I thought I'd share a story with you all. I grew up in the "cities"and the closest I ever got to the country was my fathers family home in northern WI. He grew up in a small town and his brother and sister still lived in the family home. The family also had a cabin on a small local lake and a couple of 40 acre plots out in the woods. I loved to visit Aunt Nina and Uncle Harry. When our family would go up to visit, I always wanted to stay at the cabin and canoe and fish on the lake.
About 1967-68, my Uncle Harry bought a 1950 Allis-Chalmers B tractor. My uncle and Dad used it during deer season to haul supplies into the woods to the hunting shack on one of the 40 acre plots they owned. It had a pretty easy life for many years. I was too young to go deer hunting then, but I did get to drive the B around the yard. One year, I drove it the 10-15 miles out of town to the start of the trail back to the shack. I rode with my dad. half on the seat, half on the fenders. I'll always remember that day!
Dad on the B in the woods...
About 1970-71, my Dad had a trailer built. It was 4'x8' and very heavy duty.
Here's my Dad and Uncle... I'm in the new trailer...
Fast forward several years. I left home... Got married... Uncle Harry and Aunt Nina pass away... Dad's health declines. We talk about the tractor and how he wished he could have cleaned it up and painted it... Eventually my Dad passed away. The home, cabin and both 40's become my Mother's... In the process of settling the estate I rescue the tractor and get one of the 40 acre plots. My sister gets the cabin and we sell the old home and the other 40 with the hunting shack on it. It was a mile and a half off the closest gravel road, through the woods on a trail that could keep out even the most determined 4x4.
I brought the little B home and put in a new battery. I kept it covered and ran it around the block frequently, much to the delight of the neighbor kids.
Life continues and I get divorced, Mom passed away, yet the tractor still followed me. Always garaged, always ready to go... A few years ago I took an opportunity to retire early. I moved up to Cable, WI. It's between Hayward, where my father was from and Ashland, where my mom was raised. When I moved, it was winter and I couldn't get my little B up here as fast as I wanted to. So I asked one of my farm-boy type friends from work if he had room in his garage for my B. He said, sure no problem... I'll store it for you... On one of the last days before I moved, he came over with his car hauler trailer and took it way...
That spring, I called him up and he said, sure come and get it. I was heart broken when I got to his place. I found my B siting uncovered under a big pine tree. Then I noticed that the exhaust pipe was uncovered. I usually kept an old orange juice can over the top of the pipe if it ever sat outside. I knew right away that things were got going to be good. We dragged it up onto my rented trailer and I hauled it home.
My worst fears were confirmed when I tried to turn it over with the hand crank. It wouldn't budge. I pulled the spark plugs out and stuck my Mity Vacc in the hole and sucked rusty brown water out of 2 of the cylinders. I drained the oil and watched watched drain from the engine. Clear water not green anti-freeze! Here's what I found when I pulled the head. I tried the ATF/acetone soak, PB Blaster, WD-40, Diesel, everything... It's stuck
It will get new liners, pistons, rings... It WILL live again!!!
Until that time, I bought a new 1025R with a 47" snow blower, a loader, a 54" MMM, and a ballast box. My little B could never do all the things the new Deere can do, but I would never get rid of the B... there are too many good memories..
Oh, and the trailer? It got a new life! I rescued that too. I had it sandblasted, then I painted it and gave it new lights, floor and sides.
About 1967-68, my Uncle Harry bought a 1950 Allis-Chalmers B tractor. My uncle and Dad used it during deer season to haul supplies into the woods to the hunting shack on one of the 40 acre plots they owned. It had a pretty easy life for many years. I was too young to go deer hunting then, but I did get to drive the B around the yard. One year, I drove it the 10-15 miles out of town to the start of the trail back to the shack. I rode with my dad. half on the seat, half on the fenders. I'll always remember that day!
Dad on the B in the woods...
About 1970-71, my Dad had a trailer built. It was 4'x8' and very heavy duty.
Here's my Dad and Uncle... I'm in the new trailer...
Fast forward several years. I left home... Got married... Uncle Harry and Aunt Nina pass away... Dad's health declines. We talk about the tractor and how he wished he could have cleaned it up and painted it... Eventually my Dad passed away. The home, cabin and both 40's become my Mother's... In the process of settling the estate I rescue the tractor and get one of the 40 acre plots. My sister gets the cabin and we sell the old home and the other 40 with the hunting shack on it. It was a mile and a half off the closest gravel road, through the woods on a trail that could keep out even the most determined 4x4.
I brought the little B home and put in a new battery. I kept it covered and ran it around the block frequently, much to the delight of the neighbor kids.
Life continues and I get divorced, Mom passed away, yet the tractor still followed me. Always garaged, always ready to go... A few years ago I took an opportunity to retire early. I moved up to Cable, WI. It's between Hayward, where my father was from and Ashland, where my mom was raised. When I moved, it was winter and I couldn't get my little B up here as fast as I wanted to. So I asked one of my farm-boy type friends from work if he had room in his garage for my B. He said, sure no problem... I'll store it for you... On one of the last days before I moved, he came over with his car hauler trailer and took it way...
That spring, I called him up and he said, sure come and get it. I was heart broken when I got to his place. I found my B siting uncovered under a big pine tree. Then I noticed that the exhaust pipe was uncovered. I usually kept an old orange juice can over the top of the pipe if it ever sat outside. I knew right away that things were got going to be good. We dragged it up onto my rented trailer and I hauled it home.
My worst fears were confirmed when I tried to turn it over with the hand crank. It wouldn't budge. I pulled the spark plugs out and stuck my Mity Vacc in the hole and sucked rusty brown water out of 2 of the cylinders. I drained the oil and watched watched drain from the engine. Clear water not green anti-freeze! Here's what I found when I pulled the head. I tried the ATF/acetone soak, PB Blaster, WD-40, Diesel, everything... It's stuck
It will get new liners, pistons, rings... It WILL live again!!!
Until that time, I bought a new 1025R with a 47" snow blower, a loader, a 54" MMM, and a ballast box. My little B could never do all the things the new Deere can do, but I would never get rid of the B... there are too many good memories..
Oh, and the trailer? It got a new life! I rescued that too. I had it sandblasted, then I painted it and gave it new lights, floor and sides.