My tractor story is really my husbands. He loved projects and a used 1949 Ford tractor was his next challenge. When he got it there was a dumpster on the front that worked. He took it apart and got down to replacing old pieces and painting. I remember pieces hanging from our clothes line.

My first ride was before the gas tank was in. Somehow he hooked a can of gas to it and off we went for a short ride. It got new seat and fenders, new tires and for whatever reason a new motor. The winter of 2021 he put on a new Meyer snow plow, and plowed our very long city driveway.

Well, as the circle of life goes round and round, he passed away last October. His little tractor sitting under the pine trees in our front yard needed to be moved. City folk just don’t like that sort of thing. My husband was a farm boy, he didn’t much care. So now my son and I are trying to figure out how to start it. Found the key but where is the ignition, I know, but remember he was the farm boy. We found it but it wouldn’t start. We both looked up and asked him for help which arrived almost immediately. He had turned off the gas. That little Ford started right up. The next obstacle was a flat tire. Once we got the tube the tire shop had a time putting it on the rim. Ugh city folk.

Got it moved to his shop only to find out the hydraulics on the plow was being difficult. The worst part was that somehow the block was broken. People told me it’s hard to weld and would need a new engine. Oh my gosh, it is a new engine! One day I’m going through his files and found a claim for the broken engine. Now I can’t tell you why he went ahead and put it in for he never mentioned any of this to me. Perhaps it was too painful. We all thought he broke it.

That’s not the end of the story. My husband saved everything. So as we are cleaning up what do we find? Another engine. So the pieces to the story are either he found another engine to fix this one, ordered another one or it’s the old motor. So my tractor story doesn’t have an end yet. I’m hoping to find someone else who love projects like my husband to rescue it from the shop and make good use of it. Country folk I guess.

Shari Meyer of Fort Collins, Colorado

If you would like to submit a story with photo(s) about an experience with your tractor, interesting facts about its history, or a restoration project,  please go to Tractor Story Submissions. If your story is picked to appear on the blog you will receive a FREE Steiner hat. Some stories will also go on to be published in our quarterly magazine. We look forward to hearing your story!