What were they thinkin?

I'm sure it was an exciting event. My Grandfather told me the story about when he was a young man (probably high school age) and their brand new 1941 B was delivered. I heard that story many times and he had a gleem in his eye every time he told it.

Well, Im not livin on a milk check, and they don't have allis dealers anymore from the 50's. But I bet it would have been a cool sight to see that tractor headed in the drive way.

I remember when Dad got our new D 17 & plow - The dealer came out to help adjust the plow - I can still smell the new paint burn off the manifold.

I think my Mom was just as excited as Dad was when he bought a new WD45 with equipment in 1954 but in 1959 when he brought home a new 1 ton truck he had to spend the night in it, she wouldn't let him in the house.

I was checking older posts today and ran across this one.  What was it like when a new tractor was delivered.  Especially when the farmer was replacing horses. 
I remember our older B literature showed the economy of having all powered equipment on the farm and the farmer not having to feed and care of the draft animals.  I delivered a many a tractor but cannot remember where we replaced a horse or mule.  It was during WWII that farmers realized that they needed power equipment to succeed.  Also, the income from WWII demand for farm crops gave the farmers the means to purchase equipment. 
In most cases it was a big deal to all.  In fact one time during WWII I remember we sold 60 All Crops.  They were picked up on the 4th of July - Gas was tight so the farmers bought their tractors to pull them home.  We put flags on the combines as they drove out. 
Always a fun time to deliver new equipment.
Good Luck!
Bill Long

BillL. also along with the price increases for grain, there was a shortage of ear corn pickers(the hand kind) and other harvest help from the massive enlistments and drafts of able bodies. Even though I was a baby, born Feb. of 1941, I remember hearing the "folks" talking about how impossible it was to hire farm help. This would cause a huge demand for harvesting equipment not requiring able bodies. There was an exemption for farm laborers and existing farmers due to the huge need to feed the troops. But still, there just wasn't much available help with the exception of older workers. This is meant as a footnote to your post to educate our younger members. It was practically impossible to buy a new car, or tires and fuel was rationed, except for food production. But, you had better not get caught putting farm fuel in your car to just ride around. The law had teeth, and they were pretty big ones to boot!

My Grandfather was a great horse guy- Belgians and Percherons but he hated to stook and thresh - so he bought an All-Crop with a bagger and my dad never had to learn to stook!
Dad told us that story many times.    

This is what an RC looked like coming to the farm brand new.  Quite the delivery truck and trailer compared to the stuff they haul with today.  That's my grandpa standing watching, I can't really tell from the picture what he was thinking.  My aunt said the oldest brother was quite disappointed that it wasn't a WC, so not all were excited.

My dad told me about the day they delivered my Grandads C. He was almost 5 years old, and still remembers the bright orange paint. They brought it on a flatbed truck, and backed into the road ditch with the truck sitting across the dirt road to unload it(there wasn't enough traffic around back then to cause a problem). They bought the tractor on 8-23-1950. Before that, grandad had a mule and a 12" Oliver plow. Still got that too.

I always had the job of putting on the first coat of wax for any new tractor sold.  I couldn't begin to tell you how may XT's I've put wax on.  When the cab tractors came out, I had to clean the windows too.  Used a bar of Bon-Ami soap and newspapers (how many remember that?!).  I always enjoyed it if the owner came to the shop to dirve it home and he could see I was polishing his new outfit.  Made me proud.

Dave,

I was at a Cabela's once, talked to a guy that new someone with one like that once... says hung his hat and coveralls on it every night, put his boots under it on the floor... said the mule was more worthwhile stuffed, than alive...  (probably didn't eat as much)...  ;-}