For the last week of January, 2014, I have been at the FETC conference in Orlando, Florida. The end of January is a good time to go to Florida, especially when you compare it to Wyoming’s weather! This is an educational conference that covers a wide variety of technology aspects within education. So far, the conference has been good and informative. I also had the opportunity to attend the most busy Apple store I’ve ever been to…
On a side note, at home they received the largest blizzard of the winter season, with several inches of deep and heavy snow.
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.
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.
I had intentions on writing up a photo-book story of the restoration process of the John Deere Model A. I’m having a hard time finishing it, so I thought in the meantime, I’d just throw it up here. If there are any major spelling/grammar mistakes or things you’d like added, please use the comments field below. I’ll add some photos later. Click “Continue Reading” below for the full story.
This is a favorite photo of mine. It’s my nephew on a 1935 John Deere B. You’d assume he is unhappy because his mother left him or something… But in reality, he was unhappy because he wanted to be on the 1938 John Deere B with rubber tires that was next to the steel-wheeled tractor he was sitting on (which is what he is pointing at). Once I put him on the other tractor he was very happy.
This morning was a beautiful and cold March morning. Although not uncommon for March, having 5 degree weather for late March doesn’t always happen. I was privileged though to be able to enjoy this beautiful morning (being as it is a Saturday and I was not at work), and take a few photos to enjoy this Star Valley sunrise.
Winter is starting to wind down with a few signs of spring starting to pop up. In other words, the road in front of my house that is usually covered with snow for about three months of the year is now bare. We still have quite a ways to go though before it is all melted.
The point of all of this is that, although we have a lot of snow now, we used to get a great deal more. My grandparents would tell me of them feeding cattle in late April and May, being able to take the horses and sleigh on the crust over the fences. I can remember a few times when I was a kid that the top wire on the fences was covered enough that we could snowmobiles over it, but that hasn’t happened in quite a few years.
Here’s a photo that shows just how much they used to get. This is a photo of my grandpa on an old Ford 8N tractor with an angled blade. As you can see, the snow is up to the wheels on the tractor. There’s also a guy in the background to show perspective. It also shows our impressively large old barn.
Christmas was good to me this year. All of the family was up, and everyone seemed to have had a good time.
Growing up my cousin and I both had toy pedal tractors. We had a lot of fun on them, and tried to take them everywhere. My little nephew (slightly under two) is currently obsessed with tractors, so I thought it would be fun to get him a little pedal tractor as well. Christmas morning, to his delight, he opened up a beautiful John Deere 720 pedal tractor. Needless to say, he really enjoyed the gift and had fun sitting on it for most of the remainder of the time they were here.
My nephew on his 2012 Christmas gift.
The following day we went and fed the beef cattle. After I parked the cab tractor we fed with, his eyes glazed over the lineup of “big” tractors. He pointed at the Model A and called it his own. Seeing how it resembles his toy tractor made him want to go ride it. So, I fired it up and took her out for a little drive through the snow. You can tell by the look on his face that he had a good time!
