A few Farmalls and a Ford

[c-series don 11,591]

A few weeks ago I posted a video of a guy I know blowing snow on his farm with a big John Deere. Yesterday I went past his farm and he had the doors of what was the family’s potato barn open. So I stopped in to say hi and snapped a few pictures. Two of these Farmalls were bought brand new by his family. Obviously they have been restored! They have been farming in this area for over 350 years. Yes 350 years. While we were talking, his uncle stopped by and was telling us about farming potatoes in their heyday. About filling the barn to the rafters with potatoes year after year and the amount of men, machinery and time it took. It was very interesting, I felt like I could have listened to him all day. I could actually see it in his eyes how proud he was of his family farm. 

[8ntruck 8,641]

Looks like that 8n is set to maximum tread width.

[Treepep 1,081]

Please Forgive my ignorance... What would be your best guess of the purpose of a tractor with all metal racing slicks?  All four wheels smooth like that and potatoes does not compute for me? 

 

I had tall skinny grippy tires on a 4x4 ranger I think called tiger paws.  many that would rip through the snow.  

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,760]

2 minutes ago, Treepep said:

Please Forgive my ignorance... What would be your best guess of the purpose of a tractor with all metal racing slicks?  All four wheels smooth like that and potatoes does not compute for me? 

 

I had tall skinny grippy tires on a 4x4 ranger I think called tiger paws.  many that would rip through the snow.  

The Farmall F-14 came out in the late 1930s.  It was more common to see steel wheels than rubber tires.  For today's parades and shows, it's also common to cover the steel rims with a smoother surface, like the "slicks", to keep the steel rims from damaging road surfaces.  If that F-14 would be used in the field, it wouldn't have those "slicks" coverting the steel rims, as it would robbed the tractor of any traction.

[ebinmaine 77,639]

Very cool! 

[Dan 312-8 468]

10 hours ago, c-series don said:

A few weeks ago I posted a video of a guy I know blowing snow on his farm with a big John Deere. Yesterday I went past his farm and he had the doors of what was the family’s potato barn open. So I stopped in to say hi and snapped a few pictures. Two of these Farmalls were bought brand new by his family. Obviously they have been restored! They have been farming in this area for over 350 years. Yes 350 years. While we were talking, his uncle stopped by and was telling us about farming potatoes in their heyday. About filling the barn to the rafters with potatoes year after year and the amount of men, machinery and time it took. It was very interesting, I felt like I could have listened to him all day. I could actually see it in his eyes how proud he was of his family farm. 

 

Excellent pics Don! Pretty sure we were at his place or drove by when we visited.

 

I ran a Ford 8N in my early twenties working on a farm, which is now 40 years ago. My how time flies by.

[953 nut 64,469]

3 hours ago, T-Mo said:

It was more common to see steel wheels than rubber tires.

There were a variety of cast iron or stee3l lugs that could be bolted to the steel wheels for traction.

  

Here I am at about three years old on out family Farmall with my Dad.