Sunday, February 14, 2010

David Bradley Tractor

After 8 months at Ecotone with a weedeater as our only petro-powered farm tool, the David Bradley tractor has arrived! Two weekends ago, C.J. and Ozark drove to Van Buren, AR to visit family and pick-up this hand-tractor from Liz and Dale Balls, a member of his mother's church whose father first bought it and used it on their family farm. Not having run in years and needing some attention, the super-neighbor father-son Smith duo helped C.J. get it running, and hopefully taught him a thing or two about engines. After a couple of days of work, and some magical tinkering by Mr. Smith, it now runs like a top!

Built between 1951 and 1953, by Sears and Roebuck Company, this David Bradley tractor (Model # 917.57561, Series 301) was built with a 3 horsepower Continental engine, instead of the regular Briggs and Stratton. It has lots of different attachments, and in addition to the trailer (modeled below), we also have an adjustable foot plow and a cultivator.



















The idea is that this will pull the chicken coops across the pasture instead of us. We'll keep you posted. In the meantime, it can haul all the water we're carrying to the animals while everything's frozen!






3 comments:

  1. Everything about this tractor is amazing. Especially the part where Ozark sits in the trailer.

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  2. Thank you Jen and C. J. for bring life back to my past. Being allowed to drive this tractor was a big deal in our childhood and I love seeing it alive again. - Liz from Van Buren, AR

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  3. It was wondering if I could use this write-up on my other website, I will link it back to your website though.Great Thanks. skid steer attachments

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