Tonyinca

Thinking 17 months. That's what my 560 & M.M.U , L.A.Case, 400 took. Perhaps we have a little more experience but Bob and I are averaging 69 of age so might cancel experience out .lol. lol. lol. Actually I think this girl may be easier depending what we find in tranny, rear, & hydraulics. Tony

Found her parking spot in shop back in Oct. Tony

Hi Fellas, Yesterday Bob & I started my 806 L.P. restoration! As you may remember I purchased this Old Cotton Girl fresh out of field from Anson Texas. RPF Member Twostepen2001 gave me the heads up on her and John A who recently passed away checked her out for me. His assessment was she is a WELL USED Honest old tractor not abused and he was right. I purchased it in spring of 2014 it was delivered June of 2014 and she has waited patiently while the SMTA ,S.C., Dyno, 300 U cut in line ahead of Her . But now its all her. BTW drained coolant pure clean Antifreeze, Rear end oil smells like Hytran with no visible metal or junk in drain bucket. Air cleaner had inner & outer Old but clean. Will drop hydraulic filter next hope no surprises. Only leak or wet spot on rear is from right torsion shaft. Engine oil did not have contamination ,will pull filter next.

This is where we are at today. We installed a twist hide away gas cap. I purchased a 1967 345 had it rebuilt and had the four speed rebuilt. Body is a long process had to replace rocker panels & do rust work on dash bottom ends of windshield. Decided today to weld over the stake pockets . Two of them were made slightly off and all four had seam problems on corners . I think it'll look cleaner without them. I'll post as we move forward but its been very slow so far. Its ready for block sanding so that's going to take lot of work with very little change in appearance. Tony

Little more progress

June of 14 I came across this 66 Binder 6 cylinder ,4speed ,torsion suspension front and no frills. Being the first vehicle I drove to school day after receiving my drivers lic. was my Dad's six ,4speed International p.u. I thought the price & condition of this one was to good to pass up. Few pictures of driving it around after buying it. In Oct of 14 decided to paint it Red to go with my I.H. tractors and after seeing the amount of work and commitment decided to go for a car show Binder and parking next to a Ford or Chevy we are going to have to make it compete. Year later we are this far

Nice table! I have one much like it WITHOUT THE FINE ADJUSTMENTS with a very heavy top and wheels .Works very well table is heavy enough that with locks on the wheels it does not move. Have vices at both ends. I am no talent welder so had the local blacksmith make it for me. lol.

Envious of talented metal work. I learned from the school of "cut twice" and "measure once" and my work shows it. lol. lol. Nice bumper & workmanship. Tony

Troy, Don't understand sticks your talking about? Where are they coming from and how big? Perhaps from river water? Those little girls will grow up with their heads on straight. Learning how they can help out at this early age. Good pictures of a truly family farm, Hang in there troy , Farms like yours and many here on the forum built this nation. Tony

Fat Dan, I see your from Wasilla! We came through there on the Alaska railroad two weeks ago ,I got pictures from the train ,would of loved to stop ,looks like a nice town. I asked the guide where is Sara Palin's house from here and he pointed up the hill to what appeared to be a newer subdivision and said up there not to far. I noticed the Alaskan's did not elaborate on Sara Palin much. I expected them in Wasilla to have a sign up or capitalize on it with souvenirs but saw nothing. Well , at least I think I can say I've been to YOUR'S and AKWELDERS towns . I believe his is Fairbanks and we spent night there . Flew out of Fairbanks in a 737 next morning to Dawson . Was awesome for me a former private pilot flying back country few times to see them put that 737 down on a dirt stip in the back country at Dawson Airport. You guys live in Gods country and being a old country boy I can only imagine the true grit it takes to work there year round. Tony

400 hrs. Engineers must have been smoking something strong when they designed this baby. Handy and fun to drive but it has been a nightmare of mickey mouse problems that were a production problem. Wiring mainly. Wires run in tight places and insulation wearing off and salt damage from the boat trip over from Turkey. I could go on but no time. All stems back to you get exactly what you pay for. I'll never buy Turkey again. If the 3688 had FWA and a shuttle shift, it would be my main loader tractor. jerry Jerry, Are You talking about the Farmall 95? If so ,I have one of those Darn things "in blue" for the orchard and my old 2640's & 2755's do all the heavy dirty work If I had to depend on the New Holland and its dealer I would still be trying to harvest the 2012 crop. I was excited when I saw the Farmall 95 orchard model till I got inside and exclaimed to Sal my foreman, the **** with this its a "red" New Holland . So, Mother Deere to the rescue with a 6340 orchard. Tony

T/D, Would love to help you out! But I looked all over my SMTA,400,560,S.C. 300u,806, & H , Cannot find anything that even resembles that picture and it does not even show it in my service manuals of them either! I feel like what OBG described, "A pig watching T.V., interesting but don't have a clue"! I'll say though! I can find all that kind of stuff on my Almond Equipment, Thank God for my Young employee ,Sal Jr., I just say to him, "you need to figure this out its above my pay grade" lol,lol. Some of the perks of being very close to seven decades. lol. Tony

Well two plus fires with 20 miles and another 50 miles away. 45 mile an hour winds to boot. It's been hot and Dry so they are hard to stop all fire dept. Are on it. Along with every cat available. HHopefully God will send rain. God Bless! You people in Montana! Hope you get some rain soon & you and yours are SAFE! T/D Know what your facing with manure & water management . Makes a difficult job Harder. Still have the memories of helping my Dad during those wet years of trying to keep corals comfortable for cows and workable during milking. However, we did not have the sophistication of a good set up like you do now but its still difficult. Rural life is great! but it comes with a price ,doesn't it?, that is what many in this generation are lacking, the experience of what it takes to persevere & be successful. Tony

WOW ! What is that wet look? IS it a broken sprinkler main ? Have not seen that look around here in such a long time I have forgotten what it is. Great pictures! Tony

She's a beauty!!!! Tony

I believe so & peer pressure and I believe parents live Vicariously thru their kids. Its kind of sad Sat.& Sun. all day tournaments both are common here ,used to be a tournament a year. Now its a tournament for every time the kid sneezes. These coaches have no regard for families or Sunday togetherness and what's worse the parents are like sheep can't kiss coaches butt fast enough so LITTLE JOHNNY can start. Tony

Troy, I firmly agree with you ! BALANCE IS KEY To life and we keep adjusting to it all of our lives. I think that's why I did not like cows growing up because our lives revolved around the cows. I came to hate all animals when young. However, I see guys that go other way to far and they teach their kids to be some what irresponsible and end up loosing farm when things get tuff. On other side of coin I suggest to my Son & DIL that they are out of balance with their kids and ball games .Those kids think the world revolves around the next game. There lives are planned around game schedules. At least the cows in my young life made our living and taught me responsibility. Like you say balance IS SO IMPORTANT ! Tony

Hey.....aint you planting some more? ☺ Yes! I am taking a play out of the dairymen's handbook! When prices go down ,too much milk,and loosing money add more cows! In reality, I am a long term Almond grower with 16% of my acres in grapes leased out. Don't want to renew vineyard or be a landlord. Will cost me very little to add 16% more to my existing work & machinery force. Just makes the most logical since in preparation for future! Just like adding more cows when the manure hits the fan. LOL. Tony I know just prodding you a bit. It does sound like a logical move for you operation. Do you have a Heir Apparent down there Tony? Got my eye on two grandkids one my daughter's & one my son's see if any come on strong. Daughter has a MA in education & married to a Anesthesiologist in NV. My son has BA in Ag business, with minor in banking says he's interested but he is doing well at bank, doing commercial financing heck he'll be fully vested in retirement in another 9 years and he & wife spend every available moment with kids baseball & soccer. like most city people. So, the Real-Estate Agent may be my connection to my heir apparent. However, as long as the Good Lord gives me wherewithal to keep going and I am blessed with good employees My Wife and I will keep on keeping on. She is a bright lady with good business background and I have confidence she's been paying attention long enough to me to know how to get it done if needed. Having said all this, yesterday at Accountant they asked me about retirement and she volunteers, "he does not want to let go," "he'll never retire."Maybe she knows me better then I myself.lol Heck ,I've wanted to do this since the fifth grade. My good since says this is it but the farmer in me says maybe another piece of land to restore and develop. That's why I am pulling this vineyard did not like how it looked & produced and do not care for someone else farming my land so here we go. Lucky its only a small 20 ac. will level flat revamp irrigation ,drive ways, plant latest configuration of almonds. Sorry, for long wind but I know you have a elderly Dad in your op. and this may give little insight to his thinking and a heads up because most diehard dairymen are just as bad in letting go. LOL. I try to imagine getting up in the morning and not having to go check the ranch. or ring my hands in the spring wondering if I have a crop, Not having a harvest to fret about, not having year end tax planning or Budgets for financing to do. I must sound pretty boring.!!LOL. BTW, it's better to put decision in hands of God .Holy spirit will tug at pit of my stomach when it's time to quit Tony

Hey.....aint you planting some more? ☺ Yes! I am taking a play out of the dairymen's handbook! When prices go down ,too much milk,and loosing money add more cows! In reality, I am a long term Almond grower with 16% of my acres in grapes leased out. Don't want to renew vineyard or be a landlord. Will cost me very little to add 16% more to my existing work & machinery force. Just makes the most logical since in preparation for future! Just like adding more cows when the manure hits the fan. LOL. Tony

I hear you TroyDairy! There are storm clouds forming in my industry also! But everyone ignores the reason , because we had a momentum going and all of sudden because of water problems yields were way off, last year, causing a price spike .( Like I tell guys it makes no difference if price goes up if you don't have a multiplier) this year yields don't look much better then last, in meantime the port strike killed shipments for several months and the dollar increase overseas is causing resistance in market all the while guys are planting almonds at break neck speed. Can you say eighties all over again, perhaps? Scary, BTDT, Tony

That should read RICH MAN'S duramax ! He still has the 55 or 65 thousand in his pocket. Tony

Great picture!, Troy, Amazing how farmsteads grow over the years when we are just busy doing our work, then take the time to look back. Tony

Yes, Its's been so long but I recall people saying it had to do with his girls. Had couple of friends that worked at factory during summer vacation in high school. I have to remind myself to call the new ones Bale wagons ,I was brought up with calling them harrow beds. They are very popular here with hay growers & dairies both small squares& big squares. Tony

Farmall57, The first self propelled bale wagons were called Harrow Beds manufactured approx 15 miles east of me in Fowler Ca. New holland bought them out in 70's I believe. Tony

Had a Gleaner "C"Looked and set up just like picture . Set up to do Black eyed beans .We put a new aftermarket cab on it .Did not have A/C but a strong blower. Was a very dirty process as we would cut dry beans with knives and rake them to a windrow and let sit till very dry. Ran it from about mid 60's to 1979. Tony