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You are here: Home / Archives for All about tractors / tractor restoration

April Featured Photo

04/02/2022 by ST Leave a Comment

A strength to draw inspiration from, like the East Tennessee Smokey Mountains, this 1939 Model A John Deere joins primary “Seasoned” caretakers, David Banks and Golden Retriever sidekick, Whiskey, when taking care of a 6th generation family farm.

Although the Model A was not in the best of shape when first making an entrance to the farm, after much-needed care and repair, it now works beautifully when answering the call of an active farm life. 

Mata Banks
New Tazewell, Tennessee
2022 Tractor Photo Contest Winner

Family Tractor Restoration Project

03/21/2022 by ST 1 Comment



Grandpa on his just-restored 1951 Ford 8N that he fully rebuilt with help from his grand-daughters
left to right: Elina (with Shadow), Joy (with Buffy), and Carys (with Scout) on their farm in Davis, California.

Dwight has known this tractor since he was a child. It was on the Irwin dairy farm down the road from Dwight since the early 1950s. Mr. Irwin passed away in 1988 and his daughter gave it to Dwight in 2017 as a partly assembled, abandoned, rusted, frozen-solid hulk. Dwight carefully restored it with the help of some of his grandkids (a few in the photo) who watched, encouraged, learned, and enjoyed the process over three years. Dwight uses it to help farming neighbors and to work the 21 acres behind their church. He showed it at SteamUp! in Salem, Oregon in August 2021 and will enjoy taking it to a few local parades.

Dwight Morejohn
Davis, California
2022 Tractor Photo Contest Winner

The Chugg Story…

03/16/2022 by ST 1 Comment

Donald Feiner was our February winner of the My Barn monthly drawing. Donald won a $100 Steiner Tractor Parts gift card. Here is Donald’s story.

This might have started with creepy music, but no, there is no audio track here.

I was in a shop getting a little repair work done on a trailer of mine, oddly enough for my modern tractor, when I kind of nosed around and found myself sitting on some silly old tractor. (Probably the most comfortable seat in the shop.) But why my mouth went off and said I would buy it if he got it running, I don’t know.

It took about two weeks and I got this phone call out of the blue, the owner told me he got it running, but it was on only two cylinders. Hmm, I asked him to deliver it, my trailer was away from the house, and when the little clunker got to my place, it was complete, basically, but yep, it was really weak in two cylinders. Chugg, Chugg, but it did get me down the block and back, brakes worked, lights worked, vintage tow bar, ah heck, he was just too cute. I had to. See my profile picture for his first day home.

Then this happened…

I found the Chugging issue in a flat distributor cam lobe and since I was in there anyway, I figured I would take care of some of the loose bits. There are still loose bits, but hey, that’s the fun, right?

He now does silly things like this.

My dog is getting old so I built her a rack on the front…

I put it back to work on my property in East Texas and he pulls trailers, digs post holes, tills, brush hogs, pulls a subsoiler, and plenty else just as quick as my more modern tractor, in point of fact, if he had a front loader, I might sell the more modern tractor. Plans include a couple of brothers or sisters for Chugg, at this time I have adopted ‘Trash Panda’ so far, a 39-40 9N model that needs a pile of help, and a late 8N as well that has yet to get a name. Thank you Steiner for the parts I needed to help me put this much fun into my work.

Chugg’s family.

Dream of Farming

03/15/2022 by ST Leave a Comment

Farmall M

My name is Henry Lawson I am a 12-year-old boy and my dream of farming has been the only thing I’ve been wanting to do for about 2 years now. My dad has a Farmall M. He would go to the farm in Iowa with his brothers and parents, almost every month. He tells me about all the things they did.

My great-grandpa bought a Farmall M and farmed with it, he passed away in 2011. My dad bought the Farmall M from the family. Almost every summer we go to Iowa and ride our 756 and see family. A couple years ago we got the Farmall M transported over to California and let it sit in a shed. Over the past two months we’ve been working on it almost every other weekend, we’ve gone through problems like hooking up the battery wrong and not having enough gas but just recently we’ve got it running.

Henry Lawson
Sonoma, California

Minneapolis Moline M670

03/09/2022 by ST 1 Comment

Getting ready to spread fertilizer with this beautiful 1965 Minneapolis Moline M670! It’s one of the most reliable tractors on the farm racking up approximately 30,000 hours and counting!

Nathan Lehman
McMinnville, Oregon
2022 Tractor Photo Contest Winner

Red Fever Collection

03/01/2022 by ST 13 Comments

3 Generations – The start to our son’s own Red Fever Tractor Collection

Above are three tractors that were fully restored by our son, Cole White.  When he joined 4-H, he had a dream of restoring tractors — just like his grandpa.  At the early age of 11 and his first year in 4-H, he began with the 544 International Harvester Tractor (pictured on the right).  This tractor needed a little bit of mechanical work and needed to be completely repainted.  Taking what he learned from his first project, he began his second restoration of an 826 International Harvester Tractor (pictured on the left) and his favorite to drive.  He was more confident and knowledgeable on what needed repair by the hands-on experience he had with his first project.   After success with his first two projects, a 4-H judge suggested he challenge himself a little more for his next project.  He did just that!  He found a Farmall 504 tractor (pictured in the middle) that had been in a field for many years with weeds growing up around it. It did not run and needed a full body repair.  He worked very hard at getting this tractor’s motor to run and had lots of bodywork to do for his completed project.  

Each of the tractors he has restored for 4-H projects has been stripped to the bare bones, sanded, all hydraulics and mechanical functions repaired and each of them was completely repainted by him to become fully functioning show-ready tractors.  Cole put a lot of sweat and long hours into the restoration of these tractors with each of them having its own unique challenges.

The tractors are very special to Cole and to the White Family.  Cole is very appreciative of the guidance he received from his father, Mike White, and his grandfather, Dennis White, who is pictured with him.  Our family enjoys sharing these tractors with others by participating in numerous tractor rides, parades, and sometimes just a casual ride around town on a nice day.

Dena White
Osceola, Iowa
2022 Tractor Photo Contest Winner

Home Built Tractor

02/12/2022 by ST 1 Comment

This tractor was originally built in 1962 by my dad (Burton Aymond).  It was later upgraded by me (Kirk Aymond) in the 1990s, and again by both of us just recently – an ongoing project apparently.

  Here’s a bit of history and specifics. Having grown up on a farm in central Louisiana my dad drove and owned tractors – Farmalls. That passion for farm equipment remained with him even after moving to New Orleans in the mid-1950s. During that decade my dad met and married my mom (Helena Dauzat) and developed fabrication skills while working in shipyards.

    By 1961 with my brother old enough to accompany my dad, and myself not yet in the picture, planning for the tractor began.  The objective was to buy as little as possible and fabricate everything else.  In actuality, the engine was likely the only item purchased which was a 10 horsepower Kohler K241.  The transmission and rear axle were taken out of a 1940s Crosley Sedan. The steering system was from a ’55 or ’56 GoggoMobil.

     Over the next year, the tractor was completed to its original version.  In the process, the rear axle was cut to a narrower width and welded back together without any machine tools.  Some of the features include belt tension-type clutch, Borg Warner T-92 Crosley transmission, chain drive transfer case, Spicer 11 Crosley rear axle, and rack and pinion steering – GoggoMobil.

 Around 1990 I did a number of upgrades which included: lengthening the frame 9 inches, addition of a power shaft, fabricated a heavier front axle, fabricated a new hood, added headlights, new wiring, gauges, new seat, upgraded brake system and fabricated new wheels to accommodate larger tires.

    Recent work yielded the addition of an alternator, automotive type steering box, modifications to the belt clutch, side fenders, and an access step for dad who is now 89.  I’m certain that there will be more upgrades in the coming years.

    A more recent addition to our tractor collection, a fair sized Massey used to work around the property, a 1953 Farmall Super A.  My dad farmed with a similar tractor during that time period which is why we chose to purchase and restore this particular model.  The restoration was a complete teardown and rebuild which took us about 18 months. All of the work was done by the two of us here at my home.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read about our tractor passions.

Burt and Kirk Aymond
Bush, Louisiana

Monthly Review Winner

02/08/2022 by ST Leave a Comment

The lucky winner of January’s $25 Steiner gift card is Cathy Cunnyngham. The winner is randomly drawn from all of the parts reviews submitted to us in the month of January. Congratulations, Cathy! This is Cathy’s story.

My husband’s uncle bought this John Deere MT new after WWII for $1500 with all the implements and farmed cotton with it.  It replaced a team of horses.  My husband’s uncle got to the point that he couldn’t drive anymore so I started taking him wherever he needed to go.  He said to my husband one day, “I need to do something for her for taking me everywhere.  Do you reckon she’d like to have that little MT out in the tractor shed?”  My husband said, “Yeah, I think she’d like to have that just fine”.  So his uncle gave this MT to me.  We also got all of the implements and had it all restored.  My husband teases me about the fact that we have $20K invested in a $2K tractor…but I love it and it will always be mine.  By the way, my husband grew up on this tractor.

Cathy Cunnyngham
Blue Ridge, Texas

Daytona Yellow Ford

02/03/2022 by ST 1 Comment

The 8N is 1947, the same year I was born. I did a complete out-of-frame overhaul on the engine and was going to paint it the original Ford color. My wife saw a car that she said “that’s my favorite color Daytona yellow”. So I picked up some yellow I had MF red, and gray in the shop. So now I got a Daytona yellow, Massey red, Massey gray 1947 8N.

Dan Blanchard
North Fork, California

February Featured Photo

02/01/2022 by ST 6 Comments

1957 Ford 600

In 2019-2020 my junior year of high school, my best friend and I completed the restoration of this 1957 Ford 600 for a local competition. We made it to nationals and finished as part of the top twelve finalists.

The restoration took around 9 months with over 600 hours invested and many memories made. This restoration was a learning experience of a lifetime where we developed our mechanical knowledge beyond what we thought possible.

The tractor was later sold to a very kind gentleman who takes his new tractor ‘Anni’ out for Sunday drives and keeps in contact about her many appearances in parades. We couldn’t imagine a better ending for this restoration and can’t wait for many more to come.

Annika Ernstrom
San Luis Obispo, California
2022 Tractor Photo Contest Winner

John Deere 40 Restored for Dad

01/22/2022 by ST 3 Comments

This John Deere 40 is the tractor my grandfather started out farming with when he was 22 years old in 1955. My dad and aunt used while growing up in Woodford County, Kentucky. 

The last time it was running was the late 1980s or early 90s. It’s always been one of those “we’ll fix it up one of these days” types of projects. My Dad turned 70 on January 20th this year and I took it upon myself back at the end of October 2021 to restore it as a surprise for him for his birthday with some help from my 2 sisters Kari and Stefani. And lots of questions of my aunt and uncle, Jeff and Judy Adams. 

(Above) My Great grandfather driving, my grandfather, on the left, and my uncle, on the right setting tobacco. My dad, Carl, and I with the restored John Deere.

I finished it a couple weeks early and couldn’t wait to give it to him. Here are a few before, during, and after pictures. 

The video of when we surprised Dad.

Kyle Whalen
Versailles, Kentucky

Ford Powermaster Before and After

01/21/2022 by ST Leave a Comment

I would like to share my story of restoring my step-father’s Ford 801 Powermaster.


As a kid, I remember bringing this tractor home as my mother pulled it behind a truck while my stepdad steered the tractor. My stepdad inherited the tractor after his father passed. That was at least 25 years ago. Once we got it home, my stepdad put it to use around the 10 acres I grew up on near Sikeston, Missouri. At some point, I was taught to drive the tractor and it’s the first tractor I remember driving. I loved taking it for a drive through the field as my parents watched from the fence rows. As I got older, I used the tractor alongside my stepdad and he always told me it would be mine one day.

 
In 2018, my stepdad decided to give me his tractor and I immediately began planning the restoration in my head. I had been to several fairs over the years that showcased antique tractors and always envisioned my Ford 801 being a show tractor. As I admired all the restored tractors over the years, I noticed a common sticker that said “painted by Greg Ellis” on numerous beautifully restored tractors.

 
I tracked down Greg Ellis in 2018 when my stepdad gave me the 801 and took him the tractor that Fall. When I dropped off the tractor for restoration, I told Greg I wanted a show tractor and he certainly delivered. I don’t think a single part went untouched and many parts were replaced with the help of Steiner Tractor Parts.

 
I surprised my stepdad with the restoration and his reaction will join the lifelong memories I’ve had with that Ford 801.

Nick Burger
Scott City, Missouri
1962 Ford 801 (841) Powermaster

Our New Tractor Club

12/10/2021 by ST 4 Comments

My buddy, Mike Atkins bought an old Ford 2N tractor. This inspired me to purchase an old tractor. I got a 1948 Case VAC.

 
Mike said there isn’t a local tractor club so I nominated him as president of our newly formed antique tractor club.
Today, we both entered the annual Christmas parade. That is Mike’s son, Damien on Mike’s Ford, and me on my Case.

We had a blast!
We are hoping to have more club members by next Christmas!

Gary Thomas of Snyder, Oklahoma

Farmall 560 Found

11/19/2021 by ST 2 Comments

7 years ago my Great Grandpa Melvin “Mole” Wilson passed at 100 years of age. He had 5 kids, 14 grandkids, 16 great-grandkids, and 5 great-great-grand kids at the time of his passing.

My grandpa and siblings asked me to take care of all the photos from my great grandparent’s house and some notable documents. I scanned roughly 600 that were put on a disk and made available for everyone!

In that were two things of all the logging, farming, and hunting pictures I found a picture of his Farmall 560, and of all things the receipt from when he purchased it 12/31/1962.

Well, this Farmall had been traded in for a compact Kubota to be used in his small garden in his retirement sometime around 1990. The tractor was long gone.

2 years ago a farm estate auction was posted for proxy bid due to covid restrictions 30 miles away, in that was a Farmall 560. The tractor was in bad shape, missing panels, and was 50′ in a chicken barn. That had collapsed right in front of the tractor… But it had all the options my grandpas did, I ended up buying it, sight unseen and the day I showed up to pick it up… the first thing I did was wipe off the serial number plate and sure enough, it was the same tractor!

Over the past couple of years, I have replaced, fixed, cleaned, farmed, and upgraded some more on the tractor, much of the parts sourced from STP.

Above are a few pics, a photo from my grandpa’s collection, the receipt, when I found the tractor, and where I have it today, this would not have been as possible to bring back to life without the availability of your parts.

Rob Gordon of Bucoda, Washington

1967 G1000 Diesel Minneapolis Moline

11/15/2021 by ST Leave a Comment

This tractor was purchased in 1975 by Dudley Cumper for use on Cumper Dairy Farm in Marlette, Michigan. This is a 5-bottom plow tractor that was mainly used for plowing, chopping corn, and general fieldwork and has less than 6,000 hours on it.

The motor was rebuilt about 30 years ago with new seals, bearings, converter, all three heads replaced, and rear axle. It also has dual tires.

Several years ago, it was passed down to Dudley’s son, James, where it is lovingly cared for. And although it has been retired from fieldwork for many years, the anticipation of that first significant snowfall is always a good excuse to attach the back blade and do some plowing!

Pictured are James and Darlene Cumper of Marlette, MI – one of the many pictures taken in celebration of their 60th wedding anniversary in October.

Deb Holloway
Marlette, Michigan

November Featured Photo

11/02/2021 by ST 3 Comments

1949 Farmall M

Well, I’ve pretty much been a city slicker all my life, but always enjoyed camping and outdoors. As it happens, all the kids have grown up (mostly) and my wife and I bought 10 acres here in Swartz Creek. It used to be a working farm complete with barn and silo etc. I have always loved gardening and thought to myself ‘self, let’s go big’. We bought a 1949 Farmall M and we’ve been loving it. Still, lots to learn and hard work every day, but we couldn’t imagine it any other way.

My son’s friend, Zac Goldsmith,  took the photo with an extended exposure at dusk, with a campfire burning behind us.

Eric Blake
Swartz Creek, Michigan
2022 Tractor Photo Contest Winner

October Featured Photo

10/06/2021 by ST 2 Comments

My grandfather bought this tractor new in 1956 at the dealership, west side implement in Wood Lake, Minnesota.

My father grew up doing custom hay baling with this tractor. When the farm was sold I was able to keep the tractor, and in my senior year of high school, my father and I restored it together.

This picture has the fourth generation of family ownership pictured.

Tyler Dotseth
Jordan, Minnesota
2022 Tractor Photo Contest Winner

1959 Case 700B

08/03/2021 by ST 3 Comments

This is a 1959 Case 700B Orchard tractor and one of only 143 700Bs that were built in 1958/1959 It is a combination Case/Pounds orchard tractor. According to the Case-IH archives, this tractor was sent to the Pounds Motor Company in Winter Haven, Florida “less seat and seat channel parts, fenders and platform” although it did have the orchard front axle and steering, and had no hydraulics or eagle hitch.

There the Pounds folks added their own fenders and shields. Mr. Pound converted many tractors to orchard tractors and also worked with the JI Case Company on improvements to the Case orchard tractors. I bought the tractor from a private individual in North Carolina in the fall of 2019 and restored it during the Spring of 2020. 

Tommy Wilson
Boones Mill, Virginia
2021 Tractor Photo Contest Winner

1936 Case CC

07/08/2021 by ST Leave a Comment

I restored this 1936 CC Case during the winter of 2014-15 as a high school FFA project. When I purchased the tractor it was mostly complete, but in rough condition: a tree had fallen across the hood, the radiator and head were full of leaves and rodent nests, the rims were rusted through, and almost more of the fenders had rusted away than still remained.

The aspect of this tractor I like most is the fact I was able to find several gallons of new-old-stock J.I. Case “L-C Gray” paint from the 1960s to use on the restoration–you can’t get any more accurate with paint color than this!

Brady Goettl
Cadott, Wisconsin
2021 Tractor Photo Contest Winner

1948 Allis Chalmers C

07/02/2021 by ST Leave a Comment

1948 Allis Chalmers C with cultivators in Texas cotton. Tractor and cultivator restored by Justin Mraz and his grandfather, Van Fowler, in 2018 as a FFA project.

It has been in the family since Justin’s great great grandfather purchased it new in the spring of 1949.

Justin Mraz
Ennis, Texas
2021 Tractor Photo Contest Winner

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