

 I really like your magazine. It has good stories, information and comes once a month.

– D.L Christensen P.O. Box 444 Lebanon, GA 30146-0444

Cultivating the correct colors

I have these two horse-drawn cultivators. The one in the back is a Planet Jr. It has 12 teeth with no replace able points. I would like to know what its original colors were to repaint it properly.

The cultivator in the front has five teeth with replaceable teeth points. I would like to find out what name it is and what its original colors were to paint it, too.

Except for the handle braces, the plow on page 6 of the February 2004 Farm Collector looks like my Leroy walking plow No. 350 made in Leroy, N.Y., after 1930. Does anyone know where I can get a jointer for my Leroy walking plow No. 350?

– William Abbott 5179 Abbott Road Hamburg, NY 14075-1648

A fence tool by any other name

The identification given for item C in the June 2004 Farm Collector’s ‘What is it?’ page is incorrect. It’s a tool for attaching fence stays. I believe the correct patent is No. 601239, awarded March 29, 1898.

I once owned one of these tools in like-new condition. I think if you tried to use it you would see why. It is a finger-masher just waiting to happen. I bought it from Richard Delwiche, Green Bay, Wis.

My tool says ‘Western Steel & Iron Works, De Pere, Wis., Continuous Wire Stretcher.’ You would hardly recognize the implement from the patent drawing. But if you read the patent claim and compare the drawing with the actual implement, one would realize the patent is the correct one. Besides that tool, there were no other items patented on this date.

Western Steel was incorporated in De Pere, Wis., in 1905, seven years after the date of patent. Officers were: C.W. Streckenbach, president; Elmer Abendroth, vice-president; R.T. Jenny and G.A. Snavely, secretaries. The business was sold to Hudson Mfg. Co. of Minneapolis, Minn., about 1920.

– Onie Sims 10801 S, Pounds Whittier, CA 90603 (562) 947-1452  e-mail: oniedot@aol.com

Attachment intrigue

Our family really enjoys your magazine. We moved from California to Texas three years ago. This is cattle country and where we lived in California – the San Juaquin Valley – was farm country.

A friend of mine in Orosi, Calif., sent me this picture thinking we could identify the attachment on the tractor. No one knows what it is. Perhaps one of the readers can identify it for us.

My daughter passes your magazine to a local hay grower. He really likes to read about all the old equipment.

– Kaye Lyon 16865 County Road 2804 Eustace, TX 75124