Letters to the Editor
A few stories f rom readers about their auger tractors as inspired by the November 2021 column.
This is a 1968 1130 Massey on a 13x84 auger. Reliable, simple, and easy to hit controls from the ground. What is sad is that it’s still about $38K just to move grain.
— Randy Bush, Marcus
I bought this tractor used in 1976 and it has carried out many jobs on our farm over the years. Early on it pulled our 8-row planter, 42-foot sprayer, rotary hoe, and stalk chopper. As equipment grew over the years this 1960 4010JD still worked hard as it powered our grinder mixer feeding over 3000 head of hogs per year and moving the manure to fields pulling the manure spreader. It pulled our bailer and raked the crop ahead of it. This tractor never saw a cab but had a heat houser installed every winter and tire chains if needed. Today this 4010 still plays an important role on this farm. In addition to powering this grain auger we use it on our rotary cutter, a three-point seeder to seed our CRP and waterways, a three-point forklift and three point blade used to grade our yard and driveways. What makes this tractor so desirable on this farm is its versatility. There are still multiple jobs waiting for this 61-year-old workhorse by John Deere every season.
— Wayne Fredericks, Osage
My auger tractor is a 770 Oliver tracker and it was built in 1964. I worked at Oliver from 1963 through 1966. I was the tractor driver. I got the tractors and brought them in to ship to the dealers. I have enclosed a copy of my pay stub from 1964. The $7.35 deduction was for a brand new pair of steel-toed safety boots. During the time I worked, we built on average 100 tractors a day. I drove this tractor new in the factory and is now one of my Oliver collections. It has been restored.
— Tom Mitchell, Hawkeye
26 | JANUARY 2022 | IASOYBEANS.COM
