Russ' Vintage Iron

All Column Articles

  • Hired man Henry plows with a 1935 John Deere D on the John B. "Jack" Quinn farm east of Elkhorn, Nebraska, in the spring of 1951. The D has been in the Quinn family for nearly 90 years. (DTN photo by Russ Quinn)
    by Russ Quinn , DTN Staff Reporter

    Last month in the Russ' Vintage Iron column, I discussed how many tractors farmers own and operate. I even did a three-day X poll to see what farmers had to say. This month, the column features an emailed story from a reader about owning tractors.

  • Some of the two-cylinder John Deere tractors on the Quinn farm. This photo was taken in April of 2022. (DTN photo by Russ Quinn)
    by Russ Quinn , DTN Staff Reporter

    Last month's Russ' Vintage Iron column focused on a Nebraska farm family with 51 International tractors. That got me thinking: How many tractors do farmers really own? I know a few farmers with just a couple tractors, but I also know farmers with many more. So, I ran a Twitter poll!

  • My late uncle, Jim Quinn, standing in his Iowa cornfield. (Photo courtesy of Quinn family)
    by Russ Quinn , DTN Staff Reporter

    Those of us raised with aunts, uncles and cousins who lived nearby almost felt we had multiple sets of parents and siblings. My dad farmed with his brother for my entire childhood. I have an endless supply of memories of both him and vintage iron.

  • DTN Staff Reporter Russ Quinn's uncle Jack and Oliver tractors have a permanent link. (Oliver logo)
    by Russ Quinn , DTN Staff Reporter

    I had several uncles who farmed, but only my uncle Jack farmed with Oliver tractors. While my dad and the other two uncles liked John Deere, Jack's favorite tractors were the ones with darker green paint. And the two will always go together in my mind.

  • A unrestored 1930s Thieman tractor. (Photo courtesy of antiquetractors.com)
    by Russ Quinn , DTN Staff Reporter

    A simple conversation with a neighbor turns into a Vintage Iron column idea. A long-defunct tractor manufacturer built an inexpensive tractor during the Great Depression until World War II. Thieman tractors came in a kit and farmers assembled their tractors with their choice of a Ford...

  • While mostly retired, the Quinn family's 1957 John Deere 620 tractor does still work on the farm occasionally. The tractor has been in the family for 65 years. (DTN photo by Russ Quinn)
    by Russ Quinn , DTN Staff Reporter

    Those who love vintage iron look forward to the beginning of summer, as it marks the start of small-town parades, tractor shows and antique tractor pulls. June is when many small-town celebrations take place, and parades are often at the heart of those. Who is bringing vintage iron to these...

  • This 1947 Farmall Cub was bought new by Henry Rath and is a multigenerational tractor currently owned by Henry's grandson, Tyler Rath, of Belgrade, Minnesota. (Photo courtesy of Tyler Rath)
    by Russ Quinn , DTN Staff Reporter

    This month's edition of Russ' Vintage Iron features two Farmall stories from readers. These come after Case-New Holland (CNH) announced various activities planned to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the now-famous Farmall name.

  • The Farmall name appeared on IH tractors for nearly 50 years, ranging from 1924 to 1973. Among the last IH tractors to feature Farmall was the model 1456 tractor. (DTN File Photo)
    by Russ Quinn , DTN Staff Reporter

    Case IH celebrates 100 years of Farmall tractors. In 1923, an IH engineer had a vision of a tractor that would replace horses and perform many -- if not all -- farm tasks. The new tractors would allow farmers to easily cultivate their crops and the legendary Farmall brand was born.

  • The Quinn family's 1957 John Deere 620 tractor and wooden-wheeled wagon decorated with Christmas lights and an illuminated Santa Claus from Christmas 1992. (Photo courtesy Russ Quinn)
    by Russ Quinn , DTN Staff Reporter

    Large, farm-place Christmas light displays always impressed me as a kid. Seeing Christmas lights on buildings, fences, and even farm machinery was remarkable. For a few years, roughly three decades ago, we did the same thing on our farm.