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Diesel good old days

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jdemaris

01-04-2008 05:53:12

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From my farm magazine ca. 1951. Boy, have things changed.

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Bill in Colo

01-04-2008 16:38:51

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to jdemaris, 01-04-2008 05:53:12

1952 we traded our two LA Case's for a shiney new JD R to go along with our D4, the old cases burned 30 40 gallons each a day and the R and the cat would hardly use 15 each.

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J.C.in AZ.

01-04-2008 16:28:25

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to jdemaris, 01-04-2008 05:53:12

Home from the Marines in 1957 on Leave with my "Honey". We got Married in March 1960 and are together yet. Yes that is my 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air,bought in Long Beach Calif. My Dad got tired of milking my 11 Head of Gurnseys and so I sold them and bought the Car.Miss the car,not sure about the Gurnsaeys.JC

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J.C.in AZ.

01-04-2008 16:04:00

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to jdemaris, 01-04-2008 05:53:12

Is that one of those "Shepard Conversions?" I remember every one excited about that Ad. I think Gas was about $0.25 a Gallon at that time. I was a Freshman in High School Ag. Class then and did not have a clue what a Diesel was. We had AC's and An Ford 8N at Home and they used the same Gas I swiped from the Tank to run my 41 Chev. 5 Window Coupe on. Yes I got caught more than once but my Dad never said much,I was cheap Help.

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W-4

01-04-2008 09:25:10

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to jdemaris, 01-04-2008 05:53:12

In 1951to 1956 four of us boys did custom bailing with a 1949 Case wire tie bailer. We received a penny a bale for driving, stacking, and tieing. for poking the wires and shifting the forks we would get a cent and a half. a thousand bales would give us 10.00 tax free!!

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Trkr

01-04-2008 08:18:30

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to jdemaris, 01-04-2008 05:53:12

Yup,it's a Sheppard 6m conversion,have one sitting in my shop.

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Mike M

01-04-2008 07:07:06

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to jdemaris, 01-04-2008 05:53:12

Is that a Sheppard engine ? I don't remember what it looked like ,but there was one at a local show a few years back with that conversion.

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jdemaris

01-04-2008 07:32:54

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Full page ad in reply to Mike M, 01-04-2008 07:07:06

Yes, here's the full page ad.

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El Toro

01-04-2008 07:50:59

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Re: Full page ad in reply to jdemaris, 01-04-2008 07:32:54

Our neighbor had one of those Shepherd diesel tractors. This was in 1955 when he was using it to plow. I don't think he bought it new. Hal

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rrlund

01-04-2008 06:40:36

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to jdemaris, 01-04-2008 05:53:12

I think when we finally got our first diesel tractor,an Oliver Super 55,diesel was 16 cents a gallon.

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Steven f/AZ

01-04-2008 06:24:10

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to jdemaris, 01-04-2008 05:53:12

Looks like the Sheppard (sp?) conversion? From what I've heard, the Sheppard diesel conversion was good for turning an M into an H...

There was an M on here at one time with I believe a 2-53 two stroke GM diesel in it - that might not have been all that powerful either. I've also seen a couple of W-9s with 3-53 GM diesels, and even operated an LA Case with a 4-53 GM diesel in it at a tractor pull once!

Even with the higher price of diesel fuel today... which for farmers, diesel is still cheaper due to the tax break... a diesel conversion can save $$ in the long run.

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RustyFarmall

01-04-2008 06:15:17

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to jdemaris, 01-04-2008 05:53:12

That conversion would not have been very popular if the price of diesel back then was higher than the price of gasoline like it is today.

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msb

01-04-2008 07:57:46

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to RustyFarmall, 01-04-2008 06:15:17

I don't think so Rusty. diesel was 9� a gallon and gasoline was 15-18� after tax was deducted when I firtst started farming in the late 50s.

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El Toro

01-04-2008 06:14:15

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to jdemaris, 01-04-2008 05:53:12

!951 sure brings back a lot of memories. My brother and I graduated from high school, we should've graduated in 1950, but they went to the
12th grade system which was started in 1947. My brother joined the Air Force 3 days after we graduated since the Korean War was going on. My mom didn't want me to join with him having 2 sons
going to war. I told her to get use to the idea
and I would probably be drafted. I left the farm, but still helped my dad with the morning milking. I went to work for the federal government testing ther tanks and trucks. Got drafted in 1953 and got married. Best thing ever happened. Thought about staying in the military
until Ike and Nixon started cutting the military.
Found out I would be rehired as returning vet and
got discharged. Retired in 1994. My dad had to give up farming. Hal
PS: Gasoline was about 30 cents a gallon and was low as 19 cents at times. Some stations gave out nice dinner plates too.

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RustyFarmall

01-04-2008 06:20:46

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to El Toro, 01-04-2008 06:14:15

I was born in 1951, graduated in '69. In 1969 gasoline was still around 35 cents, and quite often the gas wars drove the price down to around 25 cents. I still didn't have enough money to completely fill the gas tank.

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El Toro

01-04-2008 06:48:00

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to RustyFarmall, 01-04-2008 06:20:46

I didn't have that problem we were working a lot of overtime due to the war effort. They're still working a lot of it where I worked. They were working 12 hours several days a week and Sat & Sun. I would get home around 11pm and bathe and eat a bite and then off to bed. Had to get up at 4am to start milking those cows. Never thought too much about it back then. I was going with my wife and some mornings I didn't in until late. My dad said I don't care how late you stay out, but you still those cows to milk. Here we are in 1953. Hal

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bradk

01-04-2008 09:00:53

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to El Toro, 01-04-2008 06:48:00

Hey El Toro, Who"s the "Hottie"

The 50"s musta been a good time to be alive. ~brad

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El Toro

01-04-2008 09:54:15

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to bradk, 01-04-2008 09:00:53

That's my wife of 55 years. Doesn't seem that long. Hal

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jdemaris

01-04-2008 06:37:40

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to RustyFarmall, 01-04-2008 06:20:46

Yeah, I remember around 1969 many gas stations selling gas at "four gallons for a buck" - and my tank still never got filled. Buying two bucks worth was a big deal. Heck, Black Label beer was 79 cents per sixpack - and I was more apt to by the beer over gasoline.

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supergrumpy

01-04-2008 06:33:39

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to RustyFarmall, 01-04-2008 06:20:46

yup, 20 gallon gas tank on the clunker, $5 would fill the tank

took lots of sweat to make that $5 as I recall

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RustyFarmall

01-04-2008 06:40:57

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to supergrumpy, 01-04-2008 06:33:39

I hired out to neighbors to help with haying. Picked up those hay bales, stacked 'em on a hay rack, and then un-load it and stack those bales in the barn. Got paid a whole whoppin' big $1.25 per hour, and glad to get it.

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El Toro

01-04-2008 07:43:58

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Re: Diesel good old days in reply to RustyFarmall, 01-04-2008 06:40:57

I followed a threshing machine that our local neighbor owned that did custom work for the different farmers in the area. They paid $1.00 an hour and fed you like a king. This came to an end in 1949 when they were blowing the straw into the straw mow and it hit a light bulb and started a barn fire. The owner of the thresher always fed it and jumped off and tried to pull the machine with belt pulley. He had a 15-30 McCormick-Deering with solid rubber tires for use on the paved roads and it would only spin. The thresher and barn were both lost. This was the last job for the summer too. Not too many dry eyes that afternoon. Hal

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