Tractor Tuesday

Land and man power are only some of what goes into a farm. None could be done without help from the machinery in the tool shed.  I should make it clear right now that we are a RED farm. For those of you who don't what this means, there is a huge difference between farming with red Case IH (International Harvester) tractors than using something less advanced and with less quality such as green John Deere equipment.  Its a big deal and farmers across America literally get into fights at bars because of this rivalry. Its sorta like Purdue vs IU, Hatfields vs. McCoys, Mac vs. PC. I'll sum it up in one statement:

"If it ain't red, leave it in the shed."

Anyways, I thought it would be good to introduce you all to the equipment behind the farm.  Disclaimer: I am NOT an expert on farm machinery, I am just going to be explaining it from a "farmer's wife's" view. 

Today's featured tractor is the 400, also known as the Steiger.

The 400 in all her mighty glory...isn't she pretty?

The 400 is the draft horse of all the tractors. Its the biggest of all the tractors on our farm and its also newest addition to the family.  What is special about this tractor, besides its amazing power, is that it articulates, or "breaks in the middle"...or my mother-in-law would describe it as "SON OF A B....!" because of her experiences driving the old steiger when she was first married to Seth's dad.  It's great if you're used to it, but if not, you're suddenly realizing that you're peeing your pants because you're about to run into something. When you turn the steering wheel your front wheels don't turn like they do in your car to guide you to one direction, the whole front half of the tractor swings around and turns in that direction.  Its hard to explain...

Anyways, as a female, I personally enjoy the 400 for a few reasons. It has the best vent placement of all the other tractors. It also has GPS and auto guidance which means if you're driving, all you do is push a button, sit back and read your book while the tractor does all the work.  Some cons about it...no cupholders and the buddy seat doesn't bounce, so when your husband is driving too fast and hits the end rows in a corn field, your tailbone breaks in half while he bounces along in his nice cushy seat.

There you have it! The 400! Big Bertha!

Hope you enjoyed a little look into our tractor family!