Deja Vu.....

During August of 2010, a friend gave me this 1937 Farmall F-20. It was nothing but the frame, gas tank, and a "pile of parts". My wife didn't think much of it when she saw it being dragged off the trailer, and even less while it was sitting outside in the yard - in full view from her office....



Well, after several long hours cleaning, repairing, priming and some paint, the old girl actually RUNS! I still have some work to do, but it is a good feeling to actually hear the thing run. It got too cold to paint, so that will need to wait for spring.



I've also spent some time on other tractors, but this one is my favorite.....

Or at least it is my favorite NOW.

Since my birthday is in a couple weeks (January 22nd in case anyone wants to send gifts....), the same friend gave me another tractor. He ran across one that had more original things on it, had a better motor, and a few other things, so he asked me if I wanted it.

It took me a few nano-seconds, but I told him "If I GOTTA...." (Right).

So, he brought it over the other day, and unloaded it with his Skidsteer.

Deb was summarily impressed with the condition of THIS tractor, too - although, she's adapting rather well to seeing old iron being dragged in. She actually LIKES this tractor - it's a 1928 McCormick-Deering 10-20 - one of the style she has deemed "cute".

I'm not sure the designers back in the teens and 20's ever thought to put "cute" into their machines, but I guess it happened anyway.

There is a story that, when John Deere redesigned their line of tractors in the 1930's from "unstyled" to "styled" they realized that a farmer's wife had more input into what tractor he bought, then most of them would admit. Hence, the better LOOKING the tractor, the better it sold.

International Harvester also found out the same thing when they changed from grey paint to red paint - red just sells better.

This particular tractor has a LONG way to go before it lives again, but at least it is a start:



It's like "Deja vu all over again...."

I get a frame and a "Pile 'O Parts"



Now, I just gotta figure out what I need, clean some parts, dream a little (lot), and gradually get it back on it's "feet".

I might even convince Deb to drive this one.....