How many original owners or their relatives??????

Wayne

Below is a link to a picture of my Uncle Bert, my younger cousins and me on his 8N. He bought it new after the war to replace his horses - like many other fo his neighbors in Appanoose County, Iowa (farm was 10mi. from MO. border) It was the first thing I was allowed to drive. I can remember having to pull up on the steering wheel with both feet on the pedals to stop. I got to drive while my Uncle and a neighbor loaded hay bales on the wagon. Had an almost full wagon push me down a short hill with both rear wheels locked. Some how I had sense enough to steer straight so I didn't jacknife.

I saved it from becoming a parts tractor in 1988 after he died. Someone had offered $300 for it. I said some things that I shouldn't have when my Mother told me about the offer. Then got a hold of my other Uncle who was the executor and told him I wanted it!! Drove from Virginia out with a new trailer I bought JUST to go get it. Pulled it back behind my '70 Plymouth wagon - 25mph in the truck lane going up the mountains! :-)

It was in sad shape when I got. Luckly, my son and I had rattle can painted it several summers before so the sheet metal was not bad. I didn't have the place or time to fix it, so I had it done by the son-in-law of a mechanic friend. He did a really nice job! Runs like a top now!

Larry

• My Uncle's 8N in 1949.

In the first picture, there is some sort of support bar running down the left side. Was that for some sort of front mounted snow plow?

Danny

• Sweep Rake

The stacker, sweep rake, hay fork, hay tongs, etc. all disappeared when farmers stopped putting up loose hay. Putting up loose hay was very labor intensive. The bailer put an end to (most) loose hay just like the tractor (esspecially the N's) put an end to farming with a team of horses or mules.

I'd love to have one! BUT, since they were largely made of wood, they are very unlikely to have survived the elements over the last 30.. 40... 50(?) years. The construction was really simple so maybe I could reconstruct one - just one more retirement project to add the the several hundred I all ready have. :-)

Note: the hay fork (sometimes also called a hay spear) or hay tongs were used to lift the hay up into the barn via a track, rope and pullies. One of the "boy" jobs (you've heard of jobs that take X number of men and a boy) was to lead the horse for the stacker or the hay tongs. When I was down to my Grandmother's farm during haying, that was one of the "jobs" I got to do. It was of course a simple job, but I felt like I was doing "mans" work. :-) The little boys got to carry the water jug from the house to the working men and back to get it filled. You didn't do the water jug when you moved up the leading the stacker horse. :-)

Better stop reminising!!!

Loose hay would fill the barn, but when my Uncle started baleing his hay, there would be a gap between the bales and the side of the barn. DARN hens loved to get in there and find a place where the bales left a ledge and try to nest. Of course, one of my main "jobs" was to scout the whole barnyard/barn and collect the eggs for my Grandmother. Hated the work it took to check in the hay mow - it was in the summer and August is HOT in Iowa!

But the worst "job" I was asked (told!!) to do was to feed the wires back on a stationary baler. It was baling timothy and the wind was blowing ALL the dust and seeds on me. Is still itch down the back of my neck thinking about that!! :-)

Think I need to start to write down all the things I remember - BEFORE the CRS gets too bad! :-) Geeeess, there's another retirement project!

CU
Larry