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the older I get the more I like mirrors

Disced my cornstalks today with the 856/490.

Finished up the cab this morning on the 650. Had to stretch it a bit to make it fit right. Actually squaring it up to the tractor. I guess from sitting off a tractor, it got a little out of shape. Then I loaded it up and went to the field. It will take some time to get used to how it looks now. Had a rocky corner in this field so just disked it down this evening. No point in plowing it to turn up even more rocks. The single gang JD disk is a beater, I don’t care if a rock wrecks a blade by chance. Finished right at dark. Start plowing tomorrow. Here’s a nice view from across the river looking south at Sheep and Blacktail Mountains.

Did a little disking, Mike made me do it! Peer pressure!

Id have to say that dad’s 1026 was my favorite tractor, first tractor that I ever drove. Now my Hydro 86 is my favorite. First pic is what the 1026 looks like now, second pic is how it looked when it was restored and last pic is my 86.

I have converted almost all of my Letter tractors to 12 volt. So easy to start. When the 6 volt batteries die on the last two, they will get switched also. Changed the pan seat on my Super MTA to an 06 seat. So much better to have arm rests and back support. That tractor also got sealed LED lights, power steering, two tool boxes and a brake lock pull lever. I’m usually on that tractor for three months of the year making hay so it matters. I’d like to put a fast hitch on it, just have to find one. With live hydraulics and IPTO, it has everything I need. On my W-4, -6 and -9, the pipe seats went in the scrap pile. Well the W-9 already had an aftermarket seat on it. The pipe seats bottom out, no thanks. I built a seat similar to a 650 on the W-4 from a JD seat frame and a Super C spring base. It rotates to the side to get on easy. Rubber shift knobs are cheap, no reason to have a bare handle. I’ve put some grip tread on the floor pans too.

ive never met a tractor i didnt like cept the ford N series

OK thanks lotsaIHCs. Over 20K then. Crap, in comparison, I think I gave mine away then. Back in 2013, when I retired from farming and was getting ready to move to Texas, I sold my 1980 Tri-Stripe 1086, with 1,8XX hours, Burgundy interior, axle duals, full rack of front end weights (weights not mounted in this picture), muffler eliminator, Thomure Mfg. chrome stack, with original operator's manual, for $18,500.00. I was just its second owner. I was asking $21,000.00 for it, but the week before I sold it, the AC quit working on it, what a crock that was. I was going to look in to getting the AC fixed before selling it, but then a guy called wanting to come see it, and then he wanted it, so I told him the AC just quit on it, and we settled at the 18,500. Nuts. I may have been able to stay above 20K if that AC didn't puke out on me. She was coated heavily in field dust when I shot this pic. I should have given her a bath before taking the pic. She was a gorgeous 1086. Dyno'd at a conservative 160 PTO HP. I miss her and miss the farming. And I miss Michigan. We are talking and thinking about the possibility of moving back to MI once the wife retires. But, she is also a native Texan, and she wants to work perhaps a couple more years in San Antonio at Trinity University. We'll see. I'm not at all impressed with the Austin, TX scene down here. Thank goodness we live in the Texas Hill country, NW of Austin proper, but Austin sucks in a lot of ways, including too much traffic, and on top of that, the Austin drivers are F'ing idiots.

A good set of steps and handles makes a world of difference on those older tractors.

Looks pretty good behind the 826

Makin new dirt with the 650 and Case 4-14. Got 10-12 acres done this morning. Pretty dry, only the top few inches had moisture. Had to stop around 1 pm. Have a fish fry this evening at one of the old guys’ shop.

I saw this 1026 Hydro for sale and just wondering if it belongs to anyone here. Located in ND. Looks nice!

I was having coffee (at McDonalds) early Sunday morning and a ‘88/91 looking light blue F250 reg cab 8’ box rolled through the drive though -and I looked to see if Emma was driving

My brother, rest his soul, had to replace the clutch in our 68 Chevy C10 with a 69 300 hp 350 after racing a friend who had a 67 C10 with a built 292 and 3 speed. Sadly, the 67 won the race, but he helped replace the clutch at his farm after the race! Small town ND life! Dad never knew that the clutch was replaced!

Hello Everyone, Figured Id try here and see if anyone had any leads. Back around 97 we sold a 303 combine to a gentlemen that dad thinks was fom Harrisburg Illinois. We are in Nashville IL. Looking to get it back If we can. Some features that make it different... Had a 13' platform, 28L26 Rice and Cane on the front, Large axle on back with 16.9 26. Straw chopper Ladder was off an 815 I think to get past the wide tires, And we had converted it to a hydro that came from a 615. Also the 303 belt drive was replace with the v belt off the 615. Had an unload auger extension as well. Cab was repainted white and at the time it was a really sharp looking machine. If it was still kicking about, Id really like to bring it home.

Steering wheel is on the wrong side. I bet that's the problem 😊 I drove mine like a stolen rental.

Dodge - it’s not a name but a warning sign. It’s literally right there on the tailgate - Dodge the parts that fall off going down the road.

A belt atchment was available for the 06 through 86 tractors. Might have fit the 5x88??? Ive never seen one in person. I could use one but it'd probably be cheaper to buy a farmall with a belt.

Beautiful tractor!! Wish it was mine!! lol

Not anymore 😀

12 volts and replacing wiring makes such a difference, my log splitter lives on my H and it and my BN fire up so easily even when they have sat for a month or more and it’s cold. I replaced the bulbs in the BN with LED’s , they look just like the incandescents when lit. The reduction in power means there is very little drain, so much so that; someone who will remain nameless went to use it and discovered that the lights were on from the previous day. It started right up!

I'm over the top about making things work as they should. A few years ago, I fixed the cigarette lighter on my 1086. I don't smoke.

Anytime I need to replace batt cables, I make my own with 2/0 welding cable, gets the most out of my batteries and I would think helps starter life And you asked for little things, so here goes..................... These are all very small things but help to make a long day just a bit shorter I"ve probably seen more 560's without shift knobs than with, both of mine came without, I like having something that fills my hand when I shift I extended the hyd levers on my 966. Don't have to bend forward and reach down for them, just slide my hand forward off the armrest and they are right there Probably doesn't help a lot but these make me smile in the 1486 and thinking of the gentleman that made em for me no charge. "Just give a little extra in the collection plate next Sunday". RIP OT Extended the pto lever on the mower M so I don't have to reach down for it, just swing my arm around and it is right there

Another one I would never part with

My dad and I spending time in our offices this weekend IH style. He is in a 5488 and I am in the 1256. I'll add that I was still getting the SS set up for depth when the first picture was take and was pulling 11" deep that's why so much smoke. It pulled it much easier at 8-9".

Wanted to add another 50 series tractor to the fleet and I’m always down for a project so I picked up this rough 5288. Seem to be pretty good mechanically. Runs great. Has a few leaks but don’t think it needs anything major. It will get whatever it needs and a paint job this winter as well as everything new in the cab. I already picked up a set of side panels and a grill for it from the local salvage yard

She has been a landlord for a very long time, and served eviction papers as soon as she was made aware😀 The chair on the right is mine, and the rules are a little more slack.😉

I’ve made a step to get on the super A and have since made about a dozen for customers tractors. Also steps for the Farmall 240 and 340 tractors.

That’s the “wish” part!! lol 😂

My IH 806 has 23.1x30 with these same HD wheels. Hard to see the 10 bolt hub from this angle. My new IH 706 gas has them too.

Remember MTO and Old Tanker having "discussions" about them 😂😂😂😂

Not going to throw anything away. I'll try to find a fit for all of it. I have distributor caps and a lot of other parts. The guy I got them from has since passed but I'd like to find out what things go to. He was in his 90s when he passed a few years ago. He had a blacksmith shop that his dad started way back so there are parts from the early days of gas engines and tractors. I just have to take the time to find out what all of the parts are for. There are sets of valves, rings and even some old magnetos.

Earlier than ideal for the clutch but not totally unheard of, I think previous owner did a lot of in town driving and probably had bad habits. It is quite the job to replace the wet belt and expensive over here also; its probably luck of the draw and how many miles before its required likely varies from car to car even when they are the same model. I would personally not want to buy any vehicle with a wet belt - a chain will always be my go to; but as i told her given its history and how well its been looked after she made an informed, decent choice - and whatever car she decided on will come with its own individual issues because they all do!

This is my wife’s chair which he definitely knows he isn’t allowed in

Years ago l worked for a road construction co. running a Cat 631-C scraper. l got there early on morning and the mechanic was working on my scraper. Said he was fixing the lights. l asked him why, we never ran after dark. His answer was "lf Caterpillar in their infinite wisdom put it on the machine when it was built then it's supposed to work."

But with a kid, you can't admit it! 🙂

Yes, we had the baby CO-OP (E2) around here for a while.

Isn't this like trying to pick one's favorite child?

I'm on board! Make battery cables as needed, 2/0. Here's one that hasn't been mentioned and easy to do. Control cables; First one I did was the hydraulic control on the Grain-truck. It was really hard to move, either direction. Pull the wire out of the sheath, wipe down with brake clean, Spray some in the outer part and blow out with air, lube with Justice Brothers chain lube and reassemble. Works like butter! Did the same with the choke cable on the 756 gas. 20 minute job, maybe? You use these controls all the time, so much nicer when they work like they should!

Set the cab on the 650. Fiddled with it all afternoon. Had to do some trimming on the floor extension and around the cowling. Should finish bolting it in tomorrow.

I agree, just makes life so much easier. I have a couple little extras on the H: This PTO lever came from Ebay for I believe $30 or $40; very handy when using the 101 corn picker. The foot starter was nice but I kept catching my foot on it, so moved it up on the steering post for easier access. The brake lever extension I built myself from scrap around the shop. This is the second one I've built; the first is on the 300 and much nicer to look at. This toolbox was another Ebay find (or steal rather) for $90 shipped; the friction throttle came on the tractor but kept slipping... it's been replaced with a standard throttle. Peep the "custom" steering wheel... that also came with the tractor. Thought it was a pretty cool "farmer fix" to keep from buying a new wheel. Here are a couple shots of the replumbed remotes on the 300; the PO had a gommed up mess that worked but were just un-handy... so after a couple years of fighting with them I decided they needed re-routing and new hoses/connections. In the photo below, you'll notice a notch in the sheet metal over the hydraulic check plug.... hated to do it but I was tired of having to take the hood side off to check or fill the hydraulics! And my last little modification really isn't all that special but darned handy. You'll notice the H and 300 both carry pitchforks on their sides; a loop of baling wire around the air cleaner and a tine through a hitch pin on the 300 (the H has a ringbolt) sure does beat throwing broken bales back in the baler by hand. I do admit, I can't take credit for the idea though. I got that from a member of YT forums years ago. Sorry for the long rambling post... I really didn't mean for it drag out this far!

Good batteries and a 12 volt conversion with a gm one wire makes a great difference for me. Not really fixing any thing but improving I guess. Sure makes em start better!

Finished harvest and did a little plowing.

D-14, it came from Young’s Farm Equipment in Fair Haven, and it’s hasn’t moved more than a 1/4 mile since new. My FIL bought it from the original owners estate. He was a large grower of Trefoil.

I've never known of an optional belt pulley size on the Cockshutt tractors I grew up with. All fibre pulley. The main things it ran was the Case hammer mill and the firewood saw. The saw didn't matter much on rpm as we never ran it full throttle on that job. The hammer mill stated a recommended rpm in the manual and the tractor manual also listed the belt pulley rpm. I'm not sure if they matched up to the correct speed but the hammer mill ground up the feed just fine.

I actually have two, besides the 1206. If I go back to my youth, a Farmall "M" was my dream tractor. I always wished my dad would buy one, but unfortunately he was a Deere 2-banger man, and that is what I learned to drive on (a form of child abuse, I would say). Anyway, I guess that is why I now own a Farmall "M". It's a 1947 model equipped with an M&W 9-speed transmission.