Aiming for the Century Mark

By Bill Vossler
Published on December 1, 2005
1 / 10
Right: The machine that started it all: Ernie’s first tractor, this 1954 Minneapolis-Moline R, came to him in exchange for an unpaid bill, and sat outside for 11 years before he decided to restore it. He has 87 tractors today, many of them restored.
Right: The machine that started it all: Ernie’s first tractor, this 1954 Minneapolis-Moline R, came to him in exchange for an unpaid bill, and sat outside for 11 years before he decided to restore it. He has 87 tractors today, many of them restored.
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Below: Ernie Wollak on one of his favorite tractors, a 1948 Oliver 70 row crop. The tractor is in a climate-controlled storage area, which Ernie hopes to enlarge this year.
Below: Ernie Wollak on one of his favorite tractors, a 1948 Oliver 70 row crop. The tractor is in a climate-controlled storage area, which Ernie hopes to enlarge this year.
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Above: Ernie Wollak’s collection includes the large and (shown here) the small. This pair of 1/3-scale tractors – a Rumely OilPull and Twin City 40 – were handmade by a since-deceased Wisconsin man. Ernie’s obtained photographs of each tractor when first completed, and plans to restore each to that condition.
Above: Ernie Wollak’s collection includes the large and (shown here) the small. This pair of 1/3-scale tractors – a Rumely OilPull and Twin City 40 – were handmade by a since-deceased Wisconsin man. Ernie’s obtained photographs of each tractor when first completed, and plans to restore each to that condition.
4 / 10
Above: This 1947 Oliver 60 industrial is a classic example of the beautifully restored machines Ernie Wollak prizes. Not everything Ernie owns is rare or valuable. He bought this Oliver and a 1948 Oliver 70 row crop at an auction. “One of the guys who restore tractors for me had restored both of them … Because I like his work so much, and they went for a reasonable price, I bought both of them.”
Above: This 1947 Oliver 60 industrial is a classic example of the beautifully restored machines Ernie Wollak prizes. Not everything Ernie owns is rare or valuable. He bought this Oliver and a 1948 Oliver 70 row crop at an auction. “One of the guys who restore tractors for me had restored both of them … Because I like his work so much, and they went for a reasonable price, I bought both of them.”
5 / 10
Below: A close-up of this 1939 John Deere AR gives a sense of how particular Ernie Wollak is with his restoration work. His interest in tractors extends well beyond color. He enjoys the challenge of seeing if an MM will start after one crank, or an F-12 after four cranks, or whether the John Deere AR will pop off on the first crank. “It’s interesting to see how different tractors start,” he says. “There’s no rhyme or reason to any of them.”
Below: A close-up of this 1939 John Deere AR gives a sense of how particular Ernie Wollak is with his restoration work. His interest in tractors extends well beyond color. He enjoys the challenge of seeing if an MM will start after one crank, or an F-12 after four cranks, or whether the John Deere AR will pop off on the first crank. “It’s interesting to see how different tractors start,” he says. “There’s no rhyme or reason to any of them.”
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Below: A hard-to-find 1930 John Deere GP, lovingly restored by Ernie Wollak.
Below: A hard-to-find 1930 John Deere GP, lovingly restored by Ernie Wollak.
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Left: Ernie Wollak mixes work with pleasure, displaying his collection of 150 farm toys in the office – and a few in the entryway – of Wollak Construction Co., Sauk Rapids, Minn.
Left: Ernie Wollak mixes work with pleasure, displaying his collection of 150 farm toys in the office – and a few in the entryway – of Wollak Construction Co., Sauk Rapids, Minn.
8 / 10
Left: A 1928 Hart-Parr 12-24, a difficult tractor to find in any condition, awaiting complete teardown. When Ernie Wollak and his crew finish with it, it’ll look better than new. He says if he ever decides to sell any of his tractors – a highly unlikely prospect – the buyers won’t be disappointed. “The buyers would find out we didn’t skimp on anything,” he says. “We’ve gone through everything from the tires on up, and if something isn’t right, it gets fixed.”
Left: A 1928 Hart-Parr 12-24, a difficult tractor to find in any condition, awaiting complete teardown. When Ernie Wollak and his crew finish with it, it’ll look better than new. He says if he ever decides to sell any of his tractors – a highly unlikely prospect – the buyers won’t be disappointed. “The buyers would find out we didn’t skimp on anything,” he says. “We’ve gone through everything from the tires on up, and if something isn’t right, it gets fixed.”
9 / 10
Left: This lot is the opposite of the tractor graveyard. When Ernie Wollak brings home a tractor, he stores it in this lot adjacent to his construction company where it sits until winter, when he tackles restoration projects. This Canadian-built 1947 Cockshutt 50 isn’t an easy tractor to find.
Left: This lot is the opposite of the tractor graveyard. When Ernie Wollak brings home a tractor, he stores it in this lot adjacent to his construction company where it sits until winter, when he tackles restoration projects. This Canadian-built 1947 Cockshutt 50 isn’t an easy tractor to find.
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Below: This 1929 Wallis 12-20 is one of the rarest tractors Ernie Wollak has restored. His first restoration, it remains his personal favorite.
Below: This 1929 Wallis 12-20 is one of the rarest tractors Ernie Wollak has restored. His first restoration, it remains his personal favorite.

You could say that Ernie Wollak, Sauk Rapids,
Minn., is shooting for 100: 100 tractors at 100 percent
restoration.

His passion for old iron started when he was a child on a farm
near Rice, Minn., where his family used International Harvester
tractors … until the day his father bought a John Deere 3020.

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