‘Old Reliable’ Just That: 1913 Hart-Parr 30-60 Nears Century Mark

By Don Voelker
Published on March 30, 2010
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The 1913 Hart-Parr 30-60 at the 2008 Maumee Valley Show, New Haven, Ind.
The 1913 Hart-Parr 30-60 at the 2008 Maumee Valley Show, New Haven, Ind.
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The 1913 Hart-Parr 30-60 on auction day in Conrad, Mont., in 1986.
The 1913 Hart-Parr 30-60 on auction day in Conrad, Mont., in 1986.
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The 30-60’s engine access door. Positioned toward the front of the tractor, the door gives easy access to the crankshaft, connecting rods and pistons. The latter, according to a 1913 Hart-Parr catalog, could be easily removed “in minutes.”
The 30-60’s engine access door. Positioned toward the front of the tractor, the door gives easy access to the crankshaft, connecting rods and pistons. The latter, according to a 1913 Hart-Parr catalog, could be easily removed “in minutes.”
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Rear wheel extensions for the 30-60.
Rear wheel extensions for the 30-60.
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Rear view of the Hart-Parr 30-60. There was no provision for an operator’s seat. The tractor’s rear wheel measures 66 inches in diameter; the flywheel is 58 inches in diameter.
Rear view of the Hart-Parr 30-60. There was no provision for an operator’s seat. The tractor’s rear wheel measures 66 inches in diameter; the flywheel is 58 inches in diameter.
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An early 1900s image showing “the oldest Hart-Parr in the world,” en route to the Fargo National Tractor Demonstration.
An early 1900s image showing “the oldest Hart-Parr in the world,” en route to the Fargo National Tractor Demonstration.

Nearly a century old, a Hart-Parr 30-60 is living up to the nickname assigned early on to the model: “Old Reliable.”

Now owned by collector George Schaaf, Frankfort, Ill., this particular 30-60 is a remarkable piece of American agricultural history.

George is the tractor’s fourth owner. He bought the 1913 Hart-Parr from Gary Parker, Churubusco, Ind., who purchased the 30-60 from the Emil and Mort Christensen collection at a 1986 auction in Conrad, Mont. At that point, the tractor had been parked outside, without shelter, for more than 70 years. It had not been used for at least 50 years. Thanks to Montana’s dry climate, the 30-60 survived with little rust.

The Christensens were the tractor’s second owners; there is no record of the tractor’s original owner. When Gary bought it, the Hart-Parr was totally authentic. “This one was totally original. Nothing had been changed,” he says. “As far as being rare, there are just a few other tractors out there that are all original. At first I thought about changing the old wooden platform on the back of the tractor, but then I decided to leave it just the way it was.”

Built by the Hart-Parr Co., which produced its first tractor in 1902, the 30-60 is a classic example of that line’s progressive engineering. The engine has an overhead cam with hemispherical cylinder heads. “Everyone thinks that is something new,” Gary says, “but that’s not true.”

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