25 Years!
 In 1969 my Uncle Gerard happened upon an 8N through a friend. It had been in a barn fire (it probably was the cause of the fire) and had been towed out to the manure pile. My uncle didn’t need a tractor, but a student at the high school, Luke, convinced my uncle that it was too good a deal to pass up. It was almost free - although it did need new front tires and rewiring.
 My Uncle Gerard took on the project of bringing the 8N back to life and with help from Luke, the tractor came around. And my uncle used it all the time. It turned out to be the best wheelbarrow he ever owned! As he learned more about what the tractor could do, he also became fascinated with the history of mechanized agriculture. Luke helped inspire Gerard to pay attention to the 3-point hitch and how that hitch changed farming.
The N-News is entering its 25th year and soon we will have produced our one hundredth issue. I personally had a hand in pulling together half of those issues, and soon I gained a firm grasp on the N-News. Today I publish the magazine.
Twenty-five years after the first issue of the N-News came together on an old PC, it finds you on the Internet today. It's been a long journey. And it is you, the reader and subscriber, who has been the most important part of the N-News experience. Now, let’s work together and shoot for another twenty-five.
N-News Info
9N-2N-8N-NAA NEWSLETTER (ISSN 0896-5641) is published quarterly in January, April, July, and October, by N–News, LLC; PO Box 275 East Corinth, VT 05040-0275.
- Gerard W Rinaldi, Publisher Emeritus
- Rob Rinaldi, Publisher, Editor
- Jill Morton, Associate Editor
- Krista Ainsworth, Assistant Editor
- Becky Kinerson, Mailroom Agent
- Natania Sewall, Assistant & Reviewer
- Mark Elliot, Webmaster
N-News is not associated with, nor does it receive financial support from, Ford, FNH, or CNH. They have been, and may continue to be, helpful to requests for information. © 2010 N-News LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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N-News: The Magazine for the Ford Tractor Enthusiast
 Jasmine, 11 years old, out for her first tractor ride! By Galen Mommens
One of the biggest problems facing N series fans, and all other lovers of old iron, is that they can’t help but wonder what will happen to their machines when they can no longer keep them. Not only are the tractors getting older, but so are the men and women who run them. Farms in general, are slipping away, and along with them, replacement tractor enthusiasts.
While some are lucky enough to have children and grandchildren to pass things on to, many, like my wife and I, do not have that option. It’s a good thing that we have nieces and nephews. We do our best to instill in them good Midwestern values and a need to know how it used to be done. Recently, my wife and I were delighted to have our 11 year old great-niece, Jasmine, spend over a week with us on our farm. She has been a city girl living in Lincoln, Nebraska all her life, but she was willing to try new, different, and exciting things during her stay.
 Working on the farm. There were two things that thrilled her enough for her to call her mom and excitedly brag about. The first was learning to milk a goat. She did amazingly well. Most people have a hard time getting a couple squirts out on their first try. My wife and I were pleasantly surprised when she got a good steady stream in just a few seconds, even left handed. We gave her a Certificate of Accomplishment and christened her a “Junior Milk-Maid.”
The second thing she was excited about was learning to drive the tractor. I asked her and I expected a hesitant “ok”, but got an enthusiastic “YES!”
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How Batteries Work: An Introduction |
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By Dave Erb, former editor of Old Abe’s News
 It is unfortunate that we need batteries, but we do. We need them because we are lazy, and not too patient. If you doubt what I’ve just said, find a 2N Ford tractor that is still original. It will have no battery, starter or battery ignition. In place of these parts you will find a hand crank sticking out of the grill with a magneto as the source of engine ignition. None of us like that arrangement! No matter how long our old tractors sit, we expect them to fire right up.
But once your tractor engine is started, you no longer need that heavy, clumsy battery. The charging system supplies electricity for the ignition and other needs. You wouldn’t need to drag the battery around with you except that you might want to start your engine again. So you also need a charging system so it will work again next time you need it.
How Batteries Work
Batteries are made of positive and negative plates, each connected to a post. So they don’t touch each other, wood or paper separators make a large Dagwood sandwich: positive plate, separator, negative plate, separator, positive plate, separator and so on.
This arrangement of plates and separators are suspended inside a waterproof case made of rubber or plastic with a mixture of sulfuric acid and water. Because acid can be harmful, a battery allowed to rattle around freely on its support, loose and wobbling, will have a much shorter life.
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