Old Plow Display Panorama

By Leslie C. Mcmanus
Published on April 27, 2012
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“People come from all over to see this,” Elmer Schneider says. “One guy stopped while he was just driving by. He said he thought he was seeing things.” Elmer doesn’t give tours per se; he invites visitors to “help themselves” and roam through the display.
“People come from all over to see this,” Elmer Schneider says. “One guy stopped while he was just driving by. He said he thought he was seeing things.” Elmer doesn’t give tours per se; he invites visitors to “help themselves” and roam through the display.
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Elmer Schneider has collected and painted around $500,000 worth of yard art over 17 years.
Elmer Schneider has collected and painted around $500,000 worth of yard art over 17 years.
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This unregistered aircraft sports a John Deere motif, but it started life as an International Harvester Co. hay loader.
This unregistered aircraft sports a John Deere motif, but it started life as an International Harvester Co. hay loader.
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More of Elmer’s handiwork. Unaccustomed to inactivity, Elmer once built elaborate birdhouses like those shown here. “I used to work seven days a week making birdhouses,” he says. “I’d sell 1,000 a year.”
More of Elmer’s handiwork. Unaccustomed to inactivity, Elmer once built elaborate birdhouses like those shown here. “I used to work seven days a week making birdhouses,” he says. “I’d sell 1,000 a year.”
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This plow went airborne, accenting a flagpole at Elmer’s farm.
This plow went airborne, accenting a flagpole at Elmer’s farm.
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Elmer painted all of his plows outdoors. “I’d hang ‘em and spray ‘em,” he says. “Spray until it shines.” His personal paint record is five plows in one day. “I started at daybreak, and at the end of the day, I was worn out.”
Elmer painted all of his plows outdoors. “I’d hang ‘em and spray ‘em,” he says. “Spray until it shines.” His personal paint record is five plows in one day. “I started at daybreak, and at the end of the day, I was worn out.”
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Rolling nearly as far as the eye can see, Elmer’s plows are an important chapter in the history of American agriculture.  Elmer painted all of his plows outdoors. “I’d hang ‘em and spray ‘em,” he says. “Spray until it shines.” His personal paint record is five plows in one day. “I started at daybreak,” he recalls, “and at the end of the day, I was worn out.”
Rolling nearly as far as the eye can see, Elmer’s plows are an important chapter in the history of American agriculture.  Elmer painted all of his plows outdoors. “I’d hang ‘em and spray ‘em,” he says. “Spray until it shines.” His personal paint record is five plows in one day. “I started at daybreak,” he recalls, “and at the end of the day, I was worn out.”
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Elmer’s imagination is limitless when it comes to old iron.
Elmer’s imagination is limitless when it comes to old iron.
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The David Bradley extra high lift No. 6 gang plow, circa 1927.
The David Bradley extra high lift No. 6 gang plow, circa 1927.

Elmer Schneider’s got it bad. What’s worse, he knows it. But he just can’t stop.

“Several years ago we were doing some landscaping,” he says. “I put an old plow out and some people told me it looked nice.” Reasoning that if a little is good, a lot is better, he continued to add plows to the display on his lawn just outside Chesaning, Mich.: a total of 458 over the next 17 years. “I was supposed to quit,” he says, rolling his eyes toward the farmhouse, “but I just got two more.”

“I think I have one from every brand ever made,” he says. The accuracy of that statement is open to debate but it seems entirely possible. “Some of these plows were made in Michigan,” he says. “A few are pretty rare and some are more than 100 years old. And every one of them has gone through my workshop.”

Colorful collection

Indeed, each plow in the field sports a gleaming coat of paint and spotless shares. Some wheels are clad in accent tones; some wear the same shade as the plow. The palette suggests an amicable consortium of implement dealers: The relics are painted in uniform hues of red, green, orange, yellow, black and white.

When Elmer finds new specimens for his collection, they’re generally in pretty rough shape. “You should see some of the junk that was on those old plows,” he says. “I’ve found them with binder twine on them. They just used whatever they could find to hold them together.”

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