Antique Tractor Blog

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

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