Hey guys,
A few years back, I took on my first tractor restoration project, 1943 JD B. This was the first tractor ever on our farm in SE Iowa, bought new by my grandfather. (Farm's been in the same family since 1850's!) Anyway, at the time i started resoration, got the tractor all torn apart, and had to move 3 states away for a job transfer, due to a plant closing) I had a close friend and mechanic who loving took it upon himself to finish the tractor including overhaul, new paint, rims, etc) After about 2.5 years the tractor was done. That was back in 2002. My friend hauled the tractor about 350 miles to deliver it to me in the summer of 2002. My 3 year old son, loved that tractor, and even though we lived in town, we'd get it out on every occasion that we could. It made him (and I) so happy. You see, my son, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2001, just a year after we moved away. He passed away in the summer of 2003. Since then, i've taken another job transfer, closer to home (still about 200 miles from the home farm). Last summer, I finally brought myself to take that restored B, out of my garage in town and haul it back to the farm. That was tough to do, as my son and I spent alot of time washing, waxing and putting around on it in the garage before he passed away.This past weekend I made it back home, and got her out for a little ride. It still brings back so many freash memories of my little boy and I tooling around the neighborhood. Anyway, I hooked the old B to a 16 foot Montgomery wards running gear with a hay rack and 40 bales of hay on it. Several of my family members and friends climbed on, and even though it was 90 degrees out, we took a hayride around the farm. My dad, whose 70 years old, and semi-retired from farming rode on the wagon too. We climbed some pretty good hills in some CRP ground, where we have a lane mowed. The old girl ran perfectly, and "talked to us" as we climbed those hills in 3rd gear. It was a pretty good load, with the wagon, 40 bales and 12 people on there! This was the first "work" this tractors done since it was retired back in the early 1970's and the first pull she did since the complete resoration. I think it did her (and I) some good! My dad said it brought back alot of memories of plowing some of those rolling hills when he was first farming, to hear that old 2 cylinder popping away. I wish my son could have been there to enjoy it too, but glad that dad and I got to enjoy it together. I think I've found the perfect hayride tractor!
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