Taking night photos is always fun, and produces exciting new photography. January’s cold nights can be especially dark with a bright star-lit sky. The only downside is–it’s cold! It was around 5ºF when I took these photos. Besides the fingers and camera getting cold, it was a lot of fun with desirable results.
If you’re wondering how I was able to capture the stars–I used a Canon 5D Mark II with the ISO set higher than normal for daylight shooting, and a Canon f1.4 lens. The 1.4 lens allows the camera to grab as much light as possible in as short of time as possible.
This year I purchased a snow blower to help keep the barnyard cleaned out. The snow slides on the side of the barn to the point where it can’t slide anymore (builds up too much). SO, with the snow blower I am able to keep it pushed out better. It also lets me use the warmth of a cab tractor to push snow.
This video is a time lapse that I took with the GoPro. It’s not the greatest video because it got a lot of moisture over the outer housing, and I probably shouldn’t have made it record it so fast… But, it is still kind of cool to watch anyway.
Taking the tractors out for a nice winter stroll is a lot of fun–especially when you are able to take more than one out at a time! Here’s a video I shot of the John Deere Model A and Model 630. I was riding the A (same tractor that I restored), so the video mostly shows the 630.
Here’s a video I recorded with the GoPro mounted to the back of the feed wagon. Sorry about the loud sounds–the GoPro is pretty bad about picking up bangs and such.
Here we’re feeding 3×3 Alfalfa and grain hay bales to a heard of Herefords and Angus. The wagon is being pulled by a John Deere 4020. The cows are mostly Herefords, but the bulls are Black Angus, so it’s starting to get a mixture of both.
Enjoying a hobby in old tractors means more than just tinkering and working on them. It means taking them out for a ride! Here’s a video I took while on the 1959 John Deere 630 while going over the dry farm.
Update: I also recorded a video that’s similar, but with the A and 630, on New Years Day.
This fall we plowed up with the John Deere 4230 and JD plough the alfalfa field next to my parents house, as well as some additional acreage. Prior to ploughing, I also sprayed the field to kill off the alfalfa with the John Deere 4020. I also did some disking with the 4020 and BW disk.
My grandpa helping us load the 630Doing some work on the 630
I’ve always enjoyed the look of the 20/30 series two-cylinder John Deere tractors. Once upon a time (before I was born), we had a 630 on our farm. I believe they had a loader on it, and used it to load hay with, but I’m not quite certain. Because of this, the 630 has always had a special interest to me.
A quick history on the 630. If you know me, you know I enjoy the John Deere Model A. The A was replaced by the 60, and the 60 was replaced by the 620, and the 620 was replaced by the 630. In other words, the 630 is basically a late-fifties Model A.
I knew I would like to own a 630, I just didn’t think the opportunity would present itself quite as quickly as it did. My dad has a co-worker that was talking about selling a 630, and knowing that I enjoy the two-cylinders, dad mentioned to me that he was selling one. It wasn’t running at the time, and had been sitting for quite a few years.
Of course, I had to jump on the opportunity. Who wouldn’t, right? I ended up purchasing the tractor, and was fortunate that my grandfather was also able to go with me to pick up the tractor. As much as I enjoy spending time with grandpa, it’s even more fun getting an old tractor with him! He also grew up on and spent his entire life on a farm, and as such gives us opportunities to talk about the “good old days” when these tractors were in their prime.
To spare you the boring details, I had to do quite a bit of work on the tractor throughout the summer and fall. I don’t mind a good project though–that’s the best way to learn about a machine and become acquainted with it.
Although the project is not completed, as you can see from the photos and video, the project paid off. I now have a nice 1959 John Deere 630 to enjoy.
A spark from a welding torch started a recently cut grain (barley) field on fire. It was a little breezy and picked up very quickly. The field is next to our barn, which contains the hay stored for the beef cattle for the winter, and our tractors. Needless to say, it was an instant adrenaline rush. I grabbed a tractor and quickly hooked it up to the plow and made a ring around the fire to contain it. I can honestly say I’ve never hooked anything up that fast before. In the end, everything was okay, except for a few unlucky straw bales.
It’s that time of year ago–time for combining, changing of the leaves, and geese. Last night, with my window open, I could hear the geese gathering all night long. They are starting to migrate south; seeing a V in the sky is now a common occurrence.
Also, this fall we’ve had a lot of rain. We’ve been trying to get some hay in, and every time it gets nearly ready to bale, it starts to rain on it again. It’s a bit of a pain, but it makes for some pretty mornings.
Over the weekend (July 13 2013) we were hauling some hay (alfalfa) from the dry farm to the barn. These videos show the John Deere 4020 and 3020 loading the hay, and the John Deere 4230 hauling it.
