Restoring Old Iron

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Roger's 1931 IH McCormick Deering C1020
Sometime in the 1950’s my Dad purchased this McCormick-Deering 10-20.  He needed it on the farm for belt power.  We farmed with an IH 300 and a Farmall super ‘H’.  As a youngster, I operated the ‘H’ to rake hay and draw the wagons.  When my younger brother, Dan, was old enough to operate a tractor, the hay raking was handed to him, and I was given the job of using the 10-20 around the farm.

Around 1971, the 10-20 was sold and replaced with a newer more modern tractor.  My Dad passed in April 1972.  My love of the farm and the “old Tractors” never faded.  In 2002 I started restoring tractors.  My first project was Dad’s Farmall Super H.  The old 10-20 always remained in my mind and I would remember back to growing up on the farm and how I missed those days.  I would often wish that I could find the old 10-20, and bring it back to life.

In 2009 my brother Dan and I took some of our tractors to a show at Stone Mills.  Stone Mills is located in northern New York in the Watertown area.  An older gentleman stopped to look at our tractors and ask questions.  As we talked, his voice sounded familiar, I knew that I had seen this man before.  I asked him if he had ever owned a 10-20. He told me that he had, and still had the tractor.  He asked me “How did you know that”.  I told him who I was and if by chance, had purchased the 10-20 from my father.  I had found the old 10-20.  But when I asked him if he would be willing to sell it, he said “NO”.  My heart was sad, but I knew where the tractor was.

The next year, my brother and I were back at the Stone Mills show.  The old gentleman was there as well.  He came over to us and sat and visited with us.  I asked again if he would part with the old 10-20, and again he said ‘NO’.  I told him that if he ever changed his mind that I would like to have it back with us.  As we sat and talked and passed the time, he was looking over our restored tractors.  He looked at me and asked, “If you had the 10-20, would you restore it and keep it in the family”.   I could not believe my ears.  I assured him that I would.  He then said that he would never get to restoring it, and it had been sitting in a field for ten years.  He then told me he would give it to me if I promised to restore the tractor as my brother and I had done our other tractors in our collection.

The next morning I went and retrieved the 10-20 from the field where it had been sitting for over ten years.  I started the restoration right away.  In 2012 Dan and I were back at Stone Mills with our 10-20 completely restored.  The gentleman was also at the show.  He was very happy to see the old girl restored and looking like new.  The McCormick-Deering 10-20 is back in the family, and back to stay for good.

Roger