7216 County Road C Delta, Ohio 43515
I came up with the idea of putting a Farmall H on top of my silo
four or five years ago, but due to my health, I just got the job
finished in time for the 50th anniversary of the H. Most of the
tractor was purchased from Dave Fellows of Jackson, Michigan. Dave
is an avid F-30 collector, but in one of his dealings he obtained
this 1939 H. The Farmall H was a very popular tractor in 1939 and
it still is today. I was able to obtain it at a good price and it
was the proper tractor for my project.
Preparing the tractor for the trip up the silo ended up to be
more work than I had anticipated. First, I removed the engine from
the tractor. I replaced the engine area with a sheet metal box. I
painted the carburetor, magneto, and governor in their proper
positions on the sheet metal sides. I used copper screen and sheet
metal to cover all openings in the tractor to keep birds from
nesting in the frame. We used a five inch channel frame under the
front and rear wheels. I reinforced this frame from underneath with
5/8 inch steel rods. This took the bounce out
of the framing. I installed F-12 rear and front steel wheels. Then
I welded these wheels directly to the channel iron frame. I mounted
110 volt flood light bulbs on the headlight frame. These have a
night time switch for night lighting. I also gave the entire frame
and tractor six coats of high grade red paint. Hopefully, this will
keep it from needing paint for three years.
We had a contractor come to our farm with a hydraulic crane. I
had made a special frame for the lift so the hook could be attached
and the tractor would stay balanced on the trip up the silo. In a
matter of less than five minutes, the tractor was in place. My son,
Mike, went up the inside of the silo by a preexisting ladder. When
he got to the top, he disconnected the hook. He tightened the
clamps to the sides of the silo and the job was done. On the first
Sunday following the completion of the job, five cars at a time
came to view the tractor. People from Michigan, Pennsylvania,
Indiana, and of course Ohio have come to see my tractor and ask me
questions. One visitor said he could see the tractor a mile
away!
I guess that makes the Farmall tractor ‘tops’ on this
farm.
