Tractor Goes From 0.5 to 55 MPH

Tractor Goes From 0.5 to 55 MPH AG WORLD 27-4-23 Loren Smith can transplant berry canes at a crawl in the field or zip down the highway at up to 55 mph with his 1930's tractor that is a reminder of the days when it was as common to build a tractor as it was to buy one. "It has a Model A Ford engine and 3-speed transmission with an International 2-speed truck axle," explains Smith. "This gives it six speeds forward and two reverse." Five years ago the tractor was at a local scrap yard, heading for the melting pot. Smith rescued it and rebuilt the engine. He also replaced worn out 20-in. truck tires on the rear end with tractor-look tires from a ground-driven manure spreader. The single wheel front end is from an F-12 Farmall. Although Smith thinks the pto shaft was put on by the original builder, a hydraulic pump on it would have been added years later. Since finding and restoring the old tractor, Smith has added a 55-in. John Deere belly mower with a mechanical lift that he also rescued from the scrap pile. "With the single wheel front end, it can turn right around a tree," says Smith. "It is real a nice piece of machinery - fun and handy." Contact FARM SHOW Followup, Loren Smith, RR 1, Box 105, Spring Valley, Minn. 55975 (ph 507 352-4106).

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