Irrigon, Oregon 97844
Friends are people who are always available if you need them.
They know when to show up and they know when to leave.
You and your tractor could be friends for some of the same
reasons that I and my tractor have become friends.
Some of the things it hasn’t done impress me as much as some
of the things it has.
It isn’t a powerhouse. It struggles to do many of its tasks.
However, if you are the type of person who takes your coat and a
few oatmeal cookies with you to the field, you will probably just
barely get done by chore time. Thats the way it’s been. It has
just barely gotten everything done for the last 40 years!
As I look back on the 35 years it’s been serving me, I can
remember it failing me only twice. Once the impulse on the magneto
fell apart and the other time the bolts that hold the camshaft in
place broke.
Breakdowns are more tolerable at some times than others, so if
your tractor has spared you of the intolerable times, you chalk up
a mark on the plus side.
Most tractors get mistreated more often than they get treated. I
can’t even remember changing the oil in the differential. Most
have been exposed to the winter weather and, if not for their oily
condition, would have rusted away. Even our dog, Russel, would
range far or wide just to mark its tires. These adverse conditions
are not necessarily the wishes of the owners and, in this case,
only an unfair solution.
Someone should have said, ‘things are not always fair,’
and in this instance that’s the way it’s been. This tractor
has mostly struggled and seldom sailed through 30 years on it’s
last overhaul. Before being rested it was emitting equal amounts of
blue smoke from exhaust and breather.
I will try to redeem myself by restoring this tractor and
sheltering it from the elements.
This John Deere Model B now has a partner. A new fangled 520
with power steering, a float ride seat and an extra cast iron foot
pedal, it seems to pop right off in the mornings so maybe it likes
us!
