# Wingnut’s Winter Tractor Tour 2005



## Wingnut (Aug 21, 2004)

This was only Tour of Central Texas all with 12 miles from home and what treasure I found. I met one of the first “Tractor Nuts” His motto “Real Tractors Have Steel Wheels” He has a story to tell on each one, He started collecting tractors after WW2, everybody and their moms were buying new Rubber Wheeled Tractor, so he was able to pickup several orphans for under $30.00. I have only seen part of his collection, at his Ponderosa (his Ranch) he has 70 tractors that I have not seen yet! He enjoy buying, trading, and selling tractors and parts (likes trading the most). His wife puts up with it because it was his only hobby that actually makes money! His wife told me he made his first million racing cars in the 40’s and 50’s and it only cost him 2 million to make it! He knows what he has and knows what its worth! The tour had just begun and I don’t know how I could beat the first day! 

He has 150 hit and miss engines! 
He has 300 Tractors! 

What I have seen to name a few: 
1919 Moline 
1919 Harley Davidson 
1907 Big Bull - Only 25 were ever built 
1919 Happy Farmer - Never used sat in warehouse for 50 years 
Fordsons 
Case 
IH 
Mogul - Buried in sand bar in Rio Grande for 61 years 
John Deere 
Farmerall
Allis 


<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=74355>

<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=74354>

<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=74370>

The rest of the Photos can be seen here (Sorry the first 3 pics are my place): 

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jim78...p://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jim78642/my_photos


For some reason I keep saying to myself this way Bear's place is going to be in another 50 years.


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

Nice job Wingnut...very extensive:thumbsup:


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## Wingnut (Aug 21, 2004)

<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=74362>

I said to me as I was looking around his place. "You caught the bug, how tractor are you going to buy this year?".

Hey Bear he told I should have been a few weeks earlier he had MM "Z-Tractors" that were suppose to be sent back to MM and to be distroyed. MM decided not to manufacture them or support them. He had a complete and one that he put a "R" front end on it that was left behind the dealership in Texas that recieved 5 Z-Tractors before the Recall. 3 were sold to local farmers and they refused to send them back.


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## DrBailey (Nov 14, 2004)

what a great slide show , to good for words , I`m not gonna give up ,, there is a big find out there !! Thanks for shareing all this .


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## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

Wingnut,
Your Winter tractor tour looks like it is a WHOLE LOT better than mine was. Remind me to use your booking agent next time! GREAT PICS! And keep 'em coming!:thumbsup:


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## Wingnut (Aug 21, 2004)

Going back out on my Tractor Tour Day 2 
My batteries on ther camera died yesterday before I could get a picture of the Case Iron Eagle and several small garden tractors.
Will post on a second album.


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## bear (Oct 20, 2003)

great pics wingnut it sounds like a place i could spend a month at. does he have any more details on mm buying back those z tractors i'd never heard anything about that


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## Wingnut (Aug 21, 2004)

Bear about "Z" Tractors MM was going compete with the smaller tractor market. The MM cut the engine in half and make it a 2 - cylinder.

MM dealer in Granger Texas was going to be a pilot test for the Texas market. Granger received 5 Z-tractor and he sold 3 Z-tracor in 2 weeks. MM decided the were not going to market or support this tractor and they wanted the tractors back, but they were already sold. 

Granger is a very tight knit Czech Community, the dealer rather be black listed by MM than be black listed by the community. He refuse to take the tractors back that were sold or tell MM who he sold them too. So he lost his MM dealership but he kept his customers and sold Case and International after that. 

The 2 cylinder Z-Tractor is rare


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

Thanks for all the pictures Wingnut he has allot of old tractors you just don't ever see. Good thing i don't live close i would be spending way to much time there Does he restore them or just sell them or part out or just collect for the heck of it.


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## Wingnut (Aug 21, 2004)

*Louise the Tractor Guy*

Sorry Guys but he told me not selling or trading anymore he wants to consentrate on tractors show (next ones in Oklahoma). 
He said don't despair he is 80 years old and the Funeral should be at 10:00, the Wake at 11:00, and yard salel at 1:00 so don't be late. 

So there will be Louis Alerts if he get ill so have your trucks ready to roll. He doesn't want to see it go to the scrap yard from heaven. 

But you can feel free the visit him, look around, and talk tractors. 


I am currently uploading 87 new pictures.


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## Wingnut (Aug 21, 2004)

I have loaded 87 new pictures from todays tractor tour. 
There is a picture (Tractor 167 in Album) of Lewis on IH Autocar that he picked up in Huntsville Alabama there were 70 of them left at a farm. 

I not sure if I want to get the Harleys or not. He wants $10,000
but they are in poor shape, but they have extra motors for both of them. 1908 and 1919 are rare finds but is it worth it? 
What do y'all think?


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## Wingnut (Aug 21, 2004)

The Tractor Guy is Louis Miller He calls his shop Miller Mechanical Mart. 

Located in Georgetown, Texas 

So if y'all ever heading down to Austin, Texas and you have 3+ hours to burn. Bring your camera and talk tractors with him. 
He will give you pointers on how to find and buy old tractors. 

His other hobby besides B.S,ing about tractors and stationary motors is Model A road rallys


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## bear (Oct 20, 2003)

that is the model yt i kind of suspected that when you said there was only 25 built. i've never seen one but according to the mm books i have the rear end was from r but z rear end makes much more sense as the yt is listed in 37-38 and the r isn't listed untill 39. if you get back there could you check the casting #'s on the rear end tub. just to satisfy my own curiousity


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## Wingnut (Aug 21, 2004)

Yes it was the Model YT and the picture of the sign posted is the advertisement for the YT. Believe or not that is a metal sign of the YT was suppose to go back to MM with the tractors, but he took it and wrapped it in butch paper. He kept it because he knew it was going to be as rare as the tractors. The sign looks as if it was painted yesterday no rust or scratches. He traded one of his YT to a collector in North Dakato the other he has at the Ranch with his other 75 tractors I have yet to photograph. The one of the two that were sold in Granger is still being used today and he did build one " YT+" it was just like the other YT except it had a "F" frontend (because he ran out of parts) so you could say 25 and 2/3 were produced. 


<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=74591>


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## memmurphy (Sep 18, 2003)

Thanks for taking the time and posting all the pictures Wingnut. :thumbsup: 

I took a break at work and used the DSL connection to look at all of them full size. The road roller, hit miss engines and the steam units were of particular interest to me.

Mark


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