The amount of knowledge lost when my grandfather died was incredible ,but I still find notes along the way he left me when I'm working on one of our old tractors . His welds , his wiring , are just his fingerprints from his life to mine.
Thanks Sparky..I spent time interviewing Dad today.. While I kept asking everything I could.. It has occurred to me you just can't capture a whole persons life experiences on tape.. There is just so much they have spent a lifetime living.. Certainly treasuring recording what I can... We do learn so much from them.
i feek the same about my dad when he passed away, a very smart electrical engineer who was raised on the poor farms in north carolina foothills. he would build anything that he wanted and could not afford or did not like how it was.
@@BrandonLayMusic Agreed Brandon..thanks for taking an interest in the video too..enjoyed having a look at your songs...very well done. That 'Startin' young' song has me thinking about the things I'm thankful for from Dad and his brothers...work ethic..doing things properly..not rushing a job...taking pride in your work...being resourceful..not just buying something off the shelf...Sparky's comment about fingerprints from their lives to ours is so true. Thanks.
@@MatthewPolack My co-worker turned 80 last year. I'm an electrical design engineer at a small company, and he was my predecessor. My job since 2017 has been to "absorb all the knowledge" from this guy. I learned more from him than I did in engineering school, by far. It's been four years and I feel I've barely scratched the surface.
Thanks Jeff..yeah I think you are right..realise I made some mistakes with song selection and audio mix..just wish there was a way to do it without losing all the views and comments.. Just figuring out what I'll do...as after 2 years I've suddenly got views flooding in! Thank you.
@@MatthewPolack Lol its amazing how the youtube algorithm works isnt it? farmers building there own stuff still continues, my dad built his own 20" 16 row planter and 8 row corn head about 10 years ago to go to 20" when it was nearly unavailable...
@@killorkubed That's great.. You should video it! I've been amazed how interested people are in these stories Yes the algorithm is fascinating..all of a sudden after 2 years of a fair few 'crickets' people all over are taking an interest.. Which is nice. Thanks for sharing!
@@hillamplification4855 Thanks Hill...actually appreciate that...as after watching it critically myself I've been a bt disappointed I stuffed the volume mix a bit...when it is such a simple thing to tweak compared to all the other work on it! Anyway glad to see people are enjoying it...it did take a lot of work to make...and for a couple of years not many people came to watch...so has been encouraging to suddenly have it get discovered. Thanks!
Thanks for keeping all this alive. As a kid I had a "Claytons" Uncle in the Malley. He used to couple two Twin Cities together with a 354 Perkins in each and pulled three twenty eight run combines. This would have been in the first half of the sixties when you couldn't buy stuff this big so you built it yourself. The cocky built tractor!
Thanks for the comment.. great to hear the stories of other creative solutions! I'm pretty sure the brothers had a twin City at one point too.. but just in conventional mode. Thanks for sharing the story.. Pulling three combines would have been an impressive sight!
Looks like the pattern vehicle needs to be in a museum also. I grew up in 50-60s and worked in the oilfield. The old guys as we called them would come up with things that would just blow your mind. Just as with farmers which my father was when they needed something different they just made it. We have lost that, now you just go buy what they have. Thank you for the video. Nice to hear why and how they built that tractor.
Thanks for that Lucas. Kept me busy at the time making it..(as a bit of a part time hobby)...so really appreciate the encouragment. Glad you enjoyed the story. Dad is still going...98 now...hoping he'll make it to 100 and beyond! Thanks for taking time to comment!
Matthew, you can be so proud of your family, of your ancestors! Real pioneers, still real men who got down to business. Preserving family traditions and preserving memories is very important, especially in today's fast-paced world. Thank you for sharing this interesting family memory with us.
I myself am 62 my father was next to the youngest of 11 of that generation. Real men. I am the youngest of his kids and my talents and values I hold dear came from my father. Thanks for sharing your history with us. Very moving.
13:34 My cousin in Walsh CO. USA made a double tractor from 2 Case Tractors. It steered from the front unit the back unit was connected by a pivot point to the front unit. He made a lever control to the back unit, clutch and throttle. Both units LP gas and Cousin John taught me how to use it. I pulled a “Sweep “ that’s 3 V blades that cut through the roots of the grass and weeds. He farms “ Broom Corn and soybeans. Red Clay soil. No Till because it blows away if you till it. Thi was in 1962.
That's great... thanks for sharing the story! Is the tractor on display anywhere? Would be great to see a photo. Today we celebrated Dad's 100th birthday.. he nearly made it.. passing away back in March.. miss him and his stories a lot! Thanks for comment!
@@MatthewPolack The last time I was there I was 16 years old. Now I’m 77 . I doubt that Cousin John is still alive since his son John Jr. Was about 30 then. I spent the summer on his farm working and running that double tractor.
It's a good thing you've made this video, not only are you preserving that old 16mm footage, but you're also preserving the memory of your father and uncle, as well as the other old gentleman, who were part of the "Golden Age" of farming and tbe farm tractor. We're losing these guys too fast nowadays, and they and their stories get forgotten if they aren't recorded. Many thanks, and good luck in the future!
Thanks Cole...appreciate the kind words! It certainly was a golden age....I actually have some other 16mm footage which shows a range of other farming work that they recorded at the time...so plan to share that in an upcoming video too. They did a great job capturing this at the time....the film itself was very expensive compared with today...so is great they did it. Thank you for the encouragement...is appreciated!
From Canada. My grandfather was a farmer. He also flew the Sopwith Camel. He said, "any farmer can learn to fly". My dad built his own Model T in '48. We did not have a lot of money, but we did have tools and a welder. This was the early 70's. That was my start. As me and my brother grew up, we got to watch a lot of things breaking and ways to fix them. I am 59 this year. We have some more gear on our very small farm now. I told dad - that we would have been absolutely dangerous, if we had these tools like this back in our day. I am planning out my next 30 yrs. Thank you! Inspiration! and gratitude!
Thank you for sharing Centurion.. There is a great message for us there.. Make the most of the resources we have before us.. And this generation is certainly blessed with so much possibility and opportunity.. With the kids I teach I try to hammer that point home.. You have so many wonderful things you could do or learn or make or create with your time..make the most of it...thank you!
@@MatthewPolack My grandfather would pull nails out of a 12x12 timber. He would give us all the nails and hammers, at 4 or 6yrs old, we just learned to nail things right and then at 10, We Built a 24x 32ft garage as older kids. Some of my brothers friends helped as they could We all - 4 of us, would be up on a 45* angle ROOF. I did the left roofing, cause I was a lefty. I wish to ensure I could transfir info to the new general. As I am retiring, I was chatting with a dear guy - we had gone deer hunting 40 years ago. I hope we encourage others to just take things apart and use this to help teach - the never guys. I was taught by MEN. They were a tough lot, but all they never sugarcoated anything. Your worth - was you word. At least my grandfather listened to me about staying out of the danger zones. With INFO and vlogs - I hope the guys Who read this. If you want to know anything, just ask. Amongst all of us, we will have done it - or no where to go and get an expert who is not about making a living any more. We have some money from retirment. So I would do some of this just to pass my skills to another. I guess it is about mentoring. ON Friday - Time to rest and think Cheers- I'll have a rye with a ttwist little water. I hope we leave a legaey of simple to follow. Some children and you adult - I OWE A SINCERE Than YOU to you
Well, funny thing. My Dad did something not unlike this over Western Australia. He had the chamberlain super70. Tuned it to run a 100 horses & stuck another tuned up 70 behind it with the front cut off and”A” framed. He ran it till 88 when he finally could afford a tractor that had 200 horses straight up. There’s photos of him running with three of them in a row. Would’ve been early 80’s before the third one got wrecked for parts mid 80’s. I don’t remember the third one as much. He did say running with the third one was bloody hard work. No doubt. No hydraulic steering and 200 horses up ya with another 100 underneath, three different clutches to work in sequence and an extra plowing/seeding equipment running double tandem. I remember as a kid thinking that this kind of thing was normal. Ha. Thanks Dad. Mingenew WA.
Thanks for sharing Rod.. That would be a great sight.. Would love to see the photo!Would have been an impressive sight that is for sure!! Thank you for all the info on it!
What a fantastic story. Your family seems to have a knack for preserving their accomplishments in video and photograph which you are honoring beautifully. The line from one of the men about being spoiled today - just got to have the money and you can go out and buy it - really got me. So true in so many ways. But stories like this inspire me to go out and cobble some bits together to make something useful that I COULD have just bought, but didn’t. The outcome isn’t always as pretty, as fast or as cheap, but the journey is nearly always worth every penny and every extra minute. Please tell your father how much I admire and appreciate him! Bravo!
Thanks so much John for the thoughtful comment.. Really glad to hear that the story is inspirational.. as. I look at Dad in his twilight years.. Now struggling to walk.. But still focused on getting things done..achieving what he can with a body that is all but worn out.. It inspires me too to want to make the most of each day.. With the time that we have been given. Bless you. Off to edit another video but also treasure the family/friends around us. Thanks!
My Dad was a wheat farm in the Wimmera Wheal belt in the 60s and 70's. We were west of Horsham, and this brought back many fond memories. Awesome video. Thank you
You gentlemen sure were blessed with the ability to be able to figure out how to hookup two tractor's together to accomplish more work than with just one tractor! My hat's off to you sirs
Really enjoyed the footage, I grew up and worked on my parents farm at Karnak, just south of Goroke in the Wimmera, Dad and his Brother used to have a couple of LA Cases to begin with in the 1960's then we upgraded to a couple of 830's in the 1970's and 1980's. Dad's 89 now. Always very inventive when it came to building farm equipment but we never got into the double tractor's, another well known local Harry Bouchier had a couple built, always a great site watching them drive by. People didn't have the money but they had the ingenuity, cheers, Colin
Thanks Colin.. Really appreciate that local connection.. Just up the road! I've actually played in a band at Goroke a couple times.. So know it reasonably well. Will mention this to Dad.. He may even know the family name.. Is amazing the people he knows.. Thanks for sharing!
Matthew Polack no worries😀 Dad's name is Ian Harris, he is 89 this year. They were at Lake Karnak between 1963 and 2007. On the property was the site where Thomas Jelbart had a Blacksmith workshop many years ago. We attended the opening of the Warracknabeal wheatlands museum in the 1970's (my 54 year old brain can't remember what my 10 year old brain saw!). So the double header tractor was probably there then! Dad was also a delegate of the VFF grain Growers so also met a lot of people through that over the years. He had the knack of starting a conversation with a stranger and within 10 minutes find out who they were related to, where they came from, and who he knew in common!
Thanks Matt. I think that is definitely part of the story...as Clarrie says at one point in the first interview too...they were like a modern articulated of today...made by the farmers themselves of that time...not big business!
Great little movie and story, i grew up on a farm in Western Australia the 70's and 80's and can remember there was a few old farmers back then who could build/make/repair things out of junk
Thanks for taking the time to comment Hardtopman... Appreciate it. They were certainly a generation that made use of every resource available... Even today, Dad at 94 is reluctant to throw things away because he explains what things could be used for! Thanks!
I watch this video when I start to feel down or tired of my circumstances... And I realize, from this amazing footage, how precious every moment really is. These men were amazing and the woman who loved them were truly a blessing. 💪🏻💙
Thanks so much for the comment...really encouraging to hear the story is inspiring and an encouragement. I actually just took Dad back this week to the farm where the footage was taken...was really interesting to see it all these years later. Much of the scrub has now re grown. Your comment re the women was great too..my Grandmother was a humble, quietly spoken lady who worked tirelessly supporting the boys before they were married in their farming endeavours..she milked cows early..then patched/ washed clothes...cooked all their meals..etc. etc...all without expecting any praise or reward. Was an inspiration too! Thanks.
I have no idea why the algorithm decided to suggest this video but I am very glad it did. I'm from Oklahoma and have seen what our good ol' boy farmers and ranchers have put together out of what they have on hand to do special jobs. Much respect to your father, his brothers, and those other farmers of that generation.
Thanks Todd...appreciate the kind words...glad you got to see it. Greetings from Australia. Reading the various comments here I can see that those qualities we admire were certainly common to that generation across the world. Thanks!
Holy crow. 16mm colour film footage no less. That view of your dad wearing the beret is just terrific. Tough bunch of buggers your kin are. The fact their Case build was well engineered is something only a very few can accomplish. And yes I wish the music audio was less intrusive,but what you put together is admirable. The sort of men anyone would look forward to having as neighbours and friends. Proud and independent. Just don't cross them.
Thanks Paul..yes having that footage was certainly a key part..they did very well considering how expensive it was at the time...I've got more for another video or two I'll work on about that era in farming...I'm also getting the 16mm footage captured with a high end digitiser...so will release this film with the updated footage...and yes will give that pesky music a fair talking to! (Interestingly in my editing experiments I still need something there...but it just needs to be tamed in a few dialogue spots!) Thanks for your interest and comment!
Thanks Matthew for taking the time to comment... And kind words. A fair bit of work went into video, so appreciate that. Greetings from Australia.. Was over your way last year with our family and really enjoyed trip. Thanks!
Good vid! Takes me back to when I was just a pup! Dad did a LOT of ranchers' engineering in those days. Just lost my father this morning (02/12/21) in Emmett, Idaho, at the age of 92. The hardest-working man I have ever known. Thanks for a great example, Dad!
Thoughts with you Alan... I'm sorry to hear that...I wanted this video to be a tribute to not just my family and Vern.. But all the farmers of that generation... Credit to your Father for being another example of those who have left us with a legacy. Condolences, thoughts, prayers with you Alan. -Matt
Thanks Bob.. It would be interesting to look through the 'Power farming' magazine Vern mentions to find the original reference to a Double Header too. Thanks!
I thoroughly enjoyed this fantastic film. The explanations for how they got there in their own words is truly priceless. Thank you for sharing it with us.
True gold to see old footage like that, I got goose bumps with memories and wonder if I went to Tech school with their grandsons. (Horsham Technical) Best wishes to all regards Bryan D
Hi Bryan. Thanks for the comment! Glad you liked to see the old footage! I'm the son of Les...it could be one of our cousins that went to Horsham tech...if the same spelling then definitely related! Thanks again...will be working on more stories with other footage I have. Thanks!
Awesome pieces of history!!! Back then, farmers made huge strides in making the equipment they needed.. today, the same ingenuity exists, but we don't see the big differences they make. It is truly awesome that you were able to find the videos and the machines to share!!! Thank you!!!!
Thanks so much for the comment...really appreciate that. I've actually just been looking through the rest of the 16mm footage they have...they really did a great job at capturing some pretty historic farming from that era...am working on the edit for that right now. Dad made some commentary over it back in around 2001. I'm hoping to also interview him again while I still can...if you or anyone else reading this has any particular questions from that era...let me know and I'll see what I can do. Thank you!
@@MatthewPolack looking forward to seeing more! Definitely get what you can from your dad!! I wish I would have started my channel before my dad passed... So much information about so many things.. some I know, some I don't 😪
Started a little farm 30yrs ago my father gave me a Case sc trans and rear end with nice rear tires, made simple steel ladder frame installed 1968 Ford 289w/c4 auto connected to Case via double row chain ala Massey -Harris, mounted narrowed 1959 International pickup front axle with leaf springs. Painted it AC orange and cream, (Had AC orange laying around)when finished watched my dad drive it in the fields , came back and said, rides like a Lincoln. Still in use today.
That's great to share. Thanks! Sounds incredible. Would be great to see what it looks like.. and all your creative work with it.Well done on 'reinventing' it and keeping it going!
Hello from Vancouver Island, Canada. I grew up on the farm in Saskatchewan. My Uncle In Alberta made two double tractors The first was made with two John Deere R's and there were able to betaken apart so the the front single R could be used by it's self. The second set was build over the winter in the shop from a pair of John Deere 830's, They were the same idea as your Dad's double they were hooked together permanently . They built a tall cab so you could stand up in the cab. It had a an air ride seat and steered with a single hydraulic lever. They were quite powerful as he turned the pumps up. People cam from all over to see it operate. It was entered in a some tractor pulls which it seldom lost. They are still able to operate as my cousin has them and is fixing them up.
Thanks so much for the post Kenny. Greetings to you over in Canada.. travelled there a few years ago.. lovely country. Great to hear about the two double tractors your uncle built. Sounds like a great tractor with the 830's.. would be awesome to see that running once your cousin gets it restored. Has been great hearing about the ingenuity of farmers across the world. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks...yes I was hoping in that video to also acknowledge a lot of that generation..there were many like Dad and his brothers + Vern + others who were prepared to innovate and make the most of what they had. Thank you!
@@MatthewPolack We had trainees from West and south Australia on our farm in the 90s with a fellow on a neighbouring farm from Horsham Vic. that spent a lot of time with us . We visited Australia a couple times . Nice memories with them. Have you watched the Case 150 steam pulling a big plow? Awesome
Great video!!! My father was born in 1938, in northeast Kansas, USA. Glad that you have the technology today, with which to remember your father, & uncles, hard working lives, & glad that you have shared it with the world!!!
was my pleasure to watch this again. admiration for your father and uncles and grandad as well. My grandfather was one of those men who made things because he could not afford to buy them on the farm. My father made tractors from old trucks and we used them for whatever task they could accomplish. The enterprising spirit is waning today. I am sad to see it go.
Thanks DG...Dad is still alive...just struggling with his walking...his mind is as sharp as ever...but just somewhat frustrated he can't do what he once did in a physical sense...but still being as resourceful as ever...he uses the Tractor mower to get himself around where he needs to go and creates pulley systems to lift things he can't lift anymore! Thanks for your interest.
My papa used a truck differential for a trailer and left the drive shaft attached, he then welded a yoke and PTO coupler so he could kick the tractor into neutral and cruise off the PTO driven trailer. Best way I ever saw to get an empty tractor down the road...she was a bit of a handful in the steering before he changed out the sloppy bushings. We just aren't what we used to be, very happy to stumble upon this video!!!
What a fantastic video and story Matthew.. Reminds me so much of my Grand uncles here in Ireland.. Always prepared to sort out their own issues with hard work and ingenuity..
Thanks so much for the reply.. great to hear from you over there and that the story resonated! Working away on other stories now.. quite the job.. so appreciate the encouragement! Thank you! Greetings from Australia!
@@AgrimotiveFarmMachineryI'm see what we can do about the sunshine! We had too much the other day when we hit the 40s C. All the best with the Chamberlain vid! Sounds great!
Brilliant Matthew. My father was born in 1936 in the Mallee at Annuello. His father was a soldier settler from WW1. I am sure youre aware of that scheme. They got their first tractor in 1933 odd if my memory recalls, it was Lanz Bulldog. It changed how they did things, not just for pop but for the whole farming settlers. The engineering spirit was second to none. Thanks for this vid, love it. Glen.
Thanks so much for the comment..appreciate the encouragment...a lot of time went into making it..so appreciate that. Am hoping to follow up with some of the other original footage in another video soon we have from that era. Dad, Clarrie and Ivan did a great job filming back in an era when it was all 16mm footage..quite expensive and.tricky to setup and use compared with today. I actually look at some of their film work with admiration when in itself that was a unique thing at that time. Anyway thank you!
Thanks For watching? Thank YOU for putting together such a fantastic and inspirational Video that was a privilege to watch! Your Dad, uncles and Vern were true men amongst men. People these days could never imagine the hard work they did nor the efforts they put in. Their ingenuity and skill was amazing as was what they did with what they had to work with. I am sure you are rightfully proud of your Dad and your uncles and you do them a great honour they deserve with these Vids. Thanks for sharing and reminding us of the True Aussie Spirit.
Thanks so much for the kind words Oil Burner..I told Dad just today how impressed people have been with their story... He was very unassuming about it all and just reflected they just needed to get the job done.. Anyone could have done it.. But I am proud of him and Clarrie, Ivan and Vern. I wish Clarrie and Ivan could have lived to see how many people have taken an interest in their story. They were humble men ...to think thousands of people are now watching what they did... Would have amazed them. Thank you for taking such an interest.
@@MatthewPolack Tell your Dad he is an inspiration and a Legend to people whom can appreciate what they did and took for granted. Also tell him he is incorrect, NOT anyone could have done it and few if any these days would even think of it. I am glad to hear your Dad is still around and wish him all the very best from me and the many whom admire him.
Thanks Rob. It's funny how the algorithm works.. the video went into hibernation with barely a view anywhere.. now they must be throwing it in front of people again as there are comments and views popping up all over again which is nice. Thanks!
Tough, resourceful men, it's a winning combination. I'm 70 now, retired desert truckie, & can fully appreciate growing up under them. I couldn't have done it otherwise.
That is some wonderful backyard technology. That type of thinking and skill is by and large missing today. Those men who made those machines, they are a national treasure and should never be forgotten
Fabulous video of proper men who thought on their feet and made what they needed as an agricultural engineer myself I take my hat of to them all Fabulous
Thanks Andrew.. appreciate the kind comment.. they certainly did a great job in an era when they had to be very resourceful. Great to hear from an agricultural engineer! Thanks.
We are wheat farmers in central Oklahoma, USA. The places we farmed in the 70s and 80s looked a lot like this. It was a great time. The boys would all come together and come home during harvest time even years after they moved on to jobs in the oilfield or what have you. We'd all come back to help during harvest. We'd have 12 year old kids driving old 53 GMC or a 49 Ford 10 wheel truck to town by themselves to the COOP with loads of wheat. It's where I learned to drive. Just had to be strong enough to steer the thing....and then not hit stuff. It was tricky driving up on the lift with the trucks that didn't have a built in dump bed. They dropped one, one year. We'd dump the wheat and then drag main street a couple times to see if there were any girls on main street yet and then head back out to the farm. I enjoyed the video. It all looks very familiar. I miss those days.
Thanks for sharing that story Sgt Rock...it was an golden age that is for sure...great to hear from you over in Oklahoma....Clarrie used to love CB radio...as kids we'd listen with wonder about how he talked with people on the other side of the planet...he'd be amazed now if he was still alive to hear how people have connected with their story from all over the world. Thanks!
My Great Uncle built a tractor similar to the double header. Two farmall rear ends, center articulated, powered by a Detroit 453. Built in 1957. Called it the Beatall. As far as I know it is still running, and driving in parades in Francisville, Indiana. I got to drive it once as a kid. Still have a picture.
Amazing tractor build. My father in the early 80s had hooked 2x 80 horsepower Belarus tractors together and worked well. Still got one of the tractors and still going today.
Wonderful video. Watching it nearly brought tears to my eyes. Many very unique and useful machines were created and/or re-engineered back in the days, when men were men. Folks HAD to be creative and resourceful to accomplish so very many tasks. It was a simpler time. An exciting time. Your father reminds me of my grandfather, who passed on in 2010. Like your father, he too was a great and talented man.
Thanks so much for the kind words Turbo Diesel, really appreciate them and your interest...a lot of time went into making the film..so is great to know people appreciate it. Thank you. Yes was an amazing era...we certainly owe a lot to that generation...they certainly were creative and resourceful...it really was a team effort with Dad and his brothers...and then also credit to guys like Vern who were also engineering great solutions and very inventive. I'm sure Dad and the brothers and your Grandfather could have had a good old chat together if they'd known one another! Was he from Australia too? Thank you! :)
@@MatthewPolack : You're welcome. Naw, we're from the Eastern part of the USA. Seems many farms were in search of larger horsepower tractors that were more powerful & more capable during the 1950's and 1960's. Although many were in the works over the years, tractor manufacturers hadn't truly "caught up" to the growing demand until the 1970's, when farming was really booming here.
Thanks David..they certainly did a great job capturing the footage back in the day when 16mm footage was very expensive...and also taking time out to setup the camera and film etc..was very worthwhile.Very happy to have this footage. Thanks for the comment!
These were the types of men who really pioneered new advancements in tractor and agricultural technology. Take Steiger for instance, it was started by a couple of guys in a barn with some time, tools and mechanical knowledge. Now they are fairly well known for their four wheel drive articulated tractors. 🚜 Fantastic video, I really enjoyed It!👍
@@bradleamon4466 Certainly was a different time.. Dad tells the same stories of how his Mum just resourcefully kept the family going.. have interviewed Dad on this.. so hoping to make another film on that topic sometime Thanks mate.. is a great idea.
Very interesting thanks for posting! I saw an article years ago about how WW2 tanks, Churchills etc were used for land clearance after the war, the turrets were removed and topsides were cut down, they made great bulldozers! Some still exist out in the bush, quietly rusting away!
Thanks for your interest Mark.. It is fascinating when you see some of the 'scrap yards' on farms. And realise each of those relics has a story.. And people that lived and worked with that machinery. It is interesting how a lot of that WW2 great was repurposed. Thanks!
This is a great story of superb ingenuity and one I guarantee the Lincoln Electric people would absolutely love to see!!! Their headquarters is located in Euclid Ohio, United States 🇺🇸
Great video man ! , I used to watch the Prairie Farm Report when I was a kid in Alberta , just to see the inventors segment , guys building useful equipment out of old combines and such 😁
This reminds me of my mother's cousin Arthur. He built tractors out of whatever junk he could gather One used a Chevy straight Six two transmissions and an old truck rear end, hung on whatever old frame he could find. Amazing stuff.
Thanks Ron.. Appreciate that. I've been converting more of Dad's old footage... And the more I play with this old 16mm gear the more I'm impressed with how they actually filmed this stuff... Certainly not as a straight forward as just picking up a smart phone today... Handling big reels.. Feeding them through... Dealing with belts breaking.. Exposure.. Focus... All while trying to farm too.. The filming by them is nearly worth just as much credit as the tractor creation itself! Thanks!
Great video, Thanks for sharing this for us all to see. This was an amazing generation, There will never be another one like it. Tough, resourceful, Proud,
That is so cool. Glad you documented all the family history and shared it with all the rest of the world. I seen other combinations but not the history and you covered two different ones. Great job thanks for sharing.
Great video. Interesting to see the Case tractor. I saw this done recently for the first time with a Fordson tractor. Easy way to double the horsepower.
Thanks for that! I'm very close to finishing the video that is a more extended look of all that farming...it will feature some of your bulldozer sound in the background! Hope to have it out in the next few days or so....thanks for the kind comment!
MUSIC LOUD YEA HOWEVER VERY VERY VERY GOOD CONTENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH ESPECIALLY BRINGING A FEW OF THE FOLKS WHO BUILT OUR COUNTRIES FOR US INTO THE LIMELIGHT. NICE
Thanks for that.. all the recent comments that have been flying in have been so encouraging.. Thanks so much. It was a golden era! Am going to get cracking on this next video.. Just been looking at a bunch of Dad's historic footage.. Really was a special era. Thanks!
I'm treasuring every day I have with Dad...we're off to do more interviews this week...let me know if you have any particular questions you want me to ask...he's born 1923...and I'm realising there isn't too many of that era that saw the transitions from Horse teams to Tractors...my next film I think I'm going to explore that journey. Thanks!
@@MatthewPolack The transition from heavy horses to tractors was real for me too as my late Grt Uncle George Harris over here in Southland NZ was right uo there with the best, his Brother Fred was a great horseman also, all he wanted when he died was to hold a horse with his hob nails on... His Brother Ed found him that exact way... ask your Dad about getting about in Trucks & Cars etc. Local Dances also fir a laugh... Cheers m8..
One of our hay clients was telling us a story similar to this a couple of years ago, as he was sourcing a second Fordson tractor to make his own, the idea came from the Ernest Doe & Sons Fordson dealers in Essex, England, it used two Fordson Power Major tractors. The setup is known as the Doe Triple-D. Our client who made his own takes it to shows and parades on the back of his Bedford truck, and it looks much the same as the one in this video on the truck
That's great... Certainly a lot of creative farmers in that era.. These days with the amount of country being farmed they probably wouldn't even have the time to attempt it. Must check out one of these Does one day.. Not sure if they made it to Australia?
@@gkcl1 I asked Dad about the Doe and he hadn't heard of it.. More just of farmers like Vern hooking them together.. But probably people saw the Does in magazines.... Was an interesting age before the Internet how knowledge was still shared. Thanks for the info!
@@MatthewPolack Regardless, it is an impressive machine built from necessity, and the fact that your dad and uncles had the drive and know how to build one of their own in such a time is nothing short of incredible.
Wonderful story, amazing how many Aussie inventions there have been... I really admire the can do attitude of these old timer farmers, they were ultimately at the forefront of their industry, jack of all trades ability and seem to not even consider failure as a setback.... you must be so proud of your old man and grandfather..
Great video bud. I really enjoyed it. Beautiful sentiment. I really appreciate and collect wisdom and knowledge from old timers like your dad. Thank you for taking the time to record it for humanity. Too many nuggets of gold are lost when guys like him pass on. Love it. Thank you.
Thanks Matthew.. appreciate the kind words.. Dad is 99 now.. finds it hard to walk.. is a bit sad to see this fit farmer you see pulling that tractor around by hand.. struggling to now move and do what he once did. Certainly very thankful for Dad and love him tremendously!
Thanks Ben... Yes very much self taught. . the farmers world have shared ideas too amongst themselves.. But an era before formal training or the Internet that's for sure. They just had to figure things out through trial and error. Thanks for commenting.
I work for Kenway and clarks, which is a modern case dealer in northern nsw. I’m blown away by how close yet how far this is from more modern machines. The middle pivot is an idea that I think is now almost synonymous with case ih now, what with the Steiger and quadtrac platforms.
Thanks for the comment . Great to hear from a Case dealer. I've often wondered what Case themselves would think of it.. as Clarrie commented in one of the videos.. it was a bit like a modern 4wd articulated tractor. Great to hear from you.. Greetings from Australia and Happy Christmas!
A few have said that but I didnt notice any problem, I am of his dads generation and the hearing is pretty shithouse, everything came through loud and clear.
My dad and his neighbour built a twin chamberlain using super 90s late 60s early 70s in Wubin w.a. good to be able to see these things still around and working
Excellent story. It is a shame that mote young men in today's world couldn't have the influence of men of the era. This makes me remember my Grandpa, his brothers, brothers in laws, my old boss & my scout master (his brother in law). I grew up in Northcentral Montana & worked many years on a farm & ranch owned by a couple in their 70s at the time. I myself learned to create things from very little & to work hard to find fairly low $$ solutions to many kinds of problems. Two big thumbs up for a trip down memory lane.
Very entertaining and informative video. Espescially the footage from the time it was built. Those farmers are to be admired. Over here in Western Australia there is a museum/display of quite a few farmer-built tractors in Lake King. It's called the Bush Engineers Tractor Museum. Definitely worth a look.
Thanks Don. Having that old 16mm footage was crucial for the story.. they did a great job capturing it all back in the day. That museum sounds great.. have to keep that in mind for a trip over some day. Thanks for comment!
Great effort! There was a guy on Queensland/NSW border age 84 put two tractors together to pull logs to a sawmill he built. Tour buses would visit and show passengers. This was 3 years ago. Maybe still doing it. There's a will there's a way!
When in 62 the farmer next to my dad's place built one like this. It was good to see the CASE tractors. Dad had a 1933 CC MODEL. It had been modified to rubber tires also.
The amount of knowledge lost when my grandfather died was incredible ,but I still find notes along the way he left me when I'm working on one of our old tractors . His welds , his wiring , are just his fingerprints from his life to mine.
Thanks Sparky..I spent time interviewing Dad today.. While I kept asking everything I could.. It has occurred to me you just can't capture a whole persons life experiences on tape.. There is just so much they have spent a lifetime living.. Certainly treasuring recording what I can... We do learn so much from them.
i feek the same about my dad when he passed away, a very smart electrical engineer who was raised on the poor farms in north carolina foothills. he would build anything that he wanted and could not afford or did not like how it was.
Great post and something a lot of people can relate to
@@BrandonLayMusic Agreed Brandon..thanks for taking an interest in the video too..enjoyed having a look at your songs...very well done. That 'Startin' young' song has me thinking about the things I'm thankful for from Dad and his brothers...work ethic..doing things properly..not rushing a job...taking pride in your work...being resourceful..not just buying something off the shelf...Sparky's comment about fingerprints from their lives to ours is so true. Thanks.
@@MatthewPolack My co-worker turned 80 last year. I'm an electrical design engineer at a small company, and he was my predecessor. My job since 2017 has been to "absorb all the knowledge" from this guy. I learned more from him than I did in engineering school, by far. It's been four years and I feel I've barely scratched the surface.
You’ve gotta re-edit this video and lower the background noise, can’t hear what anyone is even saying
Thanks Jeff..yeah I think you are right..realise I made some mistakes with song selection and audio mix..just wish there was a way to do it without losing all the views and comments.. Just figuring out what I'll do...as after 2 years I've suddenly got views flooding in! Thank you.
@@MatthewPolack Lol its amazing how the youtube algorithm works isnt it? farmers building there own stuff still continues, my dad built his own 20" 16 row planter and 8 row corn head about 10 years ago to go to 20" when it was nearly unavailable...
@@killorkubed That's great.. You should video it! I've been amazed how interested people are in these stories Yes the algorithm is fascinating..all of a sudden after 2 years of a fair few 'crickets' people all over are taking an interest.. Which is nice. Thanks for sharing!
@@hillamplification4855 Thanks Hill...actually appreciate that...as after watching it critically myself I've been a bt disappointed I stuffed the volume mix a bit...when it is such a simple thing to tweak compared to all the other work on it! Anyway glad to see people are enjoying it...it did take a lot of work to make...and for a couple of years not many people came to watch...so has been encouraging to suddenly have it get discovered. Thanks!
@@MatthewPolack if it were subtitled, it'd be a lot easier to understand what everyone is saying :-) and you can do that without losing the views :-)
They are Australian legends of inventions.
Respect to them one and all.
Thanks for keeping all this alive. As a kid I had a "Claytons" Uncle in the Malley. He used to couple two Twin Cities together with a 354 Perkins in each and pulled three twenty eight run combines. This would have been in the first half of the sixties when you couldn't buy stuff this big so you built it yourself. The cocky built tractor!
Thanks for the comment.. great to hear the stories of other creative solutions! I'm pretty sure the brothers had a twin City at one point too.. but just in conventional mode. Thanks for sharing the story.. Pulling three combines would have been an impressive sight!
Looks like the pattern vehicle needs to be in a museum also. I grew up in 50-60s and worked in the oilfield. The old guys as we called them would come up with things that would just blow your mind. Just as with farmers which my father was when they needed something different they just made it. We have lost that, now you just go buy what they have. Thank you for the video. Nice to hear why and how they built that tractor.
This is one of the few RUclips videos that I come back and re watch from time to time.
Thanks for that Lucas. Kept me busy at the time making it..(as a bit of a part time hobby)...so really appreciate the encouragment. Glad you enjoyed the story. Dad is still going...98 now...hoping he'll make it to 100 and beyond! Thanks for taking time to comment!
Cheers Matt, Good to hear that your dad is still going strong. Keep up the good work 👍
Matthew, you can be so proud of your family, of your ancestors! Real pioneers, still real men who got down to business.
Preserving family traditions and preserving memories is very important, especially in today's fast-paced world. Thank you for sharing this interesting family memory with us.
I myself am 62 my father was next to the youngest of 11 of that generation. Real men. I am the youngest of his kids and my talents and values I hold dear came from my father. Thanks for sharing your history with us. Very moving.
Thanks Jim for the kind words. I reflect a lot on Dad and the things he taught me. Certainly miss him and his stories.
Now I have a better understanding of those vehicles from the "Mad Max" movies.
i was thinking the exact thing lmao
Guy who made a lot of the cars for the original movie also made a tracked mini for South pole expeditions amongst other vehicles
13:34 My cousin in Walsh CO. USA made a double tractor from 2 Case Tractors. It steered from the front unit the back unit was connected by a pivot point to the front unit. He made a lever control to the back unit, clutch and throttle. Both units LP gas and Cousin John taught me how to use it. I pulled a “Sweep “ that’s 3 V blades that cut through the roots of the grass and weeds. He farms “ Broom Corn and soybeans. Red Clay soil. No Till because it blows away if you till it. Thi was in 1962.
That's great... thanks for sharing the story! Is the tractor on display anywhere? Would be great to see a photo. Today we celebrated Dad's 100th birthday.. he nearly made it.. passing away back in March.. miss him and his stories a lot! Thanks for comment!
@@MatthewPolack
The last time I was there I was 16 years old. Now I’m 77 . I doubt that Cousin John is still alive since his son John Jr. Was about 30 then. I spent the summer on his farm working and running that double tractor.
It's a good thing you've made this video, not only are you preserving that old 16mm footage, but you're also preserving the memory of your father and uncle, as well as the other old gentleman, who were part of the "Golden Age" of farming and tbe farm tractor. We're losing these guys too fast nowadays, and they and their stories get forgotten if they aren't recorded. Many thanks, and good luck in the future!
Thanks Cole...appreciate the kind words! It certainly was a golden age....I actually have some other 16mm footage which shows a range of other farming work that they recorded at the time...so plan to share that in an upcoming video too. They did a great job capturing this at the time....the film itself was very expensive compared with today...so is great they did it. Thank you for the encouragement...is appreciated!
From Canada. My grandfather was a farmer. He also flew the Sopwith Camel. He said, "any farmer can learn to fly". My dad built his own Model T in '48. We did not have a lot of money, but we did have tools and a welder. This was the early 70's. That was my start. As me and my brother grew up, we got to watch a lot of things breaking and ways to fix them. I am 59 this year. We have some more gear on our very small farm now. I told dad - that we would have been absolutely dangerous, if we had these tools like this back in our day. I am planning out my next 30 yrs. Thank you! Inspiration! and gratitude!
Thank you for sharing Centurion.. There is a great message for us there.. Make the most of the resources we have before us.. And this generation is certainly blessed with so much possibility and opportunity.. With the kids I teach I try to hammer that point home.. You have so many wonderful things you could do or learn or make or create with your time..make the most of it...thank you!
@@MatthewPolack My grandfather would pull nails out of a 12x12 timber. He would give us all the nails and hammers, at 4 or 6yrs old, we just learned to nail things right and then at 10, We Built a 24x 32ft garage as older kids. Some of my brothers friends helped as they could We all - 4 of us, would be up on a 45* angle ROOF. I did the left roofing, cause I was a lefty. I wish to ensure I could transfir info to the new general. As I am retiring, I was chatting with a dear guy - we had gone deer hunting 40 years ago. I hope we encourage others to just take things apart and use this to help teach - the never guys. I was taught by MEN. They were a tough lot, but all they never sugarcoated anything. Your worth - was you word. At least my grandfather listened to me about staying out of the danger zones. With INFO and vlogs - I hope the guys Who read this. If you want to know anything, just ask. Amongst all of us, we will have done it - or no where to go and get an expert who is not about making a living any more. We have some money from retirment. So I would do some of this just to pass my skills to another. I guess it is about mentoring. ON Friday - Time to rest and think Cheers- I'll have a rye with a ttwist little water. I hope we leave a legaey of simple to follow. Some children and you adult - I OWE A SINCERE Than YOU to you
Very respectful with abundance of honor to honor the land, the family, and the farming industry. Well done.
Well, funny thing. My Dad did something not unlike this over Western Australia. He had the chamberlain super70. Tuned it to run a 100 horses & stuck another tuned up 70 behind it with the front cut off and”A” framed. He ran it till 88 when he finally could afford a tractor that had 200 horses straight up. There’s photos of him running with three of them in a row. Would’ve been early 80’s before the third one got wrecked for parts mid 80’s. I don’t remember the third one as much. He did say running with the third one was bloody hard work. No doubt. No hydraulic steering and 200 horses up ya with another 100 underneath, three different clutches to work in sequence and an extra plowing/seeding equipment running double tandem. I remember as a kid thinking that this kind of thing was normal. Ha. Thanks Dad.
Mingenew WA.
Thanks for sharing Rod.. That would be a great sight.. Would love to see the photo!Would have been an impressive sight that is for sure!! Thank you for all the info on it!
I'm really glad to see this is in a museum and not rusting out behind a barn somewhere!
Thanks Ryan.. Yes they are taking very good care of it.. Was a great idea to donate it for history's sake. Thanks.
What a fantastic story. Your family seems to have a knack for preserving their accomplishments in video and photograph which you are honoring beautifully.
The line from one of the men about being spoiled today - just got to have the money and you can go out and buy it - really got me. So true in so many ways. But stories like this inspire me to go out and cobble some bits together to make something useful that I COULD have just bought, but didn’t. The outcome isn’t always as pretty, as fast or as cheap, but the journey is nearly always worth every penny and every extra minute.
Please tell your father how much I admire and appreciate him! Bravo!
Thanks so much John for the thoughtful comment.. Really glad to hear that the story is inspirational.. as. I look at Dad in his twilight years.. Now struggling to walk.. But still focused on getting things done..achieving what he can with a body that is all but worn out.. It inspires me too to want to make the most of each day.. With the time that we have been given. Bless you. Off to edit another video but also treasure the family/friends around us. Thanks!
My Dad was a wheat farm in the Wimmera Wheal belt in the 60s and 70's. We were west of Horsham, and this brought back many fond memories. Awesome video. Thank you
Thanks Darren... I'll ask Dad if he knew your Dad... He knew just about everyone in the Dimboola area!
You gentlemen sure were blessed with the ability to be able to figure out how to hookup two tractor's together to accomplish more work than with just one tractor! My hat's off to you sirs
Thanks Harold. Appreciate the comment..can pass that onto Dad...he's still going...99 years old!!
Really enjoyed the footage, I grew up and worked on my parents farm at Karnak, just south of Goroke in the Wimmera, Dad and his Brother used to have a couple of LA Cases to begin with in the 1960's then we upgraded to a couple of 830's in the 1970's and 1980's. Dad's 89 now. Always very inventive when it came to building farm equipment but we never got into the double tractor's, another well known local Harry Bouchier had a couple built, always a great site watching them drive by. People didn't have the money but they had the ingenuity, cheers, Colin
Thanks Colin.. Really appreciate that local connection.. Just up the road! I've actually played in a band at Goroke a couple times.. So know it reasonably well. Will mention this to Dad.. He may even know the family name.. Is amazing the people he knows.. Thanks for sharing!
Matthew Polack no worries😀 Dad's name is Ian Harris, he is 89 this year. They were at Lake Karnak between 1963 and 2007. On the property was the site where Thomas Jelbart had a Blacksmith workshop many years ago. We attended the opening of the Warracknabeal wheatlands museum in the 1970's (my 54 year old brain can't remember what my 10 year old brain saw!). So the double header tractor was probably there then! Dad was also a delegate of the VFF grain Growers so also met a lot of people through that over the years. He had the knack of starting a conversation with a stranger and within 10 minutes find out who they were related to, where they came from, and who he knew in common!
These were the First articulated tractors, made by the people, for the land. Not for the pocket.
Thanks Matt. I think that is definitely part of the story...as Clarrie says at one point in the first interview too...they were like a modern articulated of today...made by the farmers themselves of that time...not big business!
Great little movie and story, i grew up on a farm in Western Australia the 70's and 80's and can remember there was a few old farmers back then who could build/make/repair things out of junk
Thanks for taking the time to comment Hardtopman... Appreciate it. They were certainly a generation that made use of every resource available... Even today, Dad at 94 is reluctant to throw things away because he explains what things could be used for! Thanks!
I think i might have that line of thinking, i keep all sorts of scrap steel and car/truck parts that might be useful for some repair in the future.
Thanks Bruce...a bit of spare scrap steel is a useful thing to have that is for sure! All sorts of possibilities:)
I watch this video when I start to feel down or tired of my circumstances... And I realize, from this amazing footage, how precious every moment really is. These men were amazing and the woman who loved them were truly a blessing. 💪🏻💙
Thanks so much for the comment...really encouraging to hear the story is inspiring and an encouragement. I actually just took Dad back this week to the farm where the footage was taken...was really interesting to see it all these years later. Much of the scrub has now re grown. Your comment re the women was great too..my Grandmother was a humble, quietly spoken lady who worked tirelessly supporting the boys before they were married in their farming endeavours..she milked cows early..then patched/ washed clothes...cooked all their meals..etc. etc...all without expecting any praise or reward. Was an inspiration too! Thanks.
I have no idea why the algorithm decided to suggest this video but I am very glad it did. I'm from Oklahoma and have seen what our good ol' boy farmers and ranchers have put together out of what they have on hand to do special jobs. Much respect to your father, his brothers, and those other farmers of that generation.
Thanks Todd...appreciate the kind words...glad you got to see it. Greetings from Australia. Reading the various comments here I can see that those qualities we admire were certainly common to that generation across the world. Thanks!
Holy crow. 16mm colour film footage no less. That view of your dad wearing the beret is just terrific. Tough bunch of buggers your kin are. The fact their Case build was well engineered is something only a very few can accomplish.
And yes I wish the music audio was less intrusive,but what you put together is admirable.
The sort of men anyone would look forward to having as neighbours and friends. Proud and independent.
Just don't cross them.
Thanks Paul..yes having that footage was certainly a key part..they did very well considering how expensive it was at the time...I've got more for another video or two I'll work on about that era in farming...I'm also getting the 16mm footage captured with a high end digitiser...so will release this film with the updated footage...and yes will give that pesky music a fair talking to! (Interestingly in my editing experiments I still need something there...but it just needs to be tamed in a few dialogue spots!) Thanks for your interest and comment!
Thanks for a great history lesson and a glimpse into the lives of some ingenious men! Cheers from the U.S.
Thanks Matthew for taking the time to comment... And kind words. A fair bit of work went into video, so appreciate that. Greetings from Australia.. Was over your way last year with our family and really enjoyed trip. Thanks!
Good vid! Takes me back to when I was just a pup! Dad did a LOT of ranchers' engineering in those days. Just lost my father this morning (02/12/21) in Emmett, Idaho, at the age of 92. The hardest-working man I have ever known. Thanks for a great example, Dad!
Thoughts with you Alan... I'm sorry to hear that...I wanted this video to be a tribute to not just my family and Vern.. But all the farmers of that generation... Credit to your Father for being another example of those who have left us with a legacy. Condolences, thoughts, prayers with you Alan. -Matt
@@MatthewPolack - I do appreciate your thoughts. Thank you, my new friend!
my dad subscribed to the Farm Show quarterly , it was full of amazing farmer made innovations and inventions
Thanks Bob.. It would be interesting to look through the 'Power farming' magazine Vern mentions to find the original reference to a Double Header too. Thanks!
I thoroughly enjoyed this fantastic film. The explanations for how they got there in their own words is truly priceless. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Thanks Nick!
True gold to see old footage like that, I got goose bumps with memories and wonder if I went to Tech school with their grandsons. (Horsham Technical) Best wishes to all
regards
Bryan D
Hi Bryan. Thanks for the comment! Glad you liked to see the old footage! I'm the son of Les...it could be one of our cousins that went to Horsham tech...if the same spelling then definitely related! Thanks again...will be working on more stories with other footage I have. Thanks!
Awesome pieces of history!!!
Back then, farmers made huge strides in making the equipment they needed.. today, the same ingenuity exists, but we don't see the big differences they make.
It is truly awesome that you were able to find the videos and the machines to share!!!
Thank you!!!!
Thanks so much for the comment...really appreciate that. I've actually just been looking through the rest of the 16mm footage they have...they really did a great job at capturing some pretty historic farming from that era...am working on the edit for that right now. Dad made some commentary over it back in around 2001. I'm hoping to also interview him again while I still can...if you or anyone else reading this has any particular questions from that era...let me know and I'll see what I can do. Thank you!
@@MatthewPolack looking forward to seeing more!
Definitely get what you can from your dad!! I wish I would have started my channel before my dad passed... So much information about so many things.. some I know, some I don't 😪
Started a little farm 30yrs ago my father gave me a Case sc trans and rear end with nice rear tires, made simple steel ladder frame installed 1968 Ford 289w/c4 auto connected to Case via double row chain ala Massey -Harris, mounted narrowed 1959 International pickup front axle with leaf springs. Painted it AC orange and cream, (Had AC orange laying around)when finished watched my dad drive it in the fields , came back and said, rides like a Lincoln. Still in use today.
That's great to share. Thanks! Sounds incredible. Would be great to see what it looks like.. and all your creative work with it.Well done on 'reinventing' it and keeping it going!
Love those old timers, they had a vision and made it work! God bless!
Thank you...certainly a great generation. Thank you!
Hello from Vancouver Island, Canada. I grew up on the farm in Saskatchewan. My Uncle In Alberta made two double tractors The first was made with two John Deere R's and there were able to betaken apart so the the front single R could be used by it's self.
The second set was build over the winter in the shop from a pair of John Deere 830's, They were the same idea as your Dad's double they were hooked together permanently . They built a tall cab so you could stand up in the cab. It had a an air ride seat and steered with a single hydraulic lever. They were quite powerful as he turned the pumps up. People cam from all over to see it operate. It was entered in a some tractor pulls which it seldom lost. They are still able to operate as my cousin has them and is fixing them up.
Thanks so much for the post Kenny. Greetings to you over in Canada.. travelled there a few years ago.. lovely country. Great to hear about the two double tractors your uncle built. Sounds like a great tractor with the 830's.. would be awesome to see that running once your cousin gets it restored. Has been great hearing about the ingenuity of farmers across the world. Thanks for sharing!
We had some of those twin tractors around the area in Saskatchewan when I was a kid .
Thanks...yes I was hoping in that video to also acknowledge a lot of that generation..there were many like Dad and his brothers + Vern + others who were prepared to innovate and make the most of what they had. Thank you!
@@MatthewPolack We had trainees from West and south Australia on our farm in the 90s with a fellow on a neighbouring farm from Horsham Vic. that spent a lot of time with us . We visited Australia a couple times . Nice memories with them. Have you watched the Case 150 steam pulling a big plow? Awesome
Great video!!! My father was born in 1938, in northeast Kansas, USA. Glad that you have the technology today, with which to remember your father, & uncles, hard working lives, & glad that you have shared it with the world!!!
was my pleasure to watch this again. admiration for your father and uncles and grandad as well. My grandfather was one of those men who made things because he could not afford to buy them on the farm. My father made tractors from old trucks and we used them for whatever task they could accomplish. The enterprising spirit is waning today. I am sad to see it go.
Thanks DG...Dad is still alive...just struggling with his walking...his mind is as sharp as ever...but just somewhat frustrated he can't do what he once did in a physical sense...but still being as resourceful as ever...he uses the Tractor mower to get himself around where he needs to go and creates pulley systems to lift things he can't lift anymore! Thanks for your interest.
My papa used a truck differential for a trailer and left the drive shaft attached, he then welded a yoke and PTO coupler so he could kick the tractor into neutral and cruise off the PTO driven trailer. Best way I ever saw to get an empty tractor down the road...she was a bit of a handful in the steering before he changed out the sloppy bushings. We just aren't what we used to be, very happy to stumble upon this video!!!
Thanks Cory...great to hear what your Papa did! Thanks for sharing...and for the comment!
Background music aside, this is a story of true genius. Those machines are truly impressive.
G’day from Canada!
Wonderful! I really admire anyone with the drive and vision to get projects like this up and running. Please give your Father a big thumbs up from me.
Thanks Kelley....what my brothers and I did, I think anyone can do...out of necessity.
What a fantastic video and story Matthew.. Reminds me so much of my Grand uncles here in Ireland.. Always prepared to sort out their own issues with hard work and ingenuity..
Thanks so much for the reply.. great to hear from you over there and that the story resonated! Working away on other stories now.. quite the job.. so appreciate the encouragement! Thank you! Greetings from Australia!
Send us some sunshine, we are sick of rain 🤣 I'm in the process of researching for a video on Chamberlain tractors 🚜 😀
@@AgrimotiveFarmMachineryI'm see what we can do about the sunshine! We had too much the other day when we hit the 40s C. All the best with the Chamberlain vid! Sounds great!
Brilliant Matthew. My father was born in 1936 in the Mallee at Annuello. His father was a soldier settler from WW1. I am sure youre aware of that scheme. They got their first tractor in 1933 odd if my memory recalls, it was Lanz Bulldog. It changed how they did things, not just for pop but for the whole farming settlers. The engineering spirit was second to none. Thanks for this vid, love it. Glen.
What a bunch of good old buggers. Real men who worked hard and gave us young buggers a great set of values
A lot to learn from them for sure!
I have so much respect for those old time farmers! They made it so much easier for those of us who followed. Thanks for sharing !
Real MEN doing what MEN do, kicking ass and taking names!
Excellent video.
Thanks so much for the comment..appreciate the encouragment...a lot of time went into making it..so appreciate that. Am hoping to follow up with some of the other original footage in another video soon we have from that era. Dad, Clarrie and Ivan did a great job filming back in an era when it was all 16mm footage..quite expensive and.tricky to setup and use compared with today. I actually look at some of their film work with admiration when in itself that was a unique thing at that time. Anyway thank you!
beautiful homage to your dad and his brothers ... amazing engineering .. well done
Thanks.. Appreciate the encouraging words.. Thank you!
Thanks For watching? Thank YOU for putting together such a fantastic and inspirational Video that was a privilege to watch! Your Dad, uncles and Vern were true men amongst men. People these days could never imagine the hard work they did nor the efforts they put in. Their ingenuity and skill was amazing as was what they did with what they had to work with. I am sure you are rightfully proud of your Dad and your uncles and you do them a great honour they deserve with these Vids. Thanks for sharing and reminding us of the True Aussie Spirit.
Thanks so much for the kind words Oil Burner..I told Dad just today how impressed people have been with their story... He was very unassuming about it all and just reflected they just needed to get the job done.. Anyone could have done it.. But I am proud of him and Clarrie, Ivan and Vern. I wish Clarrie and Ivan could have lived to see how many people have taken an interest in their story. They were humble men ...to think thousands of people are now watching what they did... Would have amazed them. Thank you for taking such an interest.
@@MatthewPolack Tell your Dad he is an inspiration and a Legend to people whom can appreciate what they did and took for granted. Also tell him he is incorrect, NOT anyone could have done it and few if any these days would even think of it. I am glad to hear your Dad is still around and wish him all the very best from me and the many whom admire him.
@@glumpy10 Shall do.. He's about 98 now... Very alert.. Just not sprinting too quick anymore.. I'm treasuring the time I still have with him! Thanks!
Brother I really enjoyed that I'm so glad that you took the time to find these folks and this is not lost.
Great video and great stroy! Respect from Poland!💪
Thanks for the comment! Greetings from Australia! Have been to Poland.. Loved travels there and in Europe!
I am happy this video snuck back up on me. Your family reminds me of mine . All whom have been evolved in making gravel.
Thanks Rob. It's funny how the algorithm works.. the video went into hibernation with barely a view anywhere.. now they must be throwing it in front of people again as there are comments and views popping up all over again which is nice. Thanks!
That would have to be the best video on this platform...period! A generation of true 'can do' attitude.
Wow..what a kind comment. Thank you! Hope you have a wonderful Christmas! Thanks!
Outstanding! The “old timers” always amazed me with what they could do. Amazing job
Thanks Kenny! Appreciate the comment..much appreciated:)
Thank you for this, it randomly popped up, I have some odd tastes and look for these oddities. this made my day.
Awesome piece of history, invention and ingenuity is still coming from independent farmers!
Very true.. Thank you for your interest!
Tough, resourceful men, it's a winning combination.
I'm 70 now, retired desert truckie, & can fully appreciate growing up under them.
I couldn't have done it otherwise.
Thanks for sharing! Certainly a winning combination. Desert truck experiences sound like a story in themselves! Thanks!
That is some wonderful backyard technology. That type of thinking and skill is by and large missing today. Those men who made those machines, they are a national treasure and should never be forgotten
Fabulous video of proper men who thought on their feet and made what they needed as an agricultural engineer myself I take my hat of to them all Fabulous
Thanks Andrew.. appreciate the kind comment.. they certainly did a great job in an era when they had to be very resourceful. Great to hear from an agricultural engineer! Thanks.
We are wheat farmers in central Oklahoma, USA. The places we farmed in the 70s and 80s looked a lot like this. It was a great time. The boys would all come together and come home during harvest time even years after they moved on to jobs in the oilfield or what have you. We'd all come back to help during harvest. We'd have 12 year old kids driving old 53 GMC or a 49 Ford 10 wheel truck to town by themselves to the COOP with loads of wheat. It's where I learned to drive. Just had to be strong enough to steer the thing....and then not hit stuff. It was tricky driving up on the lift with the trucks that didn't have a built in dump bed. They dropped one, one year. We'd dump the wheat and then drag main street a couple times to see if there were any girls on main street yet and then head back out to the farm.
I enjoyed the video. It all looks very familiar. I miss those days.
Thanks for sharing that story Sgt Rock...it was an golden age that is for sure...great to hear from you over in Oklahoma....Clarrie used to love CB radio...as kids we'd listen with wonder about how he talked with people on the other side of the planet...he'd be amazed now if he was still alive to hear how people have connected with their story from all over the world. Thanks!
My Great Uncle built a tractor similar to the double header. Two farmall rear ends, center articulated, powered by a Detroit 453. Built in 1957. Called it the Beatall. As far as I know it is still running, and driving in parades in Francisville, Indiana. I got to drive it once as a kid. Still have a picture.
Amazing tractor build. My father in the early 80s had hooked 2x 80 horsepower Belarus tractors together and worked well. Still got one of the tractors and still going today.
Wonderful video. Watching it nearly brought tears to my eyes. Many very unique and useful machines were created and/or re-engineered back in the days, when men were men. Folks HAD to be creative and resourceful to accomplish so very many tasks. It was a simpler time. An exciting time.
Your father reminds me of my grandfather, who passed on in 2010. Like your father, he too was a great and talented man.
Thanks so much for the kind words Turbo Diesel, really appreciate them and your interest...a lot of time went into making the film..so is great to know people appreciate it. Thank you. Yes was an amazing era...we certainly owe a lot to that generation...they certainly were creative and resourceful...it really was a team effort with Dad and his brothers...and then also credit to guys like Vern who were also engineering great solutions and very inventive. I'm sure Dad and the brothers and your Grandfather could have had a good old chat together if they'd known one another! Was he from Australia too? Thank you! :)
@@MatthewPolack : You're welcome. Naw, we're from the Eastern part of the USA. Seems many farms were in search of larger horsepower tractors that were more powerful & more capable during the 1950's and 1960's.
Although many were in the works over the years, tractor manufacturers hadn't truly "caught up" to the growing demand until the 1970's, when farming was really booming here.
@@turbodiesel4709 Thank you for the kind words Turbo Diesel ....sorry to hear about your Father.
Thanks for a couple of fantastic stories Mathew. I respect the resourcefulness of these blokes. What a great lesson there is here.
Thanks Steve...appreciate you taking the time to reply. Glad you enjoyed the video. Thank you!
Thanks Steve for your interest.
Necessity is the mother of invention. These guys were true pioneers. Wish there was some around today!
How fortunate you are to have those early films to go along with your memories.
Thanks David..they certainly did a great job capturing the footage back in the day when 16mm footage was very expensive...and also taking time out to setup the camera and film etc..was very worthwhile.Very happy to have this footage. Thanks for the comment!
These were the types of men who really pioneered new advancements in tractor and agricultural technology. Take Steiger for instance, it was started by a couple of guys in a barn with some time, tools and mechanical knowledge. Now they are fairly well known for their four wheel drive articulated tractors. 🚜 Fantastic video, I really enjoyed It!👍
Bloody marvelous with lots of emphasis on the word resourceful
Thanks Brad...appreciate the comment! Certainly a resourceful era!
@@MatthewPolack yes my grand mother lived through the great depression and she could wip up a great meal out of not much and it always tasted great
@@bradleamon4466 Certainly was a different time.. Dad tells the same stories of how his Mum just resourcefully kept the family going.. have interviewed Dad on this.. so hoping to make another film on that topic sometime Thanks mate.. is a great idea.
Very interesting thanks for posting! I saw an article years ago about how WW2 tanks, Churchills etc were used for land clearance after the war, the turrets were removed and topsides were cut down, they made great bulldozers! Some still exist out in the bush, quietly rusting away!
Thanks for your interest Mark.. It is fascinating when you see some of the 'scrap yards' on farms. And realise each of those relics has a story.. And people that lived and worked with that machinery. It is interesting how a lot of that WW2 great was repurposed. Thanks!
I've seen a couple of pictures of a sherman being used as a demolition vehicle in the 50s or 60s, that looks like way too much fun
@@Woodie-xq1ew Great series with narration by the late John Peel, ruclips.net/video/d91xFsMyUSk/видео.html go to 18:20!
When it comes to bush engineering I stand proud and say no one dose it better than the Australians. Aussie Jeff
I mean, it's hard to do bush engineering, if you don't have a bush to engineer in, no?
This is a great story of superb ingenuity and one I guarantee the Lincoln Electric people would absolutely love to see!!! Their headquarters is located in Euclid Ohio, United States 🇺🇸
Thanks Randall.. much appreciated! Didn't know the history of Lincoln.. so great to know. Thanks for the comment!
This guys are the bleesing and hard worker generation as well.
You`ve proud for this great legacy.!!!
Great video man ! , I used to watch the Prairie Farm Report when I was a kid in Alberta , just to see the inventors segment , guys building useful equipment out of old combines and such 😁
Still watch the Prairie farm report. And in Alberta. Those guys were tougher than I'll ever be.
I had forgotten about that show. It was extremely well done.
This reminds me of my mother's cousin Arthur. He built tractors out of whatever junk he could gather One used a Chevy straight Six two transmissions and an old truck rear end, hung on whatever old frame he could find. Amazing stuff.
Thanks Jeffrey. Certainly a creative and resourceful generation that passed on some great values to the next!
Amazing!! Glad they had old footage for you to document it with!! Nice job you did as well!!
Thanks Ron.. Appreciate that. I've been converting more of Dad's old footage... And the more I play with this old 16mm gear the more I'm impressed with how they actually filmed this stuff... Certainly not as a straight forward as just picking up a smart phone today... Handling big reels.. Feeding them through... Dealing with belts breaking.. Exposure.. Focus... All while trying to farm too.. The filming by them is nearly worth just as much credit as the tractor creation itself! Thanks!
Great video, Thanks for sharing this for us all to see.
This was an amazing generation, There will never be another one like it.
Tough, resourceful, Proud,
That is so cool. Glad you documented all the family history and shared it with all the rest of the world. I seen other combinations but not the history
and you covered two different ones. Great job thanks for sharing.
Great video. Interesting to see the Case tractor. I saw this done recently for the first time with a Fordson tractor. Easy way to double the horsepower.
Thanks for that! I'm very close to finishing the video that is a more extended look of all that farming...it will feature some of your bulldozer sound in the background! Hope to have it out in the next few days or so....thanks for the kind comment!
Great video, thanks for sharing 👍. Proper fella's in them days! Identify a problem, and then solve it.
Thanks for the comment and the kind words! There is a follow up video too regarding the farm at Kingston if you're interested. Thank you!
MUSIC LOUD YEA HOWEVER VERY VERY VERY GOOD CONTENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH ESPECIALLY BRINGING A FEW OF THE FOLKS WHO BUILT OUR COUNTRIES FOR US INTO THE LIMELIGHT. NICE
Absolutely bloody awesome fella.
Very very impressed.
Beautiful to have such great memories and documentary of your families achievements.
Thanks Dan for the kind words.. Really appreciate the comment. Thank you.
That is awesome what a awesome story .I know you must be proud.Tractors or today are nothing like they used to be.thanks for sharing
Thanks for that.. all the recent comments that have been flying in have been so encouraging.. Thanks so much. It was a golden era! Am going to get cracking on this next video.. Just been looking at a bunch of Dad's historic footage.. Really was a special era. Thanks!
Fantastic... Bloody Fantastic. That generation is all but gone. A few are still of that mindset. Think outside the box are we...
I'm treasuring every day I have with Dad...we're off to do more interviews this week...let me know if you have any particular questions you want me to ask...he's born 1923...and I'm realising there isn't too many of that era that saw the transitions from Horse teams to Tractors...my next film I think I'm going to explore that journey. Thanks!
@@MatthewPolack The transition from heavy horses to tractors was real for me too as my late Grt Uncle George Harris over here in Southland NZ was right uo there with the best, his Brother Fred was a great horseman also, all he wanted when he died was to hold a horse with his hob nails on... His Brother Ed found him that exact way... ask your Dad about getting about in Trucks & Cars etc. Local Dances also fir a laugh...
Cheers m8..
I thought of a great idea for a variably weighted flywheel the other day ..need a few machines to makes stuff with
I thought of a great idea for a variably weighted flywheel the other day ..need a few machines to makes stuff with
It’s just so amazing how out of necessity comes invention........ and out comes something spectacular
Thanks mate!
One of our hay clients was telling us a story similar to this a couple of years ago, as he was sourcing a second Fordson tractor to make his own, the idea came from the Ernest Doe & Sons Fordson dealers in Essex, England, it used two Fordson Power Major tractors. The setup is known as the Doe Triple-D. Our client who made his own takes it to shows and parades on the back of his Bedford truck, and it looks much the same as the one in this video on the truck
That's great... Certainly a lot of creative farmers in that era.. These days with the amount of country being farmed they probably wouldn't even have the time to attempt it. Must check out one of these Does one day.. Not sure if they made it to Australia?
Not sure if the Doe did, I think that is why these machines were made, it was easier, and maybe cheaper, than getting one over
@@gkcl1 I asked Dad about the Doe and he hadn't heard of it.. More just of farmers like Vern hooking them together.. But probably people saw the Does in magazines.... Was an interesting age before the Internet how knowledge was still shared. Thanks for the info!
@@MatthewPolack Regardless, it is an impressive machine built from necessity, and the fact that your dad and uncles had the drive and know how to build one of their own in such a time is nothing short of incredible.
Wonderful story, amazing how many Aussie inventions there have been...
I really admire the can do attitude of these old timer farmers, they were ultimately at the forefront of their industry, jack of all trades ability and seem to not even consider failure as a setback.... you must be so proud of your old man and grandfather..
That was a great video. God bless your dad and family. There must be piles of rocks everywhere seeing those fields.
Great video bud. I really enjoyed it. Beautiful sentiment. I really appreciate and collect wisdom and knowledge from old timers like your dad. Thank you for taking the time to record it for humanity. Too many nuggets of gold are lost when guys like him pass on. Love it. Thank you.
Thanks Matthew.. appreciate the kind words.. Dad is 99 now.. finds it hard to walk.. is a bit sad to see this fit farmer you see pulling that tractor around by hand.. struggling to now move and do what he once did. Certainly very thankful for Dad and love him tremendously!
Smart men and probably self-taught. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Ben... Yes very much self taught. . the farmers world have shared ideas too amongst themselves.. But an era before formal training or the Internet that's for sure. They just had to figure things out through trial and error. Thanks for commenting.
I work for Kenway and clarks, which is a modern case dealer in northern nsw. I’m blown away by how close yet how far this is from more modern machines. The middle pivot is an idea that I think is now almost synonymous with case ih now, what with the Steiger and quadtrac platforms.
Thanks for the comment
. Great to hear from a Case dealer. I've often wondered what Case themselves would think of it.. as Clarrie commented in one of the videos.. it was a bit like a modern 4wd articulated tractor. Great to hear from you.. Greetings from Australia and Happy Christmas!
What an awesome piece of machinery and thankyou for putting this together so people like myself can appreciate it.
The whole thing is hard to hear because of the music and sound effects
A few have said that but I didnt notice any problem,
I am of his dads generation and the hearing is pretty
shithouse, everything came through loud and clear.
Agree 100%
Thanks...a remastered version is in development... Stay tuned;)
@@MatthewPolack I had no problems hearing it.
@@MatthewPolack thanks!
My dad and his neighbour built a twin chamberlain using super 90s late 60s early 70s in Wubin w.a. good to be able to see these things still around and working
Thanks Jim...appreciate the comment..and for you taking the time to take a look. thank you! They certainly were a creative generation of 'engineers!
Used to be some around here , mostly ihc wd-9s or the big twin JDs . Some people kept the front axle and steered from the front tractor
This rig looks like the fore-runner to the Chamberlain C6100 tandems that my wife's uncle ran on his farm in Perenjori. Great video.
Excellent story. It is a shame that mote young men in today's world couldn't have the influence of men of the era. This makes me remember my Grandpa, his brothers, brothers in laws, my old boss & my scout master (his brother in law). I grew up in Northcentral Montana & worked many years on a farm & ranch owned by a couple in their 70s at the time. I myself learned to create things from very little & to work hard to find fairly low $$ solutions to many kinds of problems. Two big thumbs up for a trip down memory lane.
Thanks Don, appreciate that. Really hoping to get to Montana some day... Thank you for kind words.
@@MatthewPolack I sincerely hope that you get to travel there. It is truly beautiful.
Very entertaining and informative video. Espescially the footage from the time it was built. Those farmers are to be admired. Over here in Western Australia there is a museum/display of quite a few farmer-built tractors in Lake King. It's called the Bush Engineers Tractor Museum. Definitely worth a look.
Thanks Don. Having that old 16mm footage was crucial for the story.. they did a great job capturing it all back in the day. That museum sounds great.. have to keep that in mind for a trip over some day. Thanks for comment!
thanks for sharing this doc , terrific video and audio Mathew
Great effort! There was a guy on Queensland/NSW border age 84 put two tractors together to pull logs to a sawmill he built. Tour buses would visit and show passengers. This was 3 years ago. Maybe still doing it. There's a will there's a way!
I really like the thinking behind it and the hands-on engineering. Should have been in series production. :)
I'm SO GLAD I didn't bail prematurely, so as to miss the HIGHLIGHT of the already cool video, @12:50 -- it's PRICELESS!!!
When in 62 the farmer next to my dad's place built one like this. It was good to see the CASE tractors. Dad had a 1933 CC MODEL. It had been modified to rubber tires also.
Thank you so much. Great men right there! No doubt about it.
Thanks for comment Kip... Appreciate that!