20th Annual Red Power Roundup, July 23-25, 2009

[mhomrighausen]

Matt G. The changeover date from blue-gray to red was November 1, 1936. My F20 was one of the last to be painted the gray. However tractors could still be factory ordered in the gray color if the customer desired even after the letter series (H, M, etc.) were introduced. So, if a farmer wanted his H painted the F series gray the dealer simply ordered it that way.

When I was 16 and just started driving my Dad had me stop to pick up some things at a small engine repair shop in Tipton, Iowa. The gentleman running the place and I visited about when he was first entering the job market and how he got his start working on engines. He said that just before the Depressioin he was employed at the FARMALL plant. When everyone else was being laid off he was kept back as part of a skeleton crew. One of their tasks were to go into a huge building that IH had acquired and stored tractors in that came off the assembly line that either didn't start or ran rough, didn't shift right, etc. His team was to get the tractors running so they could be shipped/sold. The tractors were parked really tight against each other and they had to crawl over one to get to the other. Some were simple fixes with just being a bad magneto, spark plug, etc. Others he said needed to have the engine cover removed so they could properly time the tractor. I asked him if that took his crew awhile to do all those tractors. He smiled and replied there were several hundred on different storage levels and they were told to work using common sense. In other words... as he further revealed to me, "Just because we got the tractor running didn't mean it was immediately shipped. Those tractors trickled out of there. Also, there was a Depressioin going on and no one knew when it would end. This was a way to keep us employed after regualr plant maintenance was performed." That meant they had to crawl over tractors already fixed to get to those awaiting fixing. He said they even were hired to do some of the same kind of work for the Rock Island tractor company. Lampe Small Engine Repair was the shop.

Sometimes I wish guys like him were still around. They would help refresh this memory from time to time.

 

[mgonitzke]

Could they have been ordered red before that date? Dad's regular is a '26 the best we can tell, and there is no gray paint on it anywhere...just red. It has not been repainted.

 

[dross]

Marlin

As far as wierd stuff for production lines, 5 or 6 years ago either here or on Yesterdays tractor I remember seeing a picture of two prodution lines side by side with f series on one side and letter series on the other.

 

[mhomrighausen]

Matt G. Could you post a picture of your Dad's tractor for us? Perhaps it could have been factory paint since IH would paint equipment to customer order spec. They simply charged more for the custom paint job. Since the gray when faded took on a old metal appearance that made it harder to see the original gray color. Another thing to consider is the gray paint seems to have been a "thinner" paint during coverage. Those old tractors didn't always get shed space and were left outside. Maybe your Dad's tractor was sandblasted. One more thing..... Are there decals or stencils? If they are decals is the gold striping on the outer edge two shades of gold or one single color? My 3rd cousin's 1929 FARMALL Regular had stencils from the factory if I recall correctly. Leonard was the second owner and now his son has the tractor. I'm not saying to do this however underneath the rear pto area tended to accumulate more dirt/grease build up that wasn't removed unless a tractor was thoroughly cleaned to be repainted. It would be in that area that any of the original paint that unless sandblasted or removed another way would have been painted over. You could try and scratch the paint there to check. Personally I wouldn't bother. Years back all the automobile manufacturers would custom paint your new car at the factory. In 1967 a substitute school teacher from Lowden, Iowa had a new Pontiac Grand Prix painted a late 1950s or early 1960s Ford automobile color. She proudly told me that it cost some big money to have it done but it was worth it to have one of a kind.... The cost.... $100.00.

I've mentioned this before however since we've some new members. When IH introduced their McCormick and FARMALL Regular series they guaranteed to the original owner and owner's family that the engine/crankshaft design was so strongly built that if a crankshaft ever broke that IH would replace it and fix any damage for free. In other words; upon proof of orignal ownership IH would repair the broken parts free of labor or parts. Don Watters, one of the owners of the former Dostal and Watters IH Dealership in Maquoketa, Iowa told me of that warranty. Don said that in the early 1970s or so an elderly area farmer came into the store and told him that they needed to come out and pick up his Regular for repairs. He showed Don the papers but wouldn't let him keep them. Don contacted IH and about a week later some big shots showed up at the dealership. Don took them out to the farmer where they promptly demanded to see and possess these papers. Don stood between the farmer and the IH reps and took the farmer's side. At one point during the conversation things were getting hot. The reps were not wanting to budge. Don and the farmer held at arm's length the papers for the reps to read. Finally it was agreed to make copies to take back. (The reps paid for those copies...and grumbled.) Long story short.... IH had to make a new crankshaft from scratch, machine it, and install it all free of charge to the farmer. A few months after this all took place Don met up with one of the reps involved and decided to ask,"How much did this little fiasco cost the company?" The rep replied that he didn't know other than a lot of money. Then Don asked, "Tell me. Did you guys have enough smarts to make up a few more crankshafts? You KNOW that someone out there has another tractor just waiting..." With that the rep firmly told Don to just shut up. He didn't want to hear about it anymore.

Dave. It is well documented that IH continued to build the F and McCormick series into the 1940s. If I recall this was to use surplus parts and to satisfy customer demand for some specialty products that those two series supplied. Somewhere I read that in the early 40s ten 1020s were produced during a year's production run and the next year just one was manaufactured.

I know... I know.... enough of all this stupid stuff Marlin. Quit rambling...

 

[mgonitzke]

Marlin-

Thanks for your insight. Don't stop rambling, this is cool stuff!

I had no idea that they made some 10-20s into the 1940's like that. I'm gonna start a thread in the IH tractor section so we can figure this out.

 

[rpalmer]

Marlin Homrighausen,

eenough of all this stupid stuff Marlin. Quit rambling...

It's not stupid. It's certenly isn't rambling. And if you quit we all lose.

 

[mhomrighausen]

Matt G. and Richard P. Thank you for the kind words. I've been told by a lot of people that at times I remind them of Cliff from CHEERS. By that they always said that I seem to know some of the most worthless and irrelavant things. One evening at work a young fella in his early 20s stopped and thought for a minute. He looked around and said something about, "Actually Marlin knows some pretty neat stuff. You just have to sort out the stuff you aren't interested in."

I figure that I've been blessed in life to hear and read about some pretty neat things. Our first landlord was a WWI fighter pilot. One of the first to have a pilot's license. Jesse Baker was a wing walker/stunt pilot. He knew Amelia Earhart, Howard Hughes, Charles Lindbergh, etc. He worked for Oliver/Hart-Paar and went to the Red Devil Tractor Plant to pick up some machines the were bought at the bankruptcy auctions. His crew arrived a couple days early and were unofficially told to bring back anything that "may be of interest" (blueprints, files, etc.). As a child and growing up I had some awesome relatives and family friends that when they got together could share some interesting stories. Visiting with the older generation of implement dealers, mechanics, and others always (to me) was fun.

There is a really neat fella that works in Marshalltown that let me copy a booklet that OLIVER had printed and distributed for all the company employees only. This booklet has pictures and a little bit of information about all the farm tractors and stationary implements the company ever made. He said his Grandad started out working as a janitor for Oliver and worked his way up to Plant Manager. I guess Oliver had bought one of the first tractors (or first) the company made back from the original owner. They had the tractor disassembled and it sat for a couple of years or just long enough that no one remembered how to reasssemble it. Kevin's granddad came out of retirement and without blueprints... entirely from memory reassembled the tractor. I'll have to find that booklet and get it scanned to share with others.

To me ... hearing stories like the ones above are part of my life's journey "cool things to know". If you guys want from time to time I'll write more.... Oh...and if Charlie and Bryan don't mind.

 

[thoffman]

Another thought on Matt's Dad's red F-20. It might have been a tractor that was painted red at the farctory for a City or Highway department. I've seen a "Documented" Dear John painted red for the City of Milwaukee. Another thing, I think some of the early F-20's were pinstriped.

 

[dfrisk]

TOM - Speaking of IH painting tractors special colors....Did You see the "One of ONLY ONE built 966 at RPRU painted orange & green!?"

There was a HUGE carrot former out in CA who always ordered His new IHC tractors painted green on the top & orange on the bottom like a carrot. We built Him a bunch of 86-series in late 1980 or early 1981, think there was about 10-12, seems like they were 986's or H186's, maybe 1086's. I didn't get out to the shop to see them before they shipped but from what I was told, the cab from IH E.Moline was all green and most of the chassis was orange. Different than the tractor at RPRU.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Marlin, please keep the rambling coming.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Denny:

 

[dfrisk]

KRAIG - Yep, That's it. Guy must not have had ANY barns or sheds, paint looks really faded. I can't remember if the 86-series were FWA or not but if they were they would have been ELWOOD's. And if thet's really a '76 model it would be a real early '76 because I think the '86-series started in May or June. I sarted @ FARMALL about the second week of Oct. and the 86-series was running on two shifts, 175 per day.

 

[rrschmitt]

Denny,

If that's a 1976 model, it should have the black stripe decals. The 86 series was introduced to dealers during August 1976 in Chicago and I remember that IH execs telling us that they already had production in full swing and were shipping 86 Series all wrapped up with covers fast and furious so each dealer would have at least one on the lot when the formal product announcement was made to the public in either September or October. My Grandfather took me along for the 86 series intro. IH put on quite a production at the McCormick Place. I also saw the 5-Millionth tractor there which IH was taking sealed bids on. For a 14-year old, it was an incredible experience that I have never forgotten. My mom, who was our bookkeeper, hasn't forgotten it either as she had to write out the check pay the bill for Grandpa and me!!

Thanks to everyone for posting all the great pictures of the 09 RPRU for those of us who couldn't make it. Looks like it was another great event.

 

[mhomrighausen]

Okay Kraig... and others...

more rambling about the Official 86 Series Introductory Day.

The 86 Series tractors offered the Elwood front wheel assist package. It was on Saturday, September 25, 1976. The day was absolute beautiful. My wife didn't have to work and she had a Doctor's appointment for that morning. She dropped me off at Davis Farm Equipment in Tipton, Iowa. ALL promo material all spring and throughout the summer kept showing shadows or canvas covered parts of the tractors only nothing too revealing other than maybe the front grille which was the same as the 66 series.

The cabs were introduced to be the industry FIRST to offer under 85 decibel quietness. Even John Deere couldn't match that. The shift was to be smoother and less gear grinding and more convenient. Easier to get in and out. More comfort with the new seat moved forward. I got to test drive a new 986 and fell in love with that tractor. The dealer said they would give a sweet deal if I wanted to trade the 706 or a better deal if I wanted to buy outright.

Now a little more about just how I remember the date being a Saturday morning. No one was allowed to see the tractors even the couple of days before the unveiling. I was very excited (being our first year as farming on our own.) The Doctor appointment that Carol had to go to was <u>very</u> important for both of us. THAT appointment would affect the rest of our lives and yet she understood that seeing those new tractors meant the world to me. Carol caught up to me right after her appointment. WE were BOTH really excited. She came up to me and proudly proclaimed, "<u>I'M PREGNANT!!! </u>We're going to have a baby!!!" I smiled and said very camly, "I know. I knew all along. What do you think about the new tractors. I got to drive one. You want to drive one?" She was astonished...shocked, etc. Yes, I was excited only I really DID know that she was pregnant before the Doctor made it official. She was carrying our first son. Finally she calmed down and with understanding words she admitted that I did know all along. Years passed and in her own words she said that she had witnessed so many times while we were dating and throughout our marriage that I always had this "thing" about me. I knew things or could "see" things others couldn't or didn't. Her words to this day still haunt me when she told me, "At first I was fascinated by what and how you know things are going to happen before they do and wished that I could do the same." Then as time passed by she said that she began to become annoyed with this so-called "ability" to read people really well and at times see things are gong to happen before they do. Then one day she told me of how she had grown to resent my "ability". She said that I sometimes did it too good and she didn't like that part of me anymore. To me this has always been a part of life. To her... it wasn't. ( now this last part has been rambling)

 

[vthomley]

Marlin, good stories!

Here's a couple pics from RPRU, I carried my camera around all day and only took a few.
A Cub Cadet Farmall Cub

A 100 turned into a 560, there were 2 of these.

Our camper and a friend's truck ready to head to RPRU

 

[kmcconaughey]

Few more.

Shouldn't the front rims be red on a NF 656?

This Lo-Boy just purred, it was amazing how quiet it was.

 

[proessler]

Kraig Yep, I saw that 656 Hydro, never saw any with white fronts before or with clamshell fenders. At the dealer I worked at ('70-'73 ), they all came with Flat top fenders as far as I can remember...

 

[kmcconaughey]

Paul, good catch on the fenders, I noticed those at RPRU too, but forgot about them when I looked at my photos.

One of my older cousins has a 656 that he bought new, I spent untold hours riding on the fender with him.

 

[mhomrighausen]

Kraig and Paul. Some of the first 656s did come with round fenders as did the 7-806 tractors. As for the white rims, they were a "farmer added" feature. If I recall the first 656s to be introduced had a grille screen similar to a 706. the one pictured is a later model with what appears to be a standard drawbar. Also the round fendered tractors had lights mounted in the white stripe area along the gas tank just like the 4-560s did. This tractor is void of lights. So between the standard drawbar and lack of lights it may have been ordered as a very basic or plain tractor. I can't remember if the round fenders were optional when the square ones came on the scene or not.

 

[vthomley]

Here's a link to an article abou tlast week's RPRU. My sister says she is in the 1/3 category...

http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories/460223