Big John’s Mature Tractors, 16950 SE Division Portland, OR
97236
About six years ago I got the bug for older tractors and began
restoring as a hobby to use up some of my spare time. Some hobby!
There is very little spare time now. As do many others, I harbor a
special love for the reliable old ‘Poppin Johnnies’. As a
young man in northwest Pennsylvania, I fell in love with every
tractor I came in contact with; second only of course to the lovely
girls at school. Living in a foster home gave me ample opportunity
to earn part of my keep by doing chores and custom work for some of
the more prosperous farmers of the area.
One of my employers had a John Deere model A, a model B, and a
model H, and two teams of horses. He decided to acquire another
tractor, and bought a Massey Harris 101 Senior. I was pretty
excited when he had it delivered and told me to put it to work. I
spent many hours in the field with that smooth running machine. I
have always enjoyed the sound and response of the six cylinder
power, the design of the tractor, and the welcome comfort of the
‘velvet ride’ seat. It didn’t take me very long to
figure out that there were other good tractors besides the popular
green and yellow that certainly seemed to dominate our area.
While restoring several John Deere and International models, I
kept looking for a Massey 101. After four years and many miles,
numerous phone calls and some frustration, I located one worth
dragging home. Naturally it was located only twenty miles from my
home.
The enclosed photo shows the results of our efforts. I will
always consider my 1943 Massey Harris 101 Sr. one of the finest
tractors of its time. I have completed a Massey 22 and partially
restored a Massey 101 Jr. Now I am considering a Massey Harris 44
or 44-6 if I can locate one. There are not very many in this area.
My nostalgia trip is with older wheel tractors. I thank my wife
Birdie for her help and patience. Actually I think she is numb to
the situation, but cannot understand why.
