As is the case with many collectors, Andrew Miller’s fascination with engines developed through time. While Amish farmers depended on horse power for land tillage, stationary engines were utilized by many. “My grandpa had a couple small engines on the home farm,” Andrew says. “I remember a 1-1/2hp International engine that powered a feed grinder. He also had a 6hp Fairbanks, Morse & Co. engine belted to a grist mill. As a young boy, it was always fun getting them started.”
Andrew grew up tinkering in his dad’s engine repair shop. “Dad worked away from home as a maintenance mechanic,” he says. “He developed a part-time business repairing small engines and tractors for other people, primarily Amish farmers. Through that work, Dad started collecting tractors – some complete and others for their parts.”
His dad’s shop was next to the family’s home and Andrew was a regular visitor. “Most every evening, I helped Dad so I wouldn’t get into trouble,” he says. “I soon started dismantling engines to understand how they worked. At that early age, making repairs was difficult. And then, reassembling could be confusing. Fortunately, Dad was always there to help. When the task was finished, it was rewarding to hear it run.” Through time, he became interested in the machining aspects of engines and related equipment.
Collection blends engines and tractors
As a teenager, Andrew started collecting Maytag engines. Later, he worked in furniture design and construction for a couple years. “I was grateful for that experience,” he says, “as it carried over to my work in metal fabrication.”
Soon after Andrew got married, he relocated to Baltic, Ohio, and started his metal fabrication business. Now nearly 20 years later, the company handles drafting for fabrication and complete assembly. The workforce of six includes three sons and a daughter.
The fabrication business helps support Andrew’s hobby. His collection numbers about 30 small engines, including a Maytag Model 82 that he considers his most unique small engine. He also has 10 antique tractors, nearly all in running condition. Among his favorites: a Rumely OilPull 20-40 Model G.
“Although I did not grow up on a farm, the time working with Dad influenced my antique collection of small engines and tractors,” he says. “I had never operated engines under working conditions. That came later, when I used the engines in my collection.”
Maytag Model 82 an early favorite
Andrew’s early collection emphasis was small engines, especially Maytag. “Neither my mother nor my wife used Maytag engines,” he says. “I just took a liking to them. My very first Maytag was a Model 82 that I found in 1983. And it’s still my favorite.”
The storied history of Maytag traces to F.L. Maytag, who joined with three other men to form the company in 1893. Located in Newton, Iowa, the early firm produced threshing machines, harvesting equipment, hog waterers and specialized livestock feeders.
The Maytag clothes washer was introduced in 1907 as a sideline. The washer had a wooden tub with a hand crank. When Maytag became sole owner of the company, a pulley mechanism was added so the machine could be operated by an outside power source. In 1911, an electric motor-driven model was introduced.
Three years later, Maytag developed a two-cycle, Multi-Motor gasoline engine. This was a boon to rural homemakers whose homes had not yet been connected to electric service. Maytag’s development department designed a revolutionary washing machine in 1922. This new Gyrafoam washer forced water through the clothes with a vaned agitator mounted on the bottom of the tub. The new design was such a success that Maytag discontinued its farm implement business and concentrated solely on washers.
Into the 1930s the Multi-Motor engine used on the washer became a preferred option for other appliances. The engine provided power for butter churns, cream separators, meat grinders, and light generators.
The Maytag Model 82 engine was used primarily under the Model 82 washing machine. However, some may have been produced under the Model 72 washer which primarily used the fruit jar-style engine. Andrew’s 3/4hp engine is the green, long-base Model 82 typically used on washers.
Family tractor holds special appeal
After Meinrad Rumely emigrated from Germany in 1848, he and his brother operated a foundry in LaPorte, Indiana. Their fledging enterprise expanded into manufacture of corn shellers and threshing machines. By 1887, Meinrad bought out his brother and incorporated as the M. Rumely Co.
The farm machinery production was expanded to include a steam-powered traction engine in 1895. With numerous enhancements, the iconic kerosene-powered traction engine was known as the Rumely OilPull. By 1911, it had become the company’s most popular product.
Rumely enhanced its product line through acquisition of numerous companies, but rapid expansion eventually resulted in financial difficulties. In 1915, Rumely went into receivership. A new firm – Advance Rumely Thresher Co. – emerged following reorganization.
During the reorganization, a new lightweight Model 8-16 plowing tractor was developed. The following year, a larger Model 12-24 model was launched. Introduction of the Rumely OilPull 20-40 Model G proved to be a major boon for the company.
“I was fortunate in receiving the Model G tractor from the family,” Andrew says. “It was never used for farming; it was just a cherished collector piece. This standard-tread, kerosene-powered model was built during the first production run in 1918. It was in good running condition although it has been repainted.”
The onset of the Great Depression in 1929 began to take its toll. In 1931, as smaller, more nimble tractors continued to gain market acceptance, Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co. took over Advance-Rumely. The established Allis-Chalmers line of tractors was selling well, so manufacturing was concentrated on Advance-Rumely threshing machines.
Rumely production facilities were converted into corporate headquarters for Allis-Chalmers. LaPorte became known as the “Harvest Capital of the World” with the famed All-Crop harvest line. Allis-Chalmers eventually succumbed to bankruptcy; its vast business interests were dismantled in 1985.
Hard to pick a favorite
Other pieces among Andrew’s favorites include a 4hp Sandwich engine built in Sandwich, Illinois. The engine was not in running condition when he got it. After a complete restoration, including fresh paint and pinstriping, it looks like new.
He also has a 1-1/3hp Chore Boy built by Associated Manufacturers Co., Waterloo, Iowa, and a small engine built by Alamo Mfg. Co., Hillsdale, Michigan.
Andrew’s also fond of his completely restored 1930 Huber Model 40-62, originally part of his dad’s collection. “I’ve always liked the Huber tractor because it was built in Marion, Ohio,” he says. “It was very worn due to heavy use. This tractor is unique with the wide wheel surface that served to gain better traction.”
Always looking for something unusual
As he builds his collection, Andrew is partial to Maytag engines but he’ll consider any brand of tractor. For him, the deciding factor is the unusual. “The fruit jar gas-type and some of the upright-style engines are difficult to locate,” he says. “If a tractor attracts my attention and I can afford it, I’ll likely buy it.”
He particularly enjoys the challenge of analyzing engines, especially if they need repair. “There’s fulfillment in bringing something back to life,” he says. “It’s a pleasure to research the history of an engine or tractor I’ve not previously owned. It provides time to relax away from my business.”
The Miller family enjoys sharing the collection with others. “It provides a way to get more involved at events,” Andrew says. “There is always interaction by those who view the equipment. People often reflect on how they relate to the engines. Others ask questions out of curiosity.”
For more information: Andrew Miller, (330) 897-0735.
About the author: Freelance writer Fred Hendricks, Mansfield, Ohio, covers a vast array of subjects relating to agriculture. Email Fred at fwhendricks@gmail.com.
Originally published in the March 2023 issue of Farm Collector.
