another hobby.

[bob w]

Doc, thanks for the black and whites.

Before there were tractor pulling contests there were horse pulling contests. Anybody else attend any of those? The team would be hooked up to a large metal plate. Men were stationed along side the track at intervals and would jump on the plate/skid to add weight. As I recall there were three weight classes. As a little boy I'd stand within a couple feet of the teams on the track and was in awe of their power and effort the put out. A great memory.

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

1) Thanks for the explanation, Mac.

2) Pictures are my pleasure.

3) Bob: Two of my uncles had heavy horses. (I have no idea what breed.) The uncles were brothers and their farms were side by each... anyhow, they worked and competed with their teams and I have experienced the pulls, with my uncles, several times as a wee lad... HorsePower indeed!

4) We surely need some moisture, guys. Send it up, down and over here...

.

 

[phil cottingham]

Doc, thanks for the black and whites.

Before there were tractor pulling contests there were horse pulling contests. Anybody else attend any of those? The team would be hooked up to a large metal plate. Men were stationed along side the track at intervals and would jump on the plate/skid to add weight. As I recall there were three weight classes. As a little boy I'd stand within a couple feet of the teams on the track and was in awe of their power and effort the put out. A great memory.

I went to a Mule show in Tenn. years ago. They had pulling contests and used concrete blocks as weights on the sleds. They just kept adding blocks until the couldn't pull anymore.

 

[MercuryMac]

Back to the Covid induced Ferguson. One of my band-mates was not working and bored so asked if he could come over and play some music and look at my projects and hotrods. I like giving tours, so he got to see everything and get each story. Well, he fell in love with my parts Ferguson, the one that I was going to rebuild but picked the one closer to the shop due to the snow depth. I said it would be for sale when I had robbed some parts off it. He couldn't wait that long, [I think he's a bored workaholic], so I've been robbing the parts off it that I think I'll need. Here's the tractors in the midst of a back wheel swap.

 

[MercuryMac]

I've got the back wheels on the parts tractor, now. I've taken the hood off and the radiator. The rad has to go to town and get cleaned out.

 

[MercuryMac]

To add to my oldtime farming story, we started harvesting the oats last week. Here's a four-up pulling the binder.
There were enough people there watching that wanted to stook the bundles that all of the field that was cut, got stooked.
Here's me stooking.

 

[Tripper]

Now that it's cooled off & starting to rain again... I've been shredding with my lil '50 8N!

BoB

 

[kenny c]

Very cool.

 

[bob w]

The close up of the team is really nice. Of course, your pic is too.

 

[dutch]

I love that. Some local guys here do demo`s every year but was cancelled due covid.
About 30yrs ago when I still worked as a farrier, one of my customers did a demo with 28 (!) heavy horses..... there was a sight allright

 

[MercuryMac]

It's written on the calendar that September should be our harvest month, up here, but, the weather very rarely co-operates. We got a few days of harvest in though. Here are some threshing pictures. I got to put my Cockshutt 80 on the Case threshing machine. There were two teams pulling bundle racks.

 

[bob w]

I love the pictures, Mac. Reminds me of a simpler time.

 

[Burgerman]

I love the pictures, Mac. Reminds me of a simpler time.

2X. Keep em coming.

 

[MercuryMac]

Our vintage tractor club has a vintage combine section in it and they performed this September.
Here is a smattering of old harvest pictures from last week.

 

[dutch]

that first picture is really nice....
great machines [cl

 

[BillM]

Thanks MM, those are fantastic pictures. Growing up I can remember watching my dad and Grandfather using our threshing machine here on this farm. I remember my dad cursing trying to get the tractor aligned enough to keep the flatbelt on. I don't remember the brand of the thresher, but it was all wood, kind of a reddish colour and covered in pinstriping. It was a piece of art. All that's left of it here now is the whippletree. Co-incidentally, my wife just saw it in the shed the other day and asked me to clean it up as she wants to hang it in the mud room.

Thanks for the memories......

 

[MercuryMac]

You're welcome, Bill.
Participating in these demonstration days is just as much fun for me as for you.

 

[MercuryMac]

I've heard that we will have a small plowday about 30 miles from home, so today I thought I'd better get a tractor and a plow ready. The plow has not been used in 50 or 60 years, but on closer inspection it has been abused. It's a two bottom, three point hitch, Ferguson plow to fit behind a TE 20 Ferguson. pic one is me with the back wheel off welding up a cast piece on the guide. I had already 'flapper wheeled' the rust and the lichens off of the moldboards and fixed up a few other horrors. pic two is plowing part of the garden. I had a little trouble going too deep.

 

[bob w]

[cl[cl

 

[dutch]

nice combo!
Here there are very few left doing some work with small machines although there are lots of small patches of ground on the old estate.
I recently went through my old hay rake and right now I`m restoring the tedder ( is that the correct name?)