I added another, but she aint a cub

[Jay Fetters]

About 12 years ago my grandfather passed, and my grandmother had been letting the neighbor use my grandpa's tractor clean the lane back to their houses out in the winter ever since. Every summer since the neighbor started using this tractor, my grandma has had over $3k in repairs from the neighbor abusing the blower and tractor. So she decided to sell it this year, and I told her I'd buy it. She negotiated a deal with me, that I could it for free, if my brother, who lives in Tennessee, delivered it to me. My grandma lives in North east Indiana, and I live in the north central U.P. of Michigan. She wanted to see my brother, and wanted me to see my brother, since I haven't since 2011. No issues, we talk on the phone almost weekly, just haven't seen each other. So... I paid him to deliver it for me. We had an awesome week this past week, just hanging out, grouse hunting, drinking vodka, just boys being boys. And, for the first time in my life, as I was always told I was to little to drive the tractor, I got to play with grandpa's tractor. I used to sit in the seat and play with the levers and steering wheel, until dad or grandpa caught me, and I'd get my back porch painted red, free of charge!!! But, Wednesday, I got to sit in the seat, without fear, and light the fires!!!! I gotta admit, tears were rolling, as most of my memories of my grandpa involve this tractor in some way. She just roared to life, and settled into a silky smooth idle. Driving this old ford is everything I imagined it would be a a kid. And today, I popped a few stumps with the loader, moved some logs around to get ready to mill tomorrow. In all, I worked her for about 4 hours today, and loved every minute. My wife said I was "smiling like a moron on crack" the whole time. Today, I had an awesome day. It's amazing, how a piece of old iron will take you back to your youth, and, almost, almost make you feel like grandpa is either smiling watching me, or getting ready to paint my back porch red!!!
By the way, it's a 1962 Ford model 4000, with a bush hog loader.

 

[gary noblit]

Jay, awesome!! I feel the same when I come across a John Deere LA..

 

[dgeary]

Having grown up on a farm with a Ford 8N, NAA and a 961, I have a soft spot for those old Fords. Would love to have an NAA or 961 again just to play with.

 

[Beltrack]

Looks like a 10 speed Select-O-Matic, or Jerk-O-Matic as we used to call them. Have fun and congrats.

 

[Jay Fetters]

Here's some more pics of the Lil princess.

 

[gary noblit]

Jay, do you have to chain your wheels on or is that for decoration?

 

[jack casey]

Jay, do you have to chain your wheels on or is that for decoration?

Maybe I should mind my own beeswax but why a need for chains? Have never seen a Ford/Farmall with them.
Cheers

 

[Doug Rusk]

There are times and situations where a good set of chains are a must. I put a set on my 400 farmall most winters.

 

[gary noblit]

Jay,that was meant in humor...

 

[Jay Fetters]

Maybe I should mind my own beeswax but why a need for chains? Have never seen a Ford/Farmall with them.
Cheers

The area I live in receives over 200 inches of annual snow fall on average. For example, when we get a foot or more of snow overnight, they don't cancel school, they may delay, but I've never seen school canceled for snow. If I don't put chains on, I ain't benching banks come January, let alone moving any.

 

[Jim Guenther]

@Jay Fetters I realize this is almost a year old post.
I grew up on a 62 Ford 4000 with a Select-O-Matic.
Dad didn't tan my hide, he glued it in the seat as soon as I could steer. Our hay field had terraces, so he'd get me started and I had to follow the winding rows of square bales. Sure hated it when I graduated to being the stacker boy on the trailer.

 

[Jay Fetters]

@Jay Fetters I realize this is almost a year old post.
I grew up on a 62 Ford 4000 with a Select-O-Matic.
Dad didn't tan my hide, he glued it in the seat as soon as I could steer. Our hay field had terraces, so he'd get me started and I had to follow the winding rows of square bales. Sure hated it when I graduated to being the stacker boy on the trailer.

I was the youngest of 8 grandkids, so my older brother, and cousins always got to run the tractor, and I had to stay at the house and help Grandma. Which I hated at the time, my dad and Grandpa said I was to much to handle out in the field, so I stayed at the house until they got back. When they did, I was supposed to help stack hay, or help with whatever needed done, but I always crawled into the seat of that old Ford tractor and played with levers until I was caught, paddled, and sent back to the house. As the grandkids got older, and I neared my teens, I thought it was my turn to run the tractor, but Grandpa got out of farming all together, and the old Ford was kept around for snow removal, which I still wasnt allowed to do because there was a shovel that fit my hands. So I cleaned the sidewalks while Dad or Grandpa ran the tractor blowing snow. Fast forward to today, my dad is 70, my grandpa has since past, and I'm 43, and the tractor is mine, and I tell my dad he's too old to run the tractor and to go in the house and help Mom, with a smile of course, and I just take care of the snow removal myself, and do the sidewalks with my Cub.