Tim’s father, Cornell, combining beans circa 1970.

By L. Timothy Knutson

My first memory of our tractors was from 1951, when I was about four years old. I was in the kitchen of our north Iowa farm home, watching out the window as a truck delivered a new tractor to our yard. It was the second 8N for our farm and the last tractor my dad would buy. Mom recalled that there had been a tractor on the farm when they were married in 1942. From her description, it must have been a 9N. It was probably traded for the first 8N.

As was true for many farmers of that era, these tractors replaced a team of horses. Growing up on the farm, most of my friends were from farm families, too. It seemed that they all had the big tractors: John Deeres, Farmalls, Massey Fergusons, Minneapolis Molines, and Olivers. I desperately wanted Dad to buy a bigger tractor, but he insisted the 8Ns were just right for our eighty acres.

But time spent working on the farm at an early age seemed like forever, and a tractor that could only pull a two-bottom plow or a one-row corn picker seemed much too small. I wanted to be done and off fishing, swimming, or hunting. Every summer at the county fair, I would head to the machinery display and look at the newest tractors. I was convinced that we needed a bigger model, but those 8Ns served us well.

The safety starter switch exposed!

By Chris Britton & Bruce Haynes

One of the best safety features on our old Fords is the interlocked starter switch that helps prevent accidentally starting the tractor while it’s in gear. Like any mechanical part, over time they can break or become disabled due to conversion to a key-start style ignition and newer type starter solenoid. Consequently, some folks make the unwise decision to bypass the switch. They may be afraid to replace the switch, thinking that the repair might involve dealing with the transmission gears because it involves lifting the cover. Bypassing the switch, though, allows the tractor to start while in gear - a very, very dangerous situation.