Well, I’ve been wood and LumberJocks deprived for the last month or two. I’ve been in the shop for hours a day, but it’s not been my own (which has been kind of weird, messing with someone else’s tools).
I’ve owned this old tractor for about a decade. It’s a 1955 International Harvester Farmall 200. My Father and Grandfather owned it before me. It’s been in our family for about 50 years or so. My Grandfather farmed with it, and we’ve used it to maintenance our property for years and years.
This tractor has had a rough life. It’s really been through the mill… and back, and it finally stopped running about two years ago. I took it to a mechanic friend of mine at the beginning of the fall that does an exceptional job restoring tractors. I only intended to FIX the tractor to get it to a “running” condition. Well…. One thing led to another… and I took some time ($ and a lot of cash $), and decided to restore the tractor. I helped quite a bit, but I would not have been able to work out the mechanics of it all had it not been for my very good friend. I’m grateful to know him, and I appreciate him a lot.
I’ve got some things to finish with it yet, but they are minor (My budget has to recover first, though).
Once I get the tractor in full swing, I’m going to be able to pull logs onto a bandmill to mill lumber (I know, that’s streaching it a bit, but it’s how I’m justifying this post as woodworking related… lol!!)
Anyway, I’m proud of the tractor and I thought I’d share some pics. It’ll certainly save me boatloads of time in property maintenance, and most importantly, GIVE ME MORE SHOP TIME!!!

We turned almost every nut and bolt on this tractor. All new bearings, rings, seals, gaskets, etc.



-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †






















30 comments so far
jim1953
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1614 posts in 740 days
posted 386 days ago
NICE JOB LOOKS COOL
-- Jim, Kentucky
Joe Lyddon
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486 posts in 951 days
posted 386 days ago
Steve, that tractor is BEAUTIFUL!
I’ll bet it was FUN working on something that was super simple, compared to what they have today; no computer control, etc.
You can see and get to all of the main parts of it!
I can see mucho $$$ just in Red Paint! And getting it so nicely applied!
You did a great job and you deserve to be proud about it!
Thank you for showing it to us!
May you haul all of the new lumber that you can… for years to come!
-- Have Fun! Joe Lyddon - Alta Loma, CA USA - Home: http://www.WoodworkStuff.net ... My Small Gallery: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showgallery.php?ppuser=1389&cat=500"
dennis mitchell
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3791 posts in 1213 days
posted 386 days ago
Great Treasure!
-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com
lazyfiremaninTN
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528 posts in 851 days
posted 386 days ago
Holy Crap, that is one heck of a restore. You did a great job. If you get tired of it, let me know. hehehe
-- Adrian ..... The 11th Commandment...."Thou Shalt Not Buy A Wobble Dado"
Woodhacker
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1145 posts in 622 days
posted 386 days ago
Steve, let me guess…this is carved out of bloodwood and ebony.
Seriously, you did a great job…the hours spent obviously paid off.
-- Martin, Kansas
Chris
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1469 posts in 890 days
posted 386 days ago
Bravo!
-- Chris
tooldad
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456 posts in 613 days
posted 386 days ago
great job. Try mytractorforum.com There is another unrelated cousin to the lumberjock community. I discovered them the same way I discovered LJ. I was google searching for a tractor part. I found LJ by researching wide belt sanders and a previous blog popped up on the browser search.
Napaman
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3492 posts in 976 days
posted 386 days ago
nice restoration!!!!!!
-- Matt, Napa, CA...fun is beautiful...just trying to have some fun...
lightweightladyleftie
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419 posts in 611 days
posted 386 days ago
Steve,
Great restoration work!
This has brought back memories of the Farmall 300 that I grew up driving to make hay. You certainly did a fine job of restoration of that 200. My brother restored the old Co-op tractor, but has yet to restore the Farmall or the John Deere. My husband restored our 1949 Ford 8N so we know how much work you put into your tractor.
Thanks for sharing.
-- "But godliness with contentment is great gain." 1 Timothy 6:6
Douglas Bordner
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3427 posts in 962 days
posted 386 days ago
I’m Deere green with envy. Great job!
-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.
Grumpy
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14932 posts in 750 days
posted 386 days ago
Steve, that is one great restoration job. well worth those hours of toil.
-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python
Tim Pursell
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392 posts in 681 days
posted 386 days ago
Great job on preserving a piece of family history! I like the bibs, flannel & pitchfork in the third photo!
-- http://www.grandprairiewoodworks.com http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6453794
RAH
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413 posts in 775 days
posted 386 days ago
Nice restore, tractors are great to have around.
When I turned 50 I was going through a mid life crisis. Told my wife I didn’t want a fancy sports car or a girl friend, I wanted a bright orange Kubota BX23 tractor with all of the attachments.
-- Ron Central, CA
Mark Shymanski
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1555 posts in 611 days
posted 386 days ago
One of my first jobs in the family was assisting a neigbour rebuild the 8N Ford Dad used for all kinds of yard maintenance jobs….many years later Dad restored his Farmall and used it for many years after. These are great tools and I am looking forward to viewing your tractor pictures once I get outside the firewall here.
We pulled a lot of wood out of the bush with both the 8N and the Farmall. The farmall just never quite working… which reminds me of the first time I had to start and drive it… but that is not wood related at all so I’ll stop LOL!
-- ...it's rennovation time!!!
roy
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115 posts in 692 days
posted 386 days ago
the only thing more beautiful than a piece of wood is a nice tractor !!!
-- tn hillbilly.." tryin to do the best i can with what i got "
Dennis Zongker
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1018 posts in 491 days
posted 386 days ago
WOW, Great job!!! What a difference.
-- Dennis Zongker
8iowa
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592 posts in 660 days
posted 386 days ago
Grandpa would be mighty proud!
-- "Heaven is North of the Bridge"
bhack
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246 posts in 619 days
posted 386 days ago
Steve,
First, welcome back. I have been missing your comments on forums, projects, etc..
Second, great restore!!! Treasure the heritage of the tractor. Your grandfather and father are proud I am sure.
Third, I am jealous.
-- Bill - If I knew GRANDKIDS were so much fun I would have had them first.
Thos. Angle
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4013 posts in 861 days
posted 386 days ago
I hate to admit that I remember when these were new. Sheesh!!! I feel older than dirt. Very well done.
-- Thos. Angle
SteveKorz
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2030 posts in 612 days
posted 386 days ago
Thanks ALL!!
-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †
BigBob
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59 posts in 388 days
posted 386 days ago
Yeah baby! Beautiful job restoring it. I bet that is lot of fun and usful too. Great job! I love it.
Zuki
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1234 posts in 976 days
posted 386 days ago
That is one purdy look’n tractor.
-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them
ChicoWoodnut
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895 posts in 714 days
posted 386 days ago
What kind of woodworking tools can you run off the PTO?
Nce job
-- Scott - Chico California http://chicowoodnut.home.comcast.net
Grumpy
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14932 posts in 750 days
posted 386 days ago
A bush sawmill perhaps. Then he can have a catnap. LOL

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python
thetimberkid
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1944 posts in 602 days
posted 386 days ago
Vreay nice restoration!
Thanks for the post
Callum
-- For wood working podcasts with a twist check out http://thetimberkid.com/
griff
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941 posts in 660 days
posted 385 days ago
Great looking restoration. you did a beautiful job.
-- Mike, Bruce Mississippi = Jack of many trades master of none
mmh
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1410 posts in 621 days
posted 382 days ago
BEAUTIFUL! I want one of those! I could finally move my logs to the backyard instead of rolling them. Can I get one with a front end loader? I need to build a larger & deeper pond. I could also rule the road driving to downtown Washington, DC. to visit my former co-workers. But where do you stash the groceries? Do you strap the crumbsnatchers on the front end or the back end?
-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe
SteveKorz
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2030 posts in 612 days
posted 382 days ago
LOL.. I haven’t put any scratches on this yet… I’m too afraid to work it
-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †
GaryK
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9539 posts in 887 days
posted 382 days ago
Great looking job. It should serve your family for another 50 years.
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
SteveKorz
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2030 posts in 612 days
posted 382 days ago
Thanks Gary, I hope so.
-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †