This Ford 8N was restored by Willard Green of Big Stone Gap Virginia. Willard is now working on a Fordson Dexta 3 cylinder Diesel. Great job Willard, keep up the good work.
6 Reasons to Pick a Favorite Tractor
Do you have a favorite antique tractor brand? If not, you should! Here are six reasons why brand loyalty matters:
- Repairs are easier. Once you’ve worked on one model of your preferred brand, you’ll probably have an easier time working on other models from the same maker. Every company has their own way of doing things, and learning this system makes things a lot easier.
- Learn from a local dealer. Even though many of our favorite brands are no longer producing new tractors, their old dealerships might still be around. If the major dealer in your hometown sold your preferred brand of tractors, you’re in luck! Make friends with the dealership owner or service manager for helpful tips and even (if you are extra lucky!) a source for rare literature. Soak up this knowledge while you can!
- Scope out the salvage yards. If your favorite brand is popular in your area, you might be able to find old gems in fence-rows and salvage yards near your home. My dad has saved more than one rare tractor from the scrapyard this way. If you become known as the go-to collector of a certain brand in your area, you might start getting tips from salvage yards around town too!
- Travel to fewer shows. This one might sound like a negative, but hear me out – I really like single-brand tractor shows. It seems like every major brand has one or two huge, national shows that draw the crowds. This is where the top-tier collectors bring out their very best. Compared to smaller, regional, all-color shows – well, the single-brand shows usually take the cake! If you want to see something really unique, picking a favorite and traveling to the biggest single-brand show is probably your best strategy.
- In-depth knowledge about your preferred company. Let’s face it: our brains can only hold so much! Instead of knowing a few things about many brands, some people prefer to learn EVERYTHING they can about just one brand. These are the folks I call when I have a serious question about a certain tractor.
- Everyone knows what to buy you as a gift. When your favorite colors are known to your family and friends, your birthday gets a whole lot easier!
How about you – are you brand loyal? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Happiness is our Ford 8N
My husband wanted an older tractor that was reliable, but also brought back the memories he has of being a kid plowing in his Granddad’s fields. We wanted one that was just the right size for our hobby farm and could pull the old tandem that belonged to his Granddad. Our 8N tractor is the perfect tractor. Not only is it reliable. It is perfect for our hobby farm. Most importantly for me, it brings back those happy memories for my husband.
Karen Hughes
Grandview, Texas
How the Nebraska Tractor Tests Got Started
Wilmot Croitzer bought a lemon. He’d been duped by a fast-talking salesman, and now found himself the owner of a broken-down Ford tractor. Croitzer thought he was purchasing a reliable tractor produced by Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company. Instead, he’d purchased a tractor made by the fraudulent “Ford Tractor Co.” of Minneapolis, who hired a young man with the last name of Ford to sign off on their tractor designs.
When Croitzer’s tractor broke, he unraveled the truth. Not only did the tractor fail to live up to the manufacturer’s performance claims, he was unable to obtain parts or service anywhere. The company seemed to have vanished into thin air, taking Croitzer’s money with him.
Lucky for us, the Ford Tractor Co. ticked off the wrong farmer. Croitzer was no country bumpkin – in addition to farming, he was also a legislator in the Nebraska House of Representatives. After purchasing two “excuses for tractors,” he got to work on drafting a law that would “induce all tractor companies to tell the truth,” and the Nebraska Tractor Tests were born.
A colleague in the Nebraska State Senate, Charles Warner, had a similar story. Together, these two men championed legislation that would require all tractors sold in the state of Nebraska to undergo testing and receive approval from a panel of three engineers at the University of Nebraska. Tractor companies who wished to operate in the state would also be required to have a service station and an adequate supply of replacement parts located somewhere in the state as well. The law passed in 1919.
By 1920, the University of Nebraska was ready to begin tests. The first tractor tested was John Deere’s Waterloo Boy tractor, quickly followed by 68 more tractors tested that year.
The Nebraska Tests quickly developed an excellent reputation. They caught on around the world. Today, the University of Nebraska is at the forefront of the global Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, which coordinates tractor testing in 29 countries.