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Restoring old tractors to their prime gives retiree job securityBy Kylene Orebaugh
There are hundreds of years of history lined up in Junior VanderGiesen's "bone yard" in Smith Center, Kan.--from scrap tractors used for parts to plows that will only fit on their two-cylinder counterparts, even a cotton implement VanderGiesen couldn't stand to see go to the scrap iron pile. VanderGiesen's history VanderGiesen and his sons buy, sell and trade tractors and parts, as well as collect two-cylinder tractors. But for the elder VanderGiesen, restoring two-cylinder tractors has become a full-time hobby. "Been doing it quite a spell. I have always piddled with them," he said. "Dad used to say that, when I was 7 years old, he bought an old engine and left me with it when he went to go milk the cows. I had the engine running by the time he came back." VanderGiesen started working for the John Deere dealership in Downs, Kan., and moved to Smith Center, Kan., in 1973. He worked 44 years as service manager for John Deere, retiring recently. "When we moved up here, we had an extra lot at the house, and we started buying old tractors to part out for iron. Then we started fixing them up," VanderGiesen said. "Back then, I just worked on them for a hobby--restoring them." With VanderGiesen's experience working as a service manager, he had plenty of training for his hobby. "It's been a trial and error process when fixing the tractors, especially with the older stuff," he said. "I turned as many wrenches when I was service manager at John Deere, as the mechanics did back then."
Restoration process Now VanderGiesen works on mainly two-cylinder John Deere tractors, but is starting to work on some 4010 and 4020s. He mainly fixes his own tractors, but one son is helping others get their tractors restored. "The two-cylinders are starting to get picked over pretty bad," he said. "Prices are getting so high, mainly because there are getting to be less and less of them." VanderGiesen buys his tractors at all stages of disrepair. "Sometimes you don't have a choice with the condition they are in," he said. "I try to buy the lower numbers (serial numbers)." When VanderGiesen gets a tractor in to work on, he will totally overhaul it--go through everything from the transmission to the hydraulics to the bearings and the engine. If he works on a project regularly, he can get one fixed up in about four months--that is, if he can find all the parts. But he doesn't have to look far, as he has a pretty extensive two-cylinder salvage yard behind his shop. "If we don't have it, we buy it new off someone else," VanderGiesen said. "We also rebuild parts on our own or buy rebuilt." He does his searching for parts the old-fashioned way, too. "I've never been much for the Internet. I know where the yards are and just start calling around," he said. "My brother in Iowa has a (salvage) yard and I use his parts hotline." The parts hotline was important to VanderGiesen when he was working for John Deere, and he kept the process when he retired. "We used to do that with John Deere--the hotline," he said. "We were able to see what's out there as they are hooked to the yards." But it is easier to start a restoration project with a tractor that is not in too bad of condition. "I won't buy a rusted up mess--one that's stood in water or been opened up to water. No value in it besides the iron," VanderGiesen said. "There are those tractors that have problems that can be fixed." VanderGiesen normally keeps the ones he's restored for a while. He's got a 530 that is in near perfect condition. It sits all shined up outside his Smith Center shop. "With the 530, I sure like the way it runs." Appearance of restored tractors is very important, and VanderGiesen leaves the painting to the professionals. "I don't paint. I have a guy paint them for me," VanderGiesen said. "There's a kid with a body shop up north of Kensington (Kan.) that painted some of my tractors. He painted the 730 all fuel, and the local body shop painted the 530." VanderGiesen also has some implements as well as plows, and mentioned a plow that would only fit a John Deere H tractor--one of the fully restored tractors he has in his shop. He also has a number of "walk-behind" plows or those pulled by horses. Proudly displayed VanderGiesen also likes to show off his hard work, too. He has taken several of his tractors to nearby shows including ones in Mankato, Downs, Kensington and Old Settlers Day--"The Way They Were" in Smith Center, Kan., and one in Steele City, Neb. He also is on the committee for a local "plow day," as well as the Old Settlers Day--"The Way They Were" event. "They try to have a "plow day" in April, but it's been getting pushed back to July because of wet weather and wheat harvest," he said. "Around 40 or 50 guys get together, 35 average--just depending on what is going on." The group finds a local farmer who will allow them to plow their field. "Normally it's 80 to 160 acres. We can plow 120 acres in 4 hours," VanderGiesen said. "With no-till, it's been hard finding guys who will let us plow. But we still have a couple that will let us." Participants can bring their own plows, but VanderGiesen has a few extras that he loans out. VanderGiesen also goes to a few other plow days locally, and a few in Nebraska. "It's getting to be quite a pastime." What the future holds VanderGiesen plans to continue his retirement hobby until he is not physically able to do it anymore. "People have told me I bleed green, but I don't know about that," he said. Although he's only fully restored six or seven tractors from start to finish, and got a couple hundred up and running, Junior VanderGiesen is far from slowing down, himself. Kylene Orebaugh can be reached by phone at 620-227-1804 or by e-mail at kscott@hpj.com. 12/22/08 Date: 12/18/08 Advertisement
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