Antique Tractor Pull | Video

Jessica Roose | 8/5/2012

Farm equipment seems to get bigger and more expensive every season. Half a million dollar combines and tractors are rendering old time machinery obsolete, left to rust and sit idle in a farmyard. However, plenty of farmers in New Salem say that`s no way for a reliable old tractor to die. And to finish off the 52nd annual Morton County Fair on a high note, they`re showing just what those old time machines can do.

They might look a bit past their prime, but don`t let their ages fool you. These 50-year-old tractors can still fire up and put in a day`s work. The tractor pull has been an annual tradition for about 30 years.

Perry Schlosser has been pulling his big green tractors in every one of those competitions. And he`s even taken home the top prize about a dozen times.

"I have quite a collection of tractors and I like showing them off so whenever I get a chance I like to bring them out and show them off and drive them. It`s something in my blood I guess."

There are four classes of tractors competing, based on weight and size. But Schlosser admits, you don`t necessarily need a bigger tractor to move up in class.

"You`ll see a lot of weights on the tractors you know and everybody tries to weigh them down so you get all the traction they can. It`s a slow moving thing, but it`s fun to see how far you can pull and what your tractors really got."

Schlosser competed with two tractors, entering himself in the 8,000 pound and up class and the open class. Even those who weren`t sitting in the driver`s seat said they enjoyed themselves.

Raleigh resident Leonard Gerhardt has been to the show at the fair about six times. "Just watching the tractor pull, it`s fun to watch that."

Gerhardt considers it so fun that he is hoping to start his own tradition in Raleigh. "If we have enough funds and can get it up there we would like to do that someday."

Gerhardt says he`s simply enjoying watching the farmers grinding a little bit of life out of the old time machines.

The antique tractor pull is only open to tractors from 1965 and older.

Sunday`s competition also featured a kiddie pedal pull.

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