A few of my tractors

[Alcap]

I have a few walk behind tractors , the David Bradley Super Power and 600 are the ones I use for jobs the Standard Walsh and David Bradley Tri-Trac were both my grandfathers though I run them there mostly for show I can't seem to load the all the photos I wanted but these 2 of cutting wood yesterday with the David Bradley and cordwood saw

 

[RJSakowski]

Seeing those photos sends a shiver down my spine. Those saw used to commonly be in service in our area in past decades. The old timers in the neighborhood had told me that there were a few lads around with nicknames like Lefty or Stumpy. They also told me that a crew of two or three guys could cut up to ten cords of firewood in a day.

Back in the eighties, I thought that I might get into the firewood business and built my own saw. I had a fully enclosed thirty inch blade, set up on a trailer and powered by a 50hp VW engine via gearbelt drive and using the OEM VW clutch. The saw worked great but there was one flaw in my thinking. Most of the wood that I was cutting was mature hardwood with diameters of 12" to 24" and the logs would require splitting prior to sawing. That was too much work for me so I abandoned the saw in favor of a chain saw. The saw would take a 12" hickory log without hesitation though.

The saw is sitting in the weeds out back. I'll try to get a photo later. The engine has long since frozen up but the rest of the saw is still in decent shape.

My tractor compliment includes a 1950 Ford 8N and a Nortrac 35XT. The 8N has been my workhorse for almost fifty years. I must have hauled out 500 cords of wood with the carrier that I built for the 3 pt hitch. Throw in fifty years of moving snow in the winter and mowing fields in the summer, spiced with hauling over 100 deer out of the woods and the occasional plowing and the the 8N has earned its keep. The 35XT is a 4WD diesel with front end loader, purchased in 2014. A fairly decent machine for the money but not like the 8N.

There's also a Cub Cadet for mowing around the property although it seems like a toy compared to the other two. Lastly,an old New Holland hay baler sits out back. I mention it because it had a Wisconsin twin cylinder engine on it. They were popular among the area Amish as they were modified to be horse drawn. The Amish couldn't use a mobile engine but it was OK to use stationary engines.

 

[middle.road]

Definitely cringe worthy.

 

[Old Mud]

I like the old days for having all those well thought out multi use machines. As dangerous as that looks it was the cutting edge (pun intended) machine of the day. I used one for many years. Yes their was no OSHA in those days and in reality it was no more dangerous than many other machines of the day.

 

[projectnut]

When we were kids my dad had a couple David Bradley tractors. In 1959 he bought a new David Bradley Suburban model for yard and garden work. It came From the Sears Farm Store in a crate with "some assembly required". He also bought a bunch of accessories including a 48" mower, 10" mold board plow, a disc, cultivator, wheel weights, and 42" dozer blade.

The other David Bradley was much like the one the OP owns. My dad actually traded a horse for it. We had the horse a few years, but as we got older the girls got more attention than the horse, so it was time to let him go. The walk behind tractor only had a plow and disc, and was a beast for us kids to operate so after a few years it also went down the road to another family

The Suburban spent the spring preparing the 1 acre garden with the plow and disc. In the summer it mowed another acre of grass plus cultivating the garden. In the winter it plowed snow. Even though it only had a Briggs 5.75 hp engine it never seemed to lack power. It was a bit light however trying to move a foot of snow. We learned quickly when plowing snow the first snowfall should be pushed far beyond the actual edge of the drive. After it thaws and freezes a few times there's no way that little tractor is going to move it again.

That tractor worked on an almost daily basis for over 20 years. After my dad passed my mother gave up on the big garden and only used it to mow grass. By now she had a snow blower which made keeping the drive open a much easier job. The tractor was finally sold to a collector along with all the accessories when she moved to Florida. The 40+ year old snow blower stayed in the family and finally gave up the ghost about 3 years ago.

 

[RJSakowski]

as a bit light however trying to move a foot of snow. We learned quickly when plowing snow the first snowfall should be pushed far beyond the actual edge of the drive. After it thaws and freezes a few times there's no way that little tractor is going to move it again.

I learned that lesson many years ago. To this day, I move the snow well beyond the driveway. I also clear each snow as it falls. Too many hours chipping ice on the driveway to take a chance on melting and freezing. You just can't trust Wisconsin winters.

 

[projectnut]

I've never been a great fan of plowing snow. I would much rather use a snow blower and only have to deal with it once. At least with a blower you can vary the height of the scraper and avoid pushing all the gravel (we have a "rotten granite" drive) onto the lawn. There's also less chance of peeling up sod if you miss the edge by a few inches.

We currently use an Ariens track drive blower like this:

2016 Ariens Professional Hydro Pro Track 28

2016 Ariens Professional Hydro Pro Track 28 pictures, prices, information, and specifications

www.snowblower.com

We had a wheeled model for over 20 years. It's now doing light duty at the family cottage and the tracked one does the work at home. It's a beast when clearing the ridge the plow leaves at the end of the drive. It doesn't even hesitate where the wheeled model would slip and slide all over the place. The new one is supposed to be able to blow snow 65 feet.

I can attest to the fact it can do that and more. We have about 40 feet from the end of the drive to the neighbor's back yard fence. It's another 40+ feet from the fence to their house. The first time I used it I wasn't paying close attention to where I was blowing the snow. When I looked up I could see the snow was going over the fence, over the yard, and landing on their roof about 10 feet back from the edge. Fortunately I didn't get too much on the roof before I recognized the problem. Now when I approach the end of the drive I angle the chute at about 90* into our back yard. I still have to watch closely as to where the snow goes. If I get too much in one area the dogs can just walk up the pile and over the fence to visit the neighbors.

 

[matthewsx]

I had a walk behind tractor with a blade, don't think I ever plowed snow with it though. Not missing that this winter....

John

 

[Norseman C.B.]

I have a 48 8n for my rather large garden out back and the small one up front she:s a workin fool .
I also have a 71 Case 680 Ck tractor loader backhoe working project to do my heavy work with
she is an absolute beast on the job, will be re packing the boom and dipper cylinders soon as it warms up some ....................................

 

[Shootymacshootface]

Here's my 58 Farmall Cub. I use it for removing snow, mowing, lifting, and digging. I don't know what I would do without it.