F-20 to the county fair

[Bob McCarty]

Last Saturday I helped a friend move his collection of about 40 antique tractors to the fairgrounds for the Boulder County Fair. He put me on a 1938 Farmall F-20. Had about a three mile drive. Went past a speed sign and it blinked back and forth between 6 and 7 MPH. It seems to me like the engineers built the tractor first and then said, "Whoops, we have to put a seat on the back somewhere!!". This Sunday, I hope to get to drive it back to the barn. A fun tractor, but way to big for me to want one. I'm sure some of you grew up on these and have lots of memories (fond or otherwise).
Bob

[Eugene]

IH engineers weren't the only ones to design the tractor then put the operator's platform on it - some place. On the old Allis Chalmers tractors the seat is about a foot behind the differential. To operte the tractor your feet are above the differential, leaving your butt hanging in the air.

On a recent post an Allis owner, 350 lbs, was worried that the spring holding the seat would break and drop him to the ground in front of the bushhog. I grew up on old tractors and never thought about it.

Eugene

[WKPoor]

I had my H at Cubfest and my wife followed me home. I asked her how fast I was going and she said between 15 and 20 mph. At one point I hit 20. Thats fast enough on an H. By the way, I don't think I ever had it wide open on that trip home.

[RedNed]

That's that JP-4 your putting in,Full military power.Stop taking the stuff from work.................

['Country' Elliott]

When I had my 1946 Farmall "M" I used to love to ride on the road! My longest, one-way trip was 31 miles from my former home in Mendham, N.J. to Washington, N.J. to the Case/IH dealership. Even with the road gear...it hummed along at 16 to 18 m.p.h.

[beaconlight]

Country. How come those big ole jersey skeeters never picked you up and carried you away?

Bill

[RAW in IA]

I greaw up with an F-20 and my son has it now. Grandfather bought it new in 38. Not the most comfortable tractor to ride, but I enjoy running it anyways. Spent many hours cultivating with it.Hand lift cultivator too! I just love the sound of that old engine under load, but do agree, it needs a faster road gear.

['Country' Elliott]

Hey Bill...MOST of those "Jersey Skeeters" were "Down The Shore"! Besides it woould have taken a whole FLOCK a them to lift my butt off'n that "M"!

Besides the F-14 Farmall...I believe the NICEST F-20 I ever saw and drove was a 1936 F-20 on rubber with round spokes front & rear ! BUT, that seat position is just not natural to try to sit in for any extended period!

When I went to college in Iowa, we used to visit the John Deere Works in Ottumwa, Iowa. It used to be the old Dain Manufacturing Works that made the 3-wheeled Dain tractor and Dain feed grinders. AND, the BEST place to visit then was Mt. Pleasant, Iowa for The Thresher's Reunion...WOW, I've NEVER seen so many steam traction tractors in my entire life