Antique tractor pull at local county fair (sorry, no pictures)

[hawkeye08]

My wife and I decided to go to the local fair, I had read in this morning's paper that they were having an antique tractor pull in the afternoon... we looked tractors and some other antiques over and then I headed over to the stands to have a look at the tractor pull (wife joined me after watching a butter churning demo).. They had some Case, Deere, Farmall, Cockshuttle (?) and pulled from 2,000 (dead weight sled) up to 14,600 lbs. They kept bringing out more powerful tractors and pulling until the weight was too much (not the sliding weight kind of sled, but rather one that they add weight too with forklift after each pull). The last two tractors pulling were the John Deere 60 and the McCormick 1958 650. The Deere spun out at 13,900 lbs (hit soft tracks) and the 650 pulled the 14,600 no problem... (wish I had taken the camera and got some pics)

It was fun to see the old tractors and the pride these guys had in their tractors. Good crowd turnout also...

I might have to get my 1956 650D McCormick running (and find some brakes for it) and take it to the fair.. We used it extensively moving dirt with tumble bucket when we build our house 20 years ago, but not much since... with no brakes and no 3pt, it had limited uses. The last couple times I used it, the clutch was stuck engaged and I had to shut it off to stop anyway...

 

[bcp]

This thread needs an illustration.

Does this look about right?

Bottom photo on this post:
IH Tractors on Montana Farm - Page 247 - Coffee Shop - Red Power Magazine Community



Bruce

 

[bigtiller]

There used to be an antique tractor pull here heald yearly for several years. For weight, spectators would get on a sled made of timbers and planking as it passed buy. The "weight" had to go stand at the same spot after every pull and wait for the next pull to go by asuring him of a front row view all afternoon.

 

[hawkeye08]

This thread needs an illustration.

Does this look about right?

Bottom photo on this post:
IH Tractors on Montana Farm - Page 247 - Coffee Shop - Red Power Magazine Community

View attachment 335855

Bruce

Looks similar... locally for the fair, they were only pulling 50ft tops back and forth. The tractors alternated, one pulling one direction, then the other pulling back the other... it was not a real contest, more of a demonstration. They talked about tractors being designed to pull 1.5 times their weight generally. These were all stock tractors, not the hot rod pulling tractors.

That 650D in the picture was just like the biggest tractor to pull at the local demo and pulled the 14,600 lb sled with no problem.

 

[hawkeye08]

On display (but not in the pull demo) was a Farmall cub that was a low rider. Some students had taken and turned the final drives for one high cubs over and built a new front axle. It was sitting down real low. Front tires were probably 12" or less, seat was below waist high..