Box 48, Graymont, IL 61743
Shown is the home-made tractor I made in 1981. The picture was
taken at the Centennial in Flangon, Illinois where it was quite a
popular attraction. That’s me and my children, Randy and
Bonnie, as usual, fighting over who is engineer. It causes quite a
stir when they run it around the block here in our small town of
Graymont with a population of a little over 100. Randy has even
gotten his grandma (in her late 70’s) on for a ride a couple of
times!
The engine on this tractor is a 4 HP 4XK Economy kerosene
burner; the rear wheels come from an old New Idea cornpicker with
side elevator. The frame was made from old steel bridge I beams;
and the differential is off of and airport luggage carrier.
I took the transmission from a 1937 Chevy and the sprockets on
the differential are from a Peoria oat seeder. The sprockets on the
rear wheels are off of a wood wheel seeder wagon; the steering
comes from a worm drive off of a McCormick Deering binder that
raises and lowers the bull wheel. The tractor has cross chain
steering. The engine runs the hydraulic pump which in turn powers a
hydraulic motor that powers the transmission.
The front axle was made from an anhydrous applicator frame,
2′ solid steel with both ends machined to accommodate front
wheels.
The water cooler at the front will actually work when the
exhaust pulls air through the vertical tubes, but as yet is not
hooked up.
My wife, Marilyn, got the yellow fringe to put around the roof;
she thought it would dress it up! She moans and groans about going
to all those engines shows, but she is proud of my collection. She
paints them on my shirts for me.
This tractor is sometimes hooked up to a large piston-type water
pump or a 5 horse Sattley buzz saw in the yard, attracting an awful
lot of attention. My collection runs from a scale model Olds gas
engine which my dad and I machined ourselves from rough castings
(it took a whole winter!) to a 5 horse Sattley now I use to cut
fire wood.
My wife took the picture and has been pushing me to send you an
article on the tractor every time she sees the beautiful pictures
on/in your magazine.
