Ageless Iron - Your Farm Equipment Restoration Stories

The Breese Journal has been asking for submissions from you, the readers, about your farm equipment restoration projects. Listed below, in the order they appeared in the Breese Journal, are your responses. We are still taking questionnaire submissions and photographs! Click the banner ad at the bottom of the stories for more information on how to submit your Ageless Iron.

William Strotheide
    William Strotheide of Beaver Prairie, a farmer, has something in common with John Fischer of Carlyle: they're both fans of Minneapolis-Moline's G1000 tractor.
    Strotheide said he favors the G1000 because it's big, and is a nice farm vehicle to handle.
    He said his was restored out of necessity, usually meaning it was a working piece of equipment on the farm.
    He did his restoration all on his own, but to his knowledge, he doesn't know if it's still in use for regular farm work.
    Strotheide, who has done two restoration projects, said "they were all challenging."
    He's not sure what his dream project would be, but Strotheide said anyone should think twice before they're about to get into a restoration project. 
    Why? "Once you get started, you keep going and that's how you get through" that project.

Michael J. Richter
    Michael J. Richter, of Highland, a dairy replacement manager, favors Farmall tractors as his restoration badge of choice.
    Richter said his favorite is the Farmall Super H, because it is simple and easy to operate, as tractors go.
    His Farmall Super H is the only one he's restored to date. It was handed down from his father, who purchased the tractor from the AC dealer in Highland over 60 years ago.
    The restoration was done out of honor because every family member has operated this particular tractor, Richter said.
    Richter said his tractor has been repaired twice by a Mr. Frerker in Breese, his father's cousin's son.
    While the Super H doesn't do much in the way of farm tasks anymore, Richter said it is used for hayrides the family has each October on his mother's birthday.
    Richter said his dream project would be pulling the family trolley from Kentucky Horse Park with the Super H.
    He said, for anyone contemplating such a restoration project to take their time and enjoy their work "because if done right, it will be better than new and last for generations."

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