I
find, buy (and sometimes sell), examine, enjoy, research, and study old farm
equipment for a hobby. Below are a few of my interests.
Ever
think about where a head of cabbage comes from? Now think about where it came
from in 1920.
The
machines that made truck farming, like other types of farming, easier and more
profitable are largely overlooked by "real" tractor people and
historians, yet they none-the-less had a dramatic effect on the food production
activities and capabilities of the farmers from our grandfathers' time. It is a
love of history, a constraint of finances, and a joy in ancient mechanical
things that has prompted me to explore this world of the walking tractor.
I
have chosen to focus my research on a group of companies which were controlled
more or less by one man, Harold L. Downing. If you happen to be a relative of
this fellow, I surely would appreciate hearing from you.
In
brief, then, here is some data on the topic at hand:
There
were 5 companies associated with the owners of the Standard Engine Company. All
of them were located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Some of them had extension
offices in New York or Philadelphia. They were
American
Farm Machinery Company
Standard
Engine Company
Walsh
Tractor Company
Allied
Motors Corporation, and
Implement
Finance Company.
The
first four built garden tractors at one time or another over a period of 32
years, from 1920 to 1952.
While
researching the Syndicate tractors and companies, I also ran across a good bit
about the history of garden tractors in general. Here’s a thumbnail sketch of the Beeman
story. The story and tractor were so
interesting to me that I went out and found a Beeman to buy for
restoration. It’s quite a machine
Ed
Beeman patented and produced a walking tractor when walking tractors weren't
cool. His patents range back to 1915, but he didn't have a tractor in
production for some time. In fact, he ended up contracting with Gilson for the
production of the first 5100 or so Beeman tractors. You can see a picture of a
later style Beeman on an advertising booklet here.
Other
items you may find useful:
A
very short and likely inaccurate History of
the Beeman Company.
Some
basic commentary on the Beeman
Design.
Here is a link to a work in progress; the Beeman
Setting Up manual.
Another
collector has acquired an interesting tiller. This tiller does not use rotating
tines, but rather digs rather like a group of little shovels. You can see some
pictures of it here. This machine is called a
"Dig-A-Tiller".
I've
a healthy interest in cream separators, and currently have a De Laval No. 10
hand powered unit (my grandfathers) under restoration. I'll buy one for re-sale
when a good serviceable unit is available (which is pretty frequently). If you
need one, e-mail me.
Click
here for a page of cream separators and
misc. info on them.
I
picked this up at a sale for restoration. A lot of this sort of thing is being
sold at auction in my area. If you need antique equipment, let me know and I'll
keep an eye peeled for what you need.
If
anyone has a book on this mower, I'd like to get a copy.
I
gave my Pop a 1942 Farmall H for Christmas this year. Here are two pictures of
him and it on Christmas day. On delivery, the tractor was loose but completely
dead. 3 of 4 tires were good. Since then a new front tire has been installed,
the engine's magneto repaired, the carburetor rebuilt, all fluids changed, the
belts changed, generator rebuilt, starter rebuilt, a muffler installed, and
valves adjusted. The tractor runs again, and does not seem to have any major
problems.
I
enjoy the time we spend working on this tractor. My Dad bought an H as a young
man soon after he moved to Missouri (which was just after he married my
Mom...). I grew up on that H running a hay rake and other farm chores. While my
first love for the farm tractors has to be my Grandfathers JD 50, I do have a
love-hate relationship with that old H. It is still in daily use on the farm.
·
Haying
in the ozarks.
You can mail to me here: markb@umr.edu
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