RG, Author at Antique Tractor Blog

Six Shop Safety Items You Really Need

11/07/2016 by RG Leave a Comment

Working in the shop can be dangerous, but there’s lots you can do to help keep yourself safe. Here are the top 6 most-used safety items from my barn:

First Aid Kit. Band-aids are the most frequently used item (refill your stock regularly!), but you should also have gauze pads and bandages that could help with severe bleeding. If you buy a ready-made kit, be sure to unwrap it and familiarize yourself with its contents BEFORE emergency strikes.
Fire Extinguisher. We use this way more frequently than I’d like to admit. This isn’t a purchase to skimp out on – get a large one with an ABC rating (the ABC rating means that it can put out all sorts of flammable materials). If your shop is large or your accidents frequent, get more than one. When you use an extinguisher, be sure to get it recharged!
Welding Gloves. Thick, appropriately sized welding gloves will protect your hands and forearms when you are doing hot work. Because my hands are smaller than most welders’, it took some trouble to find gloves that are the right size. It’s worth it to get ones that fit you well because it makes a big difference in your dexterity. This advice applies if your hands are bigger than usual, too – tight gloves restrict your movement and won’t insulate as well as ones that are the right size.
Welding Helmet. When I was a kid, my grandpa got a bad case of welder’s flash and had to wear bandages over his eyes for quite a while. Ever since then my dad has taught me to be extremely careful around welding. A good welding helmet is really non-negotiable. Pay the extra money to get a wide field of vision – you want to be able to see what you’re doing!
Respirator. If you’re painting, you need one of these! While any respirator is better than no respirator, it’s worth the time and money to buy a high-quality respirator that matches the job you are doing.
Safety Glasses. The same grandpa who hurt his eyes with welder’s flash also got steel slivers in his eyes. Yikes! The thought of this makes my toes curl. Wearing safety glasses when grinding, using a lathe, or doing similar jobs can help keep you safe from this sort of accident. Buy a few pairs so that you can always find them when needed.

There you have it: the 6 safety items I use most frequently. How about you – is there something you’d add to this list? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Fire Truck…or…Tractor! Farmall Super A

10/31/2016 by RG Leave a Comment

You’ve seen a fire truck – but have you ever seen a fire tractor?

This Super A Farmall tractor is loaded down with a full set of firefighting equipment. It’s a really genius setup! Check out these pictures.

The offset design of the Super A allows for a rubber hose one one side, coiled up and ready for service.

Notice the small (but loud!) siren mounted on the front of the tractor near the headlight. This front bumper is really sturdy, too!

The sheet metal details are really interesting. In addition to the full fenders and rear platform, there is a front bumper and even little fins just above the headlights to shield the engine. Notice the additional spotlight mounted above the steering wheel, too.

The cabinet mounted on the other side holds a canvas hose and additional firefighting equipment.

The tractor is also set up to run a powerful pump – just hook it up to water and you’re in business! There’s even an attached firefighter’s ax.

You can tell that this tractor was put together with care and thoughtfulness. This tractor was an aftermarket customization, not an IH original – so details on its manufacture and use are sketchy. I didn’t get to meet the owner at the show (so I don’t know for sure), but others have told me that this tractor was designed for use in a factory that belonged to the General Motors aircraft division. I can certainly imagine the unique advantages of a small, portable firefighting outfit like this on a cramped factory floor!

More Power from a Ford Jubilee

10/25/2016 by RG 33 Comments

Did you know that it’s possible to swap engines among many Ford tractors?

One of the best swaps is to put a larger engine in a Jubilee Ford. If you’re looking for a great little pulling tractor or just a fun powerhouse, this can be just the ticket!

Jubilee Ford tractors came from the factory with a 134 cubic inch engine. At the end of these tractors short but very popular production run, they were reborn as the hundred series (600, 700, 800, 900). The smaller models in the hundred series has the same 134 cubic inch engine, but the larger models came with a beefier 172 cubic inch engine.

These engines are similar enough that you can swap them around. It’s an easy bolt-for-bolt change to put a larger 172 cubic inch engine in a Jubilee Ford tractor.

This project isn’t for a beginner mechanic, but it’s basically straightforward. I’d rate the project as intermediate. The Jubilee’s size is a very manageable, and it’s designed to be repaired with regular shop tools.

Making the switch can be an inexpensive project, too – if you know where to look! The 172 cubic inch engine was used in plenty of Ford tractors over the years. My best tip: harvest an engine from a tractor with a junked select-o-speed transmission.

If you’re looking for a project to settle into over the cold months ahead, this is a great one. Give it a try and then let us know how it goes!

John Deere Lanz Tractors

10/18/2016 by RG 6 Comments

Here’s a cool find: a German-made John Deere tractor!

John Deere exported American-made tractors all over the world. After World War 2, the company was ready to make a big jump forward in their overseas sales. They quickly learned that imported tractors were too expensive to compete in overseas markets. If John Deere was going to become popular overseas, the best way to grow would be to manufacture the tractors overseas too.

In 1955, John Deere sent a representative to negotiate the purchase of a controlling interest in the German Heinrich Lanz AG tractor and harvester company. The Lanz tractor company was well-known in Germany. Their Bulldog tractor was incredibly popular, with more than 220,000 produced over a 40-year span. Even today, Germans will sometimes use the word “bulldog” to refer to any tractor.

By 1955, however, the Bulldog model was 25 years old. The market was ready for an upgrade, and war-torn Europe was ripe for American investment.

It took 5 years for John Deere’s new German factory to get up to speed. Huge changes were made to the product line, culminating in the 1960 release of the John Deere-Lanz 500 and the similar John Deere-Lanz 300. These tractors were the first John Deere designs made in Europe. The tractors are similar to the John Deere 3010, but they are not an exact copy. They were designed specifically for the European market, taking into account parts availability, common European designs, and the needs of European farmers.

These tractors were very successful in Europe. John Deere soon set up manufacturing facilities in France to supply the German operation. Before long, John Deere was replicating this strategy worldwide. One year after the John Deere-Lanz 500 was introduced, John Deere had operations running in 6 countries (including the US).

It’s rare to find JD-Lanz tractors here in the United States. Parts are difficult to find, making them a real challenge to restore. The one shown in these photographs was at a local Mecum auction in June 2016. What a neat treasure!

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