5 months have rocked by.  Along the way we have had no sidewalks or steps, a backhoe, hydraulic fluid everywhere, a trip to the welder, new steps and sidewalk, new paver patio, a sheep, a broken arm, 2 champions, 100 degree temperatures (wife and weather), no air conditioning, no rain, sold a sheep, new wheel bearings on a car, several great dinners on the new patio and a flying gas grill.

Yep. Pretty sure rocked is the word to describe it. 

(It's late. I'll add more soon.)

Classic or Antique - How do you define it?

A poll was put on my favorite website Antique Tractors Forum asking what we thought classified as a classic or antique tractor.  Here are my thoughts:

I've heard on cars it's 25 for classic and 50 for antique.

If you go by 25 years anything made by Allis-Chalmers, J.I. Case or International Harvester qualifies as an antique since they quit those nameplates in 1985 or 1986. Of course Minnie Mo, Oliver, Cockshutt and almost all White's were made prior to 1987. Versitile, Stieger, and Big Bud all pretty much ended production 22 years ago. Deere's 4840 and 8640 are also antiques by that standard.

I like to stick with 50 years on tractors because of Deere's New Generation tractors in the early 1960s. The game changed (or was in the process of changing) with their introduction. International came out with the 706 and 806 shortly after. Of course Case had the 700 a couple years earlier and Allis had their D series at the tail end of the 1950s.

So I guess what I am saying is that anything more than 10 or 15 years older than me is an antique. Ask me again in 10 years and I'll probably tell you the same.

Your thoughts?

Still bothered by the Foose 4020

First off I am not going to put a picture of the Foose tractor here because a) most of those pictures are copyrighted and b) it's tacky, well maybe not tacky, just too busy for my taste.  He has too many things going on with the tractor distracting you from the overall image.  The New Generation line of Deere's tractors, of which the 4020 is the prime example, were quite often noted for their simplistic design beauty.  These were the first tractors to look like they were completed at design.  There are no extra bumps in the hood for hiding a starter, no brackets sticking out the sides, no 4 or 5 color paint scheme. 
  I saw the videos Chip Foose made while designing and building the tractor.  In his original drawing he had a couple of neat ideas.  Turning the side vents 90 degrees gives the tractor a streamlined look.  The height drop and smooth belly pan add even more streamlining.  I am not sure about the black streak down the side or the extension up front where the weights belong.  Those might actually look ok if you remove the garish vertical yellow stripe from the middle of the tractor.  The chrome exhaust is not bad but it makes mounting the tractor a hot prospect unless you crawl over the back.  The right side looks better without the exhaust so it makes me want to find a better routing of those pipes. Here is one sketch Chip came up with.

 

I like the exhaust in this one.  The narrow black stripes on the yellow middle make me think that stripe could stay, or not.  He also has the side vents green in this sketch.   Yeah, love the green side vents over the silver ones. 

Love to have the money to do one my way.

Ever screw up a W-2?

How about sending out 240 with the wrong information?  The good news is the other 700 look to be fine.  Took a few tense hours, but the corrected forms are now available.  The clerk responsible for the error was in tears when she realized what had occurred. 

I was nearing completion of a project I was wanting to shove out the door by the end of the day when I received the distress call.  Thoroughly put out by the interruption I was considering not answering the phone.  Rarely do I stoop to that level, but I could taste the success of my project.  Now I am glad I answered it. 

She tracked me down in the parking garage and thanked me profusely.  I was dying of embarrassment.

Looking for a cheap tractor

Pretty much looking for a "If you can haul it, you can have it" tractor.  Borrowing a trailer and getting help loading it will use up pretty much all of my favors and resources.  Not to mention the grief I will get from the Kroft women.  So if you know of someone who wants one gone - please let me know.

The kids at Rantoul Show 2011