Russ' Vintage Iron

A photo of one man's request on a simple laminated sign at the 2024 National Red Power Show in Spencer, Iowa, last month has spread like wildfire on social media. A South Dakota farmer is on a mission to locate his late father's 1953 Farmall Super M tractor.

For those of us with fair skin, spending much time in the sun is just not in the cards. This is not a good thing for those who spend as much time outside as farmers do. Luckily, there are various sunshades which will keep you safe from the sun.

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.

A photo of an owner's manual of long-gone farm equipment on X, formerly known as Twitter, caught my eye the other day. This led me to search for manuals we might have in an old cabinet in our shed. What vintage iron discoveries were made?

When you are a lover of vintage iron, the thought of old tractors is never far from your mind. Since it is Valentine's Day and the color most associated with the day is red, it is only fitting that a couple stories about red tractors are featured in this month's Russ' Vintage Iron column.

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.

Last month in Russ' Vintage Iron column, I wrote about visiting a farm and running across a vintage International Harvester combine sitting in a tree line. This month I am sharing some of the many responses to that column. Some comments mentioned I missed some models, while others shared their...

A simple errand turns into a column in this month's edition of Russ' Vintage Iron. Crossing paths with a rusty, old combine in the trees sparks some thoughts about vintage International Harvester combines.

For the September Russ' Vintage Iron column, the original plan was to find another subject after two months of delving into Thieman tractors. But another interesting email from a reader altered this plan, and it is more about the somewhat forgotten tractor manufacturer from Albert City, Iowa.

The Thieman tractor was the subject of last month's Russ' Vintage Iron column. This month we have a couple of emails detailing more about the Thieman tractors, including one from a descendant of the founders of Thieman Harvester Co.

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...